Bison: 1, Woman: 0

Genius discovers that wild animals are wild.


"...they knew they were doing something wrong but thought it was OK because other people were nearby..."

Translation: "I'm choosing to be irresponsible because others will step in to save me."

Best part:

"They tried to run, but the bison caught the woman and tossed her with its head."

It's a 2000lb animal which can run at 30mph.   No human can outrun one.  Ever.   Don't try.

http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/bison-injures-woman-posing-for-selfie-at-yellowstone/article_d8f595b5-3a25-582c-a0a9-c002033408da.html

More competitors for the Darwin award: http://www.yellowstonepark.com/2015/05/teen-gored-bison/

Adirondack Trip - Street, Nye, Allen and Cliff

This past weekend I knocked off 4 more of the High Peaks, all "trailless" - which means no signs, and no maintenance, but hardly a bushwhack.

Pics are here:
https://vmeps.schernau.com/photos/main.php?g2_itemId=1545

I started parked at South Meadows about a mile from the Adirondak Loj, hiked the road, then climbed up Street & Nye.   Generally an uninspiring, easy hike, there was an interesting ford required due to high water and recent rain.   Fords are always fun, especially ones where the blackflies are not devouring you as you precariously cross.   Minimal view, and plenty of insects once you stopped moving.   Met a few people.  The nice thing about using a small daypack is that you can travel fast and light, I actually snuck up on someone sitting eating lunch I was moving so smoothly.

Got back to the car by about 6, decided not to camp as it looked wet.   Drove to the Hostel in Keene Valley where I've stayed many times, and crashed late, after staying up talking to some rock climbers.

Next day drove way around to the Works in Newcomb, parked the car, and began the start of the 16 mile day including Allen, and ending at the Flowed Lands.   Several significant fords, and the most schizophrenic trail I've hiked - alternating sections of smooth old woods road, and 20' wide muddy quagmires.  Once you hit the slide, you're walking up bare rock, or better, bare rock with water flowing over it.  I wiped out significantly only once.   Minimal view, and horrific bugs at the top.

Back down and across another ford, and a long gradual slog uphill to the Flowed Lands, where the last and biggest ford awaited.

Camped near the Flowed Lands Lean-To, then early in the morning daypacked up Opalescent Brook to Cliff - another muddy, trailless mess.   Socked in completely with clouds and fog, it was a fun climb with some interesting rock scrambles.

Back down the old closed trail and another ford down Calamity Brook, did some skinny-dipping and de-funkifying, and got back to the car in time to drive to Keene Valley for dinner.

5 stars, would do again (maybe sometime)

Weighed in the scales and (not?) found wanting

Heading up to the Adirondacks again, and I thought I'd weigh in, literally.   We bought a kitchen scale recently to help with big batches of canning, and it has a good capacity and resolution.   And its a quiet, hazy afternoon, nothing better than getting your gear sorted.

(Jake the Wonder Dog assisting)

Short version: Base weight = just under 14 lbs, although I didn't include water carrying - my 70oz camelback, my 1L Platypus and my 1L nalgene.   Google tells me that these weigh approx 5oz, 1oz and 6oz respectively. Adding this all in pushes it up close to 14lbs.  Factoring in a few odds and ends and my car keys & wallet, lets call it 15lbs.   Not bad.   It doesn't include clothes, but the only things generally that sit in the pack are a pair of extra socks, a knit hat, and a rain jacket.  If you don't wear it daily, it's a waste.

I've included a link to my pack list on a Google Spreadsheet here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oCVW3B8WjOjlplQMycklFiQ-qJs_H5toccit7ec3vck/edit?usp=sharing

This includes both my stove and my bear cannister @ 2lbs11oz (heaviest thing I have).   When packing up in the Adirondacks, the Eastern High Peaks zone requires bear cannisters for overnight camping, so I leave the stove at home.   The other option you have is only do day-hikes, but there's something magical waking up in the mountains in the middle of the night, or being able to hit the trail at 5am.

Keeping your pack weight down is an important part of being a responsible hiker - you're less likely to get tired, less likely to 'cheat' and grab at trees or widen muddy areas, less likely to get hurt and need rescue, and you're bringing less trash which could be left behind.   Slipping quietly along the trail and creating a minimalist campsite (small tent, muted colors, little or no cooking) means that you're not affecting the animals or others seeking their own experience.

Hello gypsy moth caterpillars, now please go die

Following their own mysterious ways, gypsy moths are back in RI.

My poplars and apple trees seem particularly tasty to them; to date I've probably killed several hundred.   I tried dusting the trunks with diatomaceous earth, but that didn't seem to help.  The most effective way to get rid of them was sadly manual and well, brutal.   With my trusty Buck 55, go out just around dusk where they all congregate on the bottom of tree branches or the shady side of tree trunks, and behead them all, one at a time.   It's gross, the bigger instars tend to 'pop'.

Today (too late, long story) I put on some Tanglefoot around 1 poplar as a test.   I fear most of the caterpillars are pupating now, but I should catch some of the big ones.  It's a messy, stick task, and on poplar trees it especially sucks due to their rough bark; I had to stuff cotton balls under the saran wrap so that the critters couldn't simply crawl under it.

Here's a picture of what it looks like:

Here's the rest of my non-chemical arsenal:
diatomaceous earth - crawlies
copper foil - slugs
neem oil & sprayer - winged leaf-eaters

Apparently I'm not the only one fighting caterpillars this year, according to the Northern RI Conservation District team, it's everywhere.   Here's another link:

http://www.ecori.org/natural-resources/2015/6/23/gypsy-moth-caterpillars-take-ri-by-storm

Rhubarb Wine II: The Settling

As I previously mentioned on Google Plus (here) I'm making rhubarb wine based on the recipe I found here.   The must went in sweet and slightly syrupy, and I was afraid I was making sugar water.   I siphoned off the liquid today, getting a faceful of alcohol and yeast odors, and just over a gallon of pale, cloudy yellow wine.

It's strong, like a good dry Pinot Grigio, but only with a hint of rhubarb.   I worry that the grape concentrate and sugar are basically overwhelming the rhubarb.   We'll see in another few weeks or so when secondary fermentation completes and it clears.

I might do some campden tablets + juice (strawberry?) to give it some sugar and color.

Put up the first of the frozen kale

Snipped the stems (and fed them to the goats), chopped it into 2" sections, boiled for 2 minutes then dumped into an ice bath.   Spun them dry in my salad spinner, then laid them out on a cookie sheet in the freezer overnight.   The next morning, they all went into a 1 gallon ziplock.   Sucked the air out and sealed it.    This is probably 3 servings right here.   I think I have about 60 more servings in the garden.   Kale's easy to grow (just water it, give it a dusting of diatomaceous earth for bugs) and nutritious.   It's more of an add-on, I wouldn't eat it plain, but added to soups, bean dishes and as a side dish it's excellent.   Plus, since I grew it, no pesticides.

Foster Earth Day Cleanup, part 2

The results are in:

We did about 275 people and we disposed of 20,407 pounds of household hazardous waste, included was 9 thermostats and  15 pounds of mercury, 150 pounds of bulbs, 75 pounds of CFLs and 15 pounds of sharps.  Also this number does not include any paint disposed of under the Paintcare program (probably another 12,000 pounds)!

It cost the town nothing - but the RI Resource Recovery Corp spent almost $15000 to run this.

Thanks residents of Foster!