Dave Waite Nature Photography

"Impressions-Flora" Photography Exhibit by Dave Waite

2010-10-01T19:04:00.000-07:00

"Impressions-Flora" an exhibit of the photography of Dave Waite

The exhibit "Impressions-Flora" by photographer Dave Waite will be opening Oct. 15th 2010 at Art! 200 First Street, Troy New York.

David Waite's long awaited show "Impressions-Flora" will be the first show to open in the "Featured Artist Room" at Art! 200 First Street Troy NY. This show has been a
project first conceived several years ago,and has finally come to the fruition for the artist David Waite. "We are very excited, said Mary Wheeler(Owner of Art!) to see an artists dream come true; and be able to provide a space to show it in. Art and dreams are what we are all about ." "I hope everyone will enjoy my gallery, the artists,art, and shows from now on, I am very excited for the future."

Artist's statement:

Look around next time you are outdoors. Unless you live in te most sterile environment imaginable, there is flora of some kind in sight through every season.
Crocus in the early spring, soon followed by blossoms of every imaginable color carpeting any spot fit for survival, and finally the fall colors so prominent here in the Northeast. We are surrounded by all of this on a daily basis, but except for an occasional bloom that causes us to pause to take in its beauty, we rarely ever really see what is right before our eyes.

For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated by detail, especially detail in nature. My introduction to photography in my early teens offered me the ability to capture that detail and share it with others. With taking on adult responsibilities I set the activities of a photographer artist aside for a season. Seven years ago the desire to express myself creatively again came to the forefront. The greatest lesson that I learned during this time away from my art is that creativity is never really lost, and will be there when the time is right for it to blossom again.

I have often been asked why I create these images. The answer is not deeply philosophical or even complex - I love to explore. For me personally the eyepiece of a camera is an invitation to explore worlds that would often be missed by the naked eye. Add to that the creativity available through the photographic process and you have opportunities of creative exploration that are truly endless. I rarely set out to create a certain image, and quite often I am amazed at the results. I even feel sometimes that composition, balance and flow are offered to me by the subjects themselves and I am simply obliged to accept their gift. In fact, there have been times when I could instead use the word obligated, as if what is set before me has in that moment become my responsibility to record, my own person being simply a repository of what is set before me. I can truly say that in all of this I am blessed.

What follows is a look through my eyes at the world of the flowers, plants and trees that surround us. I hope that you find inspiration and peace in these images.

David Waite

The exhibit will run Oct 15th - Dec 31 at

Art!
200 First Street
Troy, NY

http://www.artgalleryllc.com/art/Art%21.html

Raindrops in the Garden

2008-05-17T19:09:00.000-07:00

These were taken in a perennial garden the morning after some rain. I am not sure the name of the plant, so if anyone can let me know it would be appreciated! They were taken with a Sigma 70mm macro on a Canon XT in RAW file format. I desaturated the green / aqua on a couple of them to give a bit more contrast between the leaves and the water drops. In the last one especially the blue in the water stands out with those other colors desaturated. I just ordered prints so maybe they will be on display at my next show!

Dave

Creative Photography Workshop - June 29th

2008-05-12T19:29:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

In April I had the privilege to speak at the monthly meeting of the Bethlehem Art Association on the subject of Creative Photography. At that time I had offered to do a hands-on workshop for anyone interested in learning and practicing some of the techniques we discussed that evening. My friends at the art association have taken me up on my offer, with the workshop to be held in Hollyhock Hollow Sanctuary, Selkirk NY, on June 29th.

This free workshop will be for any skill level, and of course bring your camera! If you have a tripod, please bring that also, and I will bring a couple extra as well in case anyone needs one for the evening. We will be mostly out taking photos, with lots of opportunity to talk about techniques, perspective, visualization and other aspects of creativity with a camera. You do not need to have attended my Creative Photography talk to attend, or even be a member of the art association (though I highly recommend joining!) Please plan on being out for a couple of hours, bring water, snacks, bug spray, extra batteries and memory card / film too!

If those attending are interested, I will be offering part two of this workshop sometime in July when we will get together to look at the digital editing process using the photos that were taken at Hollyhock Hollow. Finally, it is my hope that we can have a part three sometime late summer / early fall that where I will teach matte cutting and give those attending a chance to cut mattes for their photos, especially for those from session one and two (there would be a fee to cover the cost of matte board, adhesive, etc.) There may even be an opportunity for these works to be displayed together in a group show later in the fall.

If you are interested in attending, please e-mail me at photoguy@nycap.rr.com.

Here is a brief description of Hollyhock Hollow from their website (it has directions if you need them) :(http://www.audubonintl.org/programs/asny/hhhsanctuary.htm)

The 138-acre sanctuary features unique karst geology, the Onesquethaw Creek, and hiking trails traversing woodland, pond, and stream habitats.

As of now our plan is to meet at 2 pm at the Stewarts in Feura Bush and then carpool to the sanctuary, but please contact me before the day of the workshop to confirm that!

Finally, many thanks to Allison of the BAA for her time and effort in making this happen!

Enjoy!

Dave

New photos from Christman's Nature Preserve

2008-05-12T03:54:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

What a great weekend in Albany at the 60th annual Tulip Festival! I enjoyed getting a chance to share my photography with you and hear all of your thoughts, ideas and suggestions of new places for me to photograph.

My next scheduled show will be June 14th at the Troy River Street Festival, Troy, NY. I have applied also for the 2008 LobsterPalooza, Saturday, June 7th, again in Washington Park, Albany, NY, so hopefully I will be there also.

