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SPRING 2019 VOLUME 34 NUMBER 1A M A G A Z I N E F O R K A A T S K I L L L I V I N GA M A G A Z I N E F O R K A A T S K I L L L I V I N GSPRING 2019 VOLUME 34 NUMBER 1©
D E PA R T M E N T S2 AREA MAP4 360 DEGREES10 KAATSKILL TREES PRESERVING THE PAST by Ryan Trapani12 KAATSKILL TREES INTERIOR OPTIONS by Ryan Trapani20 KAATSKILL DINING/LODGINGS HOTEL DYLAN AND SANTA FE WOODSTOCK: PEACE, LOVE AND FRESH FOOD by Rebecca Andre28 KAATSKILL GEOLOGIST ICE AGE TRAIN WRECKS by Robert and Johanna TitusBOOKS IN REVIEW27 TERRORIST SCHEMERS IN THE CATSKILLS CUT AND COVER: A THRILLER by Kevin Hurley, reviewed by John Rowen37 CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITY CREATING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES: LESSONS FROM THE HUDSON RIVER REGION. by Rik Scarce, reviewed by John RowenTOCOSPRING 2019 VOLUME 34 NUMBER 1F E A T U R E S16 THE WOHLLEBEN MYSTERIES OF NATURE TRILOGY: UNLOCKING MOTHER NATURE’S SECRET INTERCONNECTIVITY by Lawrence C. Swayne, MD
CONSULTANT:Nina A.M. Lawford-JuvilerPUBLISHER AND EDITOR: Donald F.Bishop, IIFAX #: 607-746-3135CONTRIBUTORS: Peter Senterman, Robert Titus, Johanna Titus, Michael Kudish,Justin Askins, John Rowen, Ryan Trapani,Larry Gambon, Lawrence C. Swayne,Lillian Browne, Rebecca Andre, LaVerneBlack, Francis X. Driscoll ART DIRECTOR/LAYOUT:John Stys and Cathy RolosonPHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR:Donald F. Bishop, IICOPY EDITOR:Bertha K. RogersCALENDAR OF EVENTS & WEB MASTER:Cathy RolosonFAX #: 607-746-3135SUBSCRIPTIONS: Cathy RolosonBOOKKEEPER: Sherri TelianPUBLISHER: The Delaware County Times, Inc.web site: www.kaatslife.com e-mail: info@kaatslife.comDigital Subscriptions $20. To get yourKaatskill Life digital subscription: Visitwww.kaatslife.com and click on button for sub-scriptions. You can pay with PayPal or you cansend a check or money order to: Kaatskill Life,56 Main Street, Delhi, NY 13753Please be sure to include your name, address,phone number and email so we can processyour order.Back issues of Kaatskill Life available at$10 each ppd. Write your name and fullstreet address or call 607-746-2176.Allow 6-8 weeks for processing.Kaatskill Life, established in 1986, is pub-lished four times yearly by The DelawareCounty Times, Inc., Delhi, NY. Editorial andsales office located at 56 Main Street, Delhi,NY 13753; phone 607-746-2176, FAX607-746-3135. Copyright 2019 by TheDelaware County Times, Inc. All rightsreserved. No part of this publication may bereprinted or reproduced without the writtenpermission of the publisher. Kaatskill Life can-not be responsible for unsolicited manuscripts,drawings, photographs or transparencies.PLEASE ALLOW 2 TO 8 WEEKS for responsesto submitted material. ISSN 1073-9076.front cover: Lawrence C. Swayne, MDinside front cover: Francis X. Driscollinside back cover: Lawrence C. Swayne, MDback cover: Lawrence C. Swayne, MD➺NDELAWARERIVERSULLIVANULSTEROTSEGOI-88GREENE1797172091452810102828233030422323Rt. 209W21323-AHUDSONRIVER2Kaatskill Life reserves the right to accept or rejectall submissions, advertising or editorial, and toedit manuscripts for length, clarity and style. Weaccept original manuscripts double-spaced andclean-typed without corrections or insertions.FAXES AND COLUMN FORMATS NOT ACCEPTED.DELAWARENY STATE THRUWAY (87)23I-8810SCHOHARIELocations are approximate.149206• ICE AGE TRAIN WRECKS GRAND GORGE• INTERIOR OPTIONS CATSKILL MTNS• PRESERVING THE PAST CATSKILL MTNS• HOTEL DYLAN AND SANTA FE WOODSTOCK WOODSTOCK• THE WOHLLEBEN MYSTERIES OF NATURE TRILOGY21497Francis X. Driscoll
360 DegreesFree Family SaturdayJune 15. Take a kid-focused guid-ed t ou r of t he M ill ’ s h i st o ri cwater-powered sawmill, gristmilland woodworking shop, and seehow water powers the mill andits century-old machines.Up to two adults will beadmitted free of charge whenaccompanied by a child(preschool through high school.)Children aged 13-18 will beadmitted free of charge as well.Children 12 and under alwaysreceive free admission to the Museum.Site open until 5 pm. Hanford MillsMuseum, East Meredith www.hanfordmills.orgTROUT TALES - A MYTHIC CATSKILL WEEKENDAPRIL 26-29;. Whether you’re a beginnerlooking to find out more about fly fishingCatskill streams, or you’re one of the“charmed circle” of fly fishermen,join Spillian for Trout Tales, theirfifth annual celebration of allthings trout.A superb opportunity to divede e p i n to t he str eam s an dfo r es t s o f the C at s ki l ls, i tsevocative stories, and its extra-ordinary cuisine, with lodgingat the historic Spillian estate, andthe event that birthed a regionalcelebration of fly-fishing, CatskillsTrout Tales.Wander the streams with one of theCatskills’ best fly fishing guides, celebratelocal flavor, and in the spirit of the 19thCentury fishing lodges, gather on Saturday evening forthe now-famous trout feast and story telling contest.Competition is brilliant and fierce, with the best tall fish-ing tales you’ll hear (or tell!) anywhere. Winner getsbragging rights for a year, and the chance to display thehighly-coveted silly porcelain trout at your home orworkplace, with the promise to come back to defend yourtitle the next round...Trout Tales at Spillian. It’s mythic.Local. Real. Spillian, 50 Fleischmanns Heights Rd, Arkville.Tap New York Craft Beer & Food FestivalWe’re not talking about big-corporation beer thatcomes out of huge vats in a 300,000 sq. ft. productionplant. We’re talking about hand-made beer...not beer thatis rushed through the brewing process to get it on theshelf as quickly as possible, but beer with enough person-ality and genuine taste to be called “craft-brewed”. This isbeer made with pride by people who truely enjoy a quali-ty, flavorful beer.Many of the invited brewers produce their beer for saleonly in their location...whether it is a restaurant, a brew-pub or a small brewery. Others are breweries largeenough to distribute on a larger scale, but maintain anexcellent quality through their commitment to hands-on,craft-brewing their product. You won’t find Budweiser,Coors, or Miller products here. What you will find are4DELAWARECOUNTYGREENECOUNTY
5some truly remarkable beers that will tantalize your tastebuds...beers that offer a variety of color and flavor thatthe big brewers don’t do. You’ll find everything from paleales and pilseners, to weisbiers, porters, stouts, and scotchales; from hearty Bohemian and Bavarian-style lagers toglorious Belgian-style ales and much more.But Tap New York Craft Beer & Food Festival is morethan just about the beer. It’s about great food tastymorsels that carefully complement these rich brews. Andplenty of it.It’s about education...about beer, about home-brewing,about beer/food pairings...it’s about cooking demonstra-tions from some of the best chefs in the region...and it’sabout good friends coming together for a weekend ofgood beer, good food and good times.Tap New York Craft Beer & Food Festival is also a com-petition. Beer experts and guest judges will judge in acompetition for the “Best Beer” and “Best Brewery” inNew York State. Three cups are awarded, the MatthewVassar Brewers’ Cup™, the F. X. Matt Memorial Cup™and the Governors’ Brewers Cup™. April 27 & 28 HunterMountain 64 Klein Avenue, Hunter, www.tap-ny.com/518-263-4223Rip Van Winkle Wine, Brew and Beverage FestivalThe Fortnightly Club of Catskill hosts its 13th AnnualRip Van Winkle Wine Brew & Beverages Festival for itsSpring Fundraiser at the Historic Catskill Point, a spectac-ular venue located directly on the Hudson River at the endof Main Street. Guests will have an opportunity to tastewine, brews, distilled spirits and a variety of local cheeses.To further tempt the palette, patrons will have the oppor-tunity to purchase chocolates, jams, baked goods, andother tasty items from a varity of vendors. Music andentertainment is provided the entire day. Held rain orshine. May 11, 11:30 AM – 5:00. 1 Main Street Catskill.Earth FestivalApril 13, Earth Festival is an environmentally focused,interactive event featuring exhibits, workshops, vendors,food and entertainment, all with a fun, earth-friendlytwist. The first Earth Festival was held in 2006 as an eventfor the environmental community to work together toprovide a showcase event to help keep Otsego County citi-zens informed about environmental activities that are tak-ing place in our region and as an avenue for increasedinvolvement. It continues to bring together a great mix ofpeople – exhibitors, vendors, sponsors, presenters, enter-tainers and volunteers!Would you like to be an exhibitor or vendor at EarthFestival, or donate to help support this event? ContactLeslie Orzetti, Executive Director, at (607) 547-4488ordirector@occainfo.org.Vendors and Exhibitors - OCCA Recycling Committee,OCCA Citizen Science Stream Monitors, Delaware-OtsegoAudubon Society, Otsego 2000, Mohican Farm, TheOtsego Lake Association, Dave Brandt Chapter of TroutUnlimited, Lori Henry, Casella Resource Solutions, RecycleOTSEGOCOUNTY360 Degrees
