MOHAWK - Discovering the Valley of the Crystals Copyright 2002

Readers Comments - January 1, 2002 to December 28, 2002
 
Note:  Dates are in Reverse Order

As of  December 28, 2002

As of  December 22, 2002


As of  December 15, 2002

As of  November 25, 2002


As of  November 16, 2002


Wildlife Area atVischers Ferry:

Scotia-Schenectady-Aqueduct:


As of October 20, 2002

Is It All Over?

Scotia-Schenectady-Aqueduct:


Ducks On The River:

Congrats:


Difficulty of access to Canals with Kayak and Canoe:.


As of October 20, 2002
 

As of September 29, 2002 As of September 21, 2002


As of August 18, 2002


As of July 28, 2002


As of July 15, 2002
 

As of June 22, 2002


As of June 9, 2002

As of June 4, 2002

Read the latest and envy you. The pictures and trip sound great although at you age you better be careful fooling around in those choppy waters near those dams. I hope you guys filleted that walleye. It looked great but would look even greater in a frying pan.  DF

I tried the maps. Fascinating. LP

Love the history of the French Walloons! LP

For it's worth, you are probably the most salient reason I am fishing again.Thanks for the good stuff. DP

The latest trip will probably rank as a special highlight as you reflect back on the total adventure. From the pictures, Canajoharie Gorge is both beautiful and interesting, an explorer's dream come true. Just curious, but have you ever tried fly fishing for those finicky trout? Cheers and be careful out there. JD

I bought your book Canoe Fishing NY Rivers and Streams. I did the Schoharie Creek Run with a friend and had a great time. SM

Don't send anything here anymore or we'll have you arrested.  This is a gov't site. No personal business is allowed!  GO AWAY!!!!   DB Oneida, NY

DB  Sorry about that. I took your email address off my Heads Up mailing list a long time ago. I recall because your message was so nasty. I don't know how it got there again. I checked all my lists and you are now eliminated you from all of them.  Paul
 

As of May 5, 2002
Do you have a target date for completion of the trip down the Mohawk? After that, what happens, will most of the book be written by then? I am curious to know how many hours you spend a week just studying history of the area, maps etc. in planning your trips. A lot of hard work.  LP

I hope to finish the exploration of the river this year and complete the book in around two years. I spend more time exploring than studying. Right now I spend 3-4  hours a day in one way or another working on the book.  Paul

Read the 4-mile Gorge. Loved it, and photos, too. However, I was a little disoriented by the reference to Wood Creek. Remember, there is a Wood Creek that originates in the City of Rome. It's a little trickle - although stocked with trout - and gets rather large before - guess what? - emptying into the Barge Canal down toward Sylvan Beach. It might help to say "not to be confused with the Wood Creek that empties into the Barge Canal west of Rome."   JP

I was glad you mentioned the deer carcasses and trash some "caring person(s)" had dumped (along Moyer Creek)  Slobs like this can destroy what is otherwise beautiful natural areas, but you already know that. I just hope more people start turning them in. We can get along very nicely without those maggot-heads fouling our outdoors. BM

Last night at about 6 p.m. I placed my kayak in the Canal at the end of Barnes Ave. I paddled to the Utica Harbor lock and carried it over into the Mohawk. I paddled west and just before dark turned around. Much of my return trip was in the dark, but regardless when I got back to the lock, I paddled into the Utica Harbor. What a sight it was to see the signs from the Commercial Travelers and Adirondack Bank buildings, and the gold dome of the SBU Bank, reflecting off the harbor's surface. What a feeling! I wondered when was the last time someone paddled into the harbor at night?
    Many questions and thoughts came to mind:  How can we get more people interested in our natural wonders, get the harbor, the Mohawk and canal redeveloped?. Can it be legal to have junk cars and related debris falling into the Mohawk? Shouldn't we relocate these salvage yards?  Has anyone documented the conditions along the Mohawk? (I began making plans to come back and video tape the Mohawk and Canal from Rome to Little Falls, starting in the Utica area first)  Could one run successful boat trips through the region to interested parties? (I saw ducks, geese, deer and big noisy fish... in addition to neat views and sounds of Utica.)  How can I research what's been going on with the Mohawk and canal. Can I get others interested in researching these waters and what they could mean for increasing our area's prosperity?
    Then today, I found your website. What a wonderful body of work! I too enjoy the city of Little Falls. Recently, I have been thinking about the local region that many people call the "Mohawk Valley." But as your work illustrates, the Mohawk Valley is not just "Rome to Little Falls".  BT

As of April 21, 2002


As of April 6, 2002

Keep on hiking! I like to think that someone is out enjoying life in the great outdoors. Again, you inspire me to try my hand (or feet) at a little hiking around the Old Erie Canal. Finding time is the thing. LP

I enjoyed the new stuff. I had never heard the Trenton Falls story before. It's a good one. Is it indeed true, or is it a legend, or a combination? Whatever it is, I think it would help to introduce it as such. If it does have mythic elements, and I'm supposing it does, people will think it's completely factual unless you say so. JP

I introduced it as a tale and noted that most of the information came from the book The Mohawk Valley, It's Legends and its History. I suspect it was a combination of fact and legend.

