Episode 139 - Catskill Watershed Corporation with Samatha Costa

[00:00:29] [SPEAKER_03]: The Bushwax were some of the worst days I've ever had in the mountains or in life really.

[00:00:36] [SPEAKER_01]: Whereas pants and mountains totally opposite in the mountains, I'm talking with a crazy guy.

[00:00:42] [SPEAKER_02]: I think there are other challenges on this incident where a particular difficult...

[00:00:48] [SPEAKER_02]: It is really the development of New York State. Catskill is what we're responsible for.

[00:00:54] [SPEAKER_06]: And you're here now.

[00:00:58] [SPEAKER_01]: Now you're listening to Inside The Line, Catskill Mountains Podcast.

[00:01:08] [SPEAKER_03]: So this says 139 but I think it's 144 correct. I think I had this wrong.

[00:01:14] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm not sure.

[00:01:15] [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, let me check on my notes. Let me check the my notes that I read actually.

[00:01:20] [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, it's 139.

[00:01:21] [SPEAKER_03]: So 139.

[00:01:23] [SPEAKER_03]: Shee.

[00:01:24] [SPEAKER_03]: That was wrong.

[00:01:24] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, because 140 is my 25th show with you.

[00:01:31] [SPEAKER_07]: Oh, no way. Why? You keep keeping keeping keeping...

[00:01:34] [SPEAKER_07]: You're not planning something. You don't already have something in the works because you can't throw it together in less than a week.

[00:01:42] [SPEAKER_07]: What does 25 mean? I don't know a 26.

[00:01:44] [SPEAKER_03]: It's our Silver Anniversary.

[00:01:47] [SPEAKER_03]: Let me pop this.

[00:01:49] [SPEAKER_03]: This Vermont Cider that we're going to talk about later.

[00:01:53] [SPEAKER_03]: So, yeah. So welcome to episode 139 of Inside The Line.

[00:01:57] [SPEAKER_03]: Catskill Mountains Podcast tonight.

[00:02:00] [SPEAKER_03]: Samantha from the Catskill Watershed Corporation is going to be enjoyed in us.

[00:02:05] [SPEAKER_03]: And we'll...

[00:02:06] [SPEAKER_03]: Did I see something hopping across the screen? We'll talk about that later.

[00:02:08] [SPEAKER_03]: Are you going to pop that open?

[00:02:11] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, wait for it.

[00:02:13] [SPEAKER_07]: We're going to do it now.

[00:02:15] [SPEAKER_03]: Because I can't wait.

[00:02:18] [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, I might have got that.

[00:02:19] [SPEAKER_03]: I'll try to enhance that.

[00:02:22] [SPEAKER_03]: Cheers, mother. Cheers.

[00:02:24] [SPEAKER_03]: So, it looks like we're recording.

[00:02:26] [SPEAKER_03]: So don't forget the donate to the one mile challenge.

[00:02:29] [SPEAKER_03]: If you can, do it a one mile challenge every day.

[00:02:32] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm supposed to walk or hike one mile or backpack one mile.

[00:02:36] [SPEAKER_03]: And I usually do around 14 miles per day with my job.

[00:02:40] [SPEAKER_03]: Wow, that's crazy.

[00:02:42] [SPEAKER_03]: And we've raised probably, I'm thinking over $700 so far.

[00:02:46] [SPEAKER_03]: So it's actually gone pretty well.

[00:02:49] [SPEAKER_03]: And where does that money go?

[00:02:51] [SPEAKER_03]: It goes into the Guardian Revival Corporation, which is a support for veterans and first responders that I also get back to as well.

[00:03:04] [SPEAKER_03]: Excellent.

[00:03:05] [SPEAKER_03]: And just let you know.

[00:03:06] [SPEAKER_03]: Also, for the month of September, there is a reoccurring or a double donation that somebody is doing.

[00:03:13] [SPEAKER_03]: It's called the Betsy Foundation.

[00:03:16] [SPEAKER_03]: That is doing it and it's pretty cool.

[00:03:19] [SPEAKER_03]: So if you donate, they'll double it.

[00:03:23] [SPEAKER_03]: Awesome.

[00:03:24] [SPEAKER_03]: So speaking of doubling and kind of over doubling,

[00:03:29] [SPEAKER_03]: the state spends millions, which is New York State.

[00:03:32] [SPEAKER_03]: Let's just say that. New York State spends millions in force range over time and lawmakers call for bigger force.

[00:03:38] [SPEAKER_03]: Now, what the crazy thing is is cad, Ted and I have been talking about this for 25 episodes now.