360 DegreesBetter, CCE Otsego County Master Gardeners, CooperstownLiving Waters Mission, Country Pride Cheese House,Otsego County Soil & Water Conservation District, TickledPink BBQ, Otsego ReUse Center, Otsego Land Trust,Mohawk Valley Community Energy Engagement Program ,Heat Smart Otsego, Mohican Farm, Delaware River Solar,CBE Used Blues, Ariginal Art, Gilson’s Native AmericanCrafts, Otsego Northern Catskill BOCES, Intelligent GreenSolutions, Origins Cafe, Carefree Gardens, Ruby Lake Glass,Susquehanna Chapter Adirondack Club, Carpe Diem Baits,Milford Central School.Easter Bunny Rides The Rails On Cooperstown &Charlotte Valley RailroadThe Leatherstocking Railway Historical Society (LRHS)and the Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley Railroad will beoffering fun filled train rides with the Easter Bunny andfriends on Saturdays and Sundays, April 13, 14 & 20,2019 at 1:00PM. Our Easter Bunny Express Trains alldepart from the Milford Depot on NYS Route 166 (136East Main Street) in Milford, NY, located 8 miles south ofCooperstown, for a two hour train ride. The Easter Bunnyand friends will be on the train entertaining passengers,and complementary snacks and refreshments will beavailable on board for all to enjoy, with additional snacksavailable for sale.At the Railroad’s beautifully decorated O’Neill Stationwe will disembark passengers for an Easter Egg Huntbefore returning to Milford. On the return trip to Milfordwe will host our Easter Egg Roll Game in our Open AirCar with all children participating receiving a treat. Andthroughout the ride there will be plenty of opportunitiesfor photographs with the Easter Bunny and his friends.Fun for the entire family!Trains will be heated if the weather warrants it, butpassengers are advised to dress warmly depending onconditions.Tickets are $21 for adults, $20 for seniors, $18 for chil-dren (ages 3-12), & children under the age of three ridefree! A $1 off discount rate is available for groups of 10 ormore paying passengers purchasing all tickets at once.Seating is limited and reservations and prepayment arerequired; for more information or to make reservations,call the LRHS at(60 7) 432-2429Cooperstown andCharlotte Valley Railroad, 136 East Main Street. For indi-viduals using a navigation system please use 136 Rt 166,Milford, www.lrhs.com6
360 DegreesEarly Technology Day at the Iroquois Indian MuseumApril 13 & 14:Visitors can watch and participate in theprocess of flint knapping (the ancient art of makingchipped stone tools), fire making, cordage making, atlatlspear throwing and early archery. There will be displaysof projectile points, tools, and local archaeological findsfrom the Museum’s archaeology department. Thinkyou’ve found an artifact? Please bring it with you and theMuseum’s experts will be glad to try to identify it for you.32 4 Ca v er n s R o ad H ow e s Ca ve , NY 1 20 9 2http://www.iroquoismuseum.orgSULLIVANCOUNTY our purcha YYour purchase of a Blenheim Bridge t-shirt ase of a Blenheim Bridge t t-shirt with reconst our purcha YYour purchase of a Blenheim Bridge t-shirtwith reconst truction of the bridge park area. ase of a Blenheim Bridge t truction of the bridge park area. k area. t shirt k area. SCHOHARIECOUNTY7April 27:Celebrating all things Maple! Enjoy Pancakesin the Park alongside the Callicoon Creek starting at 8am. 5K Sap Run starts at 9am with day of registrationand packet pick-up starting at 7am. Live music, vendors,dem o n s t r ati o n s & k ids a cti v i t i e s f r o m 1 1 - 4pm . Come visit our local maple syrup producers and theirproducts and our unique vendors. Visit our website formor e i nfo a n d u p da t es on th e f es t iva l a t www.jeffersonvilleny.com/maplesyrupfestival. 10:00 am -4:00 pm. http://www.jeffersonvilleny.com/10th Annual Trout ParadeThe 10th Annual Trout Parade is dedicated to the mem-ory of Barry Foster, who as emcee for eight years infusedthe parade with all the energy and humor to keep it goingon its wiggling way. Barry passed away this year on April19, but his spirit is such to keep the Trout Parade going fora long time to come.The Trout Parade will step-off promptly at 1:00 p.m., ledby the honorary “Sturgeon General” and featuring a widevariety of music, entertainment and floats representinglocal businesses, organizations and performance groupsfrom this area and beyond. Look for pre-parade entertain-ment to include stilt-walkers from the NaCl Theatre, per-formers from Catskill Puppet Theatre, face painting by MissSunshine, and much more. Throughout the festivities,Wilkes and Bernard Photography will provide professionalinstant portraits of you and your family at the CAS ArtsCenter at 48 Main Street, with proceeds to benefit CAS.We hope you’ll join in the fun. There is no cost to par-ticipate and hundreds come to see the Trout Parade eachyear. It’s also in support of a good cause. Don’t let thisparade pass you by!Catskill Art Society is producing this year’s Trout Paradein partnership with the Livingston Manor Chamber ofCommerce, and with support from businesses and individu-als from around the community. Proceeds from the paradewill benefit the Arts and Music programs at the LivingstonManor Central School, and the Catskill Art Society.To celebrate the milestone of the Trout Parade’s 10thAnniversary, the CAS Arts Center is assembling a specialexhibit to showcase the event’s history and celebrate thejoy of fishing. CAS is seeking artwork and artifacts featur-ing fish to represent this central part of our community’sidentity. This exhibit will be on display for one week
8360 Degreesthrough this year’s Trout Parade, and participants are wel-come to “borrow” their work to use in the Parade!All original artwork, photographs, historical artifacts,and unique fishing paraphernalia is welcome for submis-sion.There is no fee to submit work. All pieces should bedelivered ready to hang or display by Tuesday, May 28.Please include a brief note outlining the work’s origin anddescription, as well as its title and artist’s name if known.Individuals and groups that would like to dress in cos-tume, decorate a bicycle, design a float, dance down MainStreet, show off classic cars, make some music, or presenta performance are welcome to participate in the TroutParade. Your presentation can be as simple or elaborate asyou want it to be.For more information and details on how to participatein the 2013 Trout Parade or become a sponsor, please con-ta c t t he Ca tsk i ll Ar t Soci ety at 84 5- 4 36 - 422 7 orinfo@catskillartsociety.org. You can also find the TroutParade on Facebook at www.facebook.com/troutparade.Rock The Ridge 50-Mile Endurance ChallengeMAY 4, Rock The Ridge is a 50-mile endurance chal-lenge and environmental fundraiser set in the naturalbeauty of Mohonk Preserve, a vast, nonprofit nature pre-serve situated in the mid-Hudson Valley of New York State.The goal is to traverse a 50-mile course within 24 hoursby walking, running, or any combination thereof. Thecourse winds along well-maintained carriage roads,through lush forests and over ridgelines with magnificentvistas. The Nature Conservancy has described this area as“one of Earth’s last great places.Covering 50 miles in one stretch is a major achieve-ment. But you don’t have to be a marathon runner.The 24-hour time limit accommodates people with awide range of abilities, including walkers and hikers, aswell as joggers, runners, and ultramarathoners. We’vehosted elite athletes as well as