Nature and Spirituality

[Altair]

Originally Posted by FoxTracks

Never heard that one. The only real wilderness i've been in was Costa Rica, which was beautiful but very foreign and filled with dangerous things. I'd take coyotes over a venomous snake in the bushes. North America for me from now on.

North America has venomous snakes too, in its subtropical swamps, and also many rattlesnakes elsewhere. I've been to CR, you just gotta watch your steps in the rainforest. I'd be more worried about cougars and bears in the US than venomous critters in the jungle, but that's just me.

[FoxTracks]

ah heck, I'm from Kentucky. There are cottonmouths and copperheads, but they're not common and easy to spot. The biggest thing to worry about there is coyotes -- but I would only worry about small dogs, or chickens if you have them.

Originally Posted by FoxTracks

ah heck, I'm from Kentucky. There are cottonmouths and copperheads, but they're not common and easy to spot. The biggest thing to worry about there is coyotes -- but I would only worry about small dogs, or chickens if you have them.

There are some rattlesnakes here in New York, but few and far between. One of my hiking spots, Tongue Mountain on Lake George, is a known rattlesnake habitat and there are warnings at all the trailheads.

I don't worry about coyotes as they are shy enough to keep clear of humans. Never had a problem with them and I've had many, many experiences of them in reasonable proximity though out of sight.

What I am alert for is the odd rogue black bear. They are extremely rare but in fact when encountered are far more dangerous than grizzlies. Grizzlies generally attack defending offspring, food or territory but rogue black bears stalk and consider humans prey. Not good! LOL!

Year before last coming out of a day hike in one of the most remote parts of the Adirondacks and less than a mile from the trailhead I encountered a cougar travelling towards me off to the side of the trail. When it noticed me it burst into a full run, crossed the trail a hundred or so feet in front of me and disappeared down into a gully.

They say there's not a breeding population here but some stragglers from the upper midwest do occasionally wander here. It wasn't a huge cougar, maybe a hundred pounds or so, and that makes sense because they say the ones that do make their way here are young adults that have no chance to mate where they originate and are looking for greener pastures, so to speak.

Here's the plan for this weekend. Fifth Peak Trail in the Tongue Mountain Range in the Lake George Wild Forest.

https://www.alltrails.com/explore/tr...fth-peak-trail

Here's a spot much further south on Tongue Mountain where Carl Heilman takes the panoramic photo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jljd6tWxP8

That place on Algonquin where his shadow is cast into the mist and rainbow is one of my favorites. One of the best views in the 'Dacks.

When I left the house this morning at 7:30 it was -12F. Halfway to the trailhead in a notch between Brant Lake and Hague it had dropped to -20 and was -13 when I arrived at the trailhead at 8:15.

The hike was a 5.2 mile round trip with a 1,600 foot gain in elevation and I returned to the trailhead at 12:45 for a nice 4.5 hour hike.

It was clear and still and the wind didn't pick up until I neared the summit lean-to.

https://www.amazon.com/photos/shared...OldestToNewest

There were three people hiking ahead of me, probably by about 15 minutes. I saw them start the trail as I pulled into the paring area. As I got to within a 1/4 mile of the peak I heard them returning, so I stepped off the trail as I had just ascended a couple hundred feet and figured I'd take a short break and let them pass. As they got close I could have sworm they saw me. They were looking right in my direction, but about 50 feet or so before me the trail swung away and then back towards me. The lady in front is looking almost right at me and I'm standing off the trail, leaning on my walking stick, and when she's about 25 feet away I said "Hi". She stopped and jumped back, startled. None of them had seen me and the look on her face was priceless! She said she thought I was a tree. LOL!

[Anala]

Jsag, thank you for taking us all along on your hike! It was inspiring!

A short 2.4 mile round trip hike up Severance Mountain overlooking both Schroon and Paradox Lakes. It was a gorgeous day, sunny and upper 20s with a slight breeze out of the west, maybe 5 mph.

https://www.alltrails.com/explore/tr...rence-mountain

https://www.amazon.com/photos/shared...OldestToNewest

[Sarian]

Great pictures! I used to have 100s of pictures posted here but had them removed years ago.

I go hiking and trail running all the time, I go early in the morning. I used to wish I had someone to go with me, thinking they would 'feel' and be consumed with the utter joy and bliss and beauty of seeing all I see. (duh me)...but oddly, when I did bring someone along with me, I didn't enjoy my time as much...it was distracting when the other person just felt it was a walk and did not see or feel the things I felt. It seems to be a personal solitary thing for me. It's spiritual and beautiful.

I live in the country and sometimes at night I hear the coyotes running and howling through the fields.

I live in the Finger Lakes Region of NY. Haven't been to the Adirondacks for about 4 years. I miss it. My youngest son goes wilderness camping there all the time. Of course, I'm always worried because there's no cell service where he goes so my mind imagines the worst. lol

Thanks for sharing your adventures and photographs. :-)

[BigJohn]

I prefer hiking alone.

Originally Posted by Sarian

Great pictures! I used to have 100s of pictures posted here but had them removed years ago.

I go hiking and trail running all the time, I go early in the morning. I used to wish I had someone to go with me, thinking they would 'feel' and be consumed with the utter joy and bliss and beauty of seeing all I see. (duh me)...but oddly, when I did bring someone along with me, I didn't enjoy my time as much...it was distracting when the other person just felt it was a walk and did not see or feel the things I felt. It seems to be a personal solitary thing for me. It's spiritual and beautiful.

I live in the country and sometimes at night I hear the coyotes running and howling through the fields.

I live in the Finger Lakes Region of NY. Haven't been to the Adirondacks for about 4 years. I miss it. My youngest son goes wilderness camping there all the time. Of course, I'm always worried because there's no cell service where he goes so my mind imagines the worst. lol

Thanks for sharing your adventures and photographs. :-)

I worked out of Syracuse from 2008-2012 and Rochester from 2013-2018. When I was in Syracuse I joined an outdoor meetup group and we did lots of hiking and kayaking. Every year we'd do a winery outing in the Finger Lakes and mix in some short hikes to some of the falls.

I used to do a lot of solo backpacking and much of it was before electronic gadgets were widespread and even after they became more available I refused to carry them into the wilderness. Plus it was in the bigger wilderness areas of the 'Dacks so there wouldn't have been cell coverage as there still isn't because of the state constitutions "Forever Wild" clause. I'm a techie (programmer/analyst) but I've just never been big on all the fancy little gadgets. Never used or even had a GPS. I like compass & topo map.

And yeah, solo is a totally different experience and I also find the howling of coyotes at night cool. There was a place outside of Rochester where I would bring my telescope to get away from the city light pollution called Northampton Park and there was at least one pack of the critters there. Some nights they'd really howl up a storm.

I just love nature. All of it. Always have, always will. There's a connection from my earliest memories I never let go of and in fact it grew stronger as the years progressed.