Snowmobiling: Online interactive map blazes new trail

By LISA KAPPS, UticeOD.com, link to original post

Linda Rockwood is mapping out a whole new way to enjoy snowmobiling. Rockwood, owner of Mohawk Valley GIS (Geographic Information Systems) in Herkimer, has launched the New York State Snowmobile Trails Interactive Map and Trip Planner.

The interactive Web site at www.nysnowmobileweb-map.com not only shows maps of the trails, but also the locations of more than 150 lodging and dining establishments, gas stations, snowmobile dealers, shops and many other businesses throughout the Old Forge and Mohawk Valley regions.

Users can scroll through the map or search by categories such as name, town, keyword, and distance to a trail.

Snowmobilers can use the service online free of charge and without pop-up ads. In November, the map will also be downloadable to GPS units and smart phones for a fee. Downloading fees have not yet been set, but will be “nominal,” Rockwood said.

Snowmobilers will have the option of subscribing to the service for the whole season or making a one-time purchase. Those who subscribe will be notified via e-mail when there are updates to the trail system. “That is a simplified version of the Web site,” Rockwood said, but it will have a map of the trail system and the locations of local establishments like gas stations and restaurants.

Rockwood said she doesn’t know how common sites like hers are, but said it’s only in the past few years that the technology has become inexpensive and widely used enough for a project like this to be feasible.

On the GIS Web site (www.mohawkvalleygis.com) Rockwood describes her business as a “consulting business (that) provides spatial technology training and custom mapping solutions to municipalities, educational institutions, businesses and non-profit organizations and agencies throughout upstate New York.”

A few years ago, Rockwood was hired to create paper snowmobile trail maps. People would call her looking for trail maps, but Rockwood had to tell them that the maps were no longer in print. Over time, trails change and the paper maps become outdated, and they had become obsolete.

She had the idea to put the maps online – where it would be easy to change the trail routes and for snowmobilers download the maps. Rockwood said, “There was a need out there and a void.”

She approached the Herkimer County snowmobiling clubs and they decided to create the New York State Snowmobile Trails Interactive Map and Trip Planner. “We’re reaching out to three markets,” Rockwood said.

First, she said, she wants to reach the local riders who need to know if the trail routes have changed since last year.
Second, regional riders can learn about a new route or establishment.
Finally, she said, they are reaching out to riders from all over the Northeast.

Often, Rockwood said, paper maps focus on an individual county or network. Using the online system, “you can just see how the whole network connects,” she said.

Because many snowmobilers come to the Mohawk Valley or Old Forge area as tourists, she added, searching the map for attractions, restaurants, gas stations could help them plan their trip.

And in the event of a breakdown or other emergency, they could use the site to find a repair shop.  “I think what hopefully will happen, and this draws to the tourism aspect of the site again because we are presenting a multi-county network …, it will encourage people to ride in new areas where they haven’t gone before,” Rockwood said.

Or, she said, it may encourage riders to stop at a lodging establishment or restaurant. She added that she hopes to expand the site in the future to include attractions for all four seasons.

The New York State Snowmobile Trails Interactive Map and Trip Planner can be found online at www.nysnowmobilewebmap.com. A version of the map that can be downloaded to smart phones and GPS units will be available in November.

Thosand Islands – A Land Before Time

Bordered to the north by Ontario Canada, and the the south by NY State, the Thousand Islands are a wonder of nature. Click here to read about this “Land Before Time.”

Finger Lakes Land Trust adds land in Ellis Hollow

Ithaca Journal, link to original post

The Finger Lakes Land Trust announced Nov. 9, 2009  it has purchased 39 wooded acres near its Ellis Hollow Nature Preserve in the town of Dryden from Charles Pearman, who has also donated a conservation easement on an adjacent 11 acres.

The Land Trust had made protecting the land a priority because of its woodlands on both banks of a Cascadilla Creek tributary and because it borders Cornell University’s Durland Bird Sanctuary and forest owned by the Saltonstall Foundation artists’ retreat. The Land Trust said it paid significantly less for the property than its estimated fair market value. The acquisition will be known as the Ellis Hollow Nature Preserve – Pearman Woods.

