Winter In Letchworth

          Waking as early as possible after a restless night, Dominic and I made it to the closed Parade Grounds Entrance and a dead end road that met up with the train tracks above the Upper Falls.  Without hesitation we parked the car and moseyed to the viaduct until the echos of the Genesee River were within sight 240 feet below.  The mist from the falls had froze among the gorge walls and overhanging trees creating a smooth glassy view that nobody could forget.

Upper Falls Birdseye View (Atop Viaduct)

       
          As we made our way through the desolate park I took a fresh regard as I had never seen "The Grand Canyon of the East" covered in snow.  The lack of tourists made this trip all the more enjoyable as we did not have to avoid their company or their high dollar sports cars.  There was a solitary makeup of the park this day that gave off such an overwhelming gratitude for the land and water; one that makes me think of the future and how I want to live my life protecting, preserving, appreciating and recognizing the importance of nature and all that it brings to us whether it be implicit or explicit, internal or external, physical or mental.

Great Bend Overlook

Upper Falls Viaduct

Climbing The Talus

          The sound of the tent zipper woke me as I tiresomely checked my watch, 4:45 am.  Time to get out of this warm cocoon and out into the foggy mist that surrounded our campsite.  The oatmeal was a bit cold, but it didn't seem to matter to me.  Such a minor thing as I knew that attempting to summit this mountain would be much more unpleasant than a cold breakfast.  We were at Warner Lake basecamp 9,345 ft. up in the La Sal Mountains.  The anticipation was overwhelming as I stared up at the snow-capped monster, gradually getting closer and closer.  The climb took a nice start with loose talus the majority of the way up which beat up everyones quads and knees.  Once we took a food break and rehydrated, it was time to push on to the false summit through the fir-aspen and pine-oak.  Only 250 yards split the difference between the group and the top of this colossal mountain; oh yeah and a great deal of summit fever.  Once atop, I felt it to be appropriate to call the woman that I missed most, Mom.  Nothing seemed to matter to me while standing at 11,642 ft. with a great group of people.  For once I was content with life.  Satisfaction.  My first real taste of what mountaineering was, was finally here.  Little did I know the fun part was still awaiting.  For approximately a quarter mile I slid down the crusty snow and ice mixture to the talus that I dreaded.  The bloody shins were just a small reminder that I was still alive and well.  As we traipsed back through the prairie I could vaguely make out my hammock hanging between the quaking aspens that lined our campsite.  We made it.

The Arches

          If you were to ask me what Arches National Park was a year ago I wouldn't have known what to say besides a tourist attraction that lures in the wealthy, ignorant doctors and lawyers which is somewhere out in the inhospitable desert -- a place where nothing but the buzzards and lizards live and the cactus grow tall and mighty.  Now, almost six months later, I can tell you that this so called "desert" is more than just its stereotypical label.  It doesn't surpass its hostile tag by any means, but it does exceed the critics beliefs in my world.  The deserts diversity is intriguing to me and continues to interest me, even when I'm 1,700 miles away from it, living in rural Western New York.  The Arches shot up from the bright sand and towered over the junipers and cottonwoods that shaded the cryptobiotic soil.  Magnificence is the only word that I can think of that is semi-close to describing these massive concrete sandstone formations.  After taking in the breathtaking views of these rocks, and snapping over 200 pictures, it was time to move on to another part of my journey; never forgetting the Arches and the history that they hold under each layer of sand.

Desert Dust

          I never knew what the desert sun felt like until I stepped out of the air conditioned van in Moab, Utah with my group of friends and felt it firsthand.  Standing outside of Poison Spider Bicycles with my rented bike and a hydration bladder full of the finest well water west of the Mississippi, I was ready to explore the slick rock across the Colorado River and past Arches National Park.  We arrived at M.O.A.B. Brand Trails and rode the red sand and slick rock double and single-track trails for the next couple hours.  After having a sandwich out of the van a few of us settled on riding the Old Highway blacktop back to Moab.  The majority of the ride was downhill which was totally alright with us as the warm wind flapped my shirt, making a loud whipping noise that only the lizards and I could hear.  Once back in Moab we dropped the bikes off and thanked the staff at PSB for their services and friendliness in allowing us to have an unforgettable experience mountain biking through Abbey's country.  Until next time, I will reminisce on the culture and lifestyles of the wild, wild west.