I am posting some of my newest photos, ones that I was not able to get together in time for this last weekend, but I will have them at my next show for sure. These were taken at Christman's Nature Preserve in Duanesburg, NY.

Enjoy!

Dave

My Spring Show Schedule

2008-03-22T14:57:00.000-07:00

16th Annual
CHERRY BLOSSOM CRAFTS FESTIVAL
Congregation Gates of Heaven
Sunday April 27, 2008
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
http://www.cgoh.org/programs/brotherhood/

60th Annual Albany Tulip Festival
Washington Park, Albany New York
Friday May 9 - Sunday May11, 2008
11 am - 6 pm
http://www.albanyevents.org/tulip_festival/index.cfm

Troy River Street Festival
Troy, NY
June 14, 2008
10 am - 5 pm
http://www.troyny.gov/visittroy/riverstreetfestival.html

March 15, 2008 Art Show - Rexford Fire Department

2008-02-19T01:36:00.000-08:00

My first show of 2008 will be indoors at a craft fair being held at the Rexford Fire Department March 15, 2008 from 10 - 4. I will have my full display set up and lots of matted works for sale.

The Rexford Fire Department is on Rte 146, between the Rexford bridge and where 146 takes the sharp turn to the East going towards Clifton Park. It is only 10 minutes from downtown Schenectady and there will be lots of food & craft vendors. Hope to see you there!

Dave

Latest Photos - March 18, 2008

2008-02-19T01:13:00.000-08:00

This first photo is a Phalaenopsis orchid, taken with my Canon Digital Rebel XT and a Sigma 70mm macro lens. The exposure was 3 seconds at F11 & ISO 100, shot in RAW, processed in Adobe Lightroom and saved as a TIFF file. Before I converted it to JPEG I ran it through Photoshop 7 to adjust the contrast a bit. The lighting was late afternoon natural light coming in from the right, with a black cloth background and a white reflector about 6 inches to the left of the flower to fill in the shadows a bit. This small image does not do justice to the subtle detail throughout all of this shot, and even at much higher magnification it holds it's image quality quite well.

The next three photos are of Chiritas. These are a very attractive tropical plant in the family of African Violets standing about 5 inches tall. These were also taken with natural light using the Rebel XT. The lens was a Canon 18 - 55.

A visit to Jackson Garden

2007-08-12T19:05:00.000-07:00

Date: August 12, 2007

Place: Jackson Garden, Union College, Schenectady New York

I always enjoy visiting the gardens on the grounds of Union College, especially when the Rose Mallow Hybiscus are in bloom.

Also, once again I will be participating in the Stockade Art Show in downtown Schenectady. This year it will be held on Saturday, September 8th. Hope to see you there!

These last two photos are from a friend's garden, taken earlier in the day.

Photos from the summit of Cascade Mountain

2007-07-24T17:43:00.000-07:00

Some photos from the summit of Cascade Mountain in the Adirondacks taken earlier in July.

Nine Corner Lake, July 3rd 2007

2007-07-04T05:20:00.000-07:00

THIS PAGE IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION

(I posted the rough draft and will be editing it and posting photos in the near future)

Camping at Nine Corner Lake, July 3rd, 2007

Backpacking and wilderness camping are one of my favorite activities, there is nothing more rejuvenating or relaxing for me than the peace and serenity of the forest. I hope that you can find the time to get out and enjoy it as well.

This trip was only for one overnight, but it was one of the best times that I have had out in the wilderness.

I left Schenectady about 5:30 pm on Monday, and I was on the trail by about 7 pm. There had been predictions of possible showers in the Southern Adirondacks, and I even saw some rain coming down in the distance as I headed West through Amsterdam, but it was long gone by the time I got to the trailhead.

I hiked in one mile to Nine Corner Lake, a place that I have camped at a number of times before. It is a beautiful trail going in, along a small stream that you have to cross on a simple bridge that is next to an area with a waterfall. It was not a bad hike in because it has been dry, but when it has rained it can be a bit muddy. There are about 10 good campsites around the lake, but the one that I like the best is at a point of land, so you are surrounded on three sides by water. As there were 5 cars at the trailhead I did not expect to get that spot, but I did as two people were hiking out when I was going in, another was just there until dark, as I talked to them a bit when I got to the lake and the others were all together and at a site just below the point. Well, they were far enough away that I could not hear them at all. I was thrilled and was even able to set my tent up right along the edge of the water. I had lots of time to get the tent set up and everything out before it got dark, and I really enjoyed just relaxing and looking out over the lake. It was very quiet, just a bit of a breeze, which dropped away by dark. As you can see from the photo, the sky was clear as the sun went down.

I tried calling owls, but I got no response and as it was so quiet, I hated to break that silence with my owl call, as I knew that it would carry all over the lake and could make the other campers wonder what was wrong with that owl! Anyway, by the middle of the night I had lots of owls calling each other from all around me, so close if I knew where they were I probably could have seen them. I had not put on the rain fly over my tent as I knew that it would not rain, so I had a view all around me as I was in the tent. I could have kept the bug netting rolled back as well as that night and the next morning I only saw one bug! Amazing. I had carried my fall mummy bag with me, just it case it got cooler than expected, and it actually was a bit too warm for the conditions. I also used a self inflating sleeping pad for the first time, and it was very comfortable and well worth the bit of extra space it took up in my pack. Sometime during the night the loons started calling to each other somewhere on the lake, it is a very strange call, some people mistaking it for a woman screaming or crying. It echoes across the lake and then another one will answer. The moon came up and started to shine soon after dusk, illuminating the lake through much of the night, and while I probably slept most of the night, I wanted to stay awake and absorb as much of all of the sights and sounds around me.

