Moreau Lake - East of the Hudson -StoneWall Trail

The Hudson River splits Moreau Lake State Park (MLSP) into two sections. The main body of the park --where Moreau Lake is located-- is west of the Hudson River. However, a good sized chunk of park lies east of the river and coming from Saratoga Springs you must cross the Hudson to get there. Confusing the issue is that the Hudson makes a 90 degree turn and flows northeast through the park. So a hiker viewing the Hudson from the Palmertown Ridge is looking west toward the section of the park that is east of the river.

Moreau Lake State Park; The eastern section is on the left in this image of the park trail map.

To reach this eastern section of the park from Saratoga Springs take route 9N to Corinth. Cross the river and drive north for a half mile to the intersection with Call Street.  Turn right onto Call Street. About three miles from that intersection you'll see Hawk Road on the right (one sign says Hawk Street but it is Hawk Road). The first half mile of Hawk Road is paved but you'll quickly reach a steel gate where a sign reads; "Trailhead Parking Straight Ahead". From there it's about a mile on a one lane dirt road to the large parking area. As of October 2014 the road was passable for normal passenger cars with just a couple of rough spots.

The Stonewall trail --with Blue Markers-- leaves the west side of the parking lot (on your right as you drive into the lot). A second blue marked trail leaves the lot on the opposite northeast side. That trail is not seen on park maps that I have but it's a nice addition to the trail system. It makes possible a very pleasant loop hike of about 2.5 miles. The far point of the loop is near the Hudson at a spot where some 19th century building foundations remain. Making the "loop" is a bit confusing because, as mentioned, not all of the trails appear on the current trail maps. Even so, it's easy country to navigate and the continuation of Hawk Road (abandoned) crosses the trail at a couple of points making it possible to return to the parking area by that route.

Through the trees - the Spier Falls reservoir (Hudson River) 

This "Hawk Road Trail" (a name I just made up) also reaches the Hudson; but at a point further downstream just above the Spier Falls dam. From there the trail/road continues to the power line right-of-way leaving the power station at Spier Falls. The trail runs along the right-of-way as part of the canoe portage route around the Spier Falls dam. Canoeists approaching the dam from above leave the water and climb up to the road, follow a short stretch to Hawk Road to the right of way, and return to the water walking downhill under the power line. At that point you are on the upper section of a second reservoir backed up behind the Sherman Island dam about 3 miles further downstream. The hiking trail continues along the east bank of this reservoir for a couple more miles, but the transition between the two sections is heavily overgrown and serious tick precautions will be needed to get through unscathed.

Also worth mentioning is that this entire area is open to hunting and I ran into two hunters on my recent outing there. They politely handled their guns in a way that was safety aware but you should wear bright colors if you hike during hunting season.

As with the better known trails on the west side of the river, these trails offer a wealth of natural and human history to consider as you walk. I got a clear look at a male Red Bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus). This species is distinctive and common in many eastern forests, but MLSP is a bit north of its' historic range. Which begs the question of whether this species is expanding its' range northward. And if so, why? Birds are able to respond to changing environmental conditions at a faster rate than many animals and plants (flying comes in real handy). So shifts in bird ranges can serve as an early indicator of changing ecological conditions. If the normal range of the Red Bellied Woodpecker is shifting northward it could be in response to a warming climate. But to make that assertion we need to know the natural history of this species for this area. Has the Red Bellied Woodpecker been present here in the past? If not, when did it arrive and what environmental/ecological changes make the area attractive now?

A less positive indicator of changing environmental conditions is seen in the extensive infestations of Asiatic Bittersweet (AB) along the section of Hawk Road that runs above Spier Falls dam. That AB is present here is hardly surprising. I had previously spotted AB from my canoe; at a place along the river/reservoir bank just below this section of trail. This area has been extensively altered by human activity and once it is present AB thrives where people disturb the forest and create forest edges. AB is common along a half mile stretch of the old road above the dam but I did not spot in the wilder forest areas. It would be interesting to survey the surrounding forest to determine the extent to which it has spread.