[00:03:47] [SPEAKER_03]: Probably saying that this is, they do way too much of for too little.

[00:03:54] [SPEAKER_03]: And it's been, and now it's been a, finally addressed so in an early March spring teased hikers that trailheads.

[00:04:01] [SPEAKER_03]: But winter still regained at the Aderotic peaks three and three days hikers on four of the states.

[00:04:08] [SPEAKER_03]: The amount is called for help. Rob Jel, I forgot, Rob peak answered them all.

[00:04:16] [SPEAKER_03]: People say that this is just gone a little bit too far.

[00:04:20] [SPEAKER_03]: First there was a rescue on right peak the next day at 33 hour marathon or costrated two simultaneous rescues on saddleback and basin.

[00:04:28] [SPEAKER_03]: And then another rescue was up on Marcy, a hypothermic cipher.

[00:04:32] [SPEAKER_03]: So this happens all over the state. I would say, majority of this is in the Aderotic region and then sums in the cascals.

[00:04:40] [SPEAKER_03]: But once again, there are eight to to maybe 20 rangers up in the Aderotic's refute in region that has to haul out a hiker on Mount Marcy or they got to call the New York State police on Mount Marcy.

[00:04:54] [SPEAKER_03]: And it's just happening way too often the overtime demands for assaulting time from the search and rescue.

[00:05:02] [SPEAKER_03]: And they come along with other issues with the DEC including calls from rangers for improvement, additional training and definitely some more amount to help free support due to them working so much.

[00:05:16] [SPEAKER_03]: Now the state is playing rangers more than 1.6 million in overtime annually with nearly half of that going to the Aderotic Park.

[00:05:25] [SPEAKER_03]: So we're talking about 600,000, no wait, no wait, no 800,000 going to the Aderotic Park.

[00:05:32] [SPEAKER_03]: With some of the regions starting at a base salary of $61,000 overtime in Mount Payton 2023 is equal to more than 2,000 hires, not including the cost of benefits.

[00:05:44] [SPEAKER_03]: So once again, we're talking about the rescues and the cascals at Aradix and you know being a search and rescue volunteer I don't know if I can get into this but I do not know why most of these times they don't call for for volunteer first time first aid.

[00:06:05] [SPEAKER_07]: Well, one of my opinions and I obviously don't know if this is correct but it's an opinion.

[00:06:12] [SPEAKER_07]: If you're a ranger and you're starting out at $60,000 a year you're looking for overtime right because you know even though with a state job you're going to get a pension you're going to get health you're going to get disability.

[00:06:29] [SPEAKER_07]: You get a good benefit package but living in New York state on $60,000 a year particular if you want to be the main wage earner for your family that's not a lot of money.

[00:06:44] [SPEAKER_07]: So they're looking for overtime hours and it's a bargain for the state of New York because they don't pay for additional health insurance coverage or the other economic burdens associated with hiring another ranger.

[00:07:02] [SPEAKER_07]: So that's why the state would have an interest in paying overtime and boo who the state for complaining about $1.6 million and overtime pay for rangers because given the size of the state budget that's really not a lot of money.

[00:07:18] [SPEAKER_07]: But when I dug into this you you highlighted the story and I walked into some of the background on it work for me a New York state trooper starts off at how much per year.

[00:07:32] [SPEAKER_03]: Stash. Well, you didn't highlight that but always you did $59.612.

[00:07:39] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah so when the state troopers in the academy and being trained they started off just shy of 60,000 a year and then their first year the minimum salary is 98,300 dollars.

[00:07:56] [SPEAKER_07]: Right, but in comparison a ranger a DEC for a stranger makes just shy of 63,000.

[00:08:05] [SPEAKER_07]: So why the difference of about $35,000 or state trooper?

[00:08:11] [SPEAKER_07]: No, 30 but it's 98,000 when you start working.

[00:08:15] [SPEAKER_03]: Okay, sorry.

[00:08:16] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I expect the current hiring rate.

[00:08:19] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, so again just to were clear when the trooper when the state troopers in the academy he's just making under 60,000.

[00:08:26] [SPEAKER_07]: But when they start active duty their pay goes up to 98,300 dollars when in comparison a forced ranger makes just shy of 63,000.

[00:08:37] [SPEAKER_07]: Spread of spread of about 35,000.

[00:08:41] [SPEAKER_07]: Wow. Why is it that a forced ranger makes that much less money?

[00:08:47] [SPEAKER_03]: Of when they do I'm not saying you know I'm not I haven't been a trooper or a force ranger but it seems like the force rangers do much more work.