Lattice Bridge Loop

Mon-AM: 1:03, 1316’ ~ Lattice Bridge Loop

(1,191’)

            After a night of tossing and turning, I was abruptly woken by the repetitive buzz of my alarm.  Austin and I began our run on Route 19 to a bright pink sky.  The sunrise was at our front while we scorched out 6:00 miles.  We crossed Lattice Bridge and watched the beaver swim up river in the direction that we were headed.  Around the 4 mile mark was a spring where we cooled off and drank.  The water was cool and quenched our thirst.  We were ready for the next 5 miles.  We attempted a few different paces but decided that we felt as good as we could feel around a 6:40 pace until the last two miles where we tested our turnover and ran all out to the Welcome to Houghton sign.  As we entered the college we noticed a sprinkler and without any communication, we ran through it.  Austin impressively knocked out a 5:00 last mile.  Breakfast tasted wonderful. 

Sunny Hill Down And Back

Mon-PM: 2:06, 1611’ ~ Sunny Hill Down And Back

(2,228’)

           

            After stepping out the door at 1:00 I wasn’t exactly sure what I was getting myself into, which was probably a good thing.  The route was a down and back, with 1,893’ of climbing.  I was quite familiar with the first 4.5 miles but the next 2.5 miles were foreign to me as I had never before ran them.  The climb up Messer Hill, or better-known Sunny Hill wasn’t as difficult as I imagined it would be.  Whether this is due to my experience with the Rockies or just a surprise in my fitness.  With the hardest part of the run over, I caught my breath at the campgrounds, downed a gel and a bottle of water, said my so-longs to a friend and was on my way back to the cabin in the woods where I belonged.  Near mile 11 I began to feel some chaffing around my inner thigh, which wasn’t surprising by any means.  I had my mind set on not stopping until I was in my driveway or I was belly-up in a ditch with the crows soaring above me.  Luckily it was the former and I trudged down the driveway and into the frigid cabin.  Overall I felt the run to be a success and the 14.5 miles that came with it were forgiving in their nature.  Now I just pray that the God’s will be easy on me tomorrow.

            

Moss Lake Hiking Trip

       Today a few friends of mine and I went and hiked the 83-acre glacial kettle lake known as Moss Lake Bog, located in Caneadea, NY just outside of Houghton, NY.  Moss Lake is unusual from other lakes or ponds in that it doesn't receive enough water to overflow the bowl or "kettle" in which it sits. Water only leaves the lake through ground seepage or evaporation.  The lake is home to an uncountable amount of catfish.  Along with the catfish are carnivorous plant and over 75 species of birds have been spotted.  The bog is protected by the Nature Conservancy and was declared a National Natural Landmark in May 1973.  


Below are some picture that were taken along our hike. Enjoy and comment!

  Sunset, Moss Lake 

 Peat Moss atop the water, Moss Lake

     Dock to the water, Moss Lake

 Sunset in woods, Moss Lake

 The entire bog, Moss Lake

 Signs, Moss Lake

 Sunset on shore, Moss Lake

Moss path, Moss Lake

Letchworth Hiking Trip

       Today I was involved in a hiking trip for my Backpacking class here at Houghton College.  We left Houghton, NY at 9:00 am and arrived at Letchworth State Park with packs on our backs and boots on our feet.  It was a chilly 30 degree morning but ended with a vibrant sun overhead that heated us up enough to remove a few layers and our gloves.  All in all we had a great time, enjoying fellowship with classmates and new experience shared with laughter and discussion over music, gear, and new and exciting hobbies.


Below are some of the majestic shots that were taken along our 5 mile hike. Enjoy!

Misting Snow & Ice Upper Falls Letchworth

 Iced Trail Letchworth

 Railroad & Iced Trail Letchworth

 Middle Falls Letchworth

Rock Climbing, Tyler Kempney

Rock Climbing, Tyler Kempney

Rebellious, Tyler Kempney