Embark - Summer 2020

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A D i ro n DA c k A D v E n t u r E G u i D E — S u m m E r 2 0 2 0

• H i g h Pe a k s r e c re at i o n m a p • Pa d d l i n g L o n g Po n d to S l a n g Po n d • Wi l d l i f e : E a s te r n r ed - s p o t t e d n ew t • G e a r g u i d e : Wa t e r b o t t l e p a r k a • S u m m e r s a f e t y t i p s o n d e hy d r a t i o n • H ik in g S l id e m ou nt a in ©2 0 20 Ad i ro nd ac k D a i ly E n t er p ri s e


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EMBARK ~ Get Up, Get Out • Summer 2020

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PHOTO BY MIKE LYNCH

EMBARK Brought to you by the publishers of the

LAKE PLACID NEWS and

Fawn behind a woodpile in Saranac Lake in 2011

CONTENTS High Peaks Region map ... p. 4 Paddling: Long Pond to Slang Pond ... p. 6 Wildlife: Eastern red-spotted newt ... p. 8 Gear guide: Water bottle parka ... p. 9 Summer safety: Dehydration ... p. 12 Hiking: Slide Mountain ... p. 14 Hiking: Speculator Mountain ... p. 16

Publisher: Catherine Moore Editor: Andy Flynn Designer: Andy Flynn Email: news@lakeplacidnews.com Produced by Adirondack Publishing, P.O. Box 318, 54 Broadway, Saranac Lake, NY 12983 cover photo: Pitchoff Mountain Photo by Shaun Kittle

Although Embark is free, some of you may want to get a subscription if you live outside the circulation area or just want to guarantee yourself a copy. To have a subscription mailed to your home or business, call 518-891-2600.

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St. Regis Mountain

Fl

Flume K

Whiteface Ski A

| SERVICE

McKenzie Mt.

S, BOOTS, & AMPING GEAR MBING GEAR OUTERWEAR & MOUNTAIN | KAYAKS NSIGNMENT &

Moss Cliff

Baker Mt. Jackrabbit Ski Trail

SARANAC LAKE

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Owen, C Haystack Mt. Peninsula Trails

Second Pond

High Peaks Cyclery

Cobble Hill

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Scarface Mt.

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Bala

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Pit South Creek

G | HIKING OAD BIKING | KAYAKING NG | ALPINE

John Brown Farm Ampersand Mt.

Mt. Van Hoevenberg Recreation Area

IALS Mount Jo

| REPAIR KIT RA CLOTHING EMERGENCY

ADK Loj

E ROAD Marcy Dam

W LINE

AWS

Boat Access

Rock Climbing

Fishing

Ice Climbing

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Avalanche Pass

Swimming

XC Skiing

Hiking

Mt Biking

Short Hike

Ranger Station

Hospital

Parking

Trap Dyke Mt. Colden

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Chiller Pillar

WILMINGTON

Flume MTB Trails Flume Knob

JAY

Hardy Rd. MTB Trails

Whiteface Ski Area McKenzie Mt.

Moss Cliff

Multiplication Gully Notch Mt.

Trail

Owen, Copperas, & Winch Ponds

Peninsula Trails

High Peaks Cyclery

Cobble Hill

LAKE PLACID

Balanced Rocks

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Pitchoff Mt. Kǁů͛Ɛ ,ĞĂĚ Mt. John Brown Farm Cascade Lakes Cascade Mt. Mt. Van Hoevenberg Recreation Area

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ADK Loj Rooster Comb Mt. Snow Mt. Marcy Dam Roaring Brook Falls Beer Walls

Avalanche Pass Trap Dyke

Chapel Pond

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Gothics NF

Mt. Colden

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PADDLE • CLIMB • HIKE • RIDE


PHOTO BY SPENCER MORRISSEY

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LONG POND TO SL AN G PON D

Summer paddling

ADVENTURE BY DAY.

COMFORT AT NIGHT.