I found out the next morning that there were 5 loons (at least I saw that many) on the lake, more than I have ever seen at one time. It was great to see them swimming along and then diving for long periods of time, surfacing well away from where they went down. On Tues morning I was packed up and heading out by about 8 am, getting back to my car about 8:30. Of course, before I left the campsite at the shore I made some coffee and just sat, watching the loons, taking some photos and just simply enjoying the moment.

Next, I headed North as I wanted to find another remote lake, called Sand Lake. It has that name as long ago people from that area used to go there to get sand along the shore as it was the type that they used to blot the ink after writing with their quill ink pens. I traveled up Rte 10 and turned Southward onto the seasonal Powley-Piseco Road. As you cannot see Sand Lake from the road and there is no established trail to it (though it is less than ½ mile in) I drove until I thought that I was in the right area and did find a marked trail, but one that did not say where it led. I hiked in on this trail for a few minutes, but it clearly was not leading towards the lake, so I continued to drive, but never figured out where I could get to the lake. I have some rough directions in a hiking book, but I had not thought to bring it, I will next time for sure.

My next stop was to hike into Clockmill Pond, another of my favorite wilderness destinations. I wanted to find the remains of a mill that is said to be along the shore, and also look for possible campsites. The pond (actually a very good sized lake) is about 1 ½ miles from the trailhead, and part of the trail is not marked, but something those who go there have beaten down over the years. Due to it not being maintained, there are lots of blown down trees and a bit of climbing over and around to get through. At times the trail itself is not visible, but as it is going downhill in a small valley there is little chance of getting lost, not to mention that soon the pond is in sight. I went around the West side of the pond, a direction I had never taken before. It looked like few others had gone that way as there was no trail, just pushing through brush and trees along the side of the water. I soon found the old dam and took a photo of a large metal gear from the mill, over 150 years old, which is all that remains except the rocks from the dam. I have researched the history of this pond in the past and no one seems to know why it is called “Clockmill” or what the mill was used for. Maybe someday I will find some records that will reveal this secret from the past.

Anyway, I crossed the remains of the dam, which also looks like beavers had enlarged it over the years, and continued a ways around the lake. It was difficult at times, yet in some places I found evidence of rough trails, and even some marks on trees that showed that people were though there at times. I did find a couple of good potential campsites, one which had been used before as there was a fire pit. I spent my lunchtime stopping along the shore to take some photos and enjoy the quiet. It would take hours of bushwhacking to get all around the lake, and when I have a full day to devote to exploring I will be going back, as there are some very inviting rock outcroppings on the far side of the lake that look like very pleasant wilderness camping sites. While sitting on the shore I saw another loon, my sixth for the day. In the photo you can also see a large beaver lodge in the background on the right side of the shot.

On the way back I went around the other side of the lake for short distance, a direction that I had gone a number of times before. In the marshy area along the lake I encountered a number of Larger Blue Flag, also known as Wild Iris.

Hiking out I had a strange encounter with two hikers going in to the pond. I saw them up ahead of me with their backs to me leaning down to look at something. It was a man a bit older than me and a woman. They were dressed a bit too nice for hiking, and the man was carrying a very large knife like thing (a machete I think it would be called) and also had a handgun strapped to his waist! Yikes. I called Hello to them before I got close as they did not see me with their backs turned, and when I got closer I said hi again and said something like. “how are you doing today?” the man said “I am safe”……… very odd……. I did not hang around to ask what that meant…..

Anyway, the rest of the day was uneventful, I continued to drive along the East Canada Creek, stopping at a couple of places along the way to enjoy the views, ending up near Stratford on 29A and then heading back towards Johnstown and home.

Garlic Scape Shadows

2007-06-16T23:41:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

First, thank you to everyone who visited my booth at the Troy River Street Festival on June 16th. It was a fantastic event with lots of attractions and music that drew a huge crowd.

Getting a chance to talk to many of you about my artistic pursuits using photography helps me better define my creative motivations and goals. It is very easy to become so focused on the creative process that an artist becomes myopic to the overall theme and direction of their work. Hearing your comments and thoughts helps me immensely in this area.

Over the past couple of years I have been studying the minimalist art of Georgia O'Keefe, especially her amazing floral works, as well as some of the abstract works by artists such as Sanduski. I am getting to the point now of having some of my works in these styles available for display, and by the Stockade Art Show in Schenectady this September I will have these available. Below are some photographs of garlic scapes that I created recently in this vein.

Feel free to write and let me know what you think at photoguy@nycap.rr.com

Thanks for stopping in to check out my blog, have a great summer!

Enjoy!

Dave

Latest Spring Photos

2007-05-20T18:30:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

First, thanks to everyone who visited my booth at the 2007 Albany Tulip Festival. It was great seeing everyone and making some new friends.

I have been unable to do much photography this Spring due to a shoulder injury, but this weekend I was finally able to get out and shoot some Solomon's Seal at Jackson Gardens on the Union College campus in downtown Schenectady. I working a bit more with some creative tones to bring out some otherwise overlooked details, and these are the best efforts in that direction so far. I edited these with Adobe Lightroom and then Photoshop 7 using a laptop, I may have to lighten them up a bit if they end up being a bit too dark once printed.

Please stop back again as I will be out shooting and posting more in the next few weeks.

