Earth Day 2007

Celebrating earth day with Snurpy at Pine Meadow Lake. Was a cakewalk getting here but to avoid the repeater on the return trip we had dared head up and over halphway and diamond Mountain. Felt like it was 1ooo ft up and straight back down in the summer like heat. We'll be sure to cut the miles and elevation changes a bit lower when we have the rabbit in tow as it starts to get even hotter. GPS Tracks below show our clockwise progress from the top - beginning at Lake Sebago Boat Launch and head up and over Conklin MT. to Lak Wanosinks south shore; follow the fire road to the Tuxedo Mt. Ivy trail along Pine Meadow Lakes North Shore and then West away from the lake to the Yellow and then Orange trails up and over back down to Lake Sebago's south shore heading Northeast back to the car.

Lake Skemonto

Hanging out with Snurpee at Lake Skemonto. We've managed to get a bit further into the Harriman Backcountry with each passing week. On this trip we started off NY 106 past Little Long Pond at the victory trailhead and followed Victory right onto Ramapo Dunderberg up and over Parker Cabin Mountain and left onto Y-Triangle to lake Skemonto. From the direction we came from this spot feels perfectly remote however just over the hill in front of us is Sebago beach which is teeming with hundreds of people every summer weekend. The peacefulness of our lunch break on the lakes northern mini-penninsula was broken only by the quintessential unleashed barking dog that passed by. It's not that I don't like dogs it's I just don't like them cruising the parks trails unleashed. We hooked back up on the victory trail passing the appliance graveyard and closing our four mile loop with our baby girl.

Great Swamp, Take Three

We are happy to report that Snurpee helped make our third attempt (first time was too wet in the winter snow; second time too buggy in summer) at hiking the Great Swamp a success, on a chilly but sunny spring day. When we have to snap on the gaters, we know it's going to get messy. Here Mama tries to dodge a few mucky puddles. Eventually we gave up and just plodded right through them. A few boardwalks offered short reprieves from the "suck, suck" sound of pulling our boots out of the mud. Snurpee enjoyed another hike nap on the fast-paced return trip to George. (Mama was hungry!)