Early Spring

What a difference a week makes. Finally signs of spring. Last week the trails where either icy or covered with 12 inches of snow. Today, most of the snow is gone, the birds are singing and I saw 4 deer at the first orange trail intersection. Wonderful day to hike!!


This is a shot from the gazebo clearing at Pilot Knob Ridge. Look at the lake ice in the far center, see the space in the ice? The ice is beginning to break up.

This is very recent wood pecker activity found on the Blue trail.

Here is a view looking south away from the gazebo at the post that marks the beginning of the blue trail. The blue trail heads east (left in photo) from the post into the woods.

Last week the falls was encased in ice, now it is freely flowing and beautiful!

This is an impromptu fire pit at the gazebo clearing is the only bad thing that I found today. The trails are relatively clean of trash :-) Having a fire at the Pilot Knob Ridge Preserve is not allowed by the Lake George Land Conservancy. The carbonized wood that you see from the remains of this fire will have to be raked up and scatted to hide the evidence that this fire existed. If I don't, this pile of carbonized wood will be around for a long time. Please remember that when you hike in any woods that you do not want to leave any evidence that you have been there. Even a seemly harmless fire in the winter scars the earth and will be visible for years.