Yours, Mine, Ours?

 

Historical photo of the White Creek Pool

     Exciting news!

     I've found something on Facebook actually worth following. That would be the posts of old photos by local historical societies and civic groups. Whitehall, Granville, Hartford and Hoosick Falls have recently caught my attention. There may be others. Take, for example, a photo of the White Creek Pool on the Hoosick Falls NY Past & Present page with thoughtful text by Rick Ferrannini and a ton of nostalgic comments.

     In Washington County you have a smorgasbord of White Creeks to chose from. One gathers in the Rupert Vermont area and flows thru Salem before joining Black Creek and eventually the Battenkill. Another originates up in Black Hole Hollow, skirts the Village of Cambridge and merges with the Owl Kill. Finally, there is the inferiority complexed Little White Creek, another drainage of the Taconics that crosses the southeastern corner of Washington County before emptying into the Walloomsac, which in turn adds its waters to the Hoosic River a short distance downstream.

This White Creek is in back of the Evergreen Cemetery in Salem

A different White Creek from the bridge leading to the Cambridge Community Forest

Little White Creek

The word 'limpid' was created to describe this beautiful stream

     I've canoed in some of these streams and swam too. Even swam when I was supposed to be canoeing! I'ld like to explore each from source to sea, then do a post comparing them. Maybe someday. So many White Creeks, so little time. But for now let's focus on the one with the White Creek Pool swimming hole. The pool was on private property and that seems to have been its downfall as it is no longer open and judging from the comments, it is sorely missed.

     The loss of such a beloved community gathering spot is a window on our relationship with place, our ideas about what's public and what's private. Most people expressed a wistful sense of sadness, a feeling that a treasured part of life had been taken away. Jennifer Fisk summed it up with "Those were the days my friends and we thought they would never end but here we are." A few suggested that somehow the pool should come under public ownership and be open to all again. Others bristled at that option claiming it was private property and the owner could do what he wants with it. Since when do we expect Americans to agree on anything?

     Washington County is notorious for being peppered with  'NO TRESPASSING' signs and we've even had cases of innocent people being shot for mistakenly pulling into the wrong driveway. But just as often the WELCOME sign is out. Rexleigh and White Creek may be closed but people still swim at Pooks and the Georgi and I have fond memories of cooling off in the river after hot days in the hayfield. A bunch of us guys would pull over along Skellie Road and jump in with Ernie often walking down to join us.

Pooks

Georgi serenity

      The D&H rail trail is another interesting case. It's open in Vermont but closed on the New York side of the border, thus denying the Village of Salem the economic benefits that other communities are reaping from bike tourism. Snowmobiles seem to fare better than walkers, bikers or equestrians with a county wide trail system that crosses private lands. And we all take car/truck travel so much for granted that no one questions the hundreds of miles of roads that have been carved out of private property. 

The D&H railbed comes into Salem in back of Stewarts.

It could be bringing cyclists into town for food and drink 

but the rail trail stops at the NY/VT border

The rail trail is used by snowmobiles in the winter

     The idea of 'the commons', of things we all own together has been with us since the beginning. Native Americans didn't seem to have private property but even they had reserved hunting areas that were understood to be for the use of a certain tribe or family. Most reasonable people feel that clean air and water are something we all have a right to but I have huffed and puffed up a hill on my bike while having to suck in smoke from smoldering plastic in someones burn barrel. Does private property give you the right to poison the air someone else breathes, the water that they drink? And what of our system of National Parks? Probably Elon Musk has enough money to buy all of them and turn them into private getaways. Does anyone doubt that the current administration would consider selling them if it could get a cut?