My next shows are:

the 38th Annual Rexford Art Show, Rexford Methodist Church, Main Street, Rexford, NY -June 2nd

Troy River Street Festival, Troy NY, June 16th

Enjoy!

Dave

Spring Snowshoeing to Pine Orchard

2007-03-24T18:06:00.000-07:00

Spring Snowshoeing to Pine Orchard
March 24, 2007

The day started off bright and clear, and with the snow disappearing almost as rapidly as it had appeared a few short weeks ago, I headed back into the Southern Adirondacks to put a few miles under the 'shoes. On the way I needed to stop off at Havlick Snowshoe Company to pick up my new pair of snowshoes. Earlier in the week after a dayhike into Dunning Pond between Wells and Speculator I had noticed that the vinyl deck on one of the 'shoes was ripping, so I dropped them off to see what it would take to get them repaired. Far better than a repair I was offered a chance to trade them in on a new pair, this time their Adirondack model, with a more heavy duty construction. I must have impressed someone there with wearing the first pair out in two years (and about 120 miles on the trail) as they asked if I would be willing to test new designs that they may come out with. How could I pass that up? I highly recommend these locally made snowshoes to anyone looking for a new pair of 'shoes. They are very well made and have great stability on both the flats and hills.

back to the hike:

Pine Orchard is a 1.6 mile hike in on an easy trail that is marked for crosscounty skiers as well as snowmobiles. The huge pines along the trail are over 200 years old, with some over 6 feet around. Coming in from the South you take Rte 30 to the village of Wells and bear to the right onto the Griffin Road just before that bridge that crosses Lake Algonquin.

Getting to the Flaters trailhead off of Windfall Road requires about 5 miles of travel on often muddy dirt roads. I would recommend using a vehicle that sits a bit higher up than a sedan. As the road was mostly still frozen I made it in (and back out) without major incident.

The trailhead starts on private land owned by the Flater family, and it is proper to request permission if they are home. Today they were not and so I headed on past their log cabin and a few hundred yards to the sign-in post. I saw that earlier in the day a group of 6 people had gone in to Pine Orchard so I had some fellow hikers to encounter in my travels. The trail is what looks to be an old logging or farm road and is only slightly hilly until you get to the far side of the Pine Orchard area.

(to be continued... maybe.... if I ever get a chance!)

Fall Colors in the Adirondacks - 2006

2006-10-14T16:33:00.000-07:00

It was not a fall with as dramatic color as last year, but still it was beautiful in the Southern Adirondacks. These were taken over two days in and around the Ferris Lake Wild Forest, just South of Piseco, New York.

The first three shots are of the East Canada Creek.

This next photo is of the Powley-Piseco Road, a seasonal dirt road that runs through the wild forest.

This final shot is looking South East from Rte 1o in the town of Arietta. The West branch of the Sacandaga River is in the foreground.

Hoffmans Notch Trail

2006-08-06T18:42:00.000-07:00

Big Marsh with what is either Blue Ridge Mountain or Spruce Mountain in the distance.

I think these are Orange Mycenas

Another view of Big Marsh, again looking NorthEast.

The Hoffmans Notch Trail is a seldom used trail going North-South just to the West of Schroon Lake. It passes near some areas of virgin forest, and is an area of solitude and peaceful quiet. Some parts follow a small stream, but mostly you are surrounded by the wooded glens and steep ravines as you pass through the notch just West of Hoffman Mountain.

Pharaoh Lake Wilderness

2006-08-05T04:06:00.000-07:00

Along the Blue Hill Trail.....

Date - July 29, 2006
Destination - Pharaoh Lake, Essex County, NY

As I normally head into the Southern Adirondacks, this trip has given me a renewed appreciation for the beauty and solitude of this region's Eastern areas. It was a bit after dawn when, passing Exit 25 of the Northway, I started down into the valley that the Schroon River flows through as it leaves the lake by the same name. Only the tops of the mountains and hills were visible through the morning fog. For a few short minutes it felt like I was transported into another world, looking across a sea with islands in the distance.

My hike started at a trailhead on the South side Rte 74, across the road from Paradox lake. This is called the Blue Hill Trail. It is 3 miles long and ends at the dirt access road going to Crane Pond. Though it would be easier to drive directly to Crane to start the hike, this trail is so "pure Adirondack" that it is well worth the time and energy to travel in this way. Much of the trail is through woods that are open enough to be able to see well ahead and around you, making for some very good photo opportunities.

There were more Red Efts (the terrestial form of the Red Spotted Newt) on this trail than I have ever seen anywhere before, in fact I had to be careful in spots not to step on them.

The fungi in the photos I think is called White Coral, though I could be wrong as my mushroom guide does not have an illustration of this variety.

About 1/2 way along the Blue Hill Trail there is an unnamed marsh/pond that the trail takes you around, and when I was coming out at the end of the day there was a work party rebuilding on of the rustic log bridges. Also, there is a couple of hundred feet of elevation change which you will be going up when heading North on this trail, it is something to keep in mind as it can be a bit tiring if you are on your way out at the end of a day of hiking.

At the end of the Blue Hill Trail I turned East, following the dirt access road to Crane Pond. From the end of this trail to the trailheads going to Glidden Marsh or Pharaoh Mountain it is one mile, during which you pass between Crane and Alder Ponds. The next photo shows the bridge that takes you between these two ponds.

This day I had decided to follow the trail past Glidden Marsh and then hike around Pharaoh Lake before returning by the same route. The trail around the marsh is often buried in wild raspberry bushes and was quite wet in spots. The last 1/2 mile, as you descend to Pharaoh Lake is very steep and would be challenging if you were carrying a full pack.

