What's Your Nature?
Become a Nature Up North explorer to share your encounters with wild things and wild places in New York's North Country. Post your wildlife sightings, landscape shots, photos from your outings, and even your organization's events!
Halloween Bike Parade
We had great weather and great attendance at our Bike Parade on the Remington trail this weekend, the final event of our Trails Series this fall with the Canton Recreation Dept. The Remington trail, a beautiful 3 mile paved loop at the Partridge Run Golf Course outside Canton, is a great spot for biking, birding, and alien encounters - at least it was this week.
Raccoon at Indian Creek Nature Center
Started October with a short walk along the Observation Tower Trail at Indian Creek Nature Center in Canton, NY. This raccoon was up high in a Maple Tree that was just starting to bring its colors out. What was he doing up there? Look closer and you can see he was after the grapes which have grown into the treetops long after the farm is gone. The walked also featured many migrant songbirds including White-crowned Sparrow, warblers, and some very energetic Ruby-crowned Kinglets.
Hungry Little Porcupine
In early October, I came across this really small, young porcupine nibbling at one of the abundant acorns along the trail.
SLU Orienteering Course Launch
Do you love outdoor exploration? Wandering around in the woods? New challenges?
Walking the dogs at Downerville State Forest, Harper's Falls
Had a great time exploring the Downerville State Forest trails with a friend (and a few pups) this past weekend. The weather continues to be unseasonably warm, but we weren't complaining and the dogs enjoyed splashing around in Harper's Falls. The beech leaves are still hanging on, but most of the others have fallen by now and the open forest was a beautiful sight.
Surveying Ash Trees on the Kip Trail
This was the third week of this year's Fall Trails Series, and the group spent a beautiful afternoon exploring the St. Lawrence University Kip Trail. We also talked about the Community Ash Tree Survey - a local effort in response to the arrival of emerald ash borer - and mapped some of the many ash trees on the trail. As a bonus, we spied a porcupine in a large red oak along the way!
Panther Gorge: Mt. Marcy: Anorthofright (5.9-)
http://www.summitpost.org/panther-gorge-mt-marcy-anorthofright-5-9/1005…
A long multi-pitch rock climb up the overhangs and obvious white streak of Mt. Marcy's white scar. Steven St. Pierre and I added this route to Marcy on August 27. 2017. ...another 20 hour day in Panther Gorge, but well worth the effort. Follow the link above for a full report and photographs.
St. Lawrence Land Trust Waterfall Walk
On October 21st, the St. Lawrence Land Trust will lead a trip to the Tooley Pond Road waterfalls. These are a spectacular set of waterfalls, each a short walk from the road and each worth visiting. We will explore 4 different waterfalls along the road. The tour is a mix of drives along paved and gravel roads and short, easy walks to the waterfalls. This is an outing for the whole family.
Participants should meet at the ADK Park sign on the western end of the Tooley Pond Rd. at 10 a.m. (about 1.5 miles up the road from Degrasse), The tour should be less than 2 hours total.
Tooley Pond Road 10/15/17
We did a "tour" of the waterfalls for my 21st birthday yesterday. Some of the falls had no trails so there was some bushwhacking but it was still really fun! The views were great.