Saratoga Battlefield National Park

(web image)

Idiots were here, ruining it for the rest of us

     Trash, rude behavior and legal liability are all given as reasons for closing off access. Believe me, I understand. I deal with ATVers that turn the clear trout stream on my farm into a mud bog, that leave their drunken party debris in my woods, that ride haphazard across my hayfields. You have to wonder who raised these kids to have so little consideration, kids with a vocabulary limited to 'F' this and 'F' that. But are we ready to surrender our enjoyment of the world to a few miscreants? If I POSTED my farm how does that affect people who walk their dogs, ride horses, birdwatch or X-C ski? All those who respectfully enjoy my property, people who I'm happy to see? The right to own property is cherished in this country. As it should be. But the right to enjoy natural beauty should belong to all of us, not just to those with the money to buy it. I want to live in a world where kids can have summer fun in a swimming hole, just like their parents and grandparents did before them. Is that too much to ask?  
   

What's the Hurry?

      

     Adventure racing has come to (and gone from) from our area. Earlier this summer Rootstock Racing hosted the Endless Mountains Race that began in Ticonderoga, then continued thru northern Washington County before moving on to Vermont and eventually Massachusetts. It involved five days of travel on foot, by bikes, in water and even over cliffs! It was a little like a triathlon on steroids with navigation skills required and team work essential.

     I'm all for adventure as long as it's preceded by the words 'little' and 'slow'. These races are anything but. The course covered somewhere between 300 and 350 miles. That's if you managed to stay on course (no small feat). Comes to between 60 to 70 miles per day. Sleeping and eating seem to be afterthoughts. But what struck me is how much simple, fun adventure there is in and around Washington County. Even for us non-racers. There's a good reason Rootstock chose this area for their event.

     You can see the route traced on a youtube video but it unfolds rapidly (and unbelievably), a little hard to follow if you are not familiar with the terrain. The race started at the summit of Mount Defiance and wound down thru the streets of Ticonderoga. A short paddling section brought them to Fort Ticonderoga where there was a running loop. Then came the long canoe and kayak paddle up thru the Narrows of Lake Champlain to the far end of South Bay.

     The racers then beached their boats and did a trekking route in Whitehall's rugged Saddles State Forest, trying to find a number of checkpoints in the dark, rainy night. Back on the water they quickly made their way to a transition area at the Rt. 22 boat launch. From here it was mountain biking into Vermont along the rough road that parallels the Poultney River in West Haven. After hitting a checkpoint in Fair Haven they spent some time on the Slate Valley Trails near Poultney before turning south with a trek on Dorset Mountain and a scary cliff jump/swim stop at the Dorset Quarry.

  

     That was just the first couple of days. Beyond Dorset/Manchester came endless trekking, mountain biking and packrafting in the vast Green Mountain National Forest before a finish in North Adams, MA. Following the route left me with a deja vu feeling as I have been to most of the places the racers traversed. The difference is that I visited them as leisurely day trips over the course of a life time. I was reminded of the one semi-adventure race I'ld done years ago: the Adirondack 90 miler canoe classic from Old Forge to Saranac Lake. At the end I remember saying to Gwenne "That would have been fun if we took three weeks instead of three days to do it".  There are those who savor life in the fast lane and then there are those of us who favor the off ramp leading to more relaxed adventure. How lucky to live in an area that can accommodate both. 

 

     * All the images are from Rootstock/Endless Mountain websites. They may be from previous year's races. I included them to give you an idea of what adventure racing is all about. There are YouTube videos on the web that do show local scenes from this years race. They are fun to watch.

Women who float...Women who fly

     Maybe my wife doesn't need to know about this but I've been hanging out with some wild women lately. But that's not as risque as it sounds,  since they all came to me safely enclosed between the covers of a book. In this post I'ld like to introduce you to several female adventurers whose exploits ranged from Africa to the Grand Canyon to the Adirondacks.

     Beryl Markham's West with the Night is a whoosh of a ride on horseback and in airplanes.  She was born in England in 1902 and moved to East Africa with her father while still a toddler (Her mother went in a different direction with a different man!) She grew up free and unfettered by convention...think hunting warthog by spear with the local Murani. Along the way she learned to tell really good stories.

     Her dog's name was Buller and "He fought anything that needed to be fought, and when there was nothing immediately available in this category, he killed cats." One night a leopard slipped into Beryl and Buller's sleeping hut and dragged the dog into the bush. Buller, though badly chewed, managed to survive while the leopard got the worst of the encounter. In another 'only in Africa' incident Beryl was "moderately eaten by a large lion" and lived to tell about it. Then came the warthog hunt and, well, you've got to read it to believe it.

