WE ARE MOVING TO A NEW LOCATION

We are expanding and trying to improve not only our content but our presentation as well. Thank you for following us. Please continue to follow us at http://nyweekendwarrior.wordpress.com/

Mosquito Defense

So I imagine we've all had agitating experiences with mosquitoes. Most of the time you may not even know they're around until you're scratching at a bite or two that is just driving you mad! While these pestering pests can be a complete downer to any outdoor activity, they are also potentially dangerous.
Here are some interesting, or rather, terrifying facts:
10% of the 2000 species live in North America (why were any additional number of species of mosquitoes is quite beyond my comprehension) and they breed and reproduce in humid, damp environments where any stagnant body of water becomes a breeding ground for them. Mosquitoes even have a common range of one to three miles but have been documented to range up to seven miles and beyond! Forget redbull red blood gives these suckers (no pun intended) wings for sure! Generally they come out around dawn and dusk and depending on their location they can carry several diseases.
Diseases:
West Nile Virus (North America)
Malaria (around the world primarily in Central and South America, Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and the South Pacific)
Dengue Fever (the tropics)
Yellow Fever (South America and Africa)
Heartworm (affects household pets)
OK so after all that information I'm pretty psyched about terminating or just avoiding the blood suckers altogether! Talk about True Blood (no I don't watch the show I joke I joke I kid I kid)! Well luckily there are different preventive measures that may be taken to mosquito bites. For one and I've always heard this is to wear long sleeve clothing that will cover most of your body's surface. I know, not your typical choice in hot and humid weather where the point is to wear short sleeves because your so hot and uncomfortable already and this is the type of weather they exist in the first place! So for me that negates that option in most situations where i'm likely to encounter mosquitoes. So what else can you do you may ask? Well that can also depend on what outdoor activity you are partaking and where.
If at home in your yard, the first thing is to keep the area clear of mosquito breeding grounds. Make sure to clean and dump anything that may contain stagnant water build up from rain or that garden hose. Dump any water that may reside in buckets, toys or other objects. If you have any small ponds or fountains you may consider using mosquito eating fish such as Koi. There are also pricier mosquitor traps that prevent up to an acer (although be advised these will cost up to several hundred dollars).
My personal opinion on the best deterrent, whether at home or on the trail is mosquito or insect repellant. Now let it be said that this is my opinion and not all insect/mosquito repellants perfom as desired. After much research and experience I have come to find that the best repellants contain 50% or more of a very strong chemical oil. It was developed by the United States Army following the experience of campaigns in jungle warfare during World War II. Now this chemical should be used with care as it is strong enough to melt plastic (so keep any plastic items away when applying to the body). As with a lot of chemicals and medicine there are always some cases of illness so if you have allergies or sensitive skin I would recommend consulting a physician before use. I personally use the 95% deet Off brand spray (as shown below) but any repellent containing deet will do the trick.
There is also a large variety of mosquito netting that one can use to keep the annoying insects off your back while in the backwoods as I've provided some pictures below for your viewing pleasure. So be safe and protect yourself from sickness as well as irritating bites and discomfort.

What do you do if stalked by a Catamount

I just finished reading a short article from Backpacker Magazine regarding being stalked by a cougar. Well the first thing mentioned is that there is not much you can do to be proactive against an attack. Very comforting. This, however, is because mountain lions attack by surprise. They stalk, sneak up and pounce on unsuspecting prey. And unless you have superhuman senses you most likely will not see a mountain lion that is stalking you until it is too late. Now if you do happen to see a cougar, rare but sightings do occur, give the animal space, do not run. If you do see cubs in the area move as slowly as possible to give as much distance between you and the animals, mother cougars will attack a full grown grizzly bear to protect their young, I've even seen videos of mountain lions chasing away grown grizzlies when cougar cubs are present. Now, at this point the information may just seem more and more grim and haven't the slightest chance of surviving an encounter with a mountain lion, this is not so. Biologist Rick Hopkins states "If cougars saw people as food, there'd be hundreds of attacks a year instead of one or two. Don't act like prey and you won't be a victim." Basically man has lived in mountain lion territory for eons and as Rick Hopkins says don't act like prey and you won't be a victim. Act brave and fight back if necessary. I read a few months back how a young and possible sickly mountain lion came in to a camp grounds area in Texas and attacked a six year old boy, the father was able to save his child by fighting it off with a pocket knife, not a crocodile Dundee knife. Bear spray or sticks can also do the trick. Also waving your arms, appearing large and fearless, throwing sticks and stones may also detur a mountain lion as they are not usually agressive and are mostly looking for easy prey. Now I live in NY so not much chance of me needing this info around here (however, a few months ago a mountain lion was killed in Conneticut, not far from NYC), I do plan on exploring the Mid West, Southern desert States and the West Coast so I will take note. Enjoy and be safe!!!

