Prepare for Late Fall Adventures

By Rich Macha

The fall foliage season has ended and we are now in the fall “it’s beginning to feel a lot like winter” season, but there is no reason we have to curtail our outdoor activities as long as we prepare ourselves accordingly. Weatherwise, November can be all over the place, with the possibility of some warm sunny days but some brisk and breezy days are also highly likely. December weather, especially in the Adirondacks, takes a big step toward winter. So, whether you plan to hike, paddle or ski, now is the time to plan and prepare for the possibilities.

Keep in mind that fall is also hunting season. Northern Zone (basically, north of Saratoga Springs and NY Route 29), the 2021 deer hunting season has begun and lasts through Dec. 5, and Southern Zone season goes from Nov. 20 through Dec. 12. During this time, it is best to wear bright colors, preferably blaze orange – the same goes for your dog too. Note also that snowmobiles are not allowed on state land until these hunting seasons are over.

You should avoid wearing cotton clothing whenever perspiration or any other kind of water is involved since cotton has no insulative properties when wet and consequently it can suck the heat right out of you. Dressing in layers gives you the ability to minimize sweating and regulate your body heat. Gaiters keep snow and debris from entering your boots, plus they keep the legs of your pants from getting wet. I seldom go out without at least four pairs of gloves and mittens – they can be mixed and matched to keep my fingers warm and I will have some backups if a pair gets wet.

There are several items that should be in your pack year-round, often referred to as the “10 Essentials” – a whistle, map, compass, water, food/snacks, extra socks and warm clothing, rain/wind gear, headlamp plus extra batteries, first aid kit, knife (utility tool or Swiss Army have useful extras), toilet paper, a zip bag for trash (including used toilet paper), space blanket, fire-starting kit, and some duct tape for repairs in the field (I also bring some wire and a couple of hose clamps). A GPS can be beneficial but you should still bring a paper map and compass.  Cellphones can be helpful in an emergency but service is spotty in the backcountry and batteries do run down, so a phone should not be depended upon as a substitute for poor planning and preparation. Until things change, bring some hand sanitizer and a mask to wear whenever you can’t maintain a good distance from others.

A vacuum flask of hot chocolate or tea can be just the ticket with lunch in cool weather. When you stop for a break, you will be more comfortable if you throw on some warmer clothing before you get cold – don’t wait until you are cold before doing so. Chemical hand and toe warmers are inexpensive and come in handy to warm up the extremities – most will last for six or more hours – that’s cheap insurance. Bring an insulated pad to sit on during breaks.

Newly-fallen leaves or snow can obscure the foot tread on trails and make the way less obvious – you need to pay more overall attention en route. The leaves can also be slippery, especially when wet. Hiking poles are recommended for stability, plus they will help save your knees in the long term, especially when going downhill. If temperatures have recently dropped below freezing, ice could have formed in the trail, so the use of trail crampons, not quite as aggressive as full-on ice crampons – and often referred to as microspikes these days – are highly recommended for those times. Kahtoola MICROspikes started this trend, Hillsound Trail Crampons have become favorites of many High Peaks hikers, and Black Diamond has also come forth with some offerings in this vein.

The better informed you are, the better the experience. Check guidebooks for route descriptions and what to look out for before you head out. For the price of a restaurant dinner, a guidebook, written by someone who has done more research on the subject than most anyone, provides a great long-term investment – and still outdoes most everything you can find online. For the Adirondacks, there are two series of guidebooks: the ‘Discover the Adirondacks’ series by Bill Ingersoll and the series by the Adirondack Mountain Club. Both are great for hiking information, but the Discover books do add more off-trail and paddling destinations. The NYSDEC website is the best online resource for what to bring and for the rules and regulations that pertain to the area you plan to visit. Backcountry conditions for the Adirondacks: dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7865.html. Backcountry conditions for the Catskills: dec.ny.gov/outdoor/108207.html. These websites are updated by Thursday evening on a weekly basis. According to a recent survey, the alltrails.com website and app have become the most popular source of info for many Adirondack hikers these days but I find it often has errors and lacks detail, so I tend to think of it as a supplementary source rather than a primary source of information.

Check your gear for wear and tear before leaving the house. Look over your boots to make sure the soles are not delaminating, check the straps on your snowshoes, and look over your skis for any weaknesses. You certainly don’t want to be five miles out and have something break on you.

Late fall can still be attractive to some paddlers but I only recommend it for those who have advanced self and assisted rescue skills, a good comprehension of cold water survival, and to those who wear a dry or wet suit. I have a thinking process which I call “Three Good Reasons” that I go through before deciding to paddle: if I can think of three good reasons not to paddle, then I should do something land-based. For example, I once went to Cedar River Flow in early December and started out from Wakely Dam in my solo canoe. When I got out into the main part of the flow the wind was blowing fairly hard and was not making things easy. The water was very cold, I was paddling by myself, and the wind was a problem: three good reasons not to continue, so I turned around and went for a hike instead.

It’s not a good thing to spend too much time on your butt so do your homework, assemble the proper gear and clothing, and get out and enjoy some fresh air.

A lover of wild places, Rich Macha has led many trips for the Adirondack Mountain Club, and has spent 20 years in the paddlesport/snowsport business. More of Rich’s adventures can be found at northeastwild.blogspot.com.