first-time 50-milers andrelay teams that walked the entire distance. Whether youwalk, run, or do a mixture of both, Rock The Ridge will bean accomplishment that you’ll be proud of for a long time!Rock The Ridge is a fundraiser.Rock The Ridge supports a great cause: preserving over8,000 acres of the Shawangunk Mountains region. Wesalute all Ridge Rockers, who since 2013 have collectivelyraised nearly $700,000 to support Mohonk Preserve and ouraward-winning conservation science, environmental educa-tion, and land protection and stewardship programs.Primary parking for all Rock The Ridge participantswill be at the Ulster County Fairgrounds on LibertyvilleRoad in New Paltz, approximately two miles from the racestart. A shuttle service will run between the main parkinglot and the race Start/Finish area.Ulster County Fairgrounds - 249 Libertyville Rd, NewPaltz www.mohonkpreserve.org/rock-the-ridgeULSTERCOUNTYPRICESTOPLEASEOWN A BUSINESS ORPLANNING AN EVENT?Let Us Help You Promote It!Whether It’sEEMMBBRROOIIDDEERREEDDOORRPPRRIINNTTEEDDPPEERRSSOONNAALLOORRGGIIFFTT TTOO CCUUSSTTOOMMEERRSS—— We Can Do It For You ——1068 Co. Hwy 2, DeLancey, NY 13752stitchwitch43@gmail.com607-746-7308607-267-8252Put your name in front of everyone with…SHIRTS • SWEATSHIRTS • JACKETS • HATSMAGNETS • ORNAMENTS • CUPS • & MUCH MORE!CALL FOR AFREE QUOTENO MINIMUMQUANTITY
GILBOA MUSEUM & JURIED HISTORY CENTERFRANCIS X. DRISCOLLGREENE COUNTYFrancis X. Driscoll’s images have been in NationalGeographic Explorer and on the cover of I Love NewYork magazine. He’s captured many iconic imagesof the Catskills and his work evokes the HudsonRiver School of Art nearly two centuries ago. Heshares his craft with others by leading hikes andconducting workshops. His book, Images of theNorthern Catskills, is a celebration of his work. CALEB JACOBUS • SCHOHARIE COUNTYA native of Middleburgh, New York, Caleb Jacobus concentrates on photographingimages taken in the Schoharie Valley and surrounding areas. He likes to photographa variety of weather conditions, creating an intimate connection between the viewersof his work and the beauty surrounding us.DAVID J. TURAN • DELAWARE COUNTYCombining a lifelong passion for art with a love of natural beauty,David Turan is well-suited to share his vision as an exhibitor andteacher. His credentials as a photographer and painter have includedsolo exhibitions at National Bank of Delaware County Delhi, Cross-roads Cafe in Delhi, and Five Star Subaru in Oneonta, group show ap-pearances at MURAL, West Kortright Center, Performance Plus–Art 4All, Roxbury Arts Group, and Picnic. David’s work has been chosen forpublication in Kaatskill Life Magazine, Cornell Small Farms Quarterly,Catskill Outdoor Guide, and Catskill Food Guide. He has also taken 2ndand 3rd place awards in the Watershed Post Photo Contest.Located at 122 Stryker RoadGilboa, New York 12076Memorial Weekend to Columbus Day WeekendSaturdays & Sundays 12-4:30pmOpen House, June 1st, 2-4pm
I like to sneak a walk-in wheneverI can, Maybe during lunch, or afterwork, or even late at night. I remem-ber when I used to live inMargaretville, a portion of my circuit-walk included State Route 28,between Arkville and Margaretville.Walking not only allows me time tothink about certain things but, also,objectively perceive the communityI’m in. Sometimes, I’m barely noticedby anyone and, sometimes, peoplewant to offer a ride, thinking I’m indire straits. Other times, people stopto tell me to be careful, wear somesort of reflective gear, or something.The Margaretville/Arkville areaseems to have an abundance ofgood Samaritans more than willingto offer a ride. On some walks, I’vehad to turn down three rides in lessthan a half-hour; people are mostlyfriendly. There was one goodSamaritan that sticks out in my mind.He was a CFA member, but so muchmore than that—he was a long-timeBoard Member and a friend to manyin Margaretville. He was extremelygenerous and certainly not afraid totell you his opinion. His name wasBob Greenhall. One day, Bob saw me walking on28 and pulled up beside me. He wasalways yelling; That was Bob. Hedidn’t really have an “indoor voice.”“You need a ride,” he yelled. “No,I’m okay, Bob, just going for a walk.”Bob didn’t understand this. He under-stood many things I didn’t, such asthe New York Stock Exchange, invest-ing, and even how to run an overseasleather-making enterprise, but walk-ing for fun? I could tell that didn’tmake sense to Bob. “Get in,” heinsisted in his low, baritone voice.“I’m good, Bob. Just walking.” Hedemanded again, and I deniedagain the kind gesture. Bob finallywas giving up and began to driveaway while slowly rolling up the win-dow. But before he vacated the prem-ises, he yelled, “Stuuuubuuuuuurn!”That was Bob. I had to laugh at this.It cracks me up to this day.I guess Bob and I shared some-thing even though he was oldenough to be my grandfather; We’reboth kind of stubborn when we’re seton something. Besides that, Bob wasextremely generous with his propertyto CFA and others. CFA has usedBob and Myrna’s (his wife) propertyin countless CFA events: Game ofLogging classes, mushroom walks,apple tree pruning demonstrations,and more. When CFA began experi-menting with tree marking, Bobquickly offered his property as aguinea pig. Bob was always game10Preserving the Pastby Ryan Trapani, Director of Forest Services, CFAKaatskillTrees
for new ideas. I witnessed countlessmornings between Bob and formerExecutive Director Jim Waters. Theideas mill was constantly churningfrom Bob. He was always brainstorm-ing new ways to invigorate forestryand the local economy; He really didcare. He put many people to work onhis property who needed a couple ofbucks; He had a default of trust and Ithink people appreciated that.Preserving a Special Tree from aSpecial GuyWhen I began maple sugaringback in 2007, Bob offered his treesfor tapping; they were too far for meto tap, but I did take advantage ofone of his apple trees, one that Iused for making apple cider. Thattree yielded more than 30 gallons ofgreat-tasting cider. I love that tree.Unfortunately, Bob has since passed,but the tree remains. Before Bobpassed on, I asked him and Myrna ifI could experiment with their tree inapple tree grafting. I was just gettinginto the practice back then and want-ed to use my favorite tree’s younggrowth as “scionwood” or cuttings tograft onto other trees or “rootstock.”Bob said, in his low baritone voice,“Go ahead.” So, I took the top out ofan ornamental apple tree in front ofCFA’s office in Arkville and stuck myfavorite tree’s cutting onto it; Thatwas more than five years ago.The experiment lead to CFA’sApple Tree Grafting Program. Thepencil-sized graft is now the size of asmall tree and is already capable ofbearing fruit. Since we don’t knowthe variety of Bob and Myrna’s tree,we simply call it the ‘Bob Greenhall’tree; It has a metal tag attached to itwith Bob’s name. In fact, ‘BobGreenhall’ has made its way aroundthe Catskills onto many CFA mem-bers’ properties. Even if Bob’s appletree dies, these grafted trees ensurethat the ‘Bob Greenhall’ lives on;That’s the beauty of grafting. For the past two winters, CFA haspruned Woodchuck Lodge’s appletrees. Woodchuck Lodge is aboutraising awareness of the Catskills’most famous Naturalist, JohnBurroughs. The apple trees wepruned were supposedly planted byJohn Burroughs. Woodchuck Lodgehas allowed CFA to gather somescionwood (cuttings) from these trees,and they are simply known as ‘JohnBurroughs.’ John Burroughs is longgone, but his trees live on.Woodchuck Lodge has agreed to thescionwood gathering since the morepeople that use these cuttings, thebetter chances are that John’s treeswill be preserved. Of course I’mbiased, but I can’t think of a betterway to preserve someone’s memorythan the perpetuation of one of theirspecial trees, especially apple.Hopefully, the ‘Bob Greenhall’ and‘John Burroughs’ will graft well andsprout fruit throughout these moun-tains that both men seemed to loveso much.If you’re interested in a ‘JohnBurroughs’ or a ‘Bob Greenhall’ tree,please contact CFA and sign up foryour Apple Tree Grafting Programwhich occurs April through May.11gg
