Chapter 231

10/29/2009

Ch 231 Locomotion

land use and bracketology

Zim Smith Picasa link (expanded 64 pics) fullscreen & F11

(allow blocked content)

Locomotion for Misha and I included more trips on the above path over this Round Lake Bypass and off it thru this Ballston Creek valley. Joined the Saratoga PLAN (Preserving Land And Nature) as a volunteer since it's right up my alley so to speak. This Zim Smith Trail is located on what was D & H RR property , then became Saratoga County Sewer District property when the DEC required it. Trail people had a legal fight the DOT to keep the trail from being blocked by the bypass and roundabout built for the AMD plant. Talk about coming and going full circle !

Misha approached with trepidation the news this week . She is pictured at end of Zim Smith Trail next to the construction activity for the sewer district interceptor relining work at Coons Crossings. The extension of our hiking trail will continue on into Mechanicville from this point where the Norfolk Southern Rail Road will merge with Pan Am Railways to become Pan Am Southern. Expansion will also extend north into Saratoga Springs and to the Railroad Run. Horses are also allowed on the trail and by snowmobile you can go from here to Broadalbin on the Sacandaga Reservoir 25 miles away. Very nice.

A mile up the trail, all of a sudden the Ushers Road State Forest appears. Wow, clifton park wilderness.

My Mohawk Landing Picasa Link Locomotion by paddling the kayak from the new Clifton Park Launch site this week to capture some scenes. Isabel Prescott and Riverview Orchards allowed this public access to happen. Had poor shooting conditions for the magnificent Osprey (5 ft wingspan).

Met with the Ansel Adams of the East, Carl Heilman, Adirondack photographer extraordinaire at the Clifton Park Library. Inspired me to apply some of the over/under exposure value/ f-stop bracketing of photos and layering in Photoshop that I had tried to explain a few chapters ago but maybe hadn't use the correct terminology.

Tech note: First 3D image above is a visualization of the valley Misha and I walked and photographed. They used the National Land Cover Dataset Ecosystem and Canopy Cover data and modified to depict recent clearings as evidenced in 2004 1-foot Color Orthophotography from NYS GIS Clearinghouse (aka DEC).