adirondack journal
Getting Ready to March into Spring
Eastern Bluebirds signal the arrival spring in the Mohawk Valley.
Story and Photos by Gary VanRiper
GOODSELL MUSEUM Local Adirondack History
2993 State 28 Old 2993Route State Route 28Forge, NY 13420
Old315-369-3838 Forge, NY 13420 www.WebbHistory.org 315-369-3838
WOODLAND
March is when I begin to watch for those winged harbingers of spring. For those living in the Mohawk Valley, that is the arrival of the Eastern Bluebird – the males arriving first on northern breeding grounds in search of possible nesting spots that they will show to later arriving females. In the Adirondacks, it is flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds with individuals in competition for prime breeding territory that each will aggressively defend. For three-season hikers like me, the first bird song is accompanied with the onset of summit fever that usually breaks in another eight weeks. While the shadow sides and low spots of many of the highest Adirondack peaks may still host enough of the white stuff for a snowball fight, by then there should be enough choices for some warm-up hikes and climbing in earnest to help the fever subside. A few pieces of gear and clothing may need replacement, but after more than a decade of hiking in the Adirondack high peaks wilderness area, it won’t take long to be ready to go. There are a number of sites and books with checklists of vital gear and clothing to have while on the trail and to be best prepared for the unexpected. I almost exclusively hike in the daytime and what follows is by no means a comprehensive list, but rather a short list of those things – some absolute essentials, some not – that have made my 8- to 12-hour excursions into the woods most comfortable and enjoyable. A great hiking partner. I have hiked with a number of great people, but have been especially blessed for almost all my years of serious hiking to have found an exceptionally experienced mountaineer who also happens to be the same age and shares my world view and even my sense of humor. Mark Lowell is a 46er some
Several hours into the woods, Mark Lowell makes another map and compass check.
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