Lately, I’ve been stuck somewhere inthese Catskill Mountains, pruningapple trees. More times than not, Iseem to resemble less a pruner andmore an insect trapped in the tree’sintricate web of branches, sprouts,limbs, and deadwood. An appletree’s smaller branches can, some-times, resemble “barbed wire” thattugs on your sweater and holds youfast in position. Sometimes, those lit-tle branches “load up” and snap youin the face—an apple tree’s revenge,I guess, for taking the sword to itsbranches. Once an apple tree hasbeen “tamed,” I can move aroundfreely like a happy gray squirrel in anacorn-filled oak tree. But, when firstaccessing some of these wild andneglected trees, I often feel as frus-trated as a large black bear stretch-ing out on a small limb for the lastapples (speaking of which, blackbears are the worst apple treepruners in these hills. Most of thetrees we inspect or prune have somesort of bear damage: scratches, bro-ken branches, torn limbs, etc.).Dwarfs in the OrchardsIn any case, most of the trees wework on were intended to be aroundfor the long haul. In comparison,most orchards today are plantingdwarf trees. Dwarf trees have a fewadvantages and disadvantages.Dwarfs begin fully bearing—underideal conditions—in a few years.They also do not grow as large,which means they demand less prun-ing. In other words, management ofdwarf trees can be more efficientsince the tree’s energy is going moretowards growing fruit instead of alarge woody trunk or branches.12Interior OptionsKaatskillTreesby Ryan Trapani, Director of Forest Services, CFAphotography by the author
nial fruit-bearing plants. However, inorder to last as long as they do,these trees must devote an ampleamount of energy towards woodygrowth. Diameter of some limbs canbe 10 inches, while the trunk can bemore than 20 inches. In other words,many of these old, standard trees arequite large, both in width and height.Although apple trees can growlarge, that size is often their down-fall. Heavy snow loads, wind, andbig black bears end up cracking orbreaking these lanky and large limbsthat stretch far and wide to makeroom for sun-loving fruit buds nearthe tops and edges of the tree.When large branches break, it canspell disaster for a sizable portion ofthat tree. Leave Some SproutsThat’s why I think it’s important tokeep your “interior options” open.13Dwarf trees can also be spacedmore closely together; orchards inthe Hudson Valley are planting dwarftrees on a trellis system using three-foot spacing. The goal—accordingto the Hudson Valley Lab—is todevelop about 150 fruit buds (orapples) on each tree. Trees seldomgrow above 10 feet and are tall andspindly. Productivity is supposedlyabout 25 years, plus or minus.Orchards of this type are the futurefor commercial use. Although theyare capital-intensive, since dwarfsmust be fenced in from the deer andtrellised using wires to hold themerect, they involve far less labor andtime waiting for a crop. Standards in the LandscapeOn the other end are semi-dwarfand standard apple trees. Semi-dwarfs are somewhere betweendwarfs and standards in size. Mostsemi-dwarfs do not require staking.Standards can become large trees,more than 30 feet, if you let them go,in some locations. Both sizes requiremore pruning or labor to keep incheck. However, they are longer last-ing, hardier, and can resemble the“traditional” apple trees most of usgrew up with or are used to. To me,an outstretching apple tree containingwell-spaced and shapely limbs readyfor decades of fruit-bearing is mostbeautiful. Standards are often plantedor tended with the intention as a “fix-ture” in the landscape, somethingplanted for your kids and their kids toenjoy. I’ve visited people whose havephotos of their grandparents (now intheir 90s) playing in old apple treesas kids; Those apple trees remain,some dating back to the mid-1800s.Standard apple trees representsome of these mountains’ most peren-
On many of these large trees are oldsprouts growing near the center ofthe tree or along the branch. Watersprouts that aren’t competing withfruit buds can be left in place, espe-cially if they’re smaller than one-halfto three-fourths inches. Anythingsmaller than this should be left. Thesesmall sprouts are often removed byowners for aesthetic appeal.However, if not competing with per-manent fruit-bearing branches, theycan serve as renewal branches to“start over” when a larger branchbeyond them cracks, or begins todesiccate and die. In many cases,larger apple trees are simply toohigh and are extremely susceptible totoppling over or cracking. Thesesprouts lower down in the crown canbe used to reduce the tree to a morestable and manageable size. Last,smaller sprouts help keep those longand large, woody limbs alive andpumping water and nutrients.Remember, the tree has to transportwater and nutrients all the way to theterminal branch ends; Those leaveson those tiny sprouts provide food.Some of the trees we see have hadall the sprouts removed from near thebranch tips to the trunk. Althoughaesthetically the tree looks “clean,”many of those limbs are experiencingdesiccation and die-back, maybefrom too much sun, or not enoughphotosynthesis to sustain the branch.More research is needed in thisarea. On branches that fail (orbreak) and have no interior sprouts,often the only option is to remove theentire branch. If more severe, thenthe entire tree. In other words, don’t sweat thesmall stuff. Leave water sprouts lessthan one-half inch in diameter.Worry about larger limbs that are“out of place” first. The water sproutsprovide needed energy for theselarge, old trees and a future option incase catastrophe hits. 14Join us for a guided photography walk with Francis X. Driscoll along the Westkill Stream in the Spruceton Valley area of Lexington. Fran will show how he has gotten some of his award-winning shots. This will include hands-on instruction, in the field, with camera settings, composition, exposure, depth of field, etc. With emphasis on enjoying and capturing the beauty around us. For more information, contact Fran at 518-821-1339 or visit www.francisxdriscoll.com. Participants will meet at the West Kill Community Hall to carpool to the location, as parking space is limited at the trailhead. The photography walk will wrap up around noon and then carpool back. This is an outdoor event, so attendees should dress for the weather, bring a filled water bottle and snacks, and wear appropriate footwear for walking on a trail. All camera types, including cell phones and tablets, are welcome. In the event of rain or other inclement weather, this event will be postponed until Sunday, May 12th, and registered attendees will be notified by e-mail. Registrations required. Space is limited. Register online at www.gcswcd.com or call 518-622-3620. Spring in Spruceton Photography Walk Saturday, May 4th, 2019 8:00am-12:30pm SCHOHARIE WATERSHED MONTH EVENT REGISTER BY : Thursday, May 2nd IN THE WATERSHED: dŚŝƐĞǀĞŶƚƚĂŬĞƐƉůĂĐĞĂƚĂůŽĐĂƟŽŶǁŝƚŚŝŶƚŚĞ^ĐŚŽŚĂƌŝĞtĂƚĞƌƐŚĞĚ͘ƩĞŶĚĞĞƐǁŝůůǁĂůŬĂůŽŶŐƚŚĞtĞƐƚ<ŝůů͕ĂƚƌŝďƵƚĂƌLJƚŽƚŚĞ^ĐŚŽŚĂƌŝĞƌĞĞŬ͕ĂŶĚŚĂǀĞĂĐŚĂŶĐĞƚŽƉŚŽƚŽŐƌĂƉŚƚŚĞŇŽƌĂĂŶĚĨĂƵŶĂĂůŽŶŐƚŚĞƚƌĂŝů͘ MEETING LOCATION: tĞƐƚ<ŝůůŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ,Ăůů ϭϰϭ^ƉƌƵĐĞƚŽŶZŽĂĚ tĞƐƚ<ŝůů͕EzϭϮϰϵϮ Journey through the Watershed Photo of Diamond Notch Falls provided by Francis X. Driscoll. Photo of a stream in Spruceton Valley provided by Francis X. Driscoll. 2 Wind PlaceWhitesboro, New York •315.941.3766The perfect mix of colonial andprimitive style goods and accessories for your home.The Black RavenHandmade primitive furniture, shelves and early lighting.The Black Raven
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16The Wohlleben Mysteriesof Nature Trilogy:Unlocking Mother Nature’s SecretInterconnectivityby Lawrence C. Swayne, MD, photography by the author