Palisades Hike to Cliffdale Manor Ruins

Today I was able to take my family on a short hiking trip on the Palisades right outside of the city. It was a beautiful day and a bit warm but the summer foliage was able to keep the heat of the sun off of our backs.
First we parked at the Alpine Lookout Parking area:

The trail that we took starts just north of the lookout and the lot:

Opening up into a nice wooded area and trail. Remember to bear left (or just keep straight) as the right side trail leads to a dead end, at least in the summer.

There are a few good look out points along the trail but other than those there are not many views to take in other than woodlands until, as we were pleasantly surprised, you reach the Cliffdale Manor ruins.

This was actually a pretty cool find. We were stumped as to what we had stumbled upon, thinking they may be some old military fort and barracks with perhaps a prison. We found more subterranean passages below the actual basement line (I found out later researching online) which my pictures mostly show.
As it turns out the ruins were a mansion built in 1911, just over a hundred years now. It was the summer home of one of Bergen County's wealthiest,  George Zabriskie. You can find out more about the mansion and it's history on this gentleman's blog (which is were I found my info) http://www.scoutingny.com/?p=3708

In it's hay day the Cliffdale Manor looked like this:

We ended the hike after finding a little trail that ran off the main trail leading to the cliffs of the Palisades here:

We then hiked back another mile to the Alpine lookout taking in some more trail sites.

Happy trails everyone~!!! And remember it's the weekend, get outside!

Hiking & Camping Alone

This is an activity often frowned upon. People generally say that it is just too unnecessarily risky. To an extent they may be right. But let's remember man (and woman) have been braving the wild alone since the beginning of time. This is also something that I love to do. It thrills me and just gives me a tremendous peace and allows me to appreciate God's beautiful world on a different level. It gives me alone time and allows me to reflect and think. Don't get me wrong at times it can be a little nerve racking and even scary (nothing like sleeping alone in the deep woods at night and hearing the animals move around you and not know what they are). However, nothing gives me a feeling of pride and self achievement than exploring the wild alone....and surviving of course. I'm not the only one who feels this way. Many people feel the same way and part take in exploring alone. But please understand, there is a right and safe way to do everything. Always remember to let someone know where you are going. I don't know if anyone else saw 127 hours but if I'm not convincing enough that movie may just dissuade you from hiking alone altogether, and for some people that may be a good thing. Be prepared, make sure you have appropriate gear and are in relatively good shape comparative to the type of trail you will be taking. Below is a link to a good article on hiking and camping alone. If seriously desiring to do this, I recommend that you read this article.

http://suite101.com/article/solo-backpacking-and-hiking-on-long-trails-a102177

Do you like exploring alone?

Bear Cans, Boxes & Bags

When camping we all should take bears and protecting ourselves from them. The best way to do that is by storing them in a bear can or as some parks may have a bear box which is like a locker in the woods for your food. However, when hiking a bear can can be heavy and bulky. Bear bags are light but a bear can always chew right through it. Personally I don't see why you can't just string the bag up high between two trees at least 100 ft feom your camp. Either way garbage and food needs to be secured where a bear can't reach it and far enough from your camp. Keep in mind that neither the bear bag, can nor the box are odorless despite any advertisement to the contrary. See this website below on the subject for more information.

http://www.ultralightbackpacker.com/bear-cans.html

The North Face Pheonix 3

Great ultra light tent that fits up to 3 adults. No rain fly and still waterproof. Check out the full review at Backpacker Magazine's website below:


http://www.backpacker.com/may-2012-gear-review-the-north-face-phoenix-3-tent/gear/16642