Sometimes There’s a Reason We’re Confused…

Explore NY 400 - 2009

2009 will be a watershed year, marking the 400th anniversary of Hudson and Champlain’s voyages along the river and lake that bear their names — and the 200th anniversary of Fulton’s successful steamboat voyage and establishment of steam commerce on the Hudson River. From the Canadian border to New York harbor, a wealth of exciting events and activities is being planned. You’re invited to join this spectacular extravaganza that will draw people from all over the world.

One of the events will be the Great Champlain Hudson Sojourn:

The Great Champlain Hudson Sojourn (GCHS) is a multifaceted event designed to celebrate the contributions to the discovery of this region by Samuel de Champlain and Henry Hudson. The event is tentatively scheduled for June 24 to July 19, 2009.

The first part of the event is twenty-six day, 340 mile kayaking and camping trip from the Canadian border to Manhattan following Lake Champlain, the Champlain Canal and the Hudson River. A group of Thru-Paddlers will be camping out in state and local parks along the way and visiting the communities in which they will be staying.

The second event will be local-outfitter-organized day paddles, which will accompany the Thru-Paddlers each day. The outfitters will design trips to fit the needs of their customers and will launch, paddle, eat lunch and land with the Thru-Paddlers.

The final event will be a number of local community festivals at which the general public will be offered the opportunity to try kayaking under the tutelage of professional guides and learn about various communities and the Quadricentennial Celebration. These festivals will be held at major population centers or sites of particular interest along the way. The Thru-Paddlers will be stopping at each festival.

For more info, visit the Explore NY 400 web site.

Best Campfire Chef Contest in New York City?

Holy campfires! Earlier this month they had America’s Best Campfire Chef contest in New York City! New York City! New York City? It should have been in the Adirondacks, the Catskills, the Finger Lakes?? This is definately NOT for a backpacking campfire - maybe for car camping.

Well, anyway. Five chefs tossed their skillets over campfires in New York City’s Riverside Park for a chance to earn the title of “America’s Best Campfire Chef” during the third national Redwood Creek Wines’ Campfire Classic.

Melissa Mullins of New York was crowned the winner for her Blackberry Hand Pies with Jar-whipped Lavender Cream, a recipe that was inspired by a hike through a lavender field.

“What I loved most about this dish was its functionality and flavor, ” one of the judges said. “Melissa’s dish deliciously fused together the bright flavors of blackberries that paired beautifully with the earthy pinot noir.”

Here’s the recipe: Blackberry Hand Pies With Jar-Whipped Lavender Cream

Materials:
Tinfoil
Ice water
A small cooler with ice
Reusable bag
Plastic wrap
A grill that can be placed over the embers
Tongs
Small sharp knife

Preparation:
1. In summer, blackberries are out with a vengeance.
2 . Mix 2 pints of fresh blackberries with a generous pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg, 1/4cup of unbleached flour, 1/4 cup of raw sugar (for camping purposes, 1/4 cup may be roughly measured using your palm.
3 . Either prepare a basic pie crust before leaving home or purchase ready-made pie crust at your local grocery store. Both keep well if packed properly in a camp cooler.
4 . Break dough into six balls (if using homemade dough).
5 . On a piece of sprayed tinfoil, flatten and roll out each dough ball (using the empty bottle of your last wine) into a circle about 5 inches in diameter.
6 . Spoon in filling, equal amounts into each flattened piece of dough. Fold over dough to create a half-moon shape. Pinch or roll edges firmly together.
7 . Prepare a tinfoil shell for each handpie, generously spraying the foil with non-stick spray. Leave as much space as possible between the top foil and the top of the pie. This allows the pie to cook properly.
8 . Place packets carefully onto campfire grill. Make use of grill areas where the flames have died down to create hot embers. Cook for about 35-45 minutes.
9 . While waiting for the pies to cook, place whipping cream, a generous pinch of finger-ground lavender, and a tablespoon of warm honey in a jar. Tighten the lid and shake. After several minutes, the liquid will start to form into a soft whipped cream. Do not over shake, or you’ll have lavender honey butter.
10. Take pies off fire. Allow them to sit for several minutes. Unwrap and serve with a dollop of lavender cream.
11. Pour a glass of Pinot Noir and enjoy!

