education / skills

You can never run fast enough to catch the thief riding your bicycle.  At least lock it to itself, so the thief has to carry it; now you have a chance. Filed under: Biking , Education / skills

Continue Reading Thwart a Bike Thief

Tags: activity, bicycle, biking, catch-the-thief, education / skills, least-lock, new york hiking trails, run-fast, the-thief, thief, thief-riding, tracks

Monday, July 26, 2010 6:30 pm Where:  Educational Alliance, 197 E Broadway, New York, NY 10002 (212) 780-2300 Cost:  $12.00  click here to buy tickets Daniel Howell, PhD., professor, physiologist, and an expert on feet, discusses his new release, The Barefoot Book: 50 Great Reasons to Kick Off Your Shoes. This event will feature Howell speaking about barefoot running, hiking, foot gloves, proper foot strike position, laws governing barefooting, and why going without shoes is healthier for your mind and body, even if it’s just around the house. Filed under: Education / skills , Gear , Hiking , New York City , Running Tagged: Daniel Howell , The Barefoot Book

Continue Reading Barefoot Running and Hiking Lecture – July 26, NYC

Tags: amazon, daniel-howell, education / skills, educational, event, expert-on-feet, laws-governing, location, mind, New York, new york city, shoes, strike-position, the barefoot book

Recently on the FLT email list a discussion ensued about how to fend off deer flies. Alex Gonzalez asked for ideas about how to thwart them since deer flies are “so numerous and ferocious — relentless really” this year. He lamented, “It’s too hot to wear even lightweight head nets. You can’t outrun them: they travel along with my truck when I drive on forest roads! They don’t give a *&^%$#@ about DEET. They bite through summer clothing, especially when it’s wet from sweat.” People tended to agree that DEET alone was less than effective against black flies. And, the flies attraction seemed to vary by person (or is it that some people are more attractive??), plus their prevalence varied by location. Everyone agreed they were a nuisance – and even dangerous. So here, is the trail-tested wisdom of local outdoors folks for thwarting deer flies, black flies, and everything else that flies, buzzes and bites: Judy Read suggested reading this link to the University of Florida website of a professor of entomology. http://ufinsect.ifas.ufl.edu/deerfly_trap.htm Tim Sweeney suggested trying a product called Bye-Bye Blackfly (sold at Gander Mountain). He tested it in the Adirondacks, and it seemed effective. (Although he also applied DEET and a Citronella product.) Bob Emerson  added that in the Summer 1993 FLT Newsletter (Vol. 32, No. 2, p.9), Georgeanne Scalzo listed a recipe from the Keystone Trails Association Newsletter that had two of the same ingredients as the Bye-Bye Blackfly. They are Citronella and cedar oils; although camphor oil was also in the older recipe. He tried it and found it effective. Another trick Tim Sweeney suggested is to purchase some Buffs . They are lightweight and breathable. You can spray DEET on it and then pull it over your head. This provides a fabric barrier they have to get through. Finally, Tim recommends carrying a rag or hankie. Then swinging it back and forth going from one side of your head to the other. This might take out a few of them. According to Travis Money, his friends place a dryer sheet in their pockets/hats and they swear it works as a deer fly deterrent.  He tried it during his trail runs and it didn’t seem to deter them. Jon Kapecki added that deer flies are not only a painful nuisance, but they can also spread some serious diseases, possibly even Lyme disease, according to one journal article. A combination product, like Sawyer’s DEET Plus Insect Repellent (also known as Sawyer’s Broad Spectrum Composite Spray), is supposed to work on both the usual DEET-adverse bugs as well as biting flies. Its additional active ingredient is di-n-propyl isocinchomeronate, a/k/a R326, a biting fly repellent. Permethrin, which should be applied to clothes not to skin, works better than DEET for biting flies (it is also a good tick repellent). It’s often used on horses and other domestic animals as a fly repellent. I personally have had good luck using this product. Both the Ohio and Colorado State universities extension departments have recommended a non-chemical stick-on patch for hats called Tred-Not Deer Fly Patches. It’s sort of like sticky fly paper. Jon has never seen the product locally nor tried it, but there are several places that advertise it on-line (for example, http://www.flypatch.com/ , http://www.tucker-usa.com/users/stieg/deerfly.htm ) You’ll look sort of strange walking down the trail, but if it works…. One thing that Mike has found to be somewhat effective is to wear a hat with a cloth at the back of the net ala French Foreign Legion style. A bandanna at the back of a cap will work, too. This keeps them from biting the back of his neck which is where they usually get him. Still along the hat theme, Kurt Seitz says solution he’s used for many years is to wear a wide-brimmed hat covered with your choice of insect repellent. Deer flies will generally not venture much below the repellent-covered brim. The only repellent he will ever use on his skin is a mild all-natural one. The bright light at the end of the tunnel: the deer flies will start dying off in early August and outdoor activities will be much more enjoyable. Filed under: Education / skills , Gear , Wildlife Tagged: Buffs , Bye-Bye Blackfly , camphor oil , cedar oils , Citronella , DEET , permethrin , Sawyer’s Broad Spectrum Composite Spray , Sawyer’s DEET Plus Insect Repellent , Tred-Not Deer Fly Patches

Continue Reading Are Deer Flies Bugging You?

