Central & Western NY Outdoors
 January 2005 

  Happy 2005 !!

 ~~~ IN THIS ISSUE ~~~                                 

      A Major Trail Link is Completed

      Fawning Over a Picture

      Gonna Be A Bear

      Story Of  The World's Highest Placed Hotel

      Frozen Frog Time-Lapse Video

      Wonders of Winter Waterfalls

      Life of an African Mountain Guide 

      January Presentations by Footprint Press

      Upcoming Events and Highlights @ Pack Paddle Ski 

      Picture(s) of the Month

Bicyclists, hikers and cross-country skiers in the Rochester area can now benefit from a link between three major trails, achieved by completing a bridge over the Genesee River.

This link connects three trails:

• The 15-mile long Lehigh Valley Trail

• The 31-mile long Genesee Valley Greenway

• The 103-mile long Erie Canalway Trail

You can ride from Victor (at Phillips Road, see the map on page 139 in Take Your Bike – Family Rides in the Rochester Area, second edition), west through Mendon & Rush. Cross the Genesee River and head south on the Genesee Valley Greenway (see the maps on pages 202 & 203 in Take Your Bike – Family Rides in the Rochester Area, second edition), to Cuylerville. Or, head north on the Genesee Valley Greenway to Genesee Valley Park in Rochester. Here, the Genesee Valley Greenway meets the Erie Canalway Trail where you can ride east for 25 miles to Palmyra or west for 78 miles to Buffalo. (maps for these trails are also found in Take Your Bike – Family Rides in the Rochester Area, second edition).

Rich & I decided to check out the new bridge and the renovated Lehigh Valley Trail on a chilly, but sunny Sunday in November. First we checked out the eastern terminus of the Lehigh Valley Trail at Phillips Road in Victor. Looking west we could see the resurfaced trail offering smooth riding well beyond our range of vision. To the east remained the unimproved trail. We walked east a short way to the old railroad trestle where trains on the Lehigh Valley line used to run above trains on the Auburn line. Today both old rail lines are rail trails and development has begun on a ramp connecting the two trails. By spring 2005 the 7.5-mile Auburn Trail (also recently resurfaced) will be connected to this network.

So, we headed west, riding the resurfaced Lehigh Valley Trail. What, not long ago, was a murky, muddy mess of a trail is now a wide path covered in hard packed stone dust. Parallel to the bike trail is a wide swath of land with newly planted grass. When the grass grows in, this will be the bridal path for horses.

Click the map to view 
multi-use trails in our area.

A family in Bend, Oregon found this fawn on their front steps a few weeks ago and took this photo. 

The white spots on the steps are apple blossom petals. As you may know, deer hide their fawns and go away for awhile. The fawns have no odor yet, and instinctively stay absolutely still. Isn't this an amazing photograph? A great job of natural camouflage! The fawn stayed there all morning, and the mama came to get it after 4-5 hours. 

Kudos to the people for leaving the fawn alone, knowing Mom would be back.

        Gonna Be A Bear

In this life I'm a woman. In my next life, I'd like to come back as a bear. When you're a bear, you get to hibernate. You do nothing but sleep for six months. I could deal with that.

Before you hibernate, you're supposed to eat yourself stupid. I could deal with that too.

When you're a girl bear, you birth your children (who are the size of walnuts) while you're sleeping and wake to partially grown, cute, cuddly cubs. I could definitely deal with that.

If you're mama bear, everyone knows you mean business. You swat anyone who bothers your cubs. If your cubs get out of line, you swat them too. I could deal with that.

If you're a bear, your mate EXPECTS you to wake up growling. He EXPECTS that you will have hairy legs and excess body fat.

Yup, gonna be a bear!

Author unknown

Imagine staying at a luxurious hotel 13,000 feet (3,964 m) above sea level. The Guinness Book of Records awarded the Hotel Everest View in March of 1999 with the title of the
Highest Placed Hotel in the World. This beautiful hotel is located in Sagarmatha National Park in the Southern Khumbu region of Nepal. Its greatest amenity is the breathtaking view guests have of the Himalayan peaks, including Mt. Everest.