One hundred years ago, theCatskills’ John Burroughs was themost popular nature writer inAmerica. His ambition, according tobiographer Edward Renehan (JohnBurroughs: An American Naturalist),was simple: “to assure that the mysti-cal place . . . that was the wild . . .did not become a mythical one.”Nature, Burroughs asserted, “is onlyreal when you reach out and touch itwith your hands.” As such he “pro-vided a steady stream of encourage-ment, instruction, and inspiration . . .to take up hiking and nature study asan antidote to a society increasinglymortgaged to the advance of tech-nology and the rise of cities.” A cen-tury later, Burroughs would beappalled to find four of fiveAmericans living in urban areas,spending 90% of their time indoorsgazing at electronic media for anaverage of 11 hours per day. Today, a new wildlife advocatehas emerged from an unlikelysource—a professional forester of theEifel Mountains in Germany. PeterWohlleben’s passionate writing,“forests matter at a more fundamentallevel than most of us realize,” hasappeared on the New York TimesBestseller List, fostering a renewedpublic interest in nature. In hisMysteries of Nature trilogy: TheHidden Life of Trees: What TheyFeel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from a Secret World,The Inner Life of Animals: Love,also taste the saliva of herbivores ontheir leaves and pump them full of bit-ter toxic tannins (oaks) and salicylicacid (willows) or release pheromonesto summon predators specific to amarauding insect (e.g. small parasiticwasps to lay eggs inside caterpillars).Other astonishing botanical powersinclude: hearing (seedlings orienttheir roots toward 220 hertz), “sight”and counting (requiring a certainnumber of light-filled, warm days toleaf out), and learning (profligatewater users whose bark splits duringa drought exercise more judiciouswater usage subsequently). In addi-17“In a time of noise and hurry and materi-alism like ours, the gospel of the still smallvoice is always seasonable.” John BurroughsGrief, and Compassion—SurprisingObservations of a Hidden World,and The Secret Wisdom of Nature:Trees, Animals, and theExtraordinary Balance of All LivingThings, the author invites the readeron a series of intimate literary excur-sions (he hosts actual tours in hisnative beech forest in Hummel)through a variety of habitats, blend-ing personal observations withintriguing facts from the latest scientif-ic discoveries to unlock Nature’ssecrets. His unifying premise echoesBurroughs, “If we were all to dialdown our demands a bit, therewould be enough space for our fel-low creatures.”Perhaps the most striking revela-tion, of many, in The Hidden Life ofTrees is the extensive “wood wideweb,” originally discovered in 1997.This vast underground network ofmycorrhizal fungi (a single funguscovers miles, while a teaspoon of soilcontains miles of hyphae) togetherwith roots transmit chemical and elec-trical signals, which are capable ofdistinguishing roots of other speciesand those of closely related individu-als. These connections facilitate theexchange of nutrients between adultand younger trees, information regis-tering pain and predator attacks, andthe coordination of reproduction (so-called mast years of acorns andbeechnuts only occur every three-to-five years as a mechanism to controlherbivore populations). Trees cantion, trees can accumulate up to 22tons of carbon dioxide, filter 50% ofair particulate matter, harbor hun-dreds of different species, live up to9,500 years, and as a forest createa local ecosystem that moderates tem-perature, stores water, and generateshumidity. “At least some . . . shouldbe allowed to grow old with dignityand finally die a natural death.”Having demonstrated a broadarray of senses in trees, traditionallyconsidered unique to animals,Wohlleben, proceeds in The InnerLife of Animals to explore the intellec-tual capacities and wide range ofanimal emotions previously held tobe unique in humans. Human MRIstudies show decisions are reachedbefore the subject is aware, similarto animal instinct. Crows, ravens,magpies, elephants, pigs, dolphins,chimps, and humans (18 months) are“When we try to pick out anything byitself, we find it hitched to everything elsein the Universe.”John Muir
18
19self-aware, based upon the GallupMirror test. Squirrels and ravens calleach other by name. Gorillas cansign and pigeons have been trainedto remember 725 different imagecards. Dreaming has been validatedin rats and cats. Bees communicatethe location of flowers (125,000 vis-its needed to generate one ounce ofhoney) to other bees in their hiveusing a waggle dance. Roosters,swallows, magpies, jays, squirrelsand foxes have been observed usingdeception to procure food andmates. Animal love and courage isapparent to any pet owner, but alsois witnessed when wild mothersdefend their young against predators,as well as the obvious griefexpressed by elephants and ravensfor a fallen family member. Groups ofkiller whales and mice have devel-oped unique hunting strategies whichthey pass on to their young. Crows,bears, and otters have beenobserved at play; altruism (meal shar-ing) occurs among vampire bats; andpigs and mice exhibit mirror neuronsand empathy for comrades in pain.In The Secret Wisdom of Naturethe author ties everything togetherwith the following admonition,“Nature is like a giant clockworkmechanism. Everything is neatlyarranged and interconnected.Everything has its place and function. . . .It’s important for us to realizethat even small interventions in naturecan have huge consequences, andwe’d better keep our hands off any-thing that we have no pressing rea-son to touch.” Some of the profiledintriguing wildlife interconnectionsinclude:- classic wolf trophic cascaderestoring elk riparian damage inYellowstone;- presence of oceanic N-15 com-prising 70% of nitrogen in foliageand 50% in insects from stream-side rotting salmon in the PacificNorthwest. (Does similar nitrogenrecycling occur in the Hudsonand Delaware rivers from shad andother anadromous fish?); - leeching of acids from fallenleaves into streams fueling the growthof plankton;- ongoing battle between treesand their species specific pests;- hidden worlds of microorganismsreleasing nutrients located 3.5 kilo-meters below the earth’s sur-face, in our gut, decaying carcasses,and in the decomposition of deadtrees; and- regulation of wild boar popula-tions by earthworms harboring lung-worm larvae.Any general survey of this kindcontains, of necessity, some oversim-plifications; and critics have chargedthe author with anthropomorphosis, towhich he has responded, “The goalis not to anthropomorphize animalsbut to help us understand them better.Most importantly, these comparisonsserve to point out that animals are notdimwitted creatures clearly stuck at alevel below us on the evolutionaryscale, creatures that experience onlypale imitations of our rich range ofsensations for pain and other feel-ings. No . . . . And it doesn’t stopwith animals. As science has discov-ered . . . we must now acknowledgethat trees and other plants have feel-ings and even a capacity to remem-ber. To me, it’s more important to statethe facts in such a way that peopleunderstand them emotionally. Andthen I can take them on a full sensorytour of nature to convey the joy ourfellow creatures and their secrets canbring us.” Burroughs wrote, “Where there isno vision . . . science will not saveus. In such cases civilization is likean engine running without a head-light.” As environmentalist BillMcKibben noted, “this continent willnever again be one vast wilder-ness—we are not, as some deepecologists have suggested, going toconstruct a few great cities on eithershore and leave the interior to thebuffalo. The best we can hope for—and we should work for no less—isthe preservation of the wild acresthat still exist, and their expansionaround the edges until they are eco-logically secure and sensible.”Closer to home, McKibben contends,“Burroughs could still help us savethe woodlots and stream valleys thatsurround our homes and cottages, forthat is where his happiness dwelled.”Expressing similar sentiments,Wohlleben, an opponent of hunting,commercial forest monocultures,industrialized farming, and fracking,asserts, “We can win back the origi-nal forests, but that to achieve thiswe don’t even need to do anything.Quite the opposite, in fact. We needto leave things alone—on as large ascale as possible. From my personalperspective, I am suggesting that weinfuse our dealings with the livingbeings with which we share ourworld with a little more respect, aswe once used to do, whether thosebeings are animals or plants. Thatdoesn’t mean completely doing with-out them, but it does mean a certainreduction in our level of comfort andin the amount of biological goodswe consume.”