     Those adventures all happened while she was still a young girl. As an adult she became a trainer of race horses and then a bush pilot in the early days of aviation. As you might guess these pursuits led to more stories of thrilling 'by a nose' races and 'by a hair' close calls in the air. What West with the Night is not, is a tell all. She never mentions her three husbands and numerous lovers. You'll have to look elsewhere, for example, to find the story about her affair with Prince Henry, Duke of Glouchester, where she had to hide in a Buckingham Palace cupboard when Queen Mary came into the room!

Beryl up there

On horseback and in a plane

     You might think cataloging the botany of the Grand Canyon to be a rather staid achievement compared to flying solo over Africa and across the Atlantic. Don't be so sure. Not when you consider that the only way to access much of the canyon was in a raft when the Colorado river had been run only a few times. Brave the Wild River tells the story of two women, Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter, who took on the challenge in 1938. 

     The 2023 book by science journalist Melissa Sevigny tells of the  half-baked 43 day expedition and its colorful cast of characters. There are personality conflicts, near catastrophe's and a lot of interesting history, geology and botany. While not considered 'women's work' at the time it should be noted that the plants they collected and the notes they took are still an invaluable resource for botanists and land managers to this day. A fun and inspiring read.

Along these lines...a few related books of interest:

* Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine De Saint-Exupery is the lyrical classic of the early days of flying.

 

* Amelia Earhart's The Fun of It and Jean Batten's My Life are two books by famous women flyers.

* Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen shares time, geography and bedmates with Markham's book. Made famous by the Robert Redford/Meryl Streep movie.

     You don't have to go out west or to the other side of the world to find remarkable women adventurers. Doc - Orra A. Phelps, M.D. - Adirondack Naturalist and Mountaineer is Mary Arakelian's biography of her aunt Orra, who lived in Wilton just a little north of Saratoga Springs. This book resonated with me because of personal connections on several levels. My mother grew up in Wilton just a short distance from Orra's Parkhurst Road home and she often spoke of her famous neighbor. In the book there's a chapter on Dr. Phelps service in the Navy during the second world war. My grandfather ran a store in Wilton during those years and knew everyone in the community including the Phelps family. He was drafted in the final months of the war just before he aged out of eligibility and was killed in action in Europe as the fighting was winding down.

The Phelp's Homestead on Parkhurst Road

This is privately owned and not open to the public

The public preserve is on the opposite side of the road

     After the war Orra returned to Wilton and the Adirondacks, taking a job with theVeterans Administration. Upon retirement she devoted herself fully to the mountains and natural history education. She had previously written the first two editions of the Adirondack Mountain Club's guide to High Peaks trails. In retirement she became the club's first ranger-naturalist at Heart Lake. When I joined ADK in the mid-80's there were many people who had known Orra personally and held her in high esteem. Finally, I visit the Phelps Preserve frequently. This is the part of her family farm that has been preserved by Saratoga PLAN. Walking the trails Orra walked, beneath oak and ash, alongside several headwater streams of the Snook Kill is my way of connecting with both an amazing person and the community of my family's heritage. 

Gwenne's photos from a hike at the Phelp's Preserve this spring

   

     

Spring Comes to Sucker Brook

      

     Sometimes it seems like there is 'Washington County' and then there is 'Dresden and Putnam'. The two northern most towns can feel like a world apart from their more southerly cousins.  Cross over South Bay and things become sparer, leaner. There are more rock cuts than houses and those rock cuts are huge. Rt. 22 takes on the feel of an overgrown roller coaster with long slow uphills and thrilling descents. And the towns themselves further divide into the Lake George hugging hamlets of Huletts, Gull Bay and Glenburnie  while Clemons, Dresden Station and Putnam center are Lake Champlain oriented.