Experience the Adirondacks in a whole new waY WITH

ADIRONDACK HAMLETS TO HUTS! Long Pond

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By SPENCER MORRISSEY

Have you ever had one of those thoughts in your mind, or goals, that cause you to do something not necessary and maybe a bit on the odd side of life? I have those contemplations quite often, and some of those thoughts get turned into reality over time and usually end up with me looking for a new partner to play with. Luckily, Corenne is about as adventurous as I am. I had been thinking about paddling Long Pond but approaching it using the Floodwood Pond Carry Trail. One early afternoon, it became reality as we pulled up across from St. Regis Canoe Outfitters and unloaded our craft. I had never even walked this trail before, so I was unsure what to expect. Corenne seems to remember being on it when she was doing research for her degree in “crazy things to do” and remembered it being partially underwater due to beaver activity. She was kind of right. It looked to have been a bit better, but the beavers have been busy. We started along and quickly came to an intersection, where the carry trail markers go to the left toward a beaver pond, when an obvious trail continued straight. We opted for the paddle rather than the walk and figured it would at the least spit us out closer to Long Pond. Once on the beaver pond it was amazing. There has been so much work done here by our state mammal it amazes me, and to get a firsthand look Continued on page 7

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already tired from paddling and doing that carry earlier. Lucky for us, we hadn’t been out too long, and we still felt relatively refreshed and kind of excited about the possibility of seeing that eagle again. We didn’t see him, but we did enjoy a nice cold brew on the water as we waited. By the time we hit Floodwood Road, we were actually quite spent. We were not used to such long carries, and our boats are not getting any lighter. That may have to be something we remedy in the future.

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there are some great cliffs on the hike to the summit of Speculator mountain. See Page 16.

PHOTO BY SPENCER MORRISSEY

from the water is such a treat. The pond swept us around to the west to the top of a very large beaver dam. A highlight of the trip was when we startled a healthy young eagle, which was fishing. It spanned a good 5 feet from tip of wing to tip. It had not even developed its white head. No more than 30 feet from us, it took off at water’s edge. I had my camera away, but even if I didn’t I would not have been able to react fast enough. We exited the beaver pond at the north end of the beaver dam and located the carry trail right. From here, we pushed on over rolling hills to the put-in at Long Pond. We quickly got back on the water and paddled over the calm conditions and decided to check out the shallows again on the west side of the pond. After getting out for a bit to soak our feet at an interesting cedar tree, we paddled over to an eastern bay to the Slang Pond carry trail. Due to time restraints, we decided not to carry to Slang Pond but to walk over and check it out. The initial carry took a bit longer than we expected, and we knew we needed to do that again on the way out. The carry to Slang Pond is quite short and easy going, but we had to think about getting back. We snapped a few pictures and reversed course. The 1.1mile carry trail back to Floodwood Road at the end of a day would be a bit challenging when your arms are


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Adirondack wildlife

EASTERN RED-SPOTTED NEWT By SPENCER MORRISSEY

PHOTO BY SPENCER MORRISSEY

EMBARK ~ Get Up, Get Out • Summer 2020

Scientific name: Notophthalmus viridescens AKA: Newt, salamander, orange salamander, red eft (juvenile) Habitat: They like deciduous and coniferous forests, and they need a moist environment with either a temporary or a permanent body of water. They thrive best in a muddy environment. During the eft (juvenile) stage, which we seen the most, they may travel far from their original location, hence the reason we see them so much hiking. When they become adults, they become more greenish with bright-colored accents, they prefer a muddy aquatic habitat, and they can be seen along shorelines. In all actuality, they can be seen almost anywhere. Food Source: They like insects, frog eggs, small aquatic beings, and young amphibians such as polliwogs.

A little extra

¯ All newts are salamanders, but not all salamanders are newts. ¯ Newts can regrow body parts, and due to this fact, they have been subjects to many studies on regeneration. ¯ Newts have been taken on space missions (probably not for the benefit of the newt). ¯ They produce a toxin which is released through their skin, which makes them unpalatable to fish and other animals. So if you had any thought of using newts for survival food in the Adirondack backcountry, you shouldn’t. ¯ They can live 12 to 15 years if not trampled by hikers or wildlife. ¯ There is no western red-spotted newt. ¯ They range from 2.5 to 4 inches in length. ¯ They are very docile and slow when on land, but in the water they are quite efficient.


Gear guide

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OUTDOOR RESEARCH WATER BOTTLE PARKA By SPENCER MORRISSEY

A water bottle insulator has summer benefits as well as winter. This is a pretty short and sweet review, but highly recommended. In the end, this is not a replacement for a thermos or thermos type and will not keep drinks or foods cold or hot to that level, but keep them unfrozen and palatable, yes. Of course, this is all relative to the temperature. The hotter or colder the temperature or environment it’s exposed to will alter the final value.