20KaatskillDining/Lodgingsby Rebecca Andre, photography by author unless otherwise notedHotel Dylan and Santa FeWoodstock: Peace, Love andFresh Food
This summer marks the 50thAnniversary of the Woodstock Music& Arts Festival, the unforgettable cul-tural phenomenon that took place ona little known dairy farm in Bethel,New York. Folks looking to celebratethe historic musical event by visitingthe now famous Ulster County townof Woodstock would do well tocheck in at Hotel Dylan, just nextdoor in Glenford. Visitors are treatedto a lodging experience that high-lights the visionary spirit and theiconic character of the 1969 cele-bration of peace, love, and music.Darryl Jack, one of four partnersand also the hotel’s general manag-er, says the hotel was not namedspecifically for Bob Dylan, butinstead as a “nod to the creativegenius of the generation . . . evokinga time when there were amazingcontributions to culture.”With the motto “Peace. Love.Stay,” the hotel itself is a testament tofriendship and family. Paul Covello,a Woodstock native, originally pur-chased the hotel in 2013 and imme-diately secured David Mazzullo as a21right:Outdoors at Hotel Dylan. photo by Costas Picadas
22partner. Paul then invited in long-timefriends Joe Spinelli, also fromWoodstock, and Darryl Jack to jointhe partnership. Joe’s wife, SandySperou, is also an integral partner inthe business, and the couple is relat-ed to Darryl through marriage. Eventhe esteemed design team brought into execute Hotel Dylan’s signaturestyle is a husband-and-wife duo,Cortney and Robert Novogratz.All four partners hail from theworld of finance, but greatly valuetheir connections to the Catskills andthe Hudson Valley. They wanted to bea part of a new entrepreneurialleft:Ally Strauss greets guests at frontdesk.below:Paul Covello. photo by Franco Vogt
adventure that would bring visitorsand their families to the region wherethey themselves either grew up or reg-ularly visited. They are succeeding.“Being local, we know the beautyaround every corner of the Catskillsand are thrilled to be able to share itwith so many visitors, all of whomseem to understand how to treat peo-ple and nature,” says Paul. “The bal-ance between business advancementand preservation is tricky . . . we tryto make as little a footprint in theCatskill Mountains as possible.”Darryl, whose love affair with theCatskills began in the early 1980s, ishappy to have the opportunity to giveback to an area he cares so muchabout. A golf professional with anextensive background in hospitality, heis very positive about the impact thenew business will have on the area.“We are attempting to develop asymbiotic relationship with local busi-nesses, because when any one of usis successful, we will all be success-ful,” he says. “It’s a team effort.”That team effort led to the rebirthof a structure that had been uninhab-ited and ramshackle for more than adecade. Formerly the Maverick Inn,built in 1966, the hotel, since open-ing in 2014, has a new identity andlook. Along with an overhaul of theoriginal building, there has been arecent expansion of the hotel. In thefall of 2018, renovations were com-pleted that doubled the amount ofrooms from 11 to 22 and incorporat-ed a new lobby and bar.Every room is different, yet pulledtogether by the cohesive trademarkstyle of the Novogratz design team.Some guests find themselves returningjust to have an opportunity to bookand experience different rooms.House Beautiful and Travel &Leisure have covered the colorfulstyle evolution of Hotel Dylan. Wordslike “boutique, bohemian, hip, lux,chic and sophisticated” are frequentlyused to describe the property. Aquick tour proves that each room isits own unique character in the storyof Hotel Dylan.For example, the rooms have namesthat harken back to the festival’s history:The Van, The Hippie Chick, The Joplin,The Havens, The Levon, The Cocker,The Blue Balloon, The Roadies, TheJimi, and The City. There are TheBowie, The Artist Suite and The BandSuite. The rooms have original art andphotography that pay homage to themusical icons birthed by Woodstock.23
And there are record players—work-ing Crosley record players—in everyroom, and vinyl to be borrowed at thefront desk. Each room tells its own nar-rative, with wallpaper that invites day-dreaming. Every lamp, pillow, playfulaccent, and amenity has been placedwith intention, including the Smegrefrigerators. Modern style mixes withnature, and the result is more than justinviting, it is transformative.Even the common area of the hotelboasts a warmth not often found in pub-lic spaces. From hanging, woven chairsin the sun-drenched lobby that invite aplayful swing indoors, to the saltwater-heated, granite seasonal pool or thecampfire set in the circular courtyard,guests have plenty of places to hangwithout ever leaving the property.Dining is also available on thesite. Friends of Hotel Dylan—JimmyDemos and wife AnnieDemosthenes—partnered with DavidWeiss for the third incarnation of thepopular Santa Fe restaurant. Theoriginal, award-winning Santa Fe islocated in Tivoli, New York, and hasbeen a favorite for decades. It is theculmination of David’s numerous tripsto different regions of Mexico, wherehe tasted and studied the deliciouslyunassuming use of local ingredientsthrough the country.Seven years ago, the secondrestaurant opened: Santa Fe Uptown,in Kingston, New York. “The timingseemed right for the three of us topartner up and bring his [David’s]concept of this particular Mexicanfood to this side of the river,” recallsAnnie, also a teacher at KingstonHigh, of her decision to join withDavid to open Uptown. Coming off a10-year leave from teaching to raiseher daughters, and with her husbandJimmy selling his longtime restau-rant/catering hall, Hillside Manor,things fell into place for the trio.Still, even further up the ScenicByway, Route 28, there was ademand for a restaurant like SantaFe, with its modern and fresh take onMexican cuisine. Annie recalls someof her customers from the Woodstockarea wishing the popular Kingstonfood destination was just a little clos-er. Three-and-a-half years ago, theygot their wish when Santa Fe joinedforces with Hotel Dylan and beganrenting the on-site restaurant space.Most famous for its “killer margari-tas” and honest-take Mexican food,Santa Fe Woodstock welcomes bothvisitors and locals to its four-sidedbar. The large restaurant is dividedinto several cozy dining spaces, with24
warm woods and lighting, plasterwalls, fireplaces and plenty of natu-ral light. Customers return faithfully toThursday’s taco night. The call ofhouse-made guacamole and hotsauce is just impossible to resist.The menu reflects 30 years ofinspiration from David’s travelsthrough Mexico, and offers tradition-al plates as well as vegan andgluten-friendly options. Wheneverpossible, ingredients are sourcedfrom local butchers, farms, and pro-ducers. Signature starters includeGrilled Cilantro and GarlicMarinated Shrimp Skewers, SweetGold Plantains, and a Santa FeBlack Bean Soup. A variety ofQuesadillas is available—fromLobster to Char-grilled Steak andMushroom or Pulled AchioteMarinated Chicken.At Santa Fe, salads are a meal,and one of the most popular is theMaverick Vegan Bowl, filled withblack beans, guacamole, pico degallo, and quinoa on a bed ofchopped romaine, with toasted pepi-tas, cilantro and fresh jalapeÒo.Tacos, burritos, and chimichangas ofgrilled veggies, roasted sweet pota-toes, or pulled pork grace the dinnermenu, along with the new favorite,Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos.“Our meals make sense to a lot ofpeople,” says Annie. “People leavehere feeling satisfied and healthy.”And though some mistakenly refer toSanta Fe as “Tex-Mex,” Annie saysthey prefer the label “Fresh-Mex.”Both Hotel Dylan and Santa FeWoodstock have succeeded in har-moniously working together to honorthe legacy of co-existence introduced25top:Annie Demosthenes, partner atSanta Fe Woodstock.right:Lathe belonging to DavidWeiss’s father holds a prominentplace in Santa Fe’s main dining room.
to the area 50 years ago by thememorable gathering of creatives,musicians and change-seekers.To book, visit or call (845) 684-5422. For Santa Fe Woodstock, call(845) 657-5555. Menu available atHours: Tues, Wed & Thurs 4:00 - 9:30,Fri 3:00 - 10:30. Sat & Sun Open forBrunch at 11:30. Sat Closing at10:30, Sun closing at 9:30.26left:Achiote marinated chickenbreast sautéed with Spanish onions,fresh tomatoes and white cheddarright:Grilled Tacos de Pescado -choose from the daily fish or grilledBaja marinated shrimp
27of FBI agent Kieran Gilchrist and his agents.In Cut and Cover, Hurley also warns people about howbureaucrats can miss their core mission. “Chocker,”Rexford thinks, “could have simply notified the FBI” aboutwhere the terrorists will attack. But Chocker is furious thatYoda killed one of his agents. His desire for revenge is“Another instance where CIA and FBI priorities aren’taligned and . . . American lives were put in enemycrosshairs.”Because Rexford and Yoda are such capable killers,there are some unsettling scenes in the book, especiallyone at a Sunday picnic. But this concern aside, Cut andCover is a highly-recommended read.Hurley is a well-organized and eloquent writer. His writ-ing has a gravitas and expertise that puts a reader on theseat of a bicycle flying down the mountain, holding toolsin the heat of blacksmith’s forge, or sampling some of thebest food and wine at regional restaurants. It’s clear that Hurley loves the Catskills and Hudson val-ley. But he has a subversive sense of humor and uses it,sometimes subtly, sometimes overtly, to poke fun at andchallenge some of the trendiness found in these places.Hurley loves to write about bicycling and martial artsand those sections of the book felt realistic. But I particu-larly liked the Hurley captures the feel of the Catskills. Forexample, when Rexford is scouting a meeting place withChocker, a young man is doing yard work. Rexford thinksthe “cut grass, fertilizer, and two-cycle engine exhaustfumes” compose “a familiar summer fragrance.”During