Schenectady Wintersports Club Northern New York Paddlers Mohawk Valley Hiking Club Newsletters May 2024
|
|
|
|
|
From your President....
Yes, it’s real………SWC officially has an elected Board. I would like to begin with an introduction. I am Karen Simmons. Along with my husband, Bill, and our three sons I have been a member of SWC for over 30 years. Our interest, initially, was in alpine skiing in areas other than upstate NY, where we live. Over the years the boys grew, our family grew and our interests grew, as well. Work and family kept us busy so our trips to the Clubhouse became less frequent. We never considered allowing our SWC membership to lapse, as we had met so many lovely people and enjoyed our interactions when together. Then retirement happened! We didn’t, exactly, find ourselves with much empty time, but very much wanted to take our turn in actively supporting an organization from which we had benefitted. Bill and I, and on occasion one of our sons, volunteered at Spring and Fall work weekends. We became much more familiar with the operational needs of SWC and matched our energy, skills and tools to help with those needs. We’re now involved as SWC President (me) and President of Mohawk Valley Hiking Club (Bill) with a strong dose of Clubhouse management and improvement, as well. I look forward to working with our current, very energetic, board and with all of the membership, as well. ‘Till next time. Karen |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New Reservation Software
SWC is implementing WebRezPro, new reservation software replacing the BEDS24 platform during the months of April and May 2024. (Read more)
Board Minutes of Meetings Membership Meeting and Election 04-18-2024 Members only: view here |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clubhouse Work Weekend
May 16 - 19 The spring work weekend is the time to catch up on many of the things that couldn’t get done during the ski season. (Read more and sign up here)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Happy Hour
Thursday, May 9 at the City Line Bar in Albany
We will meet at 5 pm. No need to sign up, just show up. (Read more) SWC Picnic
Saturday, July 13 at Thacher Park (Read more)
Ski Trips 2025 (Read more)
In Case You Missed It
Solar Eclipse at the Clubhouse Read all about it and view pictures here
Visit swcweb.org For the latest updates on Upcoming Events |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Skiing the Catamount Trail
48 more miles in two days on the Catamount Trail. Did the top sections to Canada. Highlights include taking a drink with my head in Canada and swallowing said drink in the US --Sam Elias.
Taking a drink in Canada and swallowing said drink in the US while on the Catamount Trail should be on all of our bucket lists.
(Read more)
Tuckerman's Ravine
She opened the album and showed me an old picture of a young woman holding a gigantic bouquet of red roses across her lap. Her smile radiated beyond the fading colors of the photograph. “That’s me, the day I skied the Headwall at Tuckerman’s,” she said. (Read more)
A Dip in the Pond In any emergency situation, the first thing you do is nothing. Absolutely nothing. Take a moment ... my vest had me floating like a cork alongside my capsized canoe. (Read more)
Send tales of your adventures to the Newsletter Editor. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Northern New York Paddlers
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For more information on canoe and kayak races visit NYPRA.ORG
|
|
|
The President's Column By Ed Greiner The Paddlers celebrated Earth Day 2024 with a trash pickup. Four of us are Volunteer Stewards with the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor; Sue, Mike, Kim and myself. Our territory extends from Freeman’s Bridge to Lock E9. Among other duties, we are tasked with keeping the parks and launches along the way clear of trash and anything obstructing access to the water. We had just received our shipment of supplies and swag and were ready to go.
On Monday April 22nd, we started at the east side of the Lock 9 park. This area gets a lot of visitors and fishermen. As you can imagine, beverage containers were the most numerous items of trash. Mike had other obligations that day, so Geoff joined us. We were soon done with that park and headed down the river. Geoff told us that Kiwanis Park had been cleaned the previous day by another group, so we continued on to Gateway Landing on the ramp to SCCC. That area was a veritable garbage dump. The river was low and we couldn’t get to the water’s edge because of the mud. There was some trash in the mud, but we had enough to keep us busy on dry ground. Apparently, some kind of ceremony took place there as it does sometimes at Lock 9. There were artificial flowers scattered about and evidence of a fire. We cleaned all that up plus numerous beer and soda cans. After that it was time to move down to Freeman’s Bridge. The launch area is, technically, out of our territory but as we were there, we cleaned up what little trash we could find. Aside from a few hundred cigarette butts, there wasn’t much in the launch and parking areas. I think the presence of a trash can on site helps a lot. Around the bend on the bike path was a different story. The hill by the bridge approach had a lot of litter, probably from the cars going by uphill. We got what we could of that mess and called it a day. Altogether, we filled nine big trash bags.
Our next project will be to paddle downriver and pick up what we find in the water and on the shore. That will probably be a two-stage event.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mohawk Valley Hiking Club |
|
|
|
|
MVHC President's Column By Bill Simmons
As the newly elected President of Mohawk Valley Hiking Club, I would like to begin by sharing some of the amazing history of this club. Did you know that before SWC came into being, in 1932, Mohawk Valley Hiking Club was founded January 6, 1929. As with SWC, MVHC was the vision of Vincent Schaefer with the following objectives:
To encourage and promote, through hiking and related activities, an appreciation of the out-of-doors; woods, streams, hills and fields, mountains and wilderness, and wilderness, and the wildlife therein.
To provide an organization through which the members may share such experiences with others of like interest.
To accumulate knowledge of the resources in the Mohawk Valley and surrounding regions for hiking and related activities.
To encourage the use of the Forest Preserve in a way consistent with conservation and to oppose any action contrary thereto.
To promote the acquisition, preservation, adequate maintenance, and proper use and management of State and Federal public lands, forests, parks, wilderness and wild areas for present and future needs and to oppose any action contrary thereto.
Years later, MVHC voted to merge with SWC and the legacy continues. I’m looking forward to activities which honor this history and promotes the continuation of MVHC.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