Pros

¯ It keeps drinks cooler in summer, and will keep cooler longer if you start with ice. ¯ The 32-ounce size holds two 12-ounce cans of beer perfectly and keeps them cooler. ¯ It is light weight. ¯ You can stuff it with clothing and use it as a pillow.

¯ It is machine washable. ¯ It comes in a couple of different sizes. ¯ It hangs easily and securely to the outside of any pack that has loops or straps.

Cons

¯ It adds bulk to your smaller summer pack. ¯ The zipper is tough to work sometimes. ¯ It is pricier than some other brands. ¯ I have read reports of the Velcro lop snagging fabric, but I have not had that issue.

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Summer safety

Don't forget to filter water from all sources in the backcountry.

EMBARK ~ Get Up, Get Out • Summer 2020

SIMPLE ACTS OF PREVENTION By SPENCER MORRISSEY

Preventing dehydration isn’t that difficult, but there may be a few things you haven’t really thought about in the past. Your body naturally loses water through breathing, eating, sweating and urination. So simply put, if your body loses more fluids than you drink, you can become dehydrated. Dehydration can lead to cramping, and that’s what many people are experiencing while out hiking, pad-

dling, climbing, skiing, playing basketball or other outdoor activities. Eventually, it can lead to shock, kidney failure and other serious problems, but let’s make sure it doesn’t get that far. A calf crank or those nasty cramps you get under your rib cage hurt like hell, but those are signs that you better do something about your fluid intake. Also, a good sign of dehydration is darker colored or stronger smelling urine; urine should be almost clear in color. Continued on page 13

PHOTOS BY SPENCER MORRISSEY

DEHYDRATION


Continued from page 12

Drinking without filtering is better than dehydration. But it should be the last resort.

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EMBARK ~ Get Up, Get Out • Summer 2020

PHOTO BY SPENCER MORRISSEY

A proven fact is that if you’re 65 or older, or if you have an ongoing illness, you have a higher chance of becoming dehydrated. Sometimes the chance of dehydrating is amplified by medications and supplements you take. Other causes for dehydration can be heat exposure, high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, diuretic and laxative medications and fluid imbalance caused by certain conditions. If you are on the trail and eating more dehydrated foods or dry foods like bread, crackers and oats, they can also cause loss of fluid absorption because they are absorbing the fluids themselves. Breathing heavily during activity is also a prime way to lose fluids. There are some ways to help prevent dehydration throughout the day: 1. Drink plenty of water, but not too much. Your body can only absorb so much at a time, and too much water can cause an upset stomach. 2. Consume electrolyte drinks as well as water, but make water your key source (one Gatorade for every 3 liters of water, for example). 3. Eat foods with high amounts of water such as

fruits and vegetables (apples and oranges are great, please carry out the peels and cores). 4. Avoid or limit drinks with caffeine, such as coffee, tea and soft drinks. Have your coffee in the morning. 5. Avoid or limit drinks with alcohol. (That’s hard to believe coming from me, but one summit beer isn’t going to change much as long as you have plenty of other fluids, too.) 6. Drinking questionable water or still water without filtering is better than the effects of dehydration. Use this as a last resort. That’s pretty much it — fairly simple, really. I know water is heavy, so if you don’t like carrying extra fluids, consider a water filter, pump or other purification method. But if you do opt for the lighter option, make sure you know water will be available on the trip. You can’t filter sand, and a forked branch isn’t going to do the trick either. If you or your loved one has symptoms of severe dehydration, including excessive thirst, fever, rapid heartbeat, fast breathing, little or no urine, prolonged concentrated urine with a dark color and strong odor, or confusion, contact your doctor immediately.