his descriptions of Rexford’s mountain bicyclerides, Hurley includes lots of appealing descriptions ofCatskill vistas and asides on the history of places, such asthe Ashokan Reservoir, along the way. He hits a high notewith a description of a stone wall by the roadside andhow that wall represents the many eras of human settle-ment in the Catskills.Cut and Cover: A Thriller. by Kevin Hurley(Skyhorse Publishing, soft cover, or e-book, 384 pages,$16.99)reviewed by John RowenCut and Cover has much to offer readers on two levels.Kevin Hurley is a Catskills resident, consulting entomolo-gist, avid cyclist, and martial arts practitioner. His thriller isa nail-biting, page-turning read with believable charactersand vivid descriptions of the Catskills and Hudson valley.In this novel, Hurley’s first, John Rexford is living nearWoodstock. To his neighbors and Maggie Castalia, hisbeloved, Rexford is a retired Marine with a service-relateddisability. He is a blacksmith and loves to ride high-perfor-mance bicycles on mountain roads. But Rexford, an expert special operations officer whoserved in Afghanistan, is really a deep cover CIA agent.A shadowy case officer, C. Peter Chocker, assignsRexford to assassinate terrorists before they can carry outattacks on targets in the United States. As the book opens,terrorists have a nasty scheme to cripple New York City.Chocker and Rexford are ready to stop them. While battling the terrorists, Rexford is attacked byYoda, a shadowy but lethal Asian contract killer. Hurley’saccount of the terrorist’s nefarious work and Rexford’s lifeor death struggle with Yoda leaves the reader on pins andneedles, uncertain whether Rexford or Yoda will prevail. Until crossing Rexford’s path, Yoda has never lost afight, but Rexford fights him to a draw. A major plotline inthe book is how Yoda’s arrogance drives him to go backand beat Rexford.But, whether he intended it or not, Hurley’s book ismore than just a crackling and fast-paced thriller. Cut andCover invites the reader to consider how the United Statesshould defend itself against terrorists. One option, thatprotecting the United States justifies extraordinary means,is represented by Chocker and Rexford. The other option,treating terrorists as criminals and using police and the FBIto stop them, is represented, albeit clumsily, by the workTERRORISTSCHEMERS INTHE CATSKILLSB O O K S I N R E V I E W
We have long been exploring the IceAge history of the Catskills and havethoroughly immersed ourselves inwhat the glaciers did here so manythousands of years ago. The two ofus have been, all of our lives, scien-tists, through and through. We loveall of the many branches of science,but Ice Age theory is something spe-cial to us. It’s the imagery that thisscience conjures up. We can visitany location in the Catskills, and, inour mind’s eyes, look and see it as itwas, thousands of years ago, whenthe glaciers filled our valleys andoverran our mountain tops. It can bepositively exhilarating. It is certainlya privilege that comes with theexploring of our Ice Age past.But is there some particular imagethat manages to outshine all of theothers? We are not sure; that wouldbe a tough call. But we have decid-ed to pick out one set of images andspeak of that set today. Those areimages of what we like to call the IceAge train wrecks of the Catskills.Those were especially remarkableevents which found our Catskill land-scapes steering glaciers intomoments when, from two differentdirections, they found themselvesapproaching each other and thencoming into collisions. In humanterms, we can only compare these totrain wrecks, those harrowingmoments when speeding trains col-lide in thundering powerful, pound-ing smashups.These must sound like the mostunlikely of events; how could suchthings ever occur? How could twoglaciers even face each other andthen what process could possiblypush them into a collision? We havea lot of explaining to do and, if wecan pull it off, then we will, indeed,conjure up some great imagery. Let’sget to it. We need to take you back intime, about 16,000 years before thepresent, to an Ice Age event calledthe Grand Gorge advance of theice. The Ice Age had earlier reacheda peak and all of the Catskills hadbeen immersed in thousands of feetof ice, but then a great melting hadoccurred. Much of that ice had melt-ed away. This is one of those greatimages that we have been speakingof; we see all that melting in ourimaginations and marvel at the vol-umes of meltwater pouring off of andout of the ice.But then it was all reversed. Theclimate cooled and the ice beganadvancing once again—this was theGrand Gorge advance. This time itwould not overrun the Catskills but,instead, great masses of ice—glaci-ers—would creep up the major val-leys (fig 1). The biggest of those val-leys was the one occupied bySchoharie Creek. Ice advancedsouthward, through Middleburgh,and on from Gilboa to Prattsville. Itturned east and continued in thatdirection, inching onward towardHunter. It would not get that far.Instead, that great valley glacierwould be blocked in its path. TheGrand Gorge advance from thenorth was matched by anotherGrand Gorge advance, this one fromthe east (arrow, figure 1). Ice rose upwithin Kaaterskill and PlattekillCloves and pressed on to the west.Those flows combined, west ofHunter, and headed westwardthrough Lexington. Just a little furtheralong, this flow of ice met its matchfrom the north, the result being theIce Age train wreck we have prom-ised. The two masses of ice collidedwith each other (lower jagged lineson Fig. 1) and left a landscape scarthat is still there.28Ice Age Train Wrecksby Robert and Johanna TitusKaatskillGeologistopposite page, fig. 1:Map of theGrand Gorge advance of the ice.
29
Advancing glaciers scrape up andbulldoze great masses of earth. Thefront of an advancing glacier has pilesof earth being shoved along by themovement. After the ice melts away,that earth is left as a great heap thatgeologists call a moraine. If thereshould be two such glaciers approach-ing each other, then those glaciers andtheir moraines are on a collisioncourse. When the glaciers collide,their mo raines are combined into a sin-gle mass. These will be big, and theywill likely clog the valley from one sideto the other. Let’s give that a specialname; let’s call it a collision moraine.Did this really happen? It allseems to be so improbable, so wemust find the remarkable evidencefor this remarkable claim. It’s there, inthe Schoharie Creek Valley.Throughout most of the valley, it isbroad and flat bottomed (fig. 2) but,just east of a location calledMosquito Point, the valley is cloggedwith the earth of our collisionmoraine (fig. 3). The creek has beenforced to cut a relatively narrowcanyon through all this earth. Heapsof earth crowd each riverbank. Thislength of the valley is just so very dif-ferent. Compare figures 2 and 3.We stand at the Mosquito Pointvicinity and look east. We see a val-ley glacier approaching. Before itare enormous masses of sediment,including sand, gravel, cobbles, andboulders. The glacier nears us, andits moraine closes in and then riseshigh above us.We turn around and look west.Another glacier with another moraineapproaches from that direction. Withthe collision imminent, we, the mind’seyes, rise up into the air. We escapethe collision and now, below us,watch the two glaciers closing in oneach other. First, the two morainescombine and rise up, squeezedbetween the two ices. Soon, the gla-ciers collide, and they too rise andbreak up as well. We gaze east andwest and see the two flows of icecontinuing an active approachtoward us while the collision contin-ues down below. These events are ofgreat magnitude, but they are soslow. There should be a lot of noise,but there is almost none. There shouldbe catastrophic violence below, but30fig. 2:Broad, flat bottomed Schoharie Creek Valley near Gilboa, before it was flooded for the Schoharie Reservoir. Photo courtesy Gilboa Historic Society.
there is none–well, almost none.As the centuries pass, we, themind’s eyes, hang in the air andwatch. The climate slowly warms andthe ice melts. Some melts back to theeast while the rest melts back to thenorth. What is left behind is a valleyclogged with heaps of moraine sedi-ment. The forests will return there butthat will take a lot of time.While the Mosquito Point collisionwas developing (arrows on figure 1),a similar collision was underway inthe valley of the Batavia Kill (upperset of jagged lines on figure 1). Asizable glacier had risen out of theHudson Valley and flowed into theupper Batavia Kill Valley. From there,it headed west. A still larger valleyglacier advanced down theSchoharie Creek Valley, and some ofit peeled off and headed up theBatavia Kill. The inevitable collisionoccurred, we think, just east of RedFalls. We found that the valley therewas, like at Mosquito Point, cloggedwith morainic sediments (fig. 4).We had traveled this way somany times in the past. But now wefelt that we had come to understandthis landscape so much better. Onceagain, we could travel through aCatskill valley and see into its past.Once again, we saw glaciersapproach each other and collide.We had seen things that few otherscan ever hope to: the violent colli-sions of glaciers.The Mosquito Point and Batavia Killcollisions were not the only ones.31There was another at North/SouthLake Campground. We have beenexploring the Ice Age history of theNorth-South Lake area for many yearsnow, and we have published a num-ber of articles on the area.Specifically, we have been followingthe trails of glaciers as they enteredthe park and flowed across the land-scapes there. We search out the longstraight scratches left by the advanc-ing glaciers. These are called glacialstriations (fig. 5). They leave compassdirections and we measure them andplot them up on maps (fig. 6). Thisprovides us with a record of the move-ment of the local ice during the GrandGorge advance. And that tells a story.This saga began when we fol-lowed a branch of the Hudson Valleyfig. 3:Narrow canyon near Mosquito Point.