Tags: cedar oils, composite-spray, deet, education / skills, Florida, french-foreign, keystone-trails, new york hiking trails, Ohio, product, sawyer, skin, tracks, Trail

North Country Gazette, link to original post The Lake George Land Conservancy is holding its first annual meeting and field day event on July 24. The public is invited to participate in a themed hike or presentation around the lake in the morning, then join the group for a picnic lunch in Hague, listen to brief remarks on LGLC’s recent conservation efforts, and family games and activities. While the brief annual meeting will discuss LGLC accomplishments and goals for the future, the focus of the event is the set of morning field events. Five scheduled events are being offered: 1. Timber Rattlesnake Talk and Walk at 9  a.m. to  noon on Tongue Mt. Join Dr. Bill Brown, a trained zoologist and wildlife ecologist, who will demonstrate the habits and habitats of this fascinating native reptile. With luck, participants may actually observe a rattlesnake in its natural environment. Presentation will be held at the LGLC’s Macionis Family Center for Conservation meeting room in case of severe weather. Moderate hike; two miles, round-trip. 2. Bat Update – the White Nose Syndrome, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Hague Community Center. A member of the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation team that has been immersed in the White Nose Syndrome effort since the problem first appeared in North America will present this update on bats and the current status of the syndrome that has decimated bat populations across the northeast. Multimedia presentation. 3. Sucker Brook Hike, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.  in Putnam. LGLC staff will lead participants on Gull Bay’s trails to the rookery and beyond through dense forest and along the Sucker Brook wetlands into the new Last Great Shoreline. This inaugural hike connecting the two preserves will introduce participants to the internal habitats and inhabitants of Sucker Brook. Challenging hike (some steep sections, requires climbing); four miles. 4. Wetlands Exploration, from 9 a.m. to noon in Bolton. Volunteer naturalist Corrina Parnapy will excite young and old explorers as they hike into the Padanarum forest and wetlands and get acquainted with its plant and animal inhabitants. Use nets, magnifying glasses and other tools for finding wetland creatures, identify trees and flowers, and leave with a better understanding of our secret natural world. Easy hike; one mile, round-trip. 5. Silver Bay Association Nature Center, from 10 a.m. to  noon at Silver Bay. Explore Silver Bay Association, YMCA of the Adirondack’s Nature Center and Guided Nature Walk on the campus – great for families of all ages. The Nature Center features displays such as the fish of Lake George and live atriums nestled on the shoreline of Lake George. Lunch will begin at 12:30 pm at the Hague Foundation Park, just north of the Hague Town Beach. The annual meeting will be from 1:30 to 2:15 pm. Activities for kids and families will continue until 4 pm. In case of inclement weather the annual meeting will take place inside the Hague Community Center. Anyone who wishes to participate must pre-register with their field event preference. There is a $10 fee for each participant, which includes the full day of activities. There is no fee to attend the annual meeting only. The annual meeting and field day registration form can be downloaded from the Lake George Land Conservancy website, www.lglc.org or interested persons may call the LGLC office at 518-644-9673 or email Sarah Hoffman, LGLC Communications and Outreach Manager, at shoffman@lglc.org  to register or for more information. Click here for a guidebook on other places to hike around Lake George. Filed under: Adirondacks , Education / skills , Lake George , Wildlife Tagged: Hague Foundation Park , Hague NY , lake george land conservancy , Padanarum forest , Silver Bay Association Nature Center , Sucker Brook

Continue Reading Rattlesnakes, Bats, Hiking & More In Bolton Landing July 24

Tags: association, education / skills, fish, hague, hague ny, hague-community, lake, lglc, location, nature, nature-center, sucker-brook, tools, white-nose