Long hailed as the last bit of civilization for climbers on their way to Everest Base Camp, Hotel Everest View was constructed in 1968 by a Japanese company, Trans Himalayan Tours, Ltd. The hotel first opened its doors in October of 1973 with the intention of offering swanky, luxury hotel accommodations specifically catered to affluent Japanese tourists. Tourists would get a chance to view the highest peaks in the world, while basking in the lap of luxury! A special landing strip was built in nearby Shyangboche (pronounced shang bo shay) to make the hotel more easily accessible by air. Soon after, guests began to arrive by plane or private helicopter, finding that the panoramic views of Mt. Everest left them, well, quite literally breathless.

The problem, of course, was that flying into an airstrip located at over 10,000 ft (like Shyangboche) from a lower-level altitude (like Japan) left travelers no time to acclimatize to the higher elevation. Tourists became severely ill with altitude sickness within 24 hours of arriving at the hotel. Beautiful vistas just are not as appealing when you are nauseous and vomiting.

To solve the guests' discomfort, the hotel began handing out bottles of oxygen for each room. However, this did not solve the problem. Guests continued to get ill and even a few were reported to have died. Government officials had no other recourse but to shut down Shyangboche airstrip, which forced the Japanese tourists to fly into Lukla (9,200 ft) and walk three days up the mountain to the hotel.

The three-day hike up to Hotel Everest View left plenty of time for acclimatization, but unfortunately, most well-to-do tourists weren't interested in luxury accommodations if it meant a rigorous three-day trek to get to them. Business declined sharply and the hotel has remained relatively empty since. The Shyangboche airstrip has since reopened and still operates primarily as a gear and supply depot for Mt. Everest expeditions and occasional groups already acclimated to the high altitudes.

Still a popular stop by many Himalayan tour companies, the Japanese run Hotel Everest View still serves up food and beverages (especially hot chocolate and tea) to tourists and back-packers wandering up the steep trail from Namche Bazaar, a traditional Sherpa village located further down the mountain. The hotel still presents reasonably nice accommodations for $170-$270 per night (including oxygen). Every room commands a spectacular view of the surrounding peaks and even if you arrive without reservations, you are likely to find a room (unless the hotel has been rented out by an Everest expedition).

'Om mani padme hum', a Tibetan Buddhist mantra, is inscribed on the hotel interior walls in stone. This serves as a constant reminder of the Sherpa (native to Mt. Everest region) and Sherpa staff's deep religious beliefs. A Sherpa tour guide is available to take guests through the sites of the Everest region.

Clients wishing a more direct flight to Hotel Everest View can make arrangements to fly in by plane or charter helicopters. For those wishing to admire the spectacular view of Shyangboche from Katmandu and a 45 minute walk up the mountain trail, transportation can be arranged.

For reservations contact:
Hotel Everest View
P.O.Box 1624
Durbar Marg
Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: 977-01-224854
Shyangboche: 977-038-40118
Fax: 977-01-227289
Credit Cards Accepted

Scott Chamaden owns and operates RF Travel, a quality source of travel-related information. If you would like to read more of Scott's travel articles take a look at: http://www.rftravel.com/ezine/

         Frozen Frog Time-Lapse Video from the Washington Post

Video taken by scientists at Ohio's Miami University shows, through time-lapse photography, the process of a wood frog unfreezing.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/mmedia/nation/120904-12v.ram  (requires RealPlayer)

 Wood frogs, which live in woods all over from Washington state to as far north as Alaska, are one of a few animals with the ability to freeze solid during the winter and thaw out again unharmed. The secret is a process by which the frogs fill their cells with natural antifreeze, keeping the cells unfrozen. 

from www.washingtonpost.com, Thursday, Dec. 9, 2004

        Wonders of Winter Waterfalls

You haven’t stashed away your copy of “200 Waterfalls in Central & Western New York” have you? The kayak, paddle, life vest and maybe even the backpack may be shoved aside to wait out the ravages of winter. But surely you haven’t abandoned thoughts of escaping to the outdoors.