32glacier as it turned west and enteredKaaterskill Clove (see arrows on fig-ure 6). That glacier sculpted much ofthe landscape that the Blue Trail fol-lows as it traces the north rim of thegreat canyon. It carved such scenicspots as Sunset Rock (fig. 7). Later, we followed the ice as itturned north and entered the canyonjust below Kaaterskill Falls. We fol-lowed it up that canyon and thenacross the top of the falls and on,into the basin of South Lake. Allalong the way we were, very literal-above, fig. 4:Clogged valley withcanyon, east of Red Falls.left, fig. 5:Glacial striations (fore-ground) on east shore of North Lake.
ly, following in the trail of a glacierthat had passed this way perhaps16,000 years ago. It left a trail ofstriations, in the bedrock. Sometime later we crossed over tothe Mountain House parking lot, justeast of North Lake. There we pickedup the trail of another mass of icethat we followed westward to theboundary of North and South Lakes.We stood on a point of rock lyingbetween the two lakes and, in ourmind’s eyes, we saw one glaciercoming from the southwest and33above, fig. 6:Map of striations inSouth Mountain vicinity. Arrowsshow paths of the ice. Jagged line shows collision.right, fig. 7:Sunset Rock.
plot it all up on maps and come todocument and understand what hap-pened here during the closing chap-ters of the Ice Age. Our next goal was to find the linealong which those two glaciers col-lided. Our working hypothesis wasthat it lay on the peninsula that sepa-rates the two lakes, so we went off toexplore that location. Fortunately forus there is an old trail that takes hik-ers across this peninsula. It wasalong this trail where we started find-ing some very interesting evidence. Many of you have probablywalked this trail and, if so, then youwill likely remember the famed“Alligator Rock” that lies alongside it.Alligator rock is a massive boulder; itmust be twenty-five feet from one endto the other. It is composed of strati-fied sandstones, commonly known asCatskill bluestone. It’s the stratifica-tion that led to it becoming famous.Those strata are potential weak lev-els within such rocks. The whole ofAlligator Rock was, long ago, tiltedinto a gentle incline. The strata slopeupwards to the east. Somewherealong the line, a mass of sandstonebroke loose along one of those strat-ified planes and a lump of rock felldown. That left what looks exactlylike the lower jaw of an open mouth:an alligator’s mouth (fig. 8). Probably millennia later, somelong forgotten human visitors camealong and thought it would be fun toput a bunch of rocks into the “mouth”of the alligator. They became theteeth. That’s pretty much been thecase ever since. For one or perhapstwo centuries, our alligator has beenarmed with teeth. Some peoplecome along and remove them, othersreplace them, and still more peoplecome along and rearrange them tosuit their whims. But, most of thetime, our alligator has a big toothygrin on his face. 34another from the northeast. Theywere about to collide with eachother, and we stood in between.Just try to imagine how much funthis sort of “science” is for us to do.We spend our time outdoors, hikingabout on some of the most sceniclands east of the Rocky Mountains.We follow those striations and wefollow the glaciers that left them. Weabove, fig. 8:Alligator Rock.left, fig. 9:Dinosaur Rock.
The two of us have long knownthis friendly alligator, but last summer,while exploring the area for this arti-cle, we encountered still another oneof these stone reptiles. It was onlyabout one hundred feet off to thewest of the first one, but we had justnever seen it before. It too, had anopen mouth, armed with more largeteeth. Take a look at it on our figure9; you will quickly see why it iscalled Dinosaur Rock.We were looking around and,soon, we noticed that there were alot of rather large boulders whichwere strewn about all over the penin-sula between North and South Lakes.Pretty much all of them, like AlligatorRock, were lying there on at a varietyof odd angles; few of them werelying flat on the ground. We knewwe were on to something of somegeological importance. We hadfound the crash site where those twoglaciers collided! A landscape, lit-tered with large boulders, all lyingaskew, is another glacial moraine.The boulders and the heaps of earthhere were bulldozed to this site, bythe advance of the two glaciers.Such boulders are well known togeologists as glacial erratics.This is thus another fine collisionmoraine. Some of the moraine’s earthcame from the southwest; the restcame from the northeast. All of it wascarried by one glacier or the other. With our coming to understandthe nature of these four colliding gla-ciers, we have taken another stepforward towards documenting the IceAge history of North/South LakeState Park and the Schoharie Creekas well. That’s called progress.The authors are working on a newrevised edition of “The Catskills inthe Ice Age,” published soon byPurple Mountain Press. Contact themat. Join their Facebook group at “TheCatskill Geologist” Read their blogsat “thecatskillgeologist.com.” 35fig. 10:The North Lake moraine.
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38living wage and offering them real housing instead of hovels.Scarce’s discussion of critical environmental theory in CreatingSustainable Communities suggests that it arises from Marxist eco-nomics and offers examples of how the free market diminishes theenvironment. But, as the experience with Chernobyl suggests,Marxism does not guarantee a better environment.These concerns aside, Scarce offers readers important infor-mation. More is needed to make the Hudson and Catskills moresustainable, and Scarce offers more than 60 case studies tomake this clear.Many voices in this book are Catskill voices. Alan White fromthe Catskill Center explains how the meaning of the Catskill land-scape has changed over the centuries and how the Catskills—and places generally—matter to people. Scarce’s profiles of Catskill entrepreneurs and organizationsoffer an appealing range of ways to achieve sustainability. Forexample, Ralph Erenzo and Brian Lee operate TuthilltownDistillery, one of the first farm distilleries in the state, near NewPaltz. Erenzo and Lee first bought corn for whiskey from a com-pany that was 120 miles away; that corn came from fields thatScarce describes as “practically visible from” the distillery. The distillers and neighboring farmers worked together andfound a way to get the corn directly to Tuthillton.Scarce describes Rene Schaack, a Greene County IndustrialDevelopment Agency board member who has found a way toget environmental issues resolved in the earliest stages of devel-opment proposals. His process gives neither developers orpreservationists all they want; yet resulting projects have consid-erable sustainability benefits. In Blooming Grove, Orange County, and Coxsackie inGreene County, local governments use park and pedestrian/bicy-cle projects to make it easier to travel in hamlets and villages,strengthening the sense of community.I wish Scare had noted how SUNY Delhi and some communitycollege programs and practices in the region are sustainabilityexemplars. We could drop this phrase if space is tight.Some of Scarce’s sustainability cases from elsewhere in theHudson valley may be adaptable to Catskill communities. Scarce notes that a “lack of coordination” is a challengeachieving sustainability in the Hudson. But, he asserts the HudsonValley Region “is a land of sustainability.” The sustainabilityefforts he finds in the Catskills illustrate both the challenge andopportunity.Creating Sustainable Communities: Lessons from theHudson River Region.by Rik Scarce(SUNY Press, Soft cover, 272 pages, $24.95)reviewed by John RowenThis informative, sometimes frustrating set of case studiesshows how the Hudson River region can better balance andachieve prosperity, environmental quality, and a sense of commu-nity. If this is a book with “Hudson River” in the title, you mightask, why is this book reviewed in Kaatskill Life?Scarce, a sociology professor at Skidmore College inSaratoga Springs, defines the “Hudson River Region” as theRiver’s watershed. After looking at the excellent map at the book’sbeginning, the reader will see if the watershed is the “Region” ittherefore includes much of the Catskills. In addition to working in the upper Hudson valley, Scarce hasresearched environmental issues before writing this book; and helives in a small Capital region community near the Hudson.Throughout the book, Scarce discusses “Landscape” and “sus-tainability,” and it’s worth taking the time here to define them.A “Landscape,” Scarce writes, “is the intersection of placeand people.” He reminds us that people have the power toreshape landscapes, to make them more or less sustainable. Hecapitalizes “Landscape” to emphasize the people/place connec-tion, but I found capitalization unneeded and soon became irkedeach time the capitalized word appeared. Scarce explains that the concept of “sustainability” firstappeared in a 1987 United Nations report. Since then, hewrites, sustainability has come to encompass “equity, the environ-ment, and economics: a ‘triple bottom line’ often referred to as‘people, planet, profit.’”The book has some mistakes. For example, Scarce assertsnineteenth-century Catskill tannery owners, including ZaddockPratt, made fortunes from “environmental devastation and oth-ers’ labor.” The tanneries did hurt Catskill landscapes. But Prattis remembered for treating his workers well and paying them aB O O K S I N R E V I E WCHALLENGE ANDOPPORTUNITY
IM A G E SO F T H E N O R T H E R N C AT S K I L L SFine landscape photography by Francis X. Driscollwww.francisxdriscoll.comPhone: 518-734-5192Classes and EventsMay 4th, "Watershed Month Photo Walk" 518-622-3620.May 25th, "Landscape Photography Course" In cooperation with CGCC, 518-622-4181 Ext. 3341.June 1st, "Tri County Beauty'' Group Exhibition at The Gilboa Museum. 607-588-6894.Tannersville Antiques & Artisan Center6045 Main Street, Tannersville for more information, 518-589-5600A new book by Francis X. Driscoll –The Great Northern Catskills –Our Back Yard – book available late 2019.