By Colleen Lunn Scholer, Sun Journal, link to original post As my old hiking boots hit the dirt, a smile came across my face. The smile widened as I spotted the enjoyment on my children’s faces. This was the first time all three Scholer children hiked together. And though I hated to admit it, it had been a few years since I had gone for a hike. It was a beautiful day, warm enough to hike comfortably in shorts and T-shirts, but not so hot that my kids would be asking for the nearest swimming pool. We were at Bradbury Mountain State Park in Pownal and even our toddler was eager to hike. She watched as her two siblings bound up the trail in search of the summit — and then moved at her own pace. With her eyes much closer to the ground than the rest of us, she spotted all kinds of treasures. Each rock and insect was enough to keep her busy. It was a joy to see her enjoying the hike in her own way. The others stopped their fast ascent and came back to check on us. We coaxed Madeline along with baby steps, all of us laughing and enjoying the great outdoors. After walking at her pace for a while, we urged her to ride on Daddy’s back in the carrier. He took some large running steps that had her giggling and enjoying the hike from another perspective. When we reached the summit, we were fortunate to be there all by ourselves. The kids were proud of their accomplishment and ready for a snack. As I pulled some snacks and water from my pack, I had flashbacks to some hikes I’d taken in the White Mountains. Some snacks, like granola bars, taste even better when eaten on a trail or at camp after a long day of hiking. In recent years, I have spent more time reading labels before purchasing prepackaged food and found that many store-bought granola bars claim to be healthy but, in fact, contain high amounts of sugar and corn syrup. After our recent hike, I searched my cookbooks for a healthy granola bar recipe I recalled seeing. I found it in “Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics,” by Ina Garten. It didn’t take long to make these bars and they tasted so much better than any snack that comes in a prepackaged wrapper. (To package your homemade snack, think about purchasing or making fabric sacks. We acquired some sacks from www.snacktaxi.com. It’s a great way to avoid using plastic sandwich bags and to save some money.) Homemade granola bars Ingredients: 2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal 1 cup sliced almonds 1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 2/3 cup honey 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 cup chopped pitted dates 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots 1/2 cup dried cranberries Method: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8- by 12-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper. Set aside. Toss oatmeal, almonds and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add dates, apricots and cranberries; stir well. Pour mixture into the prepared dish. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature. Filed under: Education / skills , Hiking , Kid’s Activities

Continue Reading Homemade granola bars perfect snack for hikes

Tags: daddy, education / skills, Hiking, journal, kid's activities, mixture, oven, summit, tracks, white

12th annual Lake Champlain Sea Kayak Institute, July 12-15 Filed under: Education / skills , Kayaking , Northern NY

Continue Reading 12th annual Lake Champlain Sea Kayak Institute, July 12-15

Tags: 12th-annual, activity, champlain, education / skills, Kayak, kayak-institute, Kayaking, location, new york hiking trails, northern ny, tracks

Enter you zip code & it will quiz you on local bird calls: Bird Call Challenge Filed under: Bird Watching , Education / skills , Wildlife

Continue Reading Play the Bird Call Challenge

Tags: activity, bird watching, education / skills, local-bird, new york hiking trails, watching, wildlife, will-quiz

A Short History of the Moose River Plains on Adirondack Almanack Filed under: Adirondacks , Education / skills Tagged: adirondack almanack

Continue Reading A Short History of the Moose River Plains

Tags: adirondack, adirondack almanack, adirondacks, education / skills, location, moose, new york hiking trails, plains-on-adirondack, short, short-history, tracks

A new L.L. Bean Store is going up at Eastview Mall in Victor. Besides having outdoor apparel and equipment, they’re also giving you a chance to have actual outdoor adventures . Thanks to their outdoor adventures schools , L.L. Bean has lead thousands of people on kayaking and fly fishing tours. Some tours are being held at the Midlakes Erie Macedon Landing. The tours include transportation from the store, the kayaks, lifejackets, water shoes, and instruction all for $20. Experience guides will teach you basic techniques then lead you on a guided tour on the Erie Canal. The new L.L. Bean store opens July 9th, and for that day only you can sign up for a free 2 ½ hour kayak tour.

Continue Reading Outdoor adventure school at new Rochester L.L. Bean Store

Tags: education / skills, fly-fishing, gear, Kayak, kayaks, new york hiking trails, rochester, store, store-opens, tours-include, tracks, victor ny, victor-besides, water-shoes

This summer Beaver Lake Nature Center in Baldwinsville, is offering Kayak Basics, Saturdays, June 19 and 26 and July 10 and 17 from 9 – 11 am. Participants will learn how to stay afloat, stay safe and have fun during this two-hour introductory workshop.  Different paddle strokes, kayak safety and etiquette will be discussed. The program price of $10 includes kayak rental.  Advance registration is required. Beaver Lake Nature Center, an Onondaga County Park, is located 3 miles west of Baldwinsville off of Route 370 at 8477 East Mud Lake Road. For more information or to register for this program, call 638-2519 or visit www.OnondagaCountyParks.com . Beaver Lake is one of the many places to paddle in the region – for details on all of them,  pick up the guidebook “Take A Paddle – Finger Lakes New York Quiet Water for Canoes & Kayaks.”

Continue Reading Learn to Kayak at Beaver Lake – June & July

Tags: baldwinsville ny, education / skills, guidebook, Kayak, kayak-basics, Kayaking, nature-center, New York, new york hiking trails, paddle-strokes, program, quiet-water, summer, tracks