Working on the Snow Tubing Hill

We had our first snow fall last week. Although it wasn't much, it has turned our thoughts to winter fun: cross-country skiing, building snow shelters...and snow tubing!

Our snow tubing hill isn't a place that we spend a lot of time in during warmer months, but we've been up there in the last few weeks getting this hill in shape for the winter.

Maintaining and improving the hill is an ongoing, multi-year project. Last year we rebuilt the berm to change the path that the tubes took down the hill, allowing for a longer ride. We also started putting in a new drainage system at the bottom of the hill, which tended to be a little swampy.

This year we've been continuing work on the drainage system. The drainage ditches have been dug, and now we're working to spread a few inches of gravel on the bottom before we cover them with dirt again. This is slow, back-breaking work: we can't get a tractor down there to work (actually, we'd be able to get it down the hill, but it would never get back up again), so we're using person-power instead. We got a load of gravel dropped off at the top of the hill, and have been taking it down to the ditches one wheelbarrow-full at a time.

As you might imagine, this is a big job, and we only have a limited amount of time before the snow flies. We'll get as much done as we can, but I imagine that this will be a job that continues into next year!

Rock Talk and Walk

Despite the chilly temperatures outside, myself, Ed Romanowicz from SUNY Plattsburgh, and three others trekked up Rattlesnake mountain to learn all about the geology of the area. We started with a brief intro here at Pok-O, where we got to look at maps of the area. We talked a lot about how there used to be a sea here in the Champlain Valley, the glaciers that once enveloped the area, and the rifts that are forming the mountains around us.

After that, we bundled up and headed out to the mountain. Along the way, Ed stopped and showed us some interesting features. More commonly, we stopped him, with the phrase "Whoa! What is that rock? Why is it pink/black/green/spotted? What did that to the rock? How did this rock get here?" and more. We reached the summit, and despite what looked like dreary gray skies created a gorgeous winter view. Mt. Mansfield of Vermont was snowy and beautiful, the slides on Giant Mountain were bright and white, and the sunlight streaming through the clouds lit up Lake Champlain.

We stayed on the summit for a little bit, but the wind chased us down. We hiked down the trail (asking just as many--if not more--questions as on the way up) and made it back to the van.

My favorite fact of the day: The Adirondacks are comprised mostly of anorthrosite, a granite composite. This is one of the few places in the world that this rock is found. The only other place that it is found on the crust so predominantly is in Labrador, Canada. But (and here comes the coolest part) anorthrosite is also the material that makes up the rocks on the moon! Out of this world, eh?

All in all...it was a "rock"ing good time! (I couldn't resist!)Here's a picture of Ed and our guests on the top of the mountain.

See you next time!
Liz the Naturalist

First Snow!

Snow has been falling in some of the higher elevations for a few weeks now, but down in the valley where we are...not yet. Until Now!

The Pok-O Staff woke up to snow covering the ground, our cars and all the trees! It was just a dusting, and it melted away by lunch time, but its a sign of fun times to come!

Snowshoes, cross country skis, and snow tubes here we come!

What are YOU excited about for winter?