Hiker's Holiday: A Day of Fire

Every year, the Mohonk Preserve partners with the Mohonk Mountain House to help with the hotel's event, Hikers Holiday. For over 80 years, this program allows people from all over the country come to the Mountain House for a specific week in the spring and participate in organized, guided hiking all over the Shawangunk Ridge. This year's theme was: Earth, Wind, Fire. The Preserve will usually allow several staff to help lead/co-lead these organized hikes. I was asked to co-lead a hike out at Sam's Point Preserve. This hike was held on the 'Fire' day as the participants were able to see remnants of the fire that had come through last year. The participants were all very interesting and fun to be around. As we hiked around Lake Maratanza, I was able to get to know a bunch of them. Many of the participants had been participating in Hikers Holiday for over 10+ years. Crazy! It was a super hot day, so our hike only lasted half the day. But all in all, it was a great day to get out on the land!

TheChristyBel

Fire Scar on Right, Unburned Land on Left

Burned Area Rejuvenation

Epicormic Sprouting
Pitch Pines will grow needles directly from the trunk to encourage rapid growth

View of Lake Maratanza

Summit Pose at Sam's Point with my co-leader, Michael Rider, Mohonk Mountain House Resident Naturalist

Cross-Country Skiing at Lake Maratanza

A few days after Winter Storm Stella finally left us, I was able to leave my house and venture back to work. Although I left work early to actually go play in the new snow. I decided to get my money's worth of my cross-country ski rentals. I drove on over to Sam's Point and decided to xc-ski around Lake Maratanza. It was amazing. Want to know why? NO ONE WAS THERE! I got to make the first tracks on the tracks! Soooooo awesome! The day was gorgeous with bluebird skies and the ski was a little challenging (as with any breaking of trails).

Breaking Trails! #FirstDibs

No One Was There!

Half & Half of the Burn & No Burn

After getting around most of Lake Maratanza, when you are at the most northeastern part, the wind began to pick up and the ski got really challenging. Since the wind was much stronger, the snow would drift and pile up in random large berms. So I had to side-step and fishbone to get down and up about a dozen berms on the loop. And the wind was so intense, I thought it was going to fling me up into the sky or at least knock me over. 

Lake Maratanza Covered in Snow & Ice

Lake Maraanza

When I got past the windy and snowy part, I passed the fire scar - again so cool.

The ski was awesome and I also found some cool nature finds too!

I am glad I left work early to get this ski in!

TheChristyBel

More Charcoal Pitch Pine Cones

Opened From the Fire

Who Was Here?

Hiking Lake Maratanza

Today, we explored Lake Maratanza of Sam's Point Preserve. Lake Maratanza is the most southern sky lake on the Shawangunk Ridge. It is about 2,245-feet above sea level, marking it as the highest sky lake on the Ridge. I had never been to this area of the ridge - as the Sam's Point Fire occurred here last April. As we hiked around the lake and back down to the Visitor Center, we were able to see the fire scar. It was remarkable to see one side of the trail untouched by the fire and the other side of the trail was burnt to a crisp. I am very excited to see the new growth that comes from this fire in this upcoming spring.

TheChristyBel

Lake Maratanza

Burnt Trees

One Side Burned, One Side Untouched

Fires on the Ridge

Now that I have my new wheels, I wanted to take them for a spin on some of the Minnewaska State Park carriage roads (also, because I got my season's pass and wanted to start using it). However, when I got to the gatehouse, they turned me around to go home. Apparently there was a fire on the southern end of the Ridge and in Minnewaska State Park. By the time I got back home, I could see how large this fire was getting. I think officials were saying more than 2,000 - 3,000 acres of Minnewaska State Park and Sam's Point Preserve had been burned over the course of several days. Feel free to check out some information here. Even though this area is used to natural fires coming through and over the Ridge, this particular fire was large because there was a lot of available downed fuel. Unfortunately, officials are believing this fire was no natural fire or prescribed burn, it was a wildfire from a cigarette butt. How sad is that?!? But with the fires getting out of hand, the parks were calling all firemen and our Preserve Rangers to help fight this fire. Below are some images our Chief Ranger, Andrew Bajardi took of the fire.

TheChristyBel

Day 2 of the Fire While I was Biking on the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail

 

All photos except for the first one were taken by Andrew Bajardi.