In these two photos, which were taken from the NorthWest shore of Pharaoh Lake, you can see No. 8 Mountain in the distance.

After coming down this trail and enjoying the shore of Pharaoh Lake, I decided that rather than follow the Glidden trail back I would hike over Pharaoh Mountain to return to the trailhead. On paper it only added a bit over a mile of hiking, so at the time it seemed like a reasonable idea. The climb up to the South side of Pharaoh Mountain was more than I expected, and even included a couple of short scrambles up rock walls in order to follow the trail. It took me a bit over an hour to get to the highest point of trail a the top of the mountain, which my gps showed as an elevation of 2408. I did not go the last 100 feet to the top, rather, saving my energy for the rest of the trip. It was just as well, a few minutes later there were rumbles of thunder off to the West. Going down the North side of Pharaoh Mountain you encounter areas of smooth, often wet, rock where much care needs to be taken to avoid slipping. It took me far longer than I had anticipated going down the first 3rd of the mountain because of this. Once you get down this rocky section, the trail is very pleasant with lots of pine and wide open areas covered with needles, again, more "pure Adirondack" scenes to enjoy along the way.

The hike back to the trailhead was uneventful, having gone 14.5 miles in a bit over 7 hours. Even if you only hiked in the Blue Hill Trail to Crane Pond, this area is well worth visiting, I know I will be going back again in the near future.

Dave

Siamese Ponds Wilderness Hike

2006-07-15T16:40:00.000-07:00

Date - July 15, 2006
Destination - Siamese Pond and surrounding area
Purpose - Exploration and Photography

It was predicted to be another hot and humid summer day when I made my preparations for this hike. Siamese Ponds Wilderness straddles Hamilton & Warren Counties, with the trailhead for the ponds about 15 miles North of the village of Wells on Rte 8.

The trail begins with a steady rise of about 200 feet and then a drop of another 400 feet as you descend into the valley that the East Branch of the Sacandaga River flows through. My first excitement of the day came as I started to descend into the valley. As I passed though a clearing I encountered a black bear foraging along the south side of the trail. I am not sure who was more startled, and even though the closest we were to each other was 200 feet or more, the bear spared no time tearing off through the woods away from me. I waited for a bit and made a lot of noise just in case it was young enough to have a mother bear nearby, but I saw or heard nothing else then, or saw any more bears for the rest of the day.

After the first small ascent, the trail is basically level for the next 4 miles or so, starting again for a small ascent in the trail as you near the Siamese Ponds. There is a lot of beaver activity at numerous spots along the trail, and at times challenging to get around without going through water above the top of my boots. Close to 4 miles in on the 6.3 mile trail to the ponds there is a leanto, at a nice location where a suspension bridge crosses the East Branch of the Sacandaga. It was at the edge of the suspension bridge that I shot the two mushroom photos. I believe that the one above is a Yellow-orange Fly Agaric, once used to make fly poison. It is known to produce states of delirium and raving if ingested.

The blowdowns from recent storms was more noticeable as I got closer to the lake, one in particular had fallen partly across a small stream with the debris causing the water to be higher than normal in that area.

It took about 2 1/2 hours to get to the lower Siamese Pond. There is a supposed to be a "fishermans" trail that goes around the this body of water, but I was not able to find the trailhead this time and I did not want to spend a lot of time searching as I had other plans for the rest of the hike. I did ford the outlet of the pond (getting my boots full of water in the process) and took some photos as I traveled a bit around the West shore.

I was delighted to see two loons very close to the shore and I was able to get a couple of photos. (just before I got to the lower pond I found a loon feather along the trail, a wonderful momento of the day that is now on display in my apartment)

By 10:30 I was ready to head back down the trail, but this time instead of going directly back to the trailhead, I planned on turning North at the leanto, following a short trail that linked the pond trail to a trail that follows the East Branch towards a place called the Old Farm Clearing. Just before I got to the leanto and trail going North I met up with two other hikers, and I found that one of them was someone I had worked with years ago. A small world, even out it the middle of the wilderness!

The clouds that had been hanging over me all morning brought with them some rain, but it was hardly noticeable as the trail was more often than not passing though deep forest. I traveled this trail for about 2 1/2 miles. I turned back after an hour when I got to the bridge that crosses Second Pond Brook where it enters the East Branch of the Sacandaga River.

The rest of the hike was uneventful, I did find a loon feather along the trail as I was coming up to Siamese Ponds, so I have a very meaningful souvenir of the day. I was back at the trailhead at 3 pm, having traveled 17 miles in about 7 hours. It was a very rewarding day, having explored a bit in a part of the Adirondacks I had never visited before.

Dave

Tongue Mountain Range, Lake George New York

2006-04-11T03:22:00.000-07:00

Saturday, April 8, ‘06
Tongue Mountain Range Loop Trail – Challenging, but well worth the effort

The day started out cloudy with a bit of sun breaking through to the West, it was a bit below freezing most of the day, a bit colder along the ridgeline as there was a light wind. There were no other hikers parked at the Clay Meadow trailhead when I got there about 8:15 in the morning. The first 2 ½ miles ascends about 1500 to the Fifth Peak leanto. There was a dusting of snow on the trail after the first ½ mile or so. At 1.9 miles there is a trail intersection where you turn South towards Fifth Peak leanto and then on to the Point of the Tongue. Actually, the leanto is 2/10ths of a mile off of the main trail, but it is well worth the small amount of extra effort. This first chance to see the vistas along this trail is a breath-taking experience as you stand 1000 plus feet above the waters of Lake George looking for miles in every direction. Even on this very cloudy day I was able to see what I assume to be Gore Mountain ski area due West.

