Just Plain ...!

Can you suggest a caption for this photo?

I have been picking up blackwalnuts (Juglans nigra) over the past few days from the yard.

Compost Mole

Yesterday was a cloudy and cool day to work outside, so I decided to burn a few calories to generate some body heat by cleaning up the garden; screening the 2008 compost pile; closing the recently turned 2009 compost heap; and to begin the over wintering (2009-10) compost heap.
Below is a photo/video sequence of the events.
2008 heap (left) 2009 heap (right)
Sceening the 2008 heap to produce a finished compost.
Screening allows me to remove:

1. nonbiodegradable materials


2. return larger biodegradable materials to the overwinter (2010) for further decomposition

Tomato, zucchinni vines along with other garden clean up waste "greens" are spread on the 0ver wintering heap.
Large, biodegradible materials from the screened 2008 pile were spread across the "greens" onto the over winter heap.
A layer of horse manure was spread ontop the screenings.

Screened compost is shoveled onto the finished compost pile.
The finished compost will be held over the winter and used to amend garden soil and side dress summer plantings next spring and summer.
The recently turned 2009 compost pile will heat up, decompose and be turned again over the next few months to speed up decomposition.
The compost piles are covered with an overwintering layer of straw. Finished compost (left pile) Composting pile (2009 - foreground pile)

Opps! ...one more day hike!

While down loading the official application for the Finger Lakes Branch Trail End-To-End Award, I noticed that the Queen Catherine Finger Lakes trail loop, was a required loop. Somehow or somewhere I had read that any branch trail under 10 miles was not required.
...Anyways - I decided to hike The Queen Catherine Marsh and Montour Falls Historic Loops today (Tuesday - September 29, 2009). Both maps are in my Finger Lakes Trail Map Binder and both are an easy day hike with no backpack. The trails are relativily flat and pass through interesting woods; marshes; by several historic markers and into several glens. The 14 mile hike took a little over 4 hours.

To see a map of the hiking route, click on the link below.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=42.527784,-77.644501&spn=0.469589,0.88028&z=10&msid=104585491248441541983.00046d32da0deeeaf38c2

When the page opens,

1. Click on "My Maps" and then:
2. Click on the Queen Catherine Marsh and Montour Falls Historic Loops listed on the left side of the web page.

A few photos taken along the way are chronologically arranged below.

Two young, naive deer along the Catherine Valley trail. Hunting season begins in a matter of days!

Montour Falls

Sullivan Trail markers; indicate the 1779 location where the Seneca Indians were driven westward to their Bristish allies in the Fort Niagara area by Revolutionary War American troops first venturing into the Finger Lakes.

Eagle Creek Falls in the Havana Glen Park. This would make a nice, family day trip!

The pedestrian bridge is out, so off came the hiking boots to ford the Diversion Channel east of Montour Falls.

A short video clip of the Catherine Creek Wildlife Management Area

Back at the south end of Seneca lake - End of the Trails!

Backpacking the Conservation Trail finishes The Finger Lakes Trail System

Trekking Northward!

Once again my son Todd dropped me off at the trail head of the Conservation Trail near West Valley, NY; late in the afternoon of my 63rd birthday [9/10/09] as he traveled back to Pennsylvannia.
You can see the 119 mile trail by clicking on the link below and then clicking on My Maps and then clicking again on The Conservation Trail.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=42.527784,-77.644501&spn=0.469589,0.88028&z=10&msid=104585491248441541983.00046d32da0deeeaf38c2
September 10 - 15, 2009

Below is a sequence of photos taken as I backpacked north to Niagara Falls. The starting elevation (2000 ft) and topography (hilly) decreased as I worked my way northward to the flatter lake plains, before heading west and again north to the trail's end at the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls NY.
With the completion of this solo backpack, I have completed the main East-West Finger Lakes Trail and ALL of the Branch Trails associated with the Finger Lakes Trail System in less than a year ... a total of 840 miles.
(http://www.fingerlakestrail.org/)

Fording a stream First signs of autumn. The Holland Ravines with their extensive ladders & steps

Crossing pipe lines in a "sugar bush"

The topography "flattens"

The trail now follows flat "rails to trails" and parkways

Flat and monotonous!

The Niagara River Walk towards the south bridge to Grand Island

Crossing the bouncy, noisey bridge (I-190) to Grand Island

Bivouac at Beaver Island State Park
Getting a early start!
On the Parkway north to the North bridge off Grand IslandView towards Niagara Fall from the high point on the noisey, North Grand Island Bridge
...still flat and monotonous!
The End: Straddling the International border on the Rainbow Bridge

Pototo Harvest 09

In late April I planted 15 lbs of seed potatoes. Yesterday I dug, washed, dried, and sorted 100+ lbs of Red Pontiac and Katadin potatoes for storage. Some were really BIG!