“This property is part of growing network of conserved forest land on the north side of Ellis Hollow,” says Land Trust executive director Andrew Zepp. “Uncommon birds such as the winter wren can be found here and the protection of this land will help ensure water quality within Cascadilla Creek. We’re very grateful to Charles Pearman for his commitment to the land as he could have gotten far more money if he had sold the property for development.”

Pearman’s easement on the 11 adjacent acres includes a scenic meadow on Ellis Hollow Creek Road while allowing the development of a single home on a designated portion of the land. These are the Land Trust’s sixth protection projects in Ellis Hollow and put the preserve at 159 acres, in addition to easements on several forest parcels and on wetlands bordering Cascadilla Creek.

The Land Trust has launched a $90,000 fundraising campaign to cover costs relating to the acquisition and associated conservation easement. Lead gifts have already been secured from the Park Legacy Fund – a grant made by Dorothy Park to the Land Trust in support of land conservation within the Cayuga Lake Watershed, and an allocation from an existing natural areas acquisition grant from Cornell University.

A map and details on the trails in Ellis Hollow is available in the guidebook “Take A Hike – Family Walks in New York’s Finger Lakes Region.”

Officials Break Ground on Onondaga Creekwalk in Syracuse

By John Mariani / The Post-Standard, link to original post

State and county officials and business leaders joined Syracuse Mayor Matt Driscoll to break ground on phase 1 of the Syracuse Creekwalk at the Walton Street bridge over Onondaga Creek in Armory Square.

The creekwalk is a pedestrian path lining Onondaga Creek that eventually is to extend from the Onondaga Nation to Onondaga Lake. Two sections of the creekwalk already are in place in Franklin Square and the Inner Harbor.

The phase 1 project will replace the temporary trail linking those pieces with a permanent section along the west bank of the creek. This one-tenth of a mile section will pass through the city Parks Department campus at 412 Spencer St.

Another new section will extend the walk about one-half mile from the current endpoint near of Bear Street north to Onondaga Lake.

A third new piece will extend the walk from its current southerly endpoint in Franklin Square to Armory Square about six-tenths of a mile south.

The city has partnered with Onondaga County to build environmentally friendly components into the trail, according to a project summary put out by City Hall. These are to include porous pavement for parking lots and some trail sections, plantings on swales and rain gardens. The idea is to reduce storm water flows into the creek and ultimately, Onondaga Lake.

Real Adventure in the Adirondacks

Go adventurous – experience rock and ice climbing in the Adirondacks with Cloudsplitter Mountain Guides is a full-service professional mountain guiding company based in Keene Valley, NY. Visit their web site to see the range of adventures they offer and for some awesome photos & video clips.

Reminder – Nature-themed Fine Art Show – featuring Live Owls! Nov 15 in Perinton

Sylvan Beach Re-Sanding Project

Sylvan Beach (at the west end of Oneida Lake) is undergoing a years-long project to widen the popular beach, which has eroded by more than 100 feet in the past century.

Erosion of the beach is natural, but the sand has historically been replaced by sand flowing down Fish Creek and into the lake. After construction of the Erie Canal, the sand flowed into the canal and was dredged out to keep the canal deep enough for shipping. The village plans to haul that sand back onto the beach truckload by truckload.

Bikers Give Thumbs Up for Good Drivers

Sharing the road … drivers vs bikers …. it can be a volatile mix. Let’s build an environment of civility and positive reinforcement from the bicycle seat. Use the “Thumbs Up”
1. When a driver gives you a nice wide pass.
2. When a driver stops at a Stop Sign and waits for you to get through the intersection.
3. When a driver waits behind you ’till it is safe for them to pass.
4. Or just anytime a driver treats you with respect and courtesy.

Instead of demanding our rights on the road, let’s show little respect, courtesy and demonstrated appreciation. Lets all give it a try, the other signal we often use, only makes’em mad.  Lets begin thanking the majority of the drivers who do treat us well and give them a thumbs up.