After this point the trail gets less distinct and with the blow downs from this last winter, it is challenging at times to find the exact trail. It seems that the trail markers have been placed just close enough together to add a bit of adventure to the trip, but not make it impossible to find your way.

The trail follows the ridge line over French Point Mountain and a number of smaller ascents taking you well down into the small valleys between them. This is the far greater challenge than finding the trail through the woods. There are a couple of spots where it is far closer to climbing than hiking going down the South side of these ridges. A lot of care should be taken as the trail takes you very near drops of a hundred feet or more into the valley below. Not that anyone would drink untreated water, but the trail along the ridge is very dry, except for one of two small stagnant looking pools you pass in the valleys, so make sure that you bring adequate liquids. Even with these cautions mentioned, the times that you break out into the open on the ridgeline are truly unforgettable experiences. The views of Lake George and the surrounding area are quite amazing and well worth the time and effort to get up to them.

During the hike South towards the point I saw 5 white-tail deer, only the second time I have seen any close-up while on a trail in the Adirondacks. The other time was just a few weeks before hiking into Wilcox Lake, so maybe this means it is a good year for the deer population.
By the time you have passed the final descent and started to turn North again, you will have hiked about 8 miles and will still have another 6 to go over rough trails that often meander near the edge of the water. All of the waterfalls shown here are from this last part of the hike. The trail is strewn with rocks and roots, even more than is typical on the normal Adirondack trails, so a lot of care is needed, especially if you have just gotten done hiking the ridge.

Overall this is a very worthwhile hike, but a full day is needed for a person or group to accomplish it. With stopping to photograph along the way I was back to my car in 8 hours, having covered a bit over 13 miles.

T Lake - Piseco New York

2006-03-18T14:36:00.000-08:00

These photos were taken along the trail to T Lake in Piseco, town of Arietta, Hamilton County, NY. I am posting them with the intent to write about the trail and hike in a few days. I have converted some of the photos to either black and white or a shade of sepia.

Enjoy!
Dave

March Snowshoeing in the Southern Adirondacks

2006-03-06T02:01:00.000-08:00

Glorious..... that is the best word that I can find to describe this day of snowshoeing. There was not a cloud in the sky, the air was crisp and clean and the occasional wind was just enough to make the tree tops provide a restful whisper for background music. It was a day that I will long remember for its peace and serenity.

This first photo is of Fourth Lake, it is about a two mile hike North of Rte 29A in Stratford, Fulton County, right near the border of Hamilton Co. The lake is typical of the marsh lined ponds that dot this area of the Adirondacks.

This next shot caught my eye while I was looking for a place to take a photo of Third Lake. It is a simple scene, and what I saw was the shadow of the massive tree with this small sapling defiantly sticking it's head above the snowcover.

I converted the photo above to Black and White as I wanted to highlight the contrast and detail of the snow against the starkness of the thin branches and shadows.

As you can see, there was a lot of snowmobile activity on Third Lake during that weekend. Not five minutes after taking this three snowmobiles came flying across the lake from the distant shore.

I had hoped that the long line of the shadow would add more drama to the shot, but it did not work out as well as it could have. The scene does have good detail and contrast. This shot was taken at Fourth Lake.

Overall it was a wonderful day out enjoying nature. It was an excellent way to end the snowshoeing season, as though there was nearly a foot of snow in the woods, it will not be long before it is gone from the trails and Spring arrives

A visit to Long Lake

2006-03-04T05:24:00.000-08:00

I was greeted by a beautiful February day when I got to the trailhead at Rte 29A in Stratford. Fulton County. This is the very Southern edge of the Adirondacks, an area that draws me back again and again to enjoy it's quiet beauty. The trail to Third Lake and Long Lake passes along Burnt Vly (sometimes spelled Vlei) with a number of spots that offer views of the open marsh and beaver meadows. The trail has a few slight elevation changes, but is well maintained and easy to follow. It is nearly 4 miles to Third Lake. At about 2 1/2 miles you will pass Fourth Lake on the East just a bit off the trail. From Fourth Lake to where the trail turns East towards Third the woods opens up offering a very tranquil scenes as you pass through the area. Once you turn towards Third the trail becomes wet in spots, but nothing that a good pair of waterproof boots will not conquer. This first photo is the sky over Third Lake. For some reason the shots from this day were not well exposed, it could have been that the high temperature was only 15 degrees and the camera was not handling it well. Whatever the reason, they are still useful as records of my visit.

Just before you get to Third Lake there is a trailhead with a sign showing you the way towards Avery Place. About two miles down this trail will bring you to another trailhead that is the intersection of the trails from Good Luck Lake on the North and Stoner Lakes to the South. Third Lake is within sight at this point. As you follow the trail along the West side of Third Lake it is apparent that there is much less snowmobile activity coming from this direction on the trail toward Long and Spectacle Lakes. It is no more than a 1/2 mile until you get to an opening where the main trail bears to the right and the trail to Southern side of Long Lake begins going left. While it is easy to see the beginning of the trail, there are fallen trees across the trail that show it's disuse. The next photograph is of Long Lake, a long, narrow body of water that is becoming more of a marsh due to beaver activity. There are trails on both the north and south sides, going along it's very marshy shores. I followed the trail that takes you along the Southern shore.