Now that the nights are longer and winter has settled over the region, you may be feeling sluggish and mentally in the doldrums. If so, you’re certainly not alone. Many of us feel the mild effects of winter blues. 

One of the ways to stave off the winter blues is to spend more time outdoors during daylight hours. Make getting daylight exposure into a fun adventure by visiting area waterfalls. Winter turns waterfalls into glistening ice spectacles. Many waterfalls are easily accessible with only a short walk; others require a good hike. Use “200 Waterfalls” to find ones with the right level of exertion for the time and energy you have available. 

For more adventure, strap on a pair of crampons and use the creekwalking streams in “200 Waterfalls” to walk up frozen waterfalls. Or, learn to ice climb and get vertical on the ice. Pack, Paddle Ski provides all the equipment necessary and teaches you the ropes, in a safe learning environment. They offer ice climbing courses Jan 29, Feb 5 and Feb 12. 

         Life of an African Mountain Guide 

         January Presentations by Footprint Press

January 29, Saturday, 11 AM, FREE
The Magic of Waterfalls slide show
Creekside Books & Coffee
35 Fennell Street, Skaneateles, NY 13152
315-685-0379

As part of the Skaneateles Winterfest celebrations, local authors Rich & Sue Freeman will present a slide show on the magic of waterfalls. Waterfalls are mesmerizing. A single waterfall can be a thunderous torrent of raw power in spring, a wispy veil by mid-summer, and a shimmering sculpture of ice in winter. Let the Freemans take you on a visual tour of the waterfalls of central and western New York State. 

Creekside Books & Coffee is an oasis in a 2,500 square foot renovated Federal-style house with a newly built 2,500 square foot addition. It offers a diversion from the hustle and bustle of daily life with a place where lots is going on but the atmosphere is relaxing. Come check it out for yourself.
Skaneateles Winter Fest is centered at the Skaneateles Community Center with a wide range of indoor and outdoor winter activities. For information call John Paddock at 315-685-9511.

PPS Winter Challenges
To register for these and other fun opportunities go to PackPaddleSki.com

Beginners Cross Country Skiing  

January 16, 10am-12pm (#250105)
February 5, 10am-12pm (#250205)
February 5, 12:30pm-2:30pm (#250206)

Lessons are $34/person or $44/person with ski rentals
Location: Harriet Hollister Spencer Park

Intermediate Cross Country Skiing - January 16, 12:30pm-2:30pm (#250106) 

Learn to move with more ease, navigate the hills, turns, and even corners. Lessons are $34/person or $44/person with ski rentals. 
Location: Harriet Hollister Spencer Park

Tug Hill Snowshoe Day - January 23, 7:30am-6pm (#250110)

Departing from Bushnell’s Basin the PPS van will take you to the Tug Hill area at Chatequay. $89/person includes transportation, lunch, snacks, snowshoes, and adventure!

Family Snowshoe Scavenger Hunt - February 20, 12pm-3pm (#250221)

This is a fun way for the whole family to enjoy a winter afternoon playing detective. If there is not enough snow we will hike instead, do our scavenger hunt, and have extra food to eat. This day is appropriate for ages 6 and up. Grandparents are welcome too!
Location: Harriet Hollister Spencer Park $39 for one parent and one child, $18 for each additional child, and $29 for each additional adult (includes use of snowshoes, search, and snacks)

Ice Climbing  

January 29 9am-4pm (#250107)
February 5, 9am-4pm (#250207)
February 12, 9am-4pm (#250208)

Add adventure to your winter! You’ll learn to put on crampons, tie into a rope, and use ice tools. This course is easy enough for anyone in normal fitness level and the desire to go vertical. Only $129/person Location: Naples

IDTA Sled ECO Challenge - January 22 8am-6pm (#250310)

Along the treacherous trail you will have to ski, slalom sled, snowshoe track, snow jump, run, mountain bike, and build both a fire and an igloo! Come prepared to have fun. $380/team of 4, $190/team of 2. Location: High Tor, Naples area

To register for these and other fun opportunities go to PackPaddleSki.com

          Picture(s) of the Month

  

                             Frozen Apples

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