Feral Pigs Invading Allegany State Park

by Gary Borek via the FLT email list:

The DEC has confirmed that feral pigs (wild boar) are invading Allegany State Park. Park Manager Brad Whitcomb is concerned wild hogs could gain a foothold in the park and damage the local ecosystem the way they have in parts of the South.

“When they go to the wild they actually go through a morphological change. Their hair turns thicker, darker and courser, and their tusks develop. You wouldn’t think that little pink porker could become that razorback type of boar but it does,” said New York DEC Wildlife Manager Mark Kandel

There are similar concerns for central new York. DEC Region 7 Wildlife Director Marie Kautz said “Now we have populations that are self re-producing, very, very prolific and can triple their population in a year.”

From what I’ve read the feral pigs are like black bears – they’ll do everything they can to avoid contact with humans, but if they feel threatened they will attack. And 200 to 300 lbs of angry boar is very dangerous.

The DEC doesn’t want to control their populations in New York, it wants to get rid of them entirely. The current NYS DEC hunting guide contains this prominent notice:

“Feral swine are a harmful, invasive species. DEC is working to eradicate feral swine from NY’s landscape. Hunters with small game hunting privileges may shoot and keep feral swine, at any time, and in any number.”

This presents an opportunity for people who use the FLT to participate in helping to improve the state land on which the FLT is located.

Those of us with hunting licenses can make that contribution by hunting for these invasive pigs. But remember, although you can shoot them 24/7, 365 days a year without limits in most state forest, Allegany State Park has some special hunting restrictions.

In ASP hunting of the pigs is restricted by the limited hunting season generally applicable to the Park, which runs from October through February. No hunting allowed on Sundays. No hunting at night.

The meat of these feral swine is reportedly leaner and healthier than that of the commercial chemical laden pork sold in stores. But NYS law doesn’t even require that they be removed. They just want them eradicated before they get established beyond eradication.

Here’s a link to a story in the Syracuse Outdoors Blog about two of the hogs taken last November.

Alex Gonzalez added: “I saw a boar attack once on Marty Stouffer’s WILD AMERICA on PBS. I’m glad I did, because I saw just how easy it is to escape such an attack. Stouffer just climbed about three or four feet up a pretty skinny tree and hung there till the pig left: since they’re built for rooting around at ground level, they apparently can’t raise their heads very far up. So scamper up a little tree and you’ll be all right. Just hang on and wait for it to leave.”

And, Gerry Rising added: “While I find these responses amusing, I think that they both send the wrong message. Wild boars grow to be 350 pound monsters with sharp tusks and they can be dangerous animals. Consider the following from the web:

“Attacks on humans by wild boar (Sus scrofa) are occasionally reported in rural areas of Turkey. While fatalities are rare, individuals may
sustain significant soft tissue trauma. Lower extremity lacerations of up to 10 cm in length and 4 cm deep were seen in the 3 cases reviewed. Injuries to the upper abdomen and chest occurred in one case. Attacks frequently occur in forested areas covered by dense brushwood, and their incidence is increased during the rutting season. In contrast to other large, feral animal attacks, injuries sustained from wild boar typically are limited to the lower extremities. This case series examines 3 attacks by wild boar in rural Turkey.”

They also do still more damage to the wildflower community. We have serious problems with deer already and don’t need another mammalian biocide in our forests.”

Proper Backcountry Bathroom Etiquette

An opinion article by MIKE LYNCH, Enterprise Outdoors Writer, Adirondack Daily Enterprise, link to original post

If you’ve visited any high-use camping areas such as the High Peaks Wilderness, St. Regis Canoe Area or Bog River, you may have encountered, just off the trail, a minefield of toilet paper off a side trail – or worse, human waste.

Unfortunately, in high-traffic areas of the Adirondacks, inexperienced and/or inconsiderate backcountry users sometimes don’t take care of their waste properly, leaving it on the surface for the next people who come along to use the trail or campsite. This can create a health issue for people who want to use nearby water sources, and plus, it’s unpleasant to walk off that trail from your campsite and see the toilet paper blooms and waste on nearby tree stumps.