SLIDE MOUNTAIN

Summer hiking

PHOTO BY SPENCER MORRISSEY

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view from the summit

Exploring the Adirondack 100 highest peaks

EMBARK ~ Get Up, Get Out • Summer 2020

By SPENCER MORRISSEY

The Sentinel Range has been known to be a hostile place, and many hikers tend to fear stepping foot in this vast wilderness area. However maybe — just maybe — there’s a route to a higher peak in the range that is less unpleasant to visitors. My group focused on finding that route up Slide Mountain. On this particular day much later in the spring and right in the height of blackfly season, which is the season no one likes to talk about, we set off on this route-finding adventure. We decided to start earlier this time to assure we would be out before it got dark, but the days were getting longer, the temperatures were warm and the forest was a lush green. So we weren’t concerned. After all, that’s what they made headlamps for, right? After a quick breakfast, we needed to work through the food coma on the way to the trailhead and try to regenerate the energy we’d need for the hike. Located at the end of Alstead Hill Road, it is also a terminus of the Jackrabbit Trail which so happens to be the trail we started along. We were dressed for summer conditions, even though the morning wasn’t that comfortable for thin shirts. We remained on the trail for a short amount of time as it passed us by in a flash, just long enough to locate the small stream crossing what I call Black Mountain Notch — after the aptly named peak to its east.

Once we located the brook, it was all about route finding and locating the path of least resistance, a technique I tend to follow whenever possible. We followed the brook long enough to reach the open forest at the base of Black Mountain, which was not much time at all. Immediately off the brook, the terrain steepened, but the woods remained friendly and welcoming. The brook eventually took a hard dog-leg left. We simply wanted to bypass that elbow and rejoin the brook a bit farther upstream. Moving slightly faster than a black bear in January, we quickly gained elevation, but the open forest eventually started to transform into some very dense balsam coverage. They were so gruffly entwined with one another, it pushed back into the saddle. It was one of those occasions where we had to push ourselves downhill. Once back in the drainage and on the exposed river rocks and boulders, we moved along until the rocks became covered in moss and the famous Adirondack slime creating slippery footing. This slowed the process slightly, but once we got our feet under us, it became more of a challenge. In an odd way, there was a competition among us to see who could remain dry and vertical the longest, I did not win. As we climbed onward, the brook became even more stunning, and the lushness of the green moss Continued on page 16


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EMBARK ~ Get Up, Get Out • Summer 2020


EMBARK ~ Get Up, Get Out • Summer 2020

PHOTO BY SPENCER MORRISSEY

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Continued from page 14

made for a wonderful landscape to travel. At times we had to take advantage of how narrow the brook was and to avoid certain spots, jump from one shore to the next. As we approached the col between Slide and Black mountains, the forest started to open up again dramatically, just as I remembered it from past trips. And the brook seemed to appear out of nowhere from the mountainous landscape around us. Just shy of the height-of-land, we left the brook and headed slightly west of north toward the steeper slopes of Slide Mountain, taking an “as the crow flies” course for the summit. The forest remained open through a mix of hardwoods and balsams, and occasionally a scratchy red spruce would tether to our packs. We continued to sneak through the forest and slowly meandered through the open portals that the trees gave us. As we moved in on the top, the summit crown started to close in a bit and the forest edge was apparent. We were now faced with more red spruce and small patches of deadfall. Finally, after 2.5 hours, the summit of Slide Mountain was ours. We were now standing on the top of the Adirondack Park’s 83rd highest peak. Unfortunately, the summit is mostly wooded with limited

views toward Pitchoff Mountain, which happens to be the only peak in the Sentinel Range that has a trail. We were not satisfied with this limited view, and I had a hunch that a view had to exist, someplace, anyplace, and I had to find it! So we wandered along the summit cone in a circular motion, looking for any sign of openings. We were tripping over dead spruce fallen from harsh winters, stepping through voids in the duff we call “femur-eaters” and getting slapped by the persistent dead limbs. But finally, it paid off as we found what looked like a possible view. We eventually came to a small cliff band. We could see it through the snags, and breaking our way through to it, we ended up with just enough room for one person to stand at a time. While trying not to slip, each person could capture a remarkable photo of Whiteface beyond the Sentinel Range before us. It was unanimous. We deserved a slice of pie at the Noonmark Diner, and we were definitely going to cash in our reward. I might even have two. We retreated after about an hour on the summit, and sharing our lunch with the local blackflies this left us plenty of time to take it slow and easy and look once again for that path of least resistance that has avoided me for so long.