On this trip I traveled as far as an active beaver dam, with a lodge nearby and I would assume occupied. This dam cuts across much of what was once the Eastern third of the lake. The photo above was taken from the far Eastern end of the lake. Across the lake you can see some unnamed hills that are just North of Ayers Lake. Be aware that the trails on either side of the lake are not well maintained, though there are still snowmobile trail markers in spots. It would also suspect that the area is very wet most of the year. After returning to the main trail, I traveled further towards Spectacle Lake and started down the trail that leads to the North shore of Long Lake. I did not travel very far on this trail before turning back due to very wet conditions that would have forced me to do a lot of bushwacking. I started heading back close to Noon and was back to my car by about 2:30, having traveled about 11 miles in 5 1/2 hrs. I will close with a photo of me from that day looking much like an Evil Snow Ewok......

Another snowshoe trip to Spectacle Lake

2006-03-04T03:56:00.000-08:00

On February 5th, 2006, I headed out for a day of snowshoeing in the Southern Adirondacks. This trip I started at the Good Luck Lake Trailhead, which is 6/10ths of a mile West of Rte 10 in Arietta, Hamilton County. The high temperature for the day was 28 degrees and there were snow flurries off and on. There was only 6 - 8 inches on the trail to Dexter and as I got closer to Spectacle much of the Southeast facing slope was bare. The trail to Dexter Lake goes West past Dry Lake (shown in the next photo), which looks like it is slowly becoming more marsh than lake.

As you get within sight of Dexter, there is a steep downhill section where the trail has been washed out by runoff from the higher ground. It is an area that you need to be careful going through due not only to poor footing, but also potholes along the trail can be covered with ice and snow that are not strong enough to support a person. Once you get to Dexter Lake (see below) the trail runs straight along the South side of the lake for about a 1/4 mile until it turns and heads South and connects with the snowmobile trail heading towards Spectacle Lake.

You can see from my photo, once I got the Spectacle Lake I was down to just the liner for my parka and no gloves. I was hoping to be able to find a way around Spectacle Lake and connect with the trail going towards Third Lake, but short of bushwacking around the shore there was no way I could make the connection. There were snowmobile tracks running across the lake, but snowshoeing, especially alone, is not the time to take such risks.

As you can see from the photo below of Spectacle Lake, the snow was just about gone around the edge of the lake. On the left side of the photo you can see the snowmobile trail going out onto the lake.

After I had returned to the trailhead I spent an hour snowshoeing the trail that goes past Good Luck Lake. As usual the trail is very wet and badly torn up by snowmobiles. I went as far as the inlet stream on the south side of the lake before turning back. I estimate that I went 11 miles in the 5 1/2 hours that I was snowshoeing.

Third Lake & Spectacle Lake Photos

2006-01-05T02:46:00.000-08:00

On January 2nd I went on a solo snowshoe trip to Spectacle Lake in the Southern Adirondack's Ferris Lake Wild Forest, town of Arietta, Hamilton County, NY. It ended up being a round trip of 13 miles, taking close to 7 hours to complete. It was a relatively warm day, just below freezing, with about 3 inches of new snow on the ground. Going out the trails were unbroken, and coming back passing snowmobiles had passed by creating packed trails that were often muddy and nearly impassable in spots. The photo above was taken along the south shore of Third Lake, looking North with Good Luck Mountain in the background.

Good Luck Lake

2005-12-27T02:10:00.000-08:00

Photos from a trip on Dec. 26th '05, to the Southern Adirondacks, this time to the trails around Good Luck Lake in the town of Arietta, Hamilton County.

Good Luck Lake

Snow Patterns

Another of the lake

signs at the trailhead abt 3 miles SouthEast of Good Luck Lake, this is where I turned to head back.

I followed snowmobile trails much of the day

Another photo at the trailhead before I turned back.

Update 12/23/05

2005-12-23T02:50:00.000-08:00

Photos from my hike on the Taconic Crest Trail are now posted. I have also taken the suggestion to convert the photo of the ice taken at Christman's Nature Preserve last winter to black and white. That is posted with the other examples on that subject.

Dave

Taconic Crest Trail, Petersburg Pass, New York

2005-12-23T02:15:00.000-08:00

On Dec 28th My friend Pete and I did a 5 mile round trip on the Taconic Crest Trail along the borders of NY, Vermont & Mass. It was sunny, with just a bit of cloud and a high in the teens. Surprisingly there was only 6 - 8 inches of snow. The black & white photo was taken with my Fuji S602 in TIF format and converted to grayscale with Photoshop. The white spot on the mountain near the center of the photo is the trailhead parking lot which was 2 1/2 miles South. This is a great area to hike that I will visit again in the future.

The sign on the tree says - VT Corner Marker, 270 Degrees, 315 Feet

This shot is taken facing West from the same overlook as the black & white.

Third Lake in the Southern Adirondacks

2005-12-17T10:15:00.000-08:00

Date - 12/15/05
Log of solo snowshoe trip
Trail to Third Lake, town of Stratford, Fulton County NY

Got to the trailhead at 10:18 am, there was abt 4 inches of snow and a well broken trail. I signed in the book that the forest rangers leave there and then headed out. Got to the first trail intersection, one mile in, at 10:48. I stopped and took off my sweater as I was already getting warm and also had a granola bar to eat. I followed a path made by cross county skiers for the next 1/2 mile until they turned off the trail to the East. When they had signed in they said that they were going 5 miles in and staying for two days, so they must have camped somewhere off the trail. I will have to try that sometime!