“It’s definitely one of the big impacts that we see, and I think everyone can agree that there are better ways of dealing with your waste than just leaving it on the surface of the ground in the close vicinity of where other folks are going to be trying to enjoy the outdoors,” said Ryan Doyle, the outdoor leadership coordinator in the Adirondack Mountain Club’s education department. “It seems like it would be an easy one to deal with, but there’s constantly new users, and we all need to kind of share what we know with how to deal with this stuff with the new folks as well we do with the hard-core hikers and backpackers. “

High Peaks Forest Ranger Jim Giglinto says that in his territory, this type of unsanitary behavior can be a health issue.

“People have stepped in it. Dogs have eaten, dogs have come out with toilet paper stuck to their noses. So, yeah, it is a health issue,” Giglinto said. “It’s mostly a function of (hikers and campers) not being aware what they are doing to the resource, and then also not taking responsibility for what they are doing with the resource.”

Giardia and other pathogens can be transmitted though fecal matter. If they are relatively close to water and on the surface, those parasites can wash into streams and ponds, where they can ultimately end up in people’s water bottles.

The High Peaks, the most visited area in the Adirondacks, can see as many as 100,000 visitors in a year. Popular hiking or camping spots such as Marcy Dam, Slant Rock and Bushnell Falls can have problems with this type of unsanitary behavior.

“There’s so much of it, and why do you think you need to treat the water,” Giglinto said. “Right now, there’s giardia – that we know for sure – but we see people from all 50 states. We see people from Europe, Asia, South America, who travel a lot, and you can think of the pathogens that they might bring – but people don’t think of it in those terms.”

Proper etiquette
A good place to start, if you want to learn more about being sanitary with your waste in the backcountry, is the Leave No Trace Web site, www.lnt.org.

It is always recommended that people use outhouse and box toilets first, but Leave No Trace recommends that, if no facilities are available, people deposit solid waste in 6- to 8-inch inch deep “cat holes.” The organization recommends that the holes be at least 200 feet from water, camp, trails and drainages, but the general rule in the Adirondacks is at least 150 feet from the same places.

In the West, some places like the Grand Canyon National Park require that backcountry visitors pack out their toilet paper because there’s not enough organic matter in the soil to break it down efficiency. In the Adirondacks, Giglinto said it isn’t necessary to take your toilet paper out with you if it is properly buried during the warmer months.

In the winter when the ground is frozen or when there is a lot of snow, Doyle recommends packing at least toilet paper out with you. And if you have to go, especially in highly trafficked areas, get as far off the trail as possible so fellow hikers don’t encounter it in the spring after the snow melts. “If you can pack it out, that’s probably the ideal thing,” Doyle said. “Actually, it’s easier to do in the winter, if you’re looking to take that first step toward packing out your solid waste, because you can take care of your business and let it freeze.”

Many people don’t pack out their waste, and it can appear once the snow melts away.

“What happens, the use of the pit privy isn’t great in the summertime, but wintertime it’s even worse, and they usually do their business right behind the campsites, right behind the lean-tos. And the little blooms of toilet paper start popping up when the snow melts,” Giglinto said. “As soon as spring comes, you have to watch where you’re tiptoeing through the tulips there.”

Doyle suggests that winter backcountry users bring bags or take one of those wide-mouth water bottles that many people aren’t using anymore, because of carcinogenic chemicals in the plastic, and use it to pack out human waste.

“That makes a little vault for your waste, if you are worried about something like that opening up in your backpack,” Doyle said. “Of course, you want to mark it with a skull and crossbones or something like that.”

If may seem counterintuitive to bring waste out of the woods in the winter, but it may save that next person coming down the path or walking through the woods from an unpleasant experience.

“My feeling is, if you enjoy recreating in the outdoors and being in the outdoors, you don’t go out in the wilderness areas to see yellow snow and piles of human waste along the trails,” Doyle said.

At the very least – get as far away from trails and water as possible.