Asiatic Bittersweet along the (abandoned) section of Hawk Road near Spier Falls Dam.
Asiatic Bittersweet grows in dense stands that crowd out other vegetation and its' bulk can pull down trees. There is a similar native species; American Bittersweet. The two are easy to tell apart in the fall when the berries are present. If the berries grow all along a stem, it is the Asiatic variety. American Bittersweet has berries only at the ends of stems. Complicating matters is that the two varieties hybridize easily.

To round out my recent day of hiking I took a bush-whacking side excursion from the Hawk Road parking area down to the point where Bennie Brook flows into the Hudson (about 3/4 of a mile). Two things stand out from this little adventure. First, don't try to walk along the edge of the reservoir. It is really tough going and the dreaded deer (black legged) ticks --that carry Lyme disease-- are definitely present. The second point is that I did find something interesting along way; a very large White Oak, diameter 47 inches at chest height. This is probably the largest tree (by this measure) that I've seen anywhere in Moreau Lake State Park. And, because White Oaks are long lived, it could be the oldest as well. White Oaks can live to be 300+ years old and I'd love to know if this tree is really old, having somehow escaped logging, fires and other mishaps. Or is it a younger tree, maybe in the 150 year range, that just happened to grow under particularly favorable conditions. So many questions so little time.

Data: Bittersweet

You can't talk about invasive plant species in this part of New York State and not talk about Asiatic Bittersweet (AB). This vine is one of the most visible and damaging of the invasive species found in the Hemlock Forest. I know a little more about the specifics of this plant because about 10 years ago it appeared in my backyard. I've been battling it there ever since. I cut it off at the ground and I pull it out by the roots. I've fought AB to a draw in my yard but it is everywhere in the surrounding area; especially in a successional field near my house where it has pulled down several trees by the sheer weight of the vines. AB spreads both by the dispersal of seeds by birds (that eat the berries) and via rhizomes that spread out from every established vine. This plant is not going away anytime soon.

Image One: A dense cluster of Asiatic Bittersweet vines in the Hemlock Forest.

Asiatic Bittersweet is not a shy plant and even in a dense forest spotting the vine is easy. It wraps itself tightly around the trunks of trunks of trees and it will bridge from tree to tree in the canopy. But it is in the late fall and winter that AB really stands out. Mature plants produce large quantities of orange-red berries with yellow sheaths that are quite distinctive. The only plant you might confuse it with is its native cousin, American Bittersweet. Asiatic Bittersweet hybridizes with the native variety and by all accounts the hybrid is quickly replacing the native version everywhere that both species are present. Unfortunately, the hybrids appear to take on the negative characteristics of the invader. Namely, it's ability to produce a mass of vines that tend to strangle whatever it gets a hold of. The native variety is certainly not extinct, so before you take actions to control this plant be sure you know which one you are looking at. The plants are very similar in appearance with one easily spotted distinction. When berries are present, if the berries are found all along the vine it is Asiatic Bittersweet. The berries of the native variety appear only at the very ends of each vine.

AB will be one of the plants I focus on in studying the invasive species present in the Hemlock Forest. The general questions I've discussed in other posts certainly apply and, in the case of AB, there is the additional issue of why the non-native variety is so much more destructive than the native species. In the Hemlock Forest AB is found pretty much everywhere there is an opening in the canopy. There are several old fields in various stages of succession in the forest and AB is present in all of them. It is almost certainly present in other places in the forest as well and one of my first goals will be to map the full extent of its' presence. That data can be used in the future to learn more about how AB disperses. AB can also be used to study how community assemblages are changed by a well established and aggressive invasive species.

Map One: The purple polygons show areas where Asiatic Bittersweet is present in significant quantities. This highly aggressive vine is probably found in other parts of the forest but I have not yet specifically mapped its' presence.


References and Resources:
Asiatic Bittersweet (Wikipedia)
Mistaken Identity: Invasive Plants and their Native Look-alikes