[00:08:56] [SPEAKER_03]: You've got to carry somebody out of the woods.

[00:08:58] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, I told others mostly.

[00:09:00] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, you know in dangerous conditions presumably searching for somebody and I'm not diminishing what a state trooper does in the risks associated with their job.

[00:09:11] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, there's a lot of risk associated with that job but is it really a delta of 35,000?

[00:09:17] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, right.

[00:09:18] [SPEAKER_07]: Okay, I think the state of New York can do better.

[00:09:21] [SPEAKER_07]: I think they can hire more forest rangers and I think they can pay them better.

[00:09:26] [SPEAKER_07]: Particularly you know so there's not that much as much of a demand as it appears to be with them having to do rescue missions.

[00:09:35] [SPEAKER_07]: And basically it is salary of $60,000 a year you're forcing the guy to work over time.

[00:09:41] [SPEAKER_07]: You know have a reasonable standard of living.

[00:09:46] [SPEAKER_03]: So especially you know when you say that it's especially where they have to live within those means of their parameters.

[00:09:53] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, so you're talking about they get the adorondex imagine trying to buy a new home up there with that mom money.

[00:09:58] [SPEAKER_03]: Cateronics are the cateronics Jesus.

[00:10:01] [SPEAKER_03]: What the hell is that?

[00:10:03] [SPEAKER_03]: What are you going to do?

[00:10:04] [SPEAKER_03]: And then that drink broke.

[00:10:06] [SPEAKER_03]: Is that our insider or something else?

[00:10:08] [SPEAKER_03]: It is.

[00:10:09] [SPEAKER_03]: So the cat skills the same thing though, but in the parameter they have to be in.

[00:10:15] [SPEAKER_03]: The cost of living is insane because everybody has a second home.

[00:10:19] [SPEAKER_03]: Everybody has you know the salary that they've they've based in NYC and they have the cost of living is just absolutely enormous.

[00:10:28] [SPEAKER_03]: So that is a great point with hopefully.

[00:10:32] [SPEAKER_03]: Do we know any background information about after your first year of hiring right with the DEC?

[00:10:38] [SPEAKER_07]: Like I didn't drill into you know what the second third fourth year paid different rentals are,

[00:10:44] [SPEAKER_07]: but I would imagine there's that same gap.

[00:10:48] [SPEAKER_03]: There's got to be a significant significant because I've never heard of a ranger saying like oh yeah their their life is great there and they're doing.

[00:10:56] [SPEAKER_03]: They're always working overtime they're always on the edge they're always you know sitting with their phones and there their radio is ready to go.

[00:11:06] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, and then you know they're in the middle of the night they can get cold out for a rescue.

[00:11:11] [SPEAKER_07]: Whereas with the state troopers it's I would think it's less likely because there's just that much more manpower with the state police force that they're.

[00:11:22] [SPEAKER_07]: They're need to call somebody out of bed in the middle of the night to go do something is a lot less so let's let's switch gears a little bit let's talk about retirement the other thing I found out.

[00:11:34] [SPEAKER_07]: Is that a New York state trooper after 20 years of service can retire with the 50% pension.

[00:11:43] [SPEAKER_07]: But if you're in New York state ranger you have to work 25 years to be able to retire with the 50% pension and remember that 50% is 50% of a lower number because the ranger is getting paid less than the trooper so you need to work five more years.

[00:12:05] [SPEAKER_07]: And you're going to get a retirement albeit 50% of your pay but your pay is less than what a trooper was getting paid so it just seems a little discriminatory that you're treating troopers different than rangers.

[00:12:21] [SPEAKER_03]: And you know I have friends that are troopers I have friends that are rangers I have friends you know that I might my nephew is looking to become a New York state trooper and I just flabbergasted that he wants to do that I'm supportive of that but you know looking talking with these rangers especially you know after.

[00:12:44] [SPEAKER_03]: Recent you know times that we've had and I have known them I talk with them that they are like completely worn out and that they pushed themselves to the max.

[00:12:56] [SPEAKER_03]: Or the hikers for the people and stuff and I you know I respect them so much.

[00:13:02] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah well, and there's there's a lot to be said for the demands on both of those occupations and which let me to.

[00:13:10] [SPEAKER_07]: Another find.

[00:13:12] [SPEAKER_07]: That's a very thing down yeah yeah just I did a quick dive this afternoon when I saw you highlighted the story so.

[00:13:19] [SPEAKER_07]: The the positive of all of this is the forest ranger foundation which was started by the New York.