In my opinion, this latest addition is the best, so far. I was especially impressed with the battle at Trenton Falls. This has all the combined elements required for a great historical movie. I must confess that although having lived in this area most of my 72 years, I was totally unaware of the story. I'm sure that most of the current residents in the nearby community are unaware as well, with the exception of a few dedicated historians
such as yourself. Great work, keep 'em coming! JD

I just checked your website which was given to me by a former coworker. I used to read your column in the OD (Observer Dispatch), and was a regular subscriber to your magazine (New York Sportsman) from the time you first started it. I already have your book Canoe-Fishing New York Rivers and Streams and find it to be a great book.  Since I've retired I have some extra time and will check to see what book of yours will be my next purchase.  The Guide to Fishing West Canada Creek looks inviting.  RT

As of April 1, 2002

        You may be referring to the potholes right in the village. Take a look at: No Man's Land.


As of March 23, 2002


As of March 16, 2002

Just out of curiosity, when did Finck's Basin become Fink Basin? Two of my uncles, had farms on Fall Hill when I was growing up. Uncle John had a hired hand who lived in Finck's Basin. I don't ever remember hearing Fink Basin as the area below Fall Hill. It looks like a spelling error that someone decided not to correct. CG

I don't know when the spelling changed, but it's Fink Basin on current maps, yet all historical references I've found call it Finck's Basin. It's located on the east side of Fall Hill.  Do you know of another Finck's Basin in that area? I found many such name changes while researching West Canada Valley. For instance Eaton's Bush is now Eatonville and Schell's Bush Road is now Shell Bush Road. Paul

I think that it was just an arbitrary change to shorten the name so it would fit better on the map. It definitely sends the wrong etymological message. The area was named after a family named Finck (probably Palatine German), thus Finck's Basin, not the German spelling for the bird--finch. If you persist in following the map's incorrect spelling, you will only reinforce this change in an historic name. Maps should follow local usage, not the other way around. People in the area are going to wonder how accurate the rest of your information is when they see this odd spelling. By the way, the Finck's Basin I knew as a child was at the east side of Fall Hill, as you have stated. CG

I couldn't agree with you more that the spelling of the names of places (and people) shouldn't be changed. But it is a fact of life and of history that they are constantly changed. I prefer the original names, however, when I use a topographical map in conjunction with my website that uses a different spelling, I provide both spellings and try to point out --- as I did in the case of Finck's Basin --- which was the original. I'm glad there was only one Finck's Basin. BTW, your comments are invaluable to me. Keep them coming.  Paul

I saw those stone loading docks through a pair of 10x50 binoculars while stopped at the overlook on Rte 5 just east of Little Falls. Knew not what they were. Now I know!  DH

I met with the Director of the Herkimer County Historical Society.  They are planning a historical presentation and dinner at Beardslee Castle on the History of the Beardslee Family, The Castle and East Creek NY. I was looking over your site and your in-progress book on the Mohawk Valley.  If I could be of any help in providing information on the East Canada Creek/East Creek area or information on the Beardslee Family and the developments and City that grew up around their settlment at East Creek in the early 1800's, I would be more than happy to provide photo's and information that I have. RB

Just read your Finck's Basin adventure.  I'm glad you didn't get chased by junk-yard dogs.  Shame about all that trash.  What ails people anyway. JD

Never enough time to languish, but I am enjoying your trip down the valley. Would love to review your book in the Conservationist (magazine) when it is available in print. Keep me apprised re the timing. DN

I have gone up that same rollaway (never heard the term) on my mountain bike about 10 or so years ago. Little Falls is something out of a storybook. One only wishes that a large infusion of capital would appear to help at once to preserve and improve upon what is there. There was a project underway as part of the canal promotion to create a permanent white water run through town. Haven't heard the latest on that.  DP
 

As of March 3, 2002

          Perhaps  some of our readers can help. If so, I'll pass the info on to you.
 

