Seven of us enjoyed the beautiful day and rode 22 miles along Eighteen Mile Creek from Hamburg to Lake Erie and back through some farm country. We had over 400 ft of elevation gain on the ride and enjoyed the challenge of getting used to riding on hills! No incidents to report. Just smiles, good company and fun outdoors.
Eighteen Mile Creek Bike Ride – May 5
May 5th, 2012Trip Report – Ellicott Creek Paddle – Apr 21, 2012
April 23rd, 2012Saturday dawned cloudy and wet at Ellicott Creek in Tonawanda for the first official ADK paddle outing of the year. While I waited for people to arrive, I watched as a Canada goose on the creek aggressively chased another goose that dove underwater to escape the attack. The light rain stopped soon after that, but perhaps the threat of rain kept most people away; two club members, Kate and Manon, were the only paddlers to show up. All 3 of us had solo canoes with various types of seating and paddle configurations. Our waterways co-chair, Richard, stopped by to see us off, and took a couple pictures of us. We put-in at the wide gravel ramp on Ellicott Creek by NFB, and paddled upstream past the homes that line part of the shore, and along beautiful wooded shorelines covered by a thick carpet of fresh green groundcover with small yellow flowers (marsh marigold?). Spring was apparent all around us – red-winged blackbirds flitted about the trees, and a thin mist hung over the water. Two deer watched cautiously from a distance as we floated past, and we paddled by two different mother geese sitting on nests at the water’s edge while their mates swam nearby on guard duty. We stayed in the original channel of the creek, and turned left under a bike bridge to stay in the old creek bed instead of entering the wider channel of the excavated flood control canal. The larger manmade channel was windy, so we returned the same way we came. A male cardinal flew into the bushes just behind Kate, and just before we reached the NF Blvd. bridge, a defensive line of 4 geese straddled the creek; they moved away as we approached, and we slid our canoes back onto the ramp. A cup of coffee and light lunch at a nearby diner was the perfect end to another nice paddle outing. – Bob Van Hise
Seufert Rd Loop – Wed Apr 4
April 6th, 2012Lucky 13 hikers met at Seufert Rd for the usual Wed night trek in the woods. Week after week, year after year, this stalwart of the outings schedule continues to appeal to members of all ages. For instance, this past week we had a teen-ager, 2 twenty-somethings, 2 thirty-somethings, 2 forty-somethings and the rest were over 50. Such a big age range and it didn’t matter. Everyone interacted, chit chatting while hiking briskly, pushing themselves up the inclines, appreciating the workout, some breathing heavier than others and all enjoying the natural setting. Submitted by Cheryl Peluso
Allegany State Park Border Work
October 28th, 2011
Getting ready to begin work at the border by Interstate Parkway.
Seventeen dedicated volunteers worked in the woods Oct 23rd for several hours to cut brush and post signage in order to clarify the boundary between Allegany State Park, and the State of Pennsylvania where gas drilling is being done close to the border. Much thanks to all workers on all 4 crews!
The ceremonial joining of 2 work crews that began at different points and worked toward each other. Manon P. and I were the 2 team leaders, each with 2 work crews.
July 10 Hike Griffis Sculpture Park
July 12th, 2011
A total of 9 hikers attended the hike to Griffis Sculpture Park in Ashford Hollow. It was a beautiful, hot day. Several of the hikers had never been to the Sculpture Park , and were amazed at the beauty and uniqueness of this wonderful place. We hiked about 6 miles total from the old Rohr Hill Road section, through the woods on the Red trail, to Mill Valley Road and back.There were several photo opps among , ( and on ) the sculptures. An employee of the Park took the opportunity to take a photo of our ADK group, and it may appear on their website. The aluminnum Bathers, the Amazon women and the views at the top of the hill were highlights! Thanks to all who attended! Submitted by Kim Newlands
Bike Ride, 6/18 – Wherle Dr. to Akron Falls Park
July 12th, 2011
The 20 mile ride from Wehrle Drive through Akron to the falls was leisurely. All eleven riders enjoyed the sunny, dry day. We lunched in the park and on our return ride stopped at the Clarence outdoor market on our way back to the Wehrle parking lot. Submitted by Karen Vastola
Lost
June 24th, 2011
Larry Beahan, June 2011
“For I’m a wise egg, I can lie steal or beg and I’ve traveled this world all around.
