NNY Nature Trails: the Chaumont Barrens

We recently visited the Nature Conservancy Park in Chaumont, NY, called the Chaumont Barrens. It's a beautiful park with a unique geography that is apparently very rare in the world. So, while the North Country has many wonderful walking trails and nature parks, this will be our first feature.

Accessibility: Medium-hard.
Pets: Not allowed.
Sites: Very good; many and varied.
Wildlife: Very diverse; birds, amphibians, small and large mammals, insects, flowers, mosses.
Others: Fossils, stone features.
Best time to visit: Late spring and early summer.

This is an excellent trail for older children and adults. Parts of it were somewhat difficult to access and the trail entrance itself is off of a tiny dirt road that is easily missed by the casual traveler. The countryside is beautiful, however, and it is well worth the drive.

Here you will find a wide diversity of sites spread over a small area. There are deciduous forests, a coniferous forest, and grasslands marked by post-glacial lichens and boulder erratics. The area also lies on an ancient fault line, so there may be some particular interest for geological enthusiasts. In places, the bared limestone offers glimpses of ancient oceans in the form of fossils. Hundreds of new species of snail have been discovered here; people have purportedly seen everything from small rodents to coyotes and foxes hiding among the stone crevasses in the ground. The forest floors and meadows are littered with any number of blossoms from May through July, including yellow lady's slippers, chicory, daisies, red columbines, and the very rare prairie smoke blossoms. Since parts of the trail are low enough for a little water retention, you may also find many different kinds of animal footprints after a rainfall.

Remember to wear long pants and sleeves whenever you venture into overgrown areas to protect against ticks and other hazards such as poisonous plants. Sun screen is also a good idea; especially for this trail, which crosses wide open spaces between forested areas. Always hike in groups and bring plenty of water. Take only pictures, leave only footprints.

Happy explorations!

Bleh Bars

You've been there before---not too hungry when you wake up, but knowing that you've got a long, hard day ahead of you and that you really should eat something to keep up your stamina through work. You look around for a quick but healthy fix. There are some options on the shelf---granola, trail mix, dried fruit. And protein bars.

Now, I hadn't had a protein bar in over five years. Back then, "protein bar" was the name given to a specific variety of foods that had the consistency of dry caulking paste and was about as flavorful as compacted poo. Since then, a whole new world of organic foods have hit the market and this country in general has become a lot more health-conscious in terms of what it's putting in its mouth. I thought perhaps the protein bars had evolved as well---into something not only tasty but healthier, too.

Turns out that this was wishful thinking at its most wishful. I chawed my way through about as fast as I could (and, yes, "chawed" really is the best word for this experience); which turned out to be not very fast at all because again, it was like trying to eat caulking paste. The flavor was supposed to be "chocolate and peanut butter." Last time I checked, neither chocolate nor peanut butter taste like childrens' vitamins (you know, the ones that are shaped like little characters from a favorite 1960's cartoon), which is exactly what this bar tasted like.

I wasn't batting too well and only looked at the package after I ate the so-called "food". At 310 grams of sodium (that's 13% of a typical daily value!), I feel like I'd be better off just throwing my head back and downing a shaker's worth of salt.

Next time, I think I'll just take the granola!

Does anyone have a recommendation for a protein bar that is actually good?
If so, we'd love to hear it!


- Jacinta Meyers for the Meyers Family