As of February 17, 2002


As of February 10, 2002           How can I possibly live up to that?   Paul
 

As of February 1, 2002

Great stuff. Thanks for providing the good work and research.  DP

Love the story about Island Mystery Unfolds Part One. I could not wait for Part Two. The bridge abutment really got me interested. I can just picture a nice wooden bridge across whatever was there. DW

I thought I'd pass along a web site that has historical information on the Mohawk Valley's canals, in case you haven't seen it. SLhttp://www.nysm.nysed.gov/hisresearch.html

Have you checked Lock 33 across from St. Johnsville? It has been cleared in the past few years. I read some time back you were using Nelson Greene as a resource. He copied inaccurate material from earlier sources, word for word.  I recognized some of the passages and didn't appreciate the fact he plagiarized and didn't give the original author credits. Some of the problems with our history comes from these inaccurate sources and then later generations copy it once again.  Then it becomes established fact and almost impossible to correct.  Thought you might like to know.  JB

I have forwarded your Book-In-Progress emails to a few of my friends and relatives that are out of state and formally from The Mohawk Valley.  They are all pleased to be able to, may I say, Walk With You, while at home.  TS

As of January 27, 2002

Damn, the visions of Wright and his crew mapping/documenting 106 miles of the river and its characteristics, etc. blow me away. Talk about an undertaking of gargantuan proportions. Pixs turned out great. BM

I follow your progress with the book faithfully, and learn from every installment. Please continue telling me what you discover, to pique my interest to explore on my own.  PR

Your enthusiasm is contagious and certainly plays a part in creating an interest in reading about each new discovery. AM

My son-in-law forwarded an article about your "book in progress" on the Mohawk Valley. Very interesting. How do I go about signing up for your latest additions so I can receive them directly? BM

BM,  Your son-in-law has good taste. You are signed up.  Paul

As of January 20, 2002

    I shared your web page on Plantation Island with our Wildlife staff (it is a wildlife management area for NYS) and others. One person shared with, PL of the NYS Museum, had some comments that I'm forwarding to you. Keep me on your distribution list and keep up the good work.
SL, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

    Thanks for forwarding this. Unfortunately, by not consulting the people who already know all about this site complex, including Utica DEC and also DOT, for whom we (State Museum) did the research way back in 1983, Paul Keesler's website is full of misinformation and more confusing than informative.
    Having seen this, and recognizing how important the site is, and how much blood, sweat and joy (thought I was going to say "tears"?) we all put into this site in the past 20 years, I think I will put together a website from this end that we can point to in the future. I have all the maps and graphics and reports, so it just requires a bit of effort. Look for it in the next 30 days or so. PL, New York State Museum

    SL, Thanks much for your comments. I am not surprised at PL's comments. We've had our differences before. I have invited him to join me on discovery trips and/or to read my website on a regular basis so he can offer suggestions and corrections. He has declined on more than one occasion.
    Like so many others, I provided him with Heads Up Notices so he could look at topics of special interest. He asked me to remove his name from my e-mailing list.
    As I state repeatedly in my Heads Up Notices and on the Web site, I want to know if my information is not accurate, so I can correct it. My research on Lock 18 Island is not even close to complete. I was merely reporting on my first discovery trip. After all, this is a Book-In-Progress.
    One of the main goals of  my Book-In-Progress is to promote a better understanding and appreciation of the Mohawk Valley. If I have inspired PL to take time from his busy schedule to develop a website on Lock 18 (Plantation) Island, I have accomplished part of that goal.
    Incidentally, I am well aware that the Island is a Wildlife Management Area, having spent many hours discussing it with former Wildlife Biologist, John Page. At the time John was deeply involved with its "acquisition" and "development."  I am also aware that the Island has been all but forgotten as a wildlife area and a significant historic site.
    When I have completed exploring the Island, I have every intention of talking to the DEC folks at the Utica office. Generally, that has been my approach. Explore, discover and then research. It's more fun that way.
    If you have any information or sources of information I can use, please let me know. They will be much appreciated. Paul Keesler

A follow-up message
SL, I'll bet you didn't think your original message would create such a hubbub. Just for the record, I was involved in the fight to acquire Lock 18 Island and have it designated Wildlife Management Area way back in the 1970s. That was 30 years ago. Back then I helped the Herkimer County Conservation Alliance push for the project. And when it became a reality, I promoted it in newspaper columns, magazine articles, and by producing a TV show on it. Of course back then I was more interested in wildlife and wild-place conservation than in the history of the area. Paul Keesler

Response
Thanks for your history with Plantation Island. My first introduction to the area was with John Page back the summer before he retired.  We did some bushwacking after crossing the locks and he gave me a little crash course about the area. As a wildlife biologist I tried to fill in at the Utica office two days a week at the job which John had full time. My second visit to Plantation Island was a winter walk, crossing the ice, where Stew Brown and I surveyed the area and got to see many of the old historical structures. We currently have a wildlife staff person in the Utica office. We gained a full time biologist now, but do not have any wildlife technicians. Keep up the good work. SL

