Champlain Hudson guide
• Tuesday, August 25, 2009 - Scope
| The scope of the Champlain-Hudson waterway and its broad valleys is, ingeneral, defined by the watershed feeding the lake and the river.We coverprimarily the counties with riverfront, from the Canadian border to theTappan Zee Bridge. Because the valleys are bounded by mountains throughout most of their length, we frequently write about places andactivities on their slopes.There are a number of reasons for writing about the two linked valleystogether. One is that it has seldom been done, though there are plenty oftravel guides to individual regions like the Adirondacks, the Catskills, orthe Hudson Valley from Albany southward. Another is the fact that LakeChamplain and theHudson River have been linked historically as a waterhighway – and that was the only kind available – by Native American tribes, then by Europeans once they got into the region. The rich heritageof the valleys cannot be fully understood without reference to the water-way that connects them, a realization that has led to the creation of anumber of historical and recreational trails in recent years. And, finallythere is just somuch to do in the valleys and themountains that surround them. |
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• Sunday, July 19, 2009 - Climate
| The climate along the Champlain-Hudson corridor is a wel-come four-season kaleidoscope. Spring, with all of its blossoming and renewal, is often late and short, but beautiful.Wildflowers in spring delight walkers, and gardens bloom allsummer. The growing season continues from early spring through latefall and the “brown” period does not begin until November. Summer canbe hot, but not as humid as in seacoast regions or the southern part of thecountry. Hiking, walking, strolling and visiting are then in full swing, butthis area is not as crowded as other summer locations, and much of it iswoods or untouched wilderness, with little habitation. You can be alone asyou head out into the mountains that line the valleys. Fall is magical,with the change of color from green to yellow, orange and red, especiallyamong stands of hardwoods, and the moderately brisk temperatures aregreat for hiking. Winter can be crisp and clear, but not usually as cold ason the northern plains, and the region’s snow sports attract people fromall over the East. Storms may come and go but roads are plowed and sanded promptly. |
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• Friday, May 8, 2009 - The Champlain-Hudso Waterway
Until late in the 19th century the Champlain-Hudson waterway, the
north-south passage through the valleys of Lake Champlain and theHud-
son River, was the principal means of transportation and shipping
between the Canadian border and the ocean port of New York. Originally,
a gap in themiddle required portages – either into and out of Lake George
or directly from Whitehall to the Hudson. That gap was permanently
closed during the canal-building era in the early 19th century, when the
Champlain Canal connected Whitehall with the Hudson; the navigable
status of the waterway was completed by the Richelieu Canal connect-
ing the northern outlet of Lake Champlain with the St. Lawrence River.
Though commerce shifted to railroad and road transportation, the com-
pleted waterway remains, now as a resource for recreation High in the Adirondacks, Lake Tear of the Clouds on the southwestern
slope of Mount Marcy spawns a trickle that eventually turns into th
Hudson. Feldspar Brook is the outlet, flowing into the Opalescen
River or main branch of the Hudson. It continues south, receiving wate
from several branches, past North River, Riparius, Stony Creek, Luzern
and on to the damand falls atGlens Falls. The distance is 115miles from
Lake Tear of the Clouds to Glens Falls, via the Hudson River, which fo
many years was the major artery of the logging industry. The waterwa
bounces along over rapids through Hudson Falls and Fort Edward, meet
ing the Champlain Canal and continuing on to Troy. The river below th
last dam becomes tidewater, clearly brackish just north of Poughkeepsi
and salty near Newburgh.Just as important as the waterway itself was the development of the
broad valleys that surround it – full of arable land and opportune sites for
towns and cities. The Champlain Valley and the Hudson River Valley are essentially one huge slot between the mountain ranges that define their
boundaries. The Champlain Valley is bordered on the west by the
Adirondacks and on the east by the Green Mountains.
As the Hudson River flows southward, the Berkshire Mountains lie to
the east and the Catskills to the west. Farther downstream, the Taconic
Range runs parallel to the river on the east and the Shawangunk
Mountains on the west. The river cuts through the Appalachian chain
at Hudson Highlands, then broadens as it nears the New York Bay and
the Atlantic. |
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