Short Hike #4: Christman Sanctuary

Main waterfall from end of spur trail
(All pictures mine)

Having just finished my only exam of the semester, I was in no mood to do any more work and I wanted to spend the remainder of the beautiful day outdoors. A friend of mine had told me about the Christman Sanctuary a couple months ago and I had yet to check it out, so I figured I'd head over there instead of my typical nearby short hike destinations. The Christman Sanctuary, managed by The Nature Conservancy, is located in southwestern Schenectady County in the Town of Duanesburg, with the main attraction being the waterfalls along Bozen Kill.

I pulled into the parking lot around 3:30 PM on a warm Tuesday afternoon. The small parking lot can hold 4-5 cars, but there is also some room to park along the road. Leaving the trailhead, the main loop trail, marked with blue blazes, proceeds through a grassy area. Planks cross some muddy areas.

Near the trailhead

Running along the edge of the woods, the blue loop begins. While not readily apparent, one can follow the loop clockwise by ducking into the woods or continue straight along the wide path (the most direct way to the waterfalls). Soon enough, this trail too bends into the woods

Blaze near the beginning of the woods

Not too far into the woods, we reach a bridge with plaque next to it. The plaque dedicates the bridge to Doris Saunders Plant.

Continuing across the bridge, the path begins a hard to follow winding trek through the woods

Yeah, that's the trail

The occasional blue blaze served as reassurance that I was indeed on the trail.

Eventually, the trail makes a sharp turn to the left and we begin the descent into the Bozen Kill ravine.

Down, down, down we go

Near the bottom of the ravine, there is a junction. Straight ahead, the blue trail follows Bozen Kill downstream. Sharp right is the yellow-blazed spur trail to the falls. I turned right.

Looking down the falls spur trail

The yellow trail wastes no time getting up close and personal with the cliffs, narrowing and descending through cracks in the rock.

Yup, that's the trail 

Ropes in much of this area help one to keep their balance and, in a couple places, the trail is under rock overhangs.

Did I really just walk under that?

By this point, we're walking right along the edge of Bozen Kill and a small waterfall is to the left.

Continue down the trail a bit and we reach the main attraction, a 30-foot waterfall, less than half a mile from the trailhead.

The waterfall cascades into a shallow pool rimmed by cliffs. Swimming and wading are expressly forbidden. A shelter containing a table is also located here.

Shelter

Having viewed the falls, I was ready to continue on.

Looking downstream along Bozen Kill 

Retracing my steps back to the blue trail, I followed the blue trail downstream to complete the loop.

A ways down, the orange trail breaks off to the right, crossing Bozen Kill on a set of stepping stones. This trail loops through the southern half of the preserve.

Orange Trail's crossing of the creek

Some more small falls and rapids are located downstream of the Orange Trail.

The blue trail turns away from the creek and a spur trail departs on the left, leading to the Christman Memorial.

Spur trail to the Christman Memorial

The trail enters a more open area near the road before turning back into the woods.

Soon enough, we're back at the point where the blue trail splits.

Approaching the loop split point

Looking down the other side of the Blue Trail loop

Turning right here leads back to the parking lot.

Approaching the parking lot

While not a ton of effort, the Christman Preserve makes for an excellent short hike if you'd like to see some waterfalls and don't have a lot of time to do it.

Getting Here

The Christman Sanctuary is located along Schoharie Turnpike in Duanesburg, about halfway between NY Route 7 and US Route 20. 

Resources

The Nature Conservancy: Christman Sanctuary: official website for preserve. Contains trail maps and more information.

Short Hike #2: Snowshoeing at The Clark

Looking toward Williamstown Village from the Stone Hill viewpoint

I didn't have a ton of time this afternoon, but I wanted to play in the snow a little bit while we still had some. So off to Williamstown I went, where there's a good 2 feet on the ground after Wednesday's storm. I had heard about the network of trails at the Clark Art Institute and, since I had never been there although living so close, I figured it was a good destination for the day. Parking at the uppermost parking lot, far removed from the crowds at the museum galleries, I strapped on the snowshoes and headed into the woods, figuring I could do an easy 1-2 mile stroll.

Trail map at the trailhead

Easy? Maybe not, as I was generally breaking my own trail. Immediately after crossing a bridge, I took a left onto the Pasture Trail, ascending through the woods. I passed through a gate and walked onto the meadow giving this trail its name. During the summer, this meadow is home to a local farmer's cows and horses. No trail could be seen, so I struck out across the deep snow to what appeared to be the high point marked on the trail map as a "scenic view". And scenic that view was.

The beautiful village of Williamstown. Pine Cobble is in the background. 