Lock 18 Island: Good story. Utilities have machines, which scrape zebra mussels off intake pipes. Indeed, they were developed in Eastern Europe where zebra mussels came from. If memory serves me correctly, the first zebras were discovered in Lake St. Claire. Critters that feed on the tiny clams include sheepshead, smallmouth bass and crayfish. Some experts trace the botulism sweeping Lake Erie to anaerobic conditions existing under mats of the critters.  SR

I enjoy your books and your webpage. While reading your "Along the Way" sections, I noted that you were in need of a copy of Beetle's "Along the Oriskany", a favored book and stream of mine. I'd be happy to lend the book to you for your research, if it might still be a help to you. Yes this is the 1947 edition. Keep up the good work and good luck to you. DL

DL,  Thanks much, but a reader has already provided me a copy of "Along the Oriskany."  Paul Keesler


As of January 13, 2002
    Very good and accurate advice from someone who didn't know a jpeg from a URL two years ago!! AB

    Regards holding the digital camera steady, you sure are right on that one. I never took so many blurry pictures until I got a digital camera. I had to learn to hold it steady. I haven't had any photos printed. I just burn them onto a CD. I think it's great -- I burned "a whole album" onto a CD this past Christmas and brought it to my daughter's! The more I use it, the more I like it, especially when I click on that "delete" button after taking a really bad shot -- no wasted film here!!). JK

     I just recently got a digital camera, and you are right, they are different from film cameras. One of the big differences, as you pointed out, is that they are slow (film speed wise). Once just  for fun I kicked mine up to ISO 800 equivalent, the result was quite  grainy (or noisy in the digital world).  That still might be worth doing in some cases.  Also was hoping for more sharpness.  I got one of the better ones, 3.3 Mpixels, and the images are pretty impressive  at times.
    Still I think they could be a touch sharper with that many pixels.  I replaced my camera twice before accepting the current one. First  time I thought the image quality wasn't what it could be, but by the 3rd time I accepted it as what I could get. Convenience is the overriding factor, it's really nice to be able to see what you got right away. Now using an old camera is like working blind.  RS

    My  Panasonic digital camera has a super drive in it, so it is not light.  I can move it immediately after snapping.  It takes to the count of 5 to take the pic, but then it is speedy.  The quality is superior. Depends on the pixels.  I get such a large pic, I have to reduce it to put it on a sheet of paper.  It is much sharper than my "film" camera.  I can take things almost in the dark and lighten them in the software. I haven't used film since the day I bought it. A snap shot with a regular camera is no where as sharp as these photos once they are blown up.
    I am also a Town Assessor, and took pictures of all the buildings in the town on one super disk (110mg).  I simply purchase another disk, and keep the original photos on the disk. It is 1.3 megapixel, but the size is enormous.  When the picture is reduced to usable size, the megapixels are tightened. Megapixels aren't the only story, but the size is important.  A 640 X 480 size with 4 mega pixels won't look like much when it is printed to page size, the pixels are stretched.  A super-size when reduced is super-sharp. I print full-page size or half-page size.  Corel Draw 9 is great to put about a dozen pictures together on a page and print for an album.
    My camera will take three different quality photos, movie clip, sound, and different sizes of photos.  I simply use the max most of the time. It selects the smaller one when I use the full zoom. It cost $1000.00 when I bought it. Now it costs $400 with an additional super drive that can be mounted in the computer. We bought one for the town after they saw what mine can do. I paid extra for the drive for my computer. You can transfer the pictures by USB also. It is handy to have a portable super drive that you can plug into any computer that has a USB port.  It shows as an extra drive on the computer.
    Use BMP if you want to work on the pic.  BMP puts eight markers around each pixel, and that stabilizes the photo. It won't degrade, then save to tiff or jpeg. My printer is a professional model, and will print 2400 dpi.  Makes a beautiful print.  My other one prints at 1440 dpi, and I can see the difference.  First you need to indicate the type of paper you are using, then set it for max for that kind of paper.  I generally stay away from the high gloss paper.  I use the archive paper, which has a dull finish, but for the paper the directions say to select "glossy" when selecting the paper type.  I get awesome photos.
    I only use a tripod if I want to be included in the photo! JB

    Enjoyed the latest installments, as always.  Especially the bit on West Leyden Pond. I remember that as a kid.  When I've driven by that the past few years I often wondered if there was anything in it these days.  I also appreciated the info on digital cameras, as I'm sure others did.  I got one for Christmas. Today would be a nice day to go out in the snow & play with it if I didn't have to teach.   LM

    Just caught your last two additions to your B-I-P. I'd learned somewhere of the pike being put into West Leyden Pond being the base for those later caught in Delta. But I'd forgotten until I read your latest chapter. Also good job on the digital photography - not too complex and not too oversimplified.  BM
 

As of January 1, 2002


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