2011-08-31 Monthly Log

In August, I logged 125 miles. Since I started logging my walks 15 months ago (April 2010), I logged 1,973 Miles.

On August 31st I took the Empire State Capital Volkssporters (facebook) on a 10K through Oakwood Cemetery in Troy NY.  Based on feedback I think everyone had a great time.  Some walkers questioned my mileage (in good fun, they thought they should get credit for more than 10k). I used a geo-logger on my android phone to compute the distance, and it was just slightly over 6 miles.

Oakwood is one of my favorite walks.  It's a very beautiful and historic place.  Throughout the year there are guide tours available.  On September 24, Mike Barrett (who gives a GREAT tour) will be leading an excursion that will include the Earl Chapel’s Tiffany windows, Uncle Sam’s grave, and a 100 mile view, as well as ponds, waterfalls, striking gravesite markers and more. To register please call 800-556-6273.

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My walks during the month included:

• Oakwood Cemetery Loop (4.6 - 6.7 miles), 6 times
• Ross Valve Tech Park - Foundry and Back (also through Oakwood, 4.8 miles), 2 times
• Neighborhood walks (1.7 - 5.7 miles), 25 times
• USS Slater - Albany Loop (3.7 miles), 1 time
• Voorhesville (8.0 miles), 1 time
• Zim Smith (5.4 mile), 1 time
• Fort Ticonderoga, Kings Garden  (1.6 miles), 1 time
  
• Clifton Park Center - Library Loop (4.1 miles), 2 times
  

2011-08-31 - Oakwood (ESCV)

I have walked hundred of miles through Oakwood Cemetery, in Troy, NY. On the morning (9:00 AM) of August 31th, 2011 I will be leading the Empire State Capital Volkssporter Club on a guided walk there. The sign-in is at the parking lot of Ross Valve Tech Park on a 102nd Street.

The full walk is 6 miles in length and involves a climb of 345'. However, some ESCV members will drive to the top, and join the group near the crest of the hill. This will cut the climb to a 100'. The route snakes through the cemetery and there are numerous opportunities to take cut-offs. The length for the group the drives to the top is approximately 4 miles (but there are cutoffs that make the route shorter).

Regarding Volksport Special events - the Cemetery and the Gardner Earl Memorial Chapel and Crematorium are both listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There route will pass five lakes; two water falls (if there is sufficient flow) ; one outdoor bell; and the site of the Major League Ball park for the Troy Haymakers (the San Francisco Giants). There are also numerous veteran memorials including the General Wool Memorial and the General Thomas Memorial (Nine Civil War Generals, A Medal of Honor Recipient, A crewman from the USS Monitor).

If you're familiar with Goggle Earth I uploaded a KMZ file of the route. You can also view the route on Map My Walk at this link. During the winter I posted a similar route to everytrail.com.

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• A-1: Oakwood Gatehouse, Main Office. Start step climb, approx. 200 +.


• A-2: 2nd Segment of the climb, approx. 100'. 1st Waterfall on right. Pass the Soldier's Plot.


• B-1: Loop South, Ross Memorial. View of Cohoes Falls. General Wool Memorial


• B-2: Main Road South, Emma Willard,General Alden, Rice Bull.


• B-3: Vanderheyden Bell, Gardner Earl Memorial Chapel and Crematorium. Caretaker House


• C-1: Loop North, Troy Orphan, General Thomas; (Parking for shorter walk)


• C-2: General Thomas, Le Grand Cannon, Russel Sage, Warren Family Mortuary Chapel


• C-3: Amos Easton, Captain Levi Smith, George Greer - Loop West


• D-1: Loop North, Uncle Sam Wilson, Silas Covell, Col. James Clark, Eliphalet Wickes


• D-2: General Tibbets,The Panorama (100 mile View), Waterfalls


• D-3: Walk East around Long Lake


• E-1: Loop North, Hart Family Plot, George Cluett, John Griswold, Jonh Willard


• E-2: Loop South, John Gurley, Burden Family Plot


• F-1: Loop North: Cutoff for Group that parked at C-1


• F-2: Short Loop on Gurley Avenue


• G-1: South Return on Uncle Sam Bike Path (Old Troy Boston RR)


• G-2: Turn West through Knickerbacker Park, Troy Haymakers Ball Field


• G-3: Ross Tech Park

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• Oakwood Cemetery


• Oakwood Cemetery - Wikipedia


• John Wentworth (husband of Roxanna Marie Loomis)


• Brig.General Alonzo Alden


• Shooting Soldiers: Civil War Medical Photography by R.B. Bontecou


• Professor Amos Eaton


• Emma Willard: A plan for improving female education


• The Life of Emma Willard


• The Hart-Cluett House


• General John McConihe - Nebraska History


• Mrs. Russell Sage


• George Lamb Willard - Wikipedia


• A regimental history: The 125th New York State Volunteers


• General Thomas (Henry Coppee)


• General Thomas - A Critical Biography (Donn Piatt, Henry Van Boynton)


• The life of Major-General George H. Thomas (Thomas Budd Van Horne)


• A narrative of Major General Wool's campaign in Mexico


• Soldiering: the Civil War diary of Rice C. Bull, 123rd New York Volunteer Infantry


• Personal reminiscences of the rebellion, 1861-1866 (Le Grand B Canno)


• Recollections of the iron clads (Le Grand B Cannon)


• George Geer Papers (USS Monitor)


• Troy’s “Monitor Boys by Don Rittner


• John Morrissey Obituary


• Disasters, accidents, and crises in American history - General Slocum


• New York's Awful Steamboat Disaster

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2011-07-31 Monthly Log

For July, I logged 140 miles. Since I started logging my walks 14 months ago (April 2010), I logged 1,859 Miles. We re-visited earlier walks on the Zim Smith and Lake George Bike Paths. Also started exploring walks in and around Cooperstown and Cohoes/Waterford. On the 4th, instead of driving to the local fireworks display I walked (just short of 8 miles).

Walks included:

• Oakwood Cemetery Loop (4.6 - 5.8 miles), 2 times


• Neighborhood walk (1.7 - 4.4 miles), 30 times


• Neighborhood walk to Fireworks (7.8 miles), 1 time


• USS Slater - Albany Loop (3.5-4.5 miles), 2 times


• Vooresville Loop (4.7-5.4 miles), 2 times


• Cohoes (2-5.5 mile), 4 times
  


• Zim Smith (5.4 mile), 1 time


• Lake George (9.3 miles), 2 times
  


• Cooperstown (1.7-3.0 miles), 2 times