I been East, I been West and I’m there with the best when it comes to covering ground” …but I got lost in Allegany State Park.
I’m an Eagle Scout. I’ve bushwhacked 25 miles from Stillwater to Wanakena across the Adirondack’s Five Ponds Wilderness. I’ve taught mountaineering for the National Ski Patrol, climbed Mount Marcy, Mount Katahdin and a couple of fourteen-thousand-foot peaks in Colorado. What the heck, I’ve been up Mount Fuji and I didn’t get lost till Allegany.
June 11 I was in the Park for an Allegany State Park Historical Society Weekend. A friend and I decided to take a little walk, not a hike, just a little stroll into the 350 –year-old hemlocks off ASP 1. I’d been into those big trees twice before with Bruce Kershner who was an expert on old growth forests. I should have remembered that he got lost in there once.
About 2 pm we told Rick Feuz at Camp Allegany exactly where we were headed and where we would park the car. We laughed as we told him, “Come get us if we aren’t back for dinner.” In the back of my mind there must have been a feeling of extra security since my friend, Jerry Sultz, who is a member of the Western New York Search and Rescue Team, told me that the Team would be in the Park that weekend, doing practice searches. But I had no conscious idea they might have to look for us.
The route of our walk was simple, just follow this creek till you get to the big trees, take some pictures, turn around and follow the creek back to the road. But there are a lot of big trees till you get to the really big ones. The terrain is full of moss-covered boulders, downed trees and is cut up by small creeks feeding the main stream. It is dark and beautiful.
After forty minutes we had gotten our pictures and turned around to head back up-stream or at least that’s what we thought we were doing. We looked for unique, familiar features but all the trees and boulders looked the same. We decided that somehow we had walked further downstream instead of up or that we had walked up a wrong tributary. We turned around again and walked and walked, clambering over rocks and around giant fallen trees, crossing brooks on and on. Still nothing familiar appeared. Our compass was of no use because we had neglected to bring a map and did not have a clear idea how the road related to our trek. A bushwhack east might have taken us into the road or into a vast wilderness.
The day was hot and humid. We were dripping sweat. My lightweight cotton shirt soaked through. My liter of water was gone in no time. Our pace slowed, we stopped to rest frequently. About 6:30 we admitted we were dead lost and exhausted. We had contradictory theories about how to walk out. I thought we should retrace our route once more looking for something familiar. My companion thought we should bushwhack away from the creek toward where we believed the road might be.
Our fatigue dictated a compromise and we followed the standard advice to those lost in the woods. “Make yourself comfortable and wait to be rescued.” So we sat down on leaves in a flat, relatively dry spot and waited. It was a few minutes before my companion noticed that we were surrounded by poison oak. We moved our bivouac several yards away.
We had not prepared for a “Hike.” On a “Hike” there are ten essential things you must bring: map, compass, flashlight, food, extra clothing, rain gear, shelter, first aid kit, knife, fire-starting equipment. With them we might have built a shelter, lit a fire, made supper and rested in relative comfort.
I had only four of the essentials: compass, flashlight, first aid kit and a knife. I carried them in a small back pack that provided me some insulation when I sat on the damp ground. I also had along a very loud whistle which we used liberally. Cell phones are not very effective in Allegany’s rugged hills.
It got dark quickly and soon I was shivering and experiencing muscle cramps, symptoms of salt and water depletion. We huddled together for warmth, exchanged life histories and finally tried to sleep. From time to time we heard car horns blowing and shouts. We answered with our own yells and three blasts on the whistle, the universal distress signal. We hoped those were the shouts of people looking for us, feared they were just people having a Friday night out.