Between there and the next trail intersection was a distance of 1.7 miles with 6 inches of snow in areas and some small rises to go over. Along this part of the route one of my shoes came unstrapped and I had to take a min or so to reconnect and tighten things. It had been strange to look down and not see the bright yellow snowshoe there when it happened! It was sunny at that point with a puff of wind once in awhile. Lots of animal tracks which I think were mostly deer and mice. I made that next intersection at 11:45 for a total of nearly 3 miles in the first hour. The trail then turned East for a mile to Third Lake.

There was a bit of downhill just before the lake and the snow was clinging to the shoes a bit, making travel a bit slower. I got to the edge of the lake at abt 12:15, making it 3.9 miles in abt 1.5 hrs. the sun was very bright and I estimated the temperature to be abt 15 degrees with a very light breeze starting up. After standing for just a couple of mins I felt myself getting chilled and so I got out my wool sweater out of my backpack. When I took off my coat I found that my long sleeved shirt was soaked with sweat so I changed into the spare that I had brought and then put the sweater on. I spent 15 mins or so taking photos of the lake.

My original goal was to make it all the way to Long Lake a pond that was still another mile to the west over unbroken trail. I decided that I had gone far enough out for the day and packing my camera still on the tripod into the tripod carrying case with a shoulder strap I headed out. I had hoped that following the now broken trail would make the trip back less of an effort, but I found that it was not really the case.

The snow continued to stick to the shoes causing just a bit of extra effort on each step. In fact, at the end of the trip I had to hammer the built-up ice off the crampon on the bottom of the left shoe. On the way back the wind started to pick up a bit blowing snow from trees and causing some of the branches to pop under the stress of being moved around.

Some of the trail I had made going in was already getting covered in windblown snow. It was interesting to hear that around me as I traveled. I also hear that distinctive tap-tap-tap of a woodpecker, but never was able to see the bird.

The mile back to the turnoff towards the trailhead took me nearly 45 mins, possibly because I stopped set up the tripod and take some photos along the way. The sun was almost covered with clouds and there was a bit more chill in the wind as I was going through this section of the trail. The next 1.9 miles to the first intersection that I had encountered on the way in was uneventful and I got there at 2:05. I only stayed long enough to finish my water.

The last mile took 25 mins and I was back to my car right at 2:30, a total of 8 miles in abt 4 hrs. It was a great trip and one that I hope to do again in the future.

Snowshoeing to Nine Corner Lake

2005-11-28T17:12:00.000-08:00

Despite the numerous times that I had stated I was staying out of the woods until the end of hunting season (Dec. 8th in the lower Adirondacks), it was far too nice of a day to keep indoors, so the Sunday after Thanksgiving I headed North for a day out in the woods.

As best as I could gather from weather reports the Southern Adirondacks had gotten close to 8 inches, so I took my snowshoes along hoping that they could be used. It was sunny when I left, but in the hour it took to get to my destination it had changed to partly cloudy. The temperature at the trailhead was about 28 degrees, perfect weather for a winter hike. The snow was about 4 - 6 inches so I put on the snowshoes and wore them for all of the 6 miles (round trip) I traveled. With that small amount of snow the trail was muddy at times and even had standing water in places. Most of what I followed this day were marked snowmobile trails, but I was the first to pass through most of the areas since snowfall. I followed a trail that brings you to the West side of Nine Corner Lake, a trail that I had never followed before. This first photo is at the trailhead along Rte 29A a couple miles West of intersection of Rte 10.

According to the topo map the total elevation change over the whole route was well under 100 feet, which proved to be the case during the hike. The trail to the lake follows a wide ravine with higher elevation on the North side. It is a very quiet and peaceful area, just challenging enough to keep my attention, but nothing that caused me any problems. As you can see from the next photograph, it is an open area, that was logged many years ago, so there are few very large trees. As with most of the Adirondacks, there are numbers of large erratics (rocks left when the glaciers moved through) but none with trees growing on top that I saw, which is usually quite common in the Adirondacks.

At about 2 1/2 miles from the trailhead you get your first glance of Nine Corner Lake through the trees as the land drops away towards the shore to the North. From here it is still a bit of a hike with some uphill until you get to the shoreline. In places the trail is quite narrow as it roughly follows a ledge 100 feet in from the shoreline, but this quickly flattens out and a number of opening along the shore offer photo opportunities. There were tracks of a dog going along the ice that I incorporated into the first photo. which was taken from the South shore of the lake facing West.

The ice itself was not yet thick enough to support a person and I ended up standing on some bent over brush with the tripod on the ice to take the photograph. As you can see the sun came out just as I got to the lake, but after only a few minutes it disappeared and the wind came up making it noticeably colder. I was well dressed for the day, and in fact I was quite sweaty by the end of my trip as I probably wore too heavy of an outer jacket for the amount of heat that I generated snowshoeing.

The next photograph is the best of the day. It was taken at about the midway point of the South shore, again facing West, just before I started heading back. I was using a Canon Digital Rebel XT with only a skylight filter.

Soon after I took this photograph the sky started to cloud over and most of the way back was so overcast that is started to look like twilight in midday. I covered the 3 miles back in a bit under 1 hour as I was following the trail that I had broken on the way in.

This is the first hike of the winter, and I hope to get out and enjoy the beauty of nature many more times before Spring arrives again. Let me know if you want to come along!

Dave

Welcome to my blog.

2005-11-09T03:13:00.000-08:00

Thanks for taking a look around, please post a comment (I even have it set so you can do it and be "anonymous", though I would love to know who you are, so please leave a name and/or an e-mail address) I look forward hearing your comments on the photos and thoughts that I have posted.

Dave