Feet and creeks: They were meant to be together. Photo taken in Jefferson by Flickr user MccWolf; shared in the Watershed Post Flickr group pool.
Calling all creek geeks: This is your week!
Creeks in the Catskills are a force to be reckoned with: They bless us with their beauty and bounty, they hammer us with their strength, and they define life around here in ways great and small. This week, Ulster County has been celebrating Creek Week -- and this weekend, there are a number of great opportunities to get to know our local waterways better.
On Saturday between 9am and 1pm, come down to Rosendale for a Fishing Day on the Rondout Creek, sponsored jointly by the Rosendale Environmental Commission and the Federated Sportsmen’s Clubs of Ulster County. The Sportsmen’s Clubs provide free bait and tackle (although anglers over 16 will need a license) and the Commission will be supplying educational info on creek health. Meet up at Hardenburgh Park, under the railroad trestle on Rt. 213 (access near St. Peter’s Church).
In Phoenicia, local author Ed Ostapczuk will be at the library signing his book Ramblings of a Charmed Circle Flyfisher at 10:30am. He’s got a slide show ready that will take viewers on a Grand Creek Tour: Beaverkill, Willowemoc, Neversink, Esopus, Schoharie, Rondout, and Delaware Rivers are all part of the Charmed Circle. You can also catch Ostapczuk on Wednesday, September 26 at 8pm at the Boiceville Inn, on Route 28 in Boiceville.
Next to swimming, you can’t get much more intimate with a creek than you do in a kayak. Saturday also offers two splendid opportunities to get paddling: from 9:30am to 1pm, there’s a guided tour of the Lower Esopus being sponsored jointly by Riverkeeper and the Lower Esopus Watershed Partnership, with help from TrailCross LLC and Kenco. Kenco and the Saugerties marina will have rental kayaks available if you’re not bringing your own; in any case, bring a lunch. Meet up at Tina Chorvas Park, East Bridge Street, Saugerties.
On the Rondout, you can join the Kingston Paddle Pals for a free lighthouse tour, actually being offered every Saurday this month. Tours depart from the Sleightsburg Launch in the Town of Esopus, directly across the creek from the Maritime Museum. You’ll need to rent or bring gear; contact Diane L. Dintruff at ddintruff@yahoo.com or 845-331-9321 to find out more.
If you’d rather walk than paddle, meet up at the Awosting Parking Area at Minnewaska State Park on Saturday for a hike that will lead you to the small but magical Mine Hole Waterfall. The moderately challenging two mile hike starts at 10am. Preregistration is required; call the park at (845) 255-0752.
On Sunday you can join in an interpretive walk at Slabsides, the historic and rustic cabin of famed naturalist John Burroughs, complete with readings from his works. The hike kicks off at ten at the Slabsides Sanctuary on John Burroughs Drive in West Park; it’s only a mile along a newly completed trail, but the difficulty level’s listed as “moderate.”
For more information on the events of (and philosophy behind) Creek Week, check the Creek Week page on Ulster County Environment's website.