Google Earth image of Dresden and Putnam looking north

Lake Champlain Narrows right and Lake George upper left

     Because it takes me an hour of driving just to get there, I haven't explored this area as much as I'd like. But that's going to change and this spring is off to a good start. I've already made two trips to the Sucker Brook Preserve with, hopefully, more to come. If streams in the Town of Putnam took a vote it would be two against one with Charter Brook and Mill Brook both flowing east into the Narrows of Lake Champlain while Sucker Brook takes a turn to the west emptying into Lake George. Because much of the Sucker Brook watershed is owned and protected by the Lake George Land Conservancy it is easily accessible with a network of trails and viewpoints.

In this image from the LGLC's website the Sucker Brook Preserve is on the right with

Lake George left and center. Looking north. 

Uncredited but almost certainly a Carl Heilman photo

 

     The LGLC has been protecting land here since 1998. Today there is a block of conserved land from Flat Rock just south of the Essex County line all the way to Gull Bay Road. Three parking areas and trailheads give access to these properties. A trail off Schwerdfeger Road leads to the summit of Record Hill where there are great views of Lake George. Then there are trails into the Sucker Brook Preserve from Warrick Road near Glenburnie and Sagamore Road near Gull Bay. All the trails in Sucker Brook interconnect so you could explore the entire preserve from either the north or south but that would make for a long day. For most hikers it makes sense to split their visit into two trips. That's what I did recently with a walk from Warrick Road on the blue trail down to the lake and then a few days later using the yellow trail from Sagamore Road to the Cedar Swamp.

 

 

This map and list shows protected properties near Lake George 

in the Town of Putnam

     The LGLC maintains a seasonal dock so boaters can access the Sucker Brook Preserve from the lake. The blue trail connects the dock and lake shore to the North parking lot. While the distance and elevation change won't challenge experienced hikers it is a somewhat rocky, rugged trek. Lake George sits in its graben surrounded by cliffs and ledges and all the trails in the basin are challenged to find a route that isn't a rock climb. The woods here are fairly open with a mix of hemlock, pine and various hardwoods. I noted three different oaks: red, white and chestnut. Just before reaching the lake there is a spur to a viewpoint but this can be skipped. The trees have grown so as to obscure any view which once existed.

Lake George ice out at bottom of blue trail

Gwenne and Zia enjoying the view

     From Warrick Road there is also a short trail to an overlook of a large beaver pond. It might be possible to canoe here for the adventurist.  Below the beaver dam Sucker Brook tumbles steeply down to the lake. After hiking you should take a few minutes to drive down to Glenburnie if for nothing more than the gorgeous view of Anthonys Nose and Record Hill.

     Many people visit the southern section of Sucker Brook just to see the heron rookery. The birds use standing dead trees in a beaver pond to build their nest. It's thought that water surrounding the trees prevents many predators from climbing the trunks to steal eggs. Over time the dead trees fall and the area becomes less attractive to the herons. That seems to be happening here. As I walked the yellow trail a couple of days ago I couldn't see any activity but did spot a few nests that seemed abandoned. Fortunately the pond is still home to other wildlife as a flock of ducks near shore attested. 

Once upon a time

A heron on her nest at the Sucker Brook pond

(web image)

Evicted?

The herons don't seem to be using these nests anymore.

Sucker Brook has broke thru a small beaver dam

Cedar and hemlock on the east side of the swamp

The feathery spray of Northern White Cedar needles

     My next destination was the White Cedar Swamp. While I did see some Northern White Cedars there were many more hemlocks than arbor vitae where I was. Perhaps I wasn't in the right spot but I was reluctant to explore the wetland by myself late in the day. It would be interesting to come here with an experienced naturalist familiar with the place. The trees are known to prefer calcareous environments which makes me wonder if there might be marble bedrock. After poking around a bit a jammed camera lens convinced me to call it a day. On previous trips I checked out the beaver dam and climbed the sketchy red trail to a viewpoint and scene of a fire. From the parking lot staying on the blue trail will bring you to a Lake George overlook complete with a picnic table. It's a sweet spot to cap off your explorations.

