Raquette Falls, 2/9/07

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  • forevrwyld
    Keith and Dad, Redfield Summit
    • Feb 2005
    • 197

    #1

    Raquette Falls, 2/9/07

    Dad and Keith skipped out of work and school on Friday to start our weekend adventure a little early. We arrived at the Coreys snow plow turn around about 1/2 mile north of the designated parking lot on Friday at 2PM. We headed out and arrived at the falls at 5PM. We were slow as Keith was riding his new Fischer Rebound Crown skis and he isn't quite heavy enough for them to get a good "bite" in the grip zone.

    The trail had about a foot of fresh powder and was broken out by a group of teenagers that had gone in ahead of us. There was 1 downhill run where there was some exposed rocks that now are worn down about hairs width more from the metal of our skis.

    We stopped at the Raquette Falls lean-to long enough to get a quick bite to eat and get our headlamps out for the return trip. My hands got really cold while at the lean-to as stupidly I started to pick up things without my gloves or glove liners on my hands.

    We stopped at the rangers dock long enough to snap a few off a few fingers (oh I mean a few pictures!) then skied smartly back to the car. It got dark about 1/2 way back, moonless night, more stars than one should be allowed to behold all at once. Gary would have loved it.

    We arrived back at our car at 7:30PM, temperature was -3F.

    For anyone interested the road was recently plowed across the bridge to the parking lot. There was about 6" of fresh pow on it and I had my car so we didn't drive on it, but you could have. The gate was also open and appeared to have been plowed beyond? (we didn't go down there so not sure how far).

    We spent most all day Saturday sorting material at the Cranberry Lake DEC Operations building for a helicopter lift to Cowhorn and Olmstead Pond which are slated for "maintence" first thing this spring, but that's a whole 'nother adventure.

    Spent Saturday night a PackBasket B&B in Wanakena, Sunday we skid partway to High Rock before time ran out and we had to return home.

    Back to the bs tomorrow.......

    (Keith at rangers dock and sunset over Raquette Falls outlet attached)

    -george-
    Attached Files
    "The trail is what it is. If it goes up, over, under -- there is the choice to follow it or not. As for weather, it will be what it will be. One cannot choose conditions, only to hike or not to hike." AT Thru-Hiker
  • redhawk
    Senior Curmudgeon
    • Jan 2004
    • 10929

    #2
    You took the Horse trail?
    "If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them more than the miracles of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it." Lyndon B. Johnson

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    • forevrwyld
      Keith and Dad, Redfield Summit
      • Feb 2005
      • 197

      #3
      Hawk,

      Yes, Horsetrail. Awesome ski trail too.

      -george-
      "The trail is what it is. If it goes up, over, under -- there is the choice to follow it or not. As for weather, it will be what it will be. One cannot choose conditions, only to hike or not to hike." AT Thru-Hiker

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      • Kevin
        **BANNED**
        • Nov 2003
        • 5857

        #4
        George, thanks for the info. We're planning to do the exact same hike next weekend, and also attempt a dayhike of Seymour on the opposite day. Needless to say your TR provided us with answers to all the questions we had. Unless there's a major snow between now and then...

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        • forevrwyld
          Keith and Dad, Redfield Summit
          • Feb 2005
          • 197

          #5
          I forgot to add we saw bald eagle up in dead tree overlooking the river about 1.5 miles south of the Falls.

          Have fun.

          -george-
          "The trail is what it is. If it goes up, over, under -- there is the choice to follow it or not. As for weather, it will be what it will be. One cannot choose conditions, only to hike or not to hike." AT Thru-Hiker

          Comment

          • redhawk
            Senior Curmudgeon
            • Jan 2004
            • 10929

            #6
            Originally posted by forevrwyld
            I forgot to add we saw bald eagle up in dead tree overlooking the river about 1.5 miles south of the Falls.

            Have fun.

            -george-
            There are a pair of eagles on the Raquette. I think their nest is on the private property west of the river in the vicinity of where the outlet from the Stony Brook Ponds comes into the Raquette.

            It's one of my favorite spots to canoe camp and kayak as well as backpack. The horse trail probably is a nice skiing trail, unfortunately I never took up the sport and now I'm in no fibnancial condition to outfit myself if I wanted to learn.

            I backpacked in on the horse trail once, wouldn't do it again. I remember quite a bit of up and down, and one point along the trail, where it goes along a swamp, the mosquito's were just miserable. Then the climb up about 1 1/2 mile from the falls and down that switchback, all with a full pack, emphysema and well worn knee,s. Oh Boy!

            Now I canoe in and camp along the river or at the falls and then hike and bushwhack around the area. It's really beautiful.

            Usually a bunch of us from the forum get together and camp up there for a weekend, usually in the late spring and have a good time padding up into the Stony Brook Ponds and down to the falls.
            Last edited by redhawk; 02-12-2007, 10:04 AM.
            "If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them more than the miracles of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it." Lyndon B. Johnson

            Comment

            • forevrwyld
              Keith and Dad, Redfield Summit
              • Feb 2005
              • 197

              #7
              Hawk,

              Thanks for the info. I knew I wasn't just seeing things. This was a large adult with bright white head.

              My previous post was in error about location, should have said 1.5 miles north of falls, not south. It was on the other side of the river on the private property.

              -george-
              "The trail is what it is. If it goes up, over, under -- there is the choice to follow it or not. As for weather, it will be what it will be. One cannot choose conditions, only to hike or not to hike." AT Thru-Hiker

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