April 18, 2013
So spring is pretty much here, you can smell the leaves decomposing, the pollen in the air, the warmer rays of the sun on your cheeks and the song birds are finally back outside my window. Spring is a time where life comes back to those things that have been sleeping. The black bears shake off their cramped muscles and crawl out of their den, some with cubs, to introduce them to life on the outside. The grass in your yard starts to get greener with every passing rain. The dozens of species of wildflowers that so delicately add color to our life of brown and solitude are pushing their way up through the mineral soil. Those pesky lady bugs and house flies you thought were dead trapped in your windows are once again pesky. The blackflies you love to hate so much while hiking in the High Peaks are spawning a new generation of soldiers. Then finally, but surely not the last thing, the water that was once still is flowing and seeping in, producing some of the finest mud the world has ever seen.

Lady Slippers, a Spring Favorite

With all that being said, you should keep a few other things in mind before you head out this spring. It's time to break out that sunscreen that you so carefully packed away for winter – not sure why, the sun shines in winter as well, you are just much less apt to see it. Be sure to check the expiration on your sunscreen, because if you are like me, we will have some in the back of the cabinet with dates from 20th century. Expired sunscreen does loose its effectiveness as it becomes watery, it will still work, and it just may need to be applied much more often than a fresh batch. Oh, be very careful and not do what I did and grab intensifier by accident and coat yourself in sun attracting lubricant.

Insect repellant or "bug dope" as some refer to it as, is a must for spring and early summer, but what kind should you buy? Well, that all depends on how much blood you want to donate to the local mosquito population. Some work better than others and that is not typically because one brand is more effective. A person's body chemistry works with or against the repellant, kind of like cologne. Think of bug repellant as a cologne, but working in the opposite fashion. Rather than wanting to attract the opposite sex you want to repel it. So, what you want is a repellant that works with your chemistry to make you smell bad to the native insect population. With that being said, DO NOT wear cologne in the back-county, this is an attractant to insects and may produce a cloud of them around you for the day. Feel free to try household remedies like Skin So Soft or eating a family's supply of garlic, this works for some people. There are other types that are all natural, lemon-eucalyptus – which I find works great. Most of the natural types need to be applied more often. The repellants with deet work great, but should not be used on children, unless you want them to grow up with super-human powers (not true). Deet is a chemical that can irritate a child's developing skin and eyes – as they get older you can start to introduce small amounts of deet based repellant if you wish.

Mud is good for you, it helps you get over the fact that you cannot be clean all the time, it soothes minor burns, it soothes the itch of stinging nettles, it coats pine pitch on your hands so it's not sticky anymore. In all actuality, people pay for mud baths. It makes your skin glow and eventually more supple, I guess, never tried it, but I have to admit my lower leg is quite shinny. There isn't much you can do about mud, but it is recommended and requested that you stay off heavy use trails in the High Peaks for a while and focus on less used and lower elevation trails. You could invest in a pair of gaiters; they work well for mud as well as snow. One thing we all ask, is that if you are on a muddy trail, go through it. It's essentially a liquid mud-shake that will close back up. The erosion of walking through it is much less than that when one walks around it and widens the trail. Essentially, don't worry about it, it can't hurt you and it washes off. Heck, if a local eatery won't turn you away due to a bit of browning, it can't be all that bad.

A Very Wet Section of the Bradley Pond Trail

Now let's talk about black bears. I know it's a touchy subject with people and I'm not going to preach the good word about how you should or shouldn't be afraid of the dark. The choice on your conformability is yours. What I want to talk about is bear interaction while camping, because the fact is, if you see one while hiking, consider yourself lucky. Bears are just as cautious about humans as humans are about them. DON'T FEED THE BEARS-PERIOD!!! This goes for intentional and unintentional. Bears are not your friend; you can't pet them, wrestle with them or take your picture with them. They live out there; you are a visitor in their backyard, a stranger in their eyes, not so much a predator or a meal but an oddity. Things to keep in mind while camping; black bears are very intelligent, they can climb trees, they have more scent glands than many animals and can pick up scents for miles away, they love to eat, they are very strong and so much more. While camping in the Eastern High Peaks, bear resistant canisters are required by law. Bear bags are not effective enough as a deterrent and since the implementation of the law, bear interaction in high population areas has decreased. Cook and clean 150-200 feet from your camping area. Stash your bear canister 150-200 away from camp in a depression away from water. Don't hang or leash you canister, this will only give the bear a handle to carry it with. The canisters are not scent proof, but big enough where a bear cannot successfully open it or carry it-they might kick it around a bit, but will give up after a while.

Your Typical Black Bear

All in all, have a great spring hiking season, I could probably go on and on and I might a bit more later – but for now happy and safe hiking. If you need some ideas on some great places to stay or great food, maybe a bit of night life, or you need a guide to lead you someplace awesome – Lake Placid has it all.

Lady Slippers, a Spring Favorite
A Very Wet Section of the Bradley Pond Trail
Your Typical Black Bear

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