Looking east toward North Adams

What goes up must go down, so I went down to the north, exiting through a gate at the north end of the meadow. I walked along the fence to the broken-out Nan Path and turned left. There was a gate at this end of the meadow and I will keep that in mind for future visits.

Bridge after turning on the Nan Path

At the far side of the bridge shown above, the Howard Path branches off to the right, and the Howard Path I took. This path was unbroken and, although I could see outlines of steps along the trail, my snowshoes did not feel steps as I descended to a creek.

The Howard Path

After the creek, it was an uphill stroll through the edge of the woods back to my car. While I only hiked slightly less than a mile, it took nearly an hour between breaking a trail and admiring the views.

I definitely need to get back to the Clark at some point when I can stop inside and view the artwork, but the trails are certainly worth a visit in the warmer months, too.

Getting Here

The Clark is located on South Street approximately 0.4 mile south of the Williamstown village center. Multiple parking lots are on the property, with the southernmost being best if you are only here to walk around the property.

Resources

The Clark Campus information. Trail maps and information about the museum.

Snowshoeing in the Spa City: Saratoga Spa State Park

Island Spouter, one of the few geysers east of the Mississippi River
All photos mine

New York has several unique natural destinations, but few are more unique than Saratoga Spa State Park. Located within the city limits of Saratoga Springs, the park contains many interesting geologic features, including the only geysers in the United States east of the Mississippi River. The region's namesake mineral springs have long been visited for their alleged health benefits and the water bottled for sale. To combat overpumping of the springs, the area became a state reservation in 1909. Several of the spa buildings were built with New Deal funds in the 1930s. The spa area became a state park in 1962 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

We had a significant snowstorm last Friday, so I figured I'd spend some time Saturday playing in the snow. Most of the snow fell southwest of Albany, but I was unsure if roads would be plowed, so I decided to head north to Saratoga. Parked near the Roosevelt Baths, strapped on my snowshoes, and into the woods I went. I started down the Geyser Trail, taking it to the short, orange-blazed Springs Trail.

Trails generally looked like this. Geyser Trail near the Roosevelt Baths

The Springs Trail descends into the gorge carved by Geyser Creek, ending across from the education building. Turning right along the road, I crossed the creek and immediately turned right onto the Vale of Springs Trail. It isn't long before you pass this beauty on the right.

It's the cover photo again!

Yes, that's Island Spouter, one of the area's best-known springs. Like all of the springs, Island Spouter is carbonated mineral water. It also happens to be a geyser that shoots 10-15 feet into the air. The island is composed of tufa, a type of limestone created by mineral deposits from the spring.

Continuing down the trail (with Island Spouter to the right)

Once you're done admiring one of New York's most unique natural features, continue north along the trail. The narrow trail runs along the bank of the creek, eventually reaching a massive tufa deposit encroaching on the trail. This deposit was created by Orenda Spring, located up the cliff.

Orenda Spring's tufa dome

Closeup of the tufa dome

The tufa dome from the other side. That little ledge is the trail.

Past the tufa dome, we pass under a bridge leading to Saratoga Performing Arts Center and reach a stairway. Time to climb out of the gorge. Take a left at the top of the stairs, pass back under the bridge, and Orenda Spring is on the right.

Orenda Spring

Orenda is another of the major springs, but unlike Island Spouter, you can easily get to its water if you so desire.

Looking south from Orenda Spring

From up here, it is possible to see just how big the tufa deposit is. Continue south and we reach an overlook, where one can get another view of Island Spouter.

A short distance to the south, we get back to the road and the bridge. I turned left on the road and crossed the bridge again, but stayed alongside the road. A couple of springs are alongside the road.

Polaris Spring, located next to the road

Tallulah Spring is set back from the road

Tallulah Spring

A trail departs to the left a short distance south of Tallulah Spring. This trail leads to Ferndell Spring.

The trail winds along a creek, eventually reaching the spring, which was dry.

Ferndell Spring

I continued past the spring, turning left alongside a road. Another left led me back to my car, 1.6 miles and about 1:15 after I left. During tourist season, the state park can get overrun with people, but this time of year, it is peaceful enough to truly enjoy the area's natural beauty. Did I mention it's free outside of the summer season, too?

One more thing: Saratoga Spa State Park does rent snowshoes when snow is on the ground. Available at the park office, see website for more details.

Getting Here

Saratoga Spa State Park is located between US Route 9 and NY Route 50 in the southern part of Saratoga Springs. During the winter, one needs to enter the park via Avenue of the Pines or park at the SPAC lot along NY 50, as the southern entrances are closed. Winter parking is off of Roosevelt Drive and at the SPAC lot. There is an $8/vehicle entry fee between Memorial Day and Labor Day, as well as on weekends in May, September, and early October. 

Resources

Saratoga Spa State Park