Estimated Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Wine Pairing Varietal: Pinot Noir

link to original blog post: http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2008/07/02/%5Buser%5D/best_campfire_chef_contest_in_new_york_city

GPS Coordinates for Finger Lakes Trail Trailheads

Trailhead coordinates for 466 FLT trailheads are now available on the FLTC website. Both the main trail and branch trails (Conservation Trail, Letchworth Trail, Bristol Hills Trail, Interloken Trail, and Onondaga Trail) are included. These coordinates must be manually typed into your field GPS unit or recent automotive GPS unit (such as Garmin Nuvi models). They will take you to within 50 feet of a trailhead. Here’s where to find them:

1) Go to www.fingerlakestrail.org<http://www.fingerlakestrail.org/>

2) On the left click on “Plan a Hike”

3) At the top click on “End to End”

4) Click on either A form to use to track your hikes on the Main FLT<http://www.fingerlakestrail.org/forms/E2ETrackingMain2008_06Jun.xls> or A form to use to track your hikes on Branch Trails:<http://www.fingerlakestrail.org/forms/E2ETrackingBranch2008_06Junxls> (these are “hot links”)

5) Choose “Save this file now” and click “OK”

6) Note the file name and the location where it will be saved and click “Save”

7) These are Excel spreadsheets that can be opened with Microsoft Excel or the spreadsheet that comes with Microsoft Works. Virtually everyone has one or the other of these. Open the file with one of these. You can easily track your end to end progress with these, simply by placing a comment in the “When and Who” column.

Note the column with Trailhead Coordinates

9) Print out the spreadsheet and put it in your vehicle. That way you will always be be able to find a trailhead. Note that going to a trailhead does not guarantee parking there (although most have parking); for parking check the maps.

Great Outdoors Photo Contest Winners Gallery

Click here to view the 6 winning photographs in the National Geographic Great Outdoors Photo Contest. (Be sure to scroll through all 6.)

How to Carve a Woodspirit in a Hiking Stick

Bob L. reported the following on a wood carving site:
Got the book (How to Carve a Woodspirit in a Hiking Stick), gathered some tools–1/4″ gouge, 1/8″ gouge, 1/4″ v tool, a kevlar glove, and a knife. Picked up a 4′ long glue-lamed stick of pine 1×2’s, rounded it off to about a 1 1/2″ somewhat rounded stick, and then carved my first wood spirit according to the book. I’ve done another one as a pendant ornament in a 3/4″ trianglular piece of basswood, and am working on a second face in the pine stick. All in about a week or so–this from a guy who hates to carve faces! Good book!

Sounds like fun ….

FLT Chenango County Hike - July 26

The Finger Lakes Trail Conference invites you to experience the Finger Lakes Trail on the Ed Sidote Hike, Saturday July 26th, beginning at the FLT parking lot at Fred Stewart and Center Roads in North Pharsalia. 90-year-old Ed Sidote is a long time, and still active participant in FLT activities. For many years he has been an advocate and supporter of thru-hikers.The 7-mile loop hike will be trough the beautiful New Michigan State Forest with a stop at the Plymouth lean-to for a snack break.

Contact Claire Ders for additional details and to register. claireders@yahoo.com (315-653-7776)

NIMBY Lives

NIMBY (Not In My BackYard) lives loud and strong when it comes to building trails. Reading an Ithaca Journal article reminds me of the trials and tribulations Ontario Pathways went through to build their rail trail. Now the Ontario Pathways Trail is a gem of the community. The Caroline Trails and Natural Areas Committee should contact Ontario Pathways and learn from from their experience. Or maybe they need help from Parks & Trails New York.

The Caroline Trails and Natural Areas Committee is trying to build a rail trail on the old Lackawanna rail bed from the end of the South Hill Recreation Way in Ithaca, through Caroline, to Owego.

Read the full story here: Trail vote divides Caroline town board

Skunk Odor Cure

Java Joe recounted a tale of how his dog recently got sprayed by a skunk along the Finger Lakes Trail. Then he passed along this recipe (from John AX Morris) for a skunk odor cure which he said was fantastic - ahhh, the voice of experience!

-1 quart hydrogen peroxide
-1/4 cup baking soda
-1 tablespoon dish detergent.
Sponge this on the dog, then let dog swim or hose dog off.

Lynda added:
“Joe’s recipe works very well, especially if you’re at home where you can store the ingredients. If you need to carry something with you when on the trail, try Skunk Off – it comes in a small bottle and our local vet carries it. One bottle should be more than enough unless your dogs encountered a herd of skunks. A bit more expensive than the home remedy, but much easier to carry, and it, too, works very well. I’ve learned the hard way to always carry a bottle in my car.”

Southern Tier Geocache - Hike, Bike & Paddle

Head to Corning, Elmira, Bath, or Hammondsport with your GPS for the Sojourn Geocache Trail, offering a series of caches along the shores and within the Chemung and Susquehanna River. Get a Sojourn Passport ahead of time, then stamp the passport each time you find a cache. Once you have successfully collected 12 or more different stamps, you are eligible to receive a limited edition commemorative coin.

For details, click here. Click on Images at the bottom of the web site for some great photos.

Click here for the Sojourn Passport PDF (to view the pdf file, click a second time on the samll image that appears)

Here’s a guidebook that would also be of assistance: Take A Paddle - Finger Lakes New York Quiet Water for Canoers & Kayaks