The woods were pitch black. We decided that no one would chance a broken leg looking for us in this rough country until day-light. I slept a little, shook a lot and dozed off. About 10:30 I woke to hear more shouts. We responded with the whistle and our own shouts. Their shouts came closer. Then lights from head lamps approached through the woods. I lit my head lamp and they were there. Jerry and the WNY Search and Rescue Team were smiling, cheerful and happy to have found us, probably not quite as happy as we were to be found. They plied us with water and candy bars, checked to see that we had no broken bones and then carefully following their GPS equipment led us out of the woods. “Out of the Woods,” what a wonderful expression.
You can not imagine the relief, the joy that flooded us as their lights and shouts approached and we realized that we would neither spend the night nor eternity in this spot. I like Allegany a lot but I was not ready to leave my bones there.
Epilogue: Rick Feuz, Bob Schmid, Jay Wopper and some others back at Camp Allegany noticed we didn’t show up for supper. They alerted the Park Police and mounted their own search until they were shooed back to Camp. The Police called in the Search and Rescue Team and notified our families.
I spent the night at the Bradford Hospital where two bags of intravenous Saline, some sleep and a good breakfast revived me. My son Teck and wife Lyn took me back to Camp Alleghany to exchange stories with the crew there, and then they took me home to rest up.
The Historical Society weekend went very well with plenty of eating, drinking songs, a big campfire and our adventure to add a touch of excitement. Everyone had a good time, well, almost everyone.
I hope I have learned the lesson of the ten essentials. In any case, just to be on the safe side, I have taken a note from rock climber friends. Now if I have to leave my car to go into a store, I belay a line off my front bumper and tie the other end around my waist.
Trip Report Bruce Trail 3/19
March 22nd, 2011
Tews Falls, Webster Falls and the Spencer Gorge Wilderness Area also the Beamer Conservation Area We started out on the Bruce Trail by hiking into the mouth of the gorge along a swollen stream towards Webster Falls. The hiking was difficult at one point due to ice, loose rocks and snow blocking the trail. Great job everyone! As our group of nine neared the water fall, white water kayakers who braved boulders and downed trees in the stream quickly passed us by. What a sight! We climbed out of the gorge and hiked along the rim towards Tews Falls and onto Dundas Peak. This is a great lookout point for the city of Hamilton and Dundas on the Niagara Escarpment. We also could see the Niagara Escarpment snaking into the distance.
At The Beamer Conservation Area in Grimsy, which is also part of the Bruce Trail, we learned about counting different raptors (birds of prey). The raptors are migrating now and the hawk tower was filled with people and high powered glasses. Of course the view of Lake Ontario and Toronto was magnificent.
After a long day we pulled into one of the many open lanes at U.S. customs, and continued on our way.
Please look for another hike along the Bruce Trail this spring in your MAY ADK newsletter. Submitted by Ken Martin
Valentine Flat – Feb 5 2011
February 8th, 2011A mild day with periods of snow and a gorge dressed in winter’s finest was the setting for a beautiful hike in Zoar Valley on February 5. Twenty-one intrepid hikers met at the MacDonalds in Gowanda and then caravanned to
the DEC parking area on Valentine Flats Road. We hiked down the trail to the floor of Valentine Flats, a cul-de-sac terrace located on the south side of Cattaraugus Creek, just west of the mouth of the south branch. The snow was deeper than expected and very crusty, which made for a somewhat slower hike than expected. We initially headed south along the trail, toward the mouth of the south branch (blocked by the upstream wall of the cul-de-sac), to get some good views of that part of the gorge and to see some old growth trees, mostly hemlocks and probably oaks (see photo). This is a beautiful part of the trail, as it runs through stands of very large hemlocks. While there, we also saw some very large, very blue ice stalactites hanging from the opposite gorge wall.
We then turned back and headed north toward a more downstream portion of the creek. This gave us a great view of the gorge. We then bushwhacked toward the base of the knife edge that forms the downstream side of the cul-de sac. As we hiked inland along the gorge wall, we found some type of stone construction (perhaps part of an old homestead or an artifact from the hippy era), some very old sycamores, and more ice stalactites. We then hooked back up with the established trail and headed back to our cars, weary but happy. Submitted by John Sander
Snowshoe at Royalton Ravines and Lockport Nature Park 1-16-11
January 17th, 2011