(web image)

       

The Zombie Next Door

(web image)

     The Victory Mill went up in smoke on May 31, 2025. It was an 100+ year old former cotton and paper mill that fell victim to arson  by a couple of teenagers. It wasn't the first and probably won't be the last such structure to suffer this fate. John D'Alessandro, secretary of The Firefighters Association of the State of New York was quoted as saying, "We have a lot of those old vacant structures. This is going to be a problem fire departments are going to have to contend with for the near future." 

Screen shot from video walk thru of Stevens and Thompson plant in Middle Falls

posted on Youtube

     He makes a valid point. We build to meet a need and hopefully make a profit. But what happens when what we build is no longer needed? Abandoned and derelict structures are all too common in our area. Bio Tech, Skybel and Stevens and Thompson, all on the Battenkill River, come to mind. Then there is the Thompson Mill in Valley Falls. An effort to raze that building and create a park on the Hoosic River is projected to cost four million dollars. Dealing with asbestos is expensive. Almost all of these former mills are considered 'brown fields' with various toxic chemicals polluting the sites. The EPA, at taxpayer expense, did some clean-up at both Bio Tech and Skybel. Given the current administration's priorities it's hard to know if there will even be an EPA in the future.

Thompson Mill in Valley Falls

(web image)

     Waterpower was highly valued by early settlers. They built small dams and lumber and grist mills at many sites in Washington County. Historians have documented these places and you can sometimes still find traces of former activity. The Rexleigh Marble Mill is a familiar example. 

Rexleigh Mill

(Battenkill Conservancy photo)

     As agriculture developed, barns and silos were constructed. Evolving economics have made many of these obsolete and left them in various states of decay. For some this has resulted in second careers as subjects for area artists! ASA's Landscapes for Landsakes showcases these old farm buildings not as eyesores but as part of the charm of rural Washington County. 

Harry Orlyk painting

This prolific Salem artist has many more landscapes for sale on his website 

     Unfortunately, the paper mills that developed in the late 1800's and early 1900's lack the 'scenic' factor and are more likely to be contaminated with chemical residues.  Most are located near rivers and streams which causes additional concern. Time and technology have left these buildings behind. After years of failing to find an adaptive reuse for the Victory Mills plant it was slated to be demolished even before the fire hastened its demise. 

     Occasionally there are better endings, as a family story reveals. For years my grandfather managed a textile factory on Elm Street in Glens Falls. When the company that owned it looked south for labor savings Grandpa Butler went to North Carolina to oversee construction and manage the new factory staffed by low payed black women. Unjustly, they were the cheapest labor available. Eventually, even that plant closed and all production moved overseas where wages were lower yet. The good news is that the Glens Falls building where he had worked for many years was refurbished as upscale condominiums and continues in that function to the present day. A rare success story in reusing an old industrial structure. 

 

The former Clark Brothers textile mill in Glens Falls converted to condominiums

Jon and Deana Ketchum refurbished this Salem garment factory

It is now their home and furniture shop

(web image)

 

     For every site put to new use there are many others that are derelict. The GE and Ciba-Geigy plants in Fort Edward/Hudson Falls/Glens Falls have been demolished with their former locations empty and creating no jobs or economic activity. The same can be said for the Thompson Pulp and Paper Mill lot on the Hudson near Schuylerville. Other properties are tax delinquent, contributing nothing to the community while actually costing us in blight and remediation. They are dangerous 'attractive nuisances' that kids are drawn to explore. Local government officials seem at a loss in dealing with these situations. They are sometimes called 'Zombie Properties' but who wants to live with zombies in their midst? 

Thompson Pulp and Paper in better days

Old photo from top of Starks Knob?

Buildings have since been razed

     * Back in November of last year I was fortunate to hear a presentation by Skidmore College student Nicholas Sisto on "The Company and its Town: Textile Production in Victory Mills and the Community Built Around it." Sisto did a great job and his research has relevance to other 'company towns' in our area. The talk was filmed and you can watch it here.

Nicholas Sisko presenting on Victory Mills