SPECULATOR MT. By SPENCER MORRISSEY

After a day or so contemplating how I would spend my day off, I set my sights on three peaks between Speculator and Wells: Guideboard Hill, Speculator Mountain and Cutknife Mountain. We had firmed up plans a week or so earlier for a much harder outing in the High Peaks Region, but recent weather and the call for pea soup humidity changed our focus. This 5-mile traverse would surely be enough for a day’s outing where the call for rain was also on the plate of Mother Nature’s offerings. The start for this hike was off Gilmantown Road, which in relative location to my house might as well be on the other side of the world. It would require a two-hour drive just to reach our destination. So we rose with the sun and hit the road at 6 a.m. to insure that we’d accomplish the meet-up time of 8 a.m. These three summits, as with many others, have been an eyesore for me on the map, in a good way. I think it was planned two other times to meet for this hike, but something always came up where we changed plans for other locations. This time, we would traverse from north to south so we would meet up at the southern end of the trip to drop off a car. The plan was to spot a car at the Dunning Pond Trail, which we never really located. Maybe it is no longer maintained and had been overcome by nature. We found a nice spot at the crossing of Dunning Creek. We started with Guideboard Hill, which was a

Speculator mt. short 0.3 miles or so off the road and only a couple hundred feet higher than where we were located. There was a nice parking spot along the high point of the road which got most of the elevation out of the way. The forest was open hardwoods mixed with areas of laced viburnum. The forest was also dripping wet from the prior evening’s rain. The capture of the water on the leaves and pine needles was no less of a storm than if the skies had opened up upon us. We were soaked before we topped this peak. Quickly we stood upon this wooded summit among the low-lying clouds and maples in an eerie kind of landscape. With Speculator Mountain next up, we had to stop to get our bearings. Usually we would be able to see a peak that stood so much higher, but the humidity was a problem. Our GPS would be our only guide with a bit of help from the trusty map and compass. The descent was minor and swift as we approached the slightly moist col between the two summits. A small rise was in front of us marking the start of the Continued on page 17


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EMBARK ~ Get Up, Get Out • Summer 2020

ridge, but a false summit nonetheless. Its climb was a bit steep but easy to overcome as the rise was limited. It didn’t appear that much of a descent would be required on the opposite side, and it rang true. Now we would really need to climb. On a moderate slope we approached the mountain closer. The terrain got steeper and steeper the closer we came. Then a wall was before us, like a castle under a veil of white. It spanned both directions along the face of Speculator Mountain. Which way to go? I scoped out to the right, but it appeared to block a bit more than to the left, so left it would be. The wall continued, but the ground seemed to gain elevation as the wall shortened. We looked for a dike to follow to the top, maybe a tree-lined crack, a higher shelf of solid ground, anything to aid travel. Eventually the cliff separated for a bit, and we had a very steep and slippery course to the top of the cliffs. We used trees to leverage ourselves onto and pull ourselves up where needed, but mostly it was all fours clenching for a small root or solid ground for support. The mosses and wet top soil gave way under us as we inched higher. Atop the steeps we were a bit disappointed in the lack of visibility as surely the views would have been a fine sight. We were now faced with another small cliff band, this one easier to navigate, but the forest had become much more compact and the trees were forming a barrier. The dead balsam branches slapped us about until we were clearly back into the hardwood forest. Soon the summit area would welcome us, but the mountain’s fairly flat composition would cause us to meander about looking for that highest point. We settled on a spot that was slightly open but deeply in the trees, but it just didn’t feel right. I poked around a bit, and then some more, and I spotted a small rise that seemed to outshine the location we thought was the top. This was it for sure. It had the feel of a summit, and it also had an eye bolt driven into the rock. This eye bolt was one left behind by surveyor Verplank Colvin of the Adirondack Survey which ran for 26 years from the late 1800s to the early 1900s until Theodore Roosevelt ended the project. A “feeling” I had in the pit of my stomach, aside from the need for lunch, had been the need to walk through the thick balsams on the summit. Odd I know, since thick balsams are often avoided, but upon doing this I came across a geocache/summit canister. It was an old pasta sauce jar with a few coins and a slip of paper with a few signed names and a list of the Colvin Crew members on their Colvin bolt recovery mission. The Colvin Crew is a group of, mostly, surveyors who get together once a year to seek out Colvin survey bolts and markers at locations Colvin cataloged in his survey project. That solidified Corenne’s assumption that it was indeed a Colvin bolt. This made her day, and ours if for no other rea-