A Nose Job

After hiking so much of the Finger Lakes' Main and Branch Trails this past year, I volunteered with a GREAT Alley-Cat trail crew to construct "switch-backs" on Mt. Washington near Hammondsport, NY (August 31st - September 4th, 2009).

In my excitement to haul a large stone slab up and out of a near by ravine to construct a trail step; my feet slipped as tried to flip the slap up the steep ascent. The force I was using to flip the rock upward was transfered into forceful and downward "head butt" with the back flopping rock

...and the rock won!

Bob provided First Aid on the trail

The laceration with 5 stitches

Four hours and five stitches later to close the 1.2cm laceration on my right nostil; I was "off" the work crew under doctor's orders to give the wound time to heal and for the stitches to be removed.

P.S. The good news is there is no broken nose and or teeth.

Completing the Western End of the FLT

I finished the 562 mile east-west length of the Finger Lakes Trail yesterday, August 24, 2009. Below is a link that you can click on to view the last segment; a 111 mile backpack.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=42.527784,-77.644501&spn=0.469589,0.88028&z=10&msid=104585491248441541983.00046d32da0deeeaf38c2

click on "my maps" and open

Western End of the FL Trail - August 20 - 24, 2009

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Todd dropped me off on PA. Rt. 346 just south of the Allegany State Park on Thursday morning.

The Allegany State Park had some of the largest trees observed while hiking across the NYS southern tier FLT system. The Allegany portion of the trails worked there way up to 2100 - 2300 feet and then typically followed the ridge, dropping into the valley to cross major streams and park highways. I spent the night in the Beck Hollow Lean-to, which kept me dry as a terrific thunderstorm rolled through in the late evening. I shared the lean-to with another backpacker who was headed to Hornell on the FLT. [19 miles]

Friday, August 21, 2009

This morning I "dropped" down into the valley to cross under I-86 and the Salamanca Indian Reservation, before walking up into the hills of the Buckthorn and Rock City State Forests. The Little Rock City Picnic Area was an interesting maze of rock and channel formations that would be a wonderful place to take kids and "adult kids" on an adventure picnic. I set up my tent outside of the DEC picnic area near an old CCC camp. [23 miles]

Dropping down to cross the Allegany River near Salamanca

Rock City Picnic area.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Some "critter" ran off with my spoon!!! ... so had to eat my oatmeal and all following meals with a fabricated stick or my hand. Licking like a dog also worked. Today was a hard hiking day of repeated, steep ups and downs crossing the McCarty Hill State Forest; looping behind the upper slopes of the Holiday Valley and Holimont Ski Areas; multiple wrong turns and backtracks; and finally acrossed the Boyce Hill State Forest where I spent a restful evening in my tent next to large beaver pond. [24 miles]

Morning view atop the Holimont Ski Area.

Trail walk.

Looking back.

Pine plantation

Bivouoac Boyce Hill State Forest

Sunday, August 23, 2009

The terrain was flatter today with more of the route along roads. Roads are faster, but the pounding takes a toll on the feet. I was making great time until huge "blow downs" covered the trail in the Bush Hill State Forest. I am glad that I am wearing long pants as many areas of the trail are overhung with late summer growths of brambles, nettles, and multi-floral rose bushes. I set up my tent at a bivouoac area outside of Higgins, NY. There was "no network" so I was able to place a land line call to Sue about my progress and pickup due to a kind local couple interested in my backpack journey. [29 miles]

Williams Road, Allegany County, NY

Blow down!

Monday, August 24, 2009

Started early across a large Amish families horse pasture and into woods laced with horse and wagon "foot prints". Amish lumber harvest seems to be a thriving industry in the area. Again many of the trail markers were covered with summer growth or faded, so I lost time searching for the trail several time times today. Arrived at Whiskey Bridge which crossed the Genesee river just south of Portageville, NY where Sue was to pick me up ... but where is Sue? After an hour I began to conclude that my wording as to the "pick up point" was confusing. Turns out Sue was waiting at the bridge crossing the Genesee river on the north side of the hamlet, 1.5 miles to the north of where I was waiting. [17 miles]

Views on the last day's trek.

Amish pasture

Amish horse and wagon tracks in the forest.

Fording Cold Creek

Another panoramic view!

Farm lane access to the forest.

Only 3 more miles to go!

The end ... again!