As of 7:00 PM on February 22, 2018 the ice jam is building just upstream from the I-87 Northway Bridges …Thaddeus Kosciuszko Bridge over the Mohawk River.  Water is over the Clutes Dry Dock Parking lot and this eastern entrance to the Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve.  The water is over the trails not too far from the Main Whipple Bridge Entrance to the Vischer Ferry Preserve.  Use caution when traveling the Byway along Riverview Road between Boyack Road west to the Hamlet of Vischer Ferry.  Don’t drive through any standing or flowing waters.

I will post and up date in the morning.

Stephanie Bandosik telling the oral histories of the Mohawk Valley.  Photo by Richard Yacco.

The name “Mohawk” comes from Algonquin-speaking neighbors (then enemies) of the Kenien’ke:ha who called them a pejorative term loosely translated to “bear people” which the Dutch misheard as Mohawk. Known for their fierceness, The Peacemaker decided to approach the Mohawk with his ideas first. In those days one did not walk into a neighboring village. You stayed at a distance and built a smokey fire. The village would send out a runner to investigate. The visitor would only enter the village after being invited. The Peacemaker, according to Mohawk history, was tested by surviving a trip or a plunge over the Cohoes Falls.

We have a Family Moonlight Ski scheduled for Thursday, January 25 at 7 PM at the main entrance to the Vischer Ferry Preserve.  Unfortunately we also have a half inch of rain predicted between now and Wednesday and not much snow following the storm as temperatures fall.  We will make a decision during the day on Wednesday whether to postpone until the next magical Thursday before the full moon.

Even though we have sufficient snow the Family Moonlight Ski scheduled for December 28 in the Vischer Ferry Preserve in cancelled due to the polar conditions.  Please go skiing during the day when it is warmer, but make sure if you go alone that you let someone know where you are and when to expect you back.

Remember the old Norse saying, “There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.”

You are cordially invited to the

Friends of the Mohawk Towpath Byway

ANNUAL HOLIDAY 

JINGLE AND MINGLE

Re-Scheduled to JANUARY 9, 2018 due to weather!

DOOR PRIZES, DESSERTS, RAFFLES

Historic Grooms Tavern

Corner of Sugar Hill Rd and Grooms Road

Our guest speaker will be Frank Berlin, retired educator and naturalist and member of the Clifton Park Open Space Committee. He will talk about beaver control, watering the canal, where the eagles came from, where our Byway visitors come from and other factoids of interest.  Need more information?

The Friends of the Mohawk Towpath Byway were on hand to tell the Byway story at the packet pick up for the Mohawk Hudson Marathon.  Here Paul Olund answers questions about the Byway and takes registrations for the Duathlon on October 15.  Have you registered for the Duathlon, yet?

Finishers!– photo by Kristen Hislop

The 15th Annual Mohawk Towpath Byway Duathlon is coming up on October 15.  Entry fees will increase between now and race day so register now.  This fun race includes a 2 mile run (or walk), a 17 mile biking leg, and a 2 mile run to the finish all from Riverview Orchards in Rexford.  All against a backdrop of beautiful fall foliage on one of our unique America’s Byways^®.

If you have already registered you must know about the clinic coming up on Sunday, Sept 24 from 2 to 5 PM at the historic Grooms Tavern.  For more information contact “hislop coaching @ gmail(dot)com.”

Volunteer!  If you would rather not do the “du” you can enjoy the fun and share the goodies by volunteering.  Contact the race director for more details or just show up at the next volunteer meeting on Tuesday, October 10, at 7 PM at historic Grooms Tavern.  Your help would be greatly appreciated

The important facet of Duathlon planning at this time is our sponsors. Our sponsors make the Duathlon a worthwhile effort for the Friends of the Byway and for the Byway Coalition as well. Sponsors so far are:

• The Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor – returning Gold sponsor…
• Stewart’s Shops – long time Silver sponsor…
• Price Chopper/Golub Foundation – returning Bronze sponsor and
• Halfmoon Family Dental – long time Bronze sponsor

We hope the following sponsors will join in as they have promised:

• Capital Region Landfils
• The Hamiltons of Acworth, GA and
• his employer G E
• Shenendehowa Rotary
• Hammer Nutrition

Still working on the possibility of:

• Brookfield Renewable Power, a long time sponsor
• and several new possibilities including a local craft brewer, a credit union, a bank, a cycling supplier, a neighborhood general store, and other partners.

If you know of someone who would like to join our prestigious team of sponsors, enjoy the recognition, and share our pride in a job well done please let us know and we will contact them.

The next meeting of the organizing committee is on Tuesday evening, August 15 at the historic Grooms Tavern.  It doesn’t seem possible that the Duathlon is just two months away!  You are welcome to join us.

Friends of the Byway clean up ready for the summer season.

Friends of the Mohawk Towpath Byway polished up the three kiosks in Clifton Park in time for the busy summer season.  For some reason these three kiosk tend to accumulate a greasy film.  We have tried a couple of techniques to minimize the dirt:

• A coating of car wax after cleaning
• An algaecide spray residue on the clean signs

Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated.

The three interpretive kiosks take less than an hour to clean including travel between the three sites, with many thanks to those who helped and the mosquitoes that kept us focused on the task at had.  It was a fun exercise for those who participated!

Use your cell phone and key in 518-649-9990.  These are stops 3, 4 and 5.  Visit the Byway today!