son than that. Off we went to Cutknife Mountain, a much smaller summit, and the final destination of the day. But, along the way we’d visit a pond at the base of these two peaks and have a refueling lunch. The descent was steep. We were sure that cliffs would have to be negotiated and trees once again relied upon for support, but that was never the case. Our route finding, and search for the path of the least resistance, awarded us the clear travel. Upon reaching the pond, we were surprised by its beauty and splendor. The break in the haze and clouds might have also played a small role in our feeling of satisfaction. We sat among the small rock outcroppings and the sun dews, now blooming in the brilliance of their home. After Abby took her bath in the cooling mud along the shore, we set off to the south to cross the outlet atop a small beaver dam, now old and rotted from time. More outcroppings welcomed us to additional viewing platforms along the shore, and small fields of snowberries gave us a sweet minty snack before we reentered the forest. The forest, now mostly hardwoods, was lined with the thickest chin hobble that I have witnessed in quite some time. It took much added energy and effort to not trip and fall on their entwined branches and the dead fall buried beneath. It wouldn’t last all that long, but trying it was. Just under 200 feet from the summit, we gained momentum and finished off the climb to the obscured summit. We poked around for additional views atop this flat pinnacle and discovered a couple. As we overlooked Charley Lake and farther across into the Wilcox Lake Wild Forest, we dreamed of climbing those mountains, too, but right now we had to focus on the task at hand and get back to our car. The descent was just as steep if not steeper than Speculator Mountain. But we managed to complete it without the need for circumnavigating the top of steep cliffs or hanging for dear life from a half uprooted yellow birch tree. We sought out Dunning Creek as our next point of interest. What awaited us there was a deep blue wetland where you couldn’t tell where the water stopped and dry land started. The reflection was as beautiful as the sky itself but much clearer. The trees inverted upon themselves gave us a mirror image of the surroundings. The second beaver dam, this one much more precarious, delivered us across. With careful footing, I avoided the small surges of water that were let through. Like a large black bear atop a set of pickup sticks, I was across, but Jim and Corenne had a slightly wetter passage. We were now on a straight course to the car and only a wide meandering of the creek and wetlands would deviate us from that direct line. The open hemlock forest welcomed us through with land bridges easing travel. We were out and soon planning our next wandering.


PHOTO BY SPENCER MORRISSEY

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Adirondack Flora

CHI COR Y ‘Poor man’s coffee’

By SPENCER MORRISSEY Scientific name: Cichorium intybus AKA: Chicory This wildflower — a perennial — has many other common and uncommon labels such as poor man’s coffee, blue daisy, blue dandelion, blue sailors, blue weed, bunk, coffeeweed, cornflower and camp coffee.

EMBARK ~ Get Up, Get Out • Summer 2020

Flowers

The flowers are usually blue. Although they can be white or pink, those are much rarer in the Adirondacks. They are around 2 inches in diameter, symmetrical, with five teeth at the tip of each petal. They bloom from May to October. Later comes the fruit or seed, which is pointed in shape and easily spread by snagging on wildlife, blown around on roadsides or just tossed around as roadside grass is trimmed. It is seen as an invasive species.

Shape

They can grow to be 2 to 4 feet tall with generally three flowers per stem. The stem is green and course.

Habitat

Considered weeds, they generally grow along roadside and waste areas where light is abundant. It is not uncommon for these to pop up in gardens as a gardener’s nightmare due to easy distribution from the seeds and possibly topsoil that is not treated or cleaned.

Edible qualities

You can eat the young leaves in a salad or boil to eat as a vegetable; however, raw they are bitter. Boiling and serving with butter helps. You can cook the roots as a vegetable, but I have never tried this. It is popular to use the roots as a coffee substitute. Just roast the roots until they are dark brown, and then pulverize them as you would coffee beans. The taste is a bit like coffee, but not as strong.

Other uses

Chicory is referred to as an herb and is reported to have oils to help eliminate intestinal parasites and worms and improve bowel movement. However, if you have such issues, you should probably consult a physician. Native Americans used the oils to help stomach pain, sinus problems and with cuts and bruises. Many farmers will plant this weed for livestock due to its high fat content.

Fun facts

During World War II, when shipping was disrupted, coffee could not reach the U.S., so chicory was used as a substitute. It still remains popular as a caffeine-free coffee alternative. It is seen on many menus now as an after-dinner drink, maybe with a splash of whiskey for a kick. It was also used as a coffee substitute in prisons and during the Great Depression, hence the nickname “poor man’s coffee.” Guides and woodsmen of the 1800s used this to make coffee at camp which is where the nickname “Camp Coffee” came from.


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