[00:13:27] [SPEAKER_07]: The DC forest ranger to it's a nonprofit that takes donation money collects that money and uses it to help.

[00:13:37] [SPEAKER_07]: Forest rangers buy equipment and buy better equipment than what they're given by the state what I didn't realize.

[00:13:44] [SPEAKER_07]: But I shouldn't be surprised to learn is that a lot of the equipment that the rangers use they have to buy themselves.

[00:13:52] [SPEAKER_07]: So you know I don't think a state trooper has to buy the gun.

[00:13:59] [SPEAKER_07]: The bullet proof vest and equipment like that but apparently if you're in New York state DEC forest ranger and you want to decent paras no shoes you want some decent winter gear to go and rescue somebody in the at around ax in the middle of the night.

[00:14:14] [SPEAKER_07]: Well the cost of getting that better gear is on you so there is the forest ranger foundation.

[00:14:21] [SPEAKER_07]: That takes donations and then redistributes that money to rangers to buy better gear to do the stuff that they do all be it while getting paid less than a New York state trooper.

[00:14:35] [SPEAKER_07]: So they can put a link to that in the show.

[00:14:39] [SPEAKER_07]: So donations can be made.

[00:14:43] [SPEAKER_03]: And I am reaching out to that actually the organization and we'll get them on the podcast.

[00:14:49] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, what's good that's that's insane.

[00:14:53] [SPEAKER_03]: Just you know just stop you know seeing with their stuff that they did dealt with in the past couple years with of course with you know COVID and such they had to work down in New York City then down in the capital region stuff to get COVID vaccines they were onsite.

[00:15:09] [SPEAKER_03]: And now hearing upon that's that you know that they have to work countless hours to you know make a rescue or stuff like that and only so many of them can make a rescue is just it just it just kills me once again and it just it just makes me think why you know are we doing this to the rangers and you know why.

[00:15:31] [SPEAKER_03]: Also, are we not calling upon the volunteer organizations to help out and such that take the load of these rangers but I understand where they're coming from.

[00:15:41] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, so I you know my one of my intuitions if you will with not calling out local staff people local volunteers to assist in search and rescue might boil down to the fact that the rangers want that over time.

[00:15:59] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, and if I understand now yeah and if you bring out a bunch of volunteers that's just going to diminish the overtime opportunities and it seems that there's a big incentive for a forest ranger to get as much over time as they can to augment their wages.

[00:16:17] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, and you know it's things of course with the background you need for a forest ranger of course you know requires also much.

[00:16:26] [SPEAKER_03]: You know you have to have a background in forestry or you need to be you know within like I think it's like 45 years of military service or something like that so requires a pretty decent amount to.

[00:16:38] [SPEAKER_03]: To be a forest ranger of course you've got to know you're going to know a lot.

[00:16:42] [SPEAKER_03]: You've got to be prepared.

[00:16:44] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, and what we'll do we talking about forest rangers so there's a couple incidents that have happened within the past you know we're so.

[00:16:53] [SPEAKER_03]: That's right.

[00:16:54] [SPEAKER_03]: But here it.

[00:16:55] [SPEAKER_03]: Of course we got good old cat or skill falls falls into a bunch of these areas so on September 12th at 11.40 a.m.

[00:17:04] [SPEAKER_03]: Forest ranger, death responded to a call for a hiker of ball near Catasco fall to move to bleeding from their arm.

[00:17:11] [SPEAKER_03]: I 11.55 a.m. ranger, which was only 15 freaking minutes later reach the 68 year old from North Carolina who is halfway up the stone step trail.

[00:17:22] [SPEAKER_03]: His hiking partner three other good Samaritan chooser shirts and attempt to stop the bleeding in help.

[00:17:27] [SPEAKER_03]: Ranger, death, broder, first aid wrap the wounds stopped the bleeding and helped the hiker to the top of the balls where you're much by.

[00:17:33] [SPEAKER_03]: Ranger Fox, hunter police and hunter ambulance and greeted money, county paramedics.

[00:17:39] [SPEAKER_03]: The subject refused further treatment and a visor he would get to ride to the hospital from a friend resources were clear 130 p.m.

[00:17:47] [SPEAKER_03]: Catasco falls.

[00:17:49] [SPEAKER_03]: And that's not the end of it.

[00:17:50] [SPEAKER_03]: We also have another one which was the.

[00:17:54] [SPEAKER_03]: Actually later than after noon.

[00:17:57] [SPEAKER_03]: I was later 12 or 255 p.m.

[00:18:01] [SPEAKER_03]: Rejager assistance would need with the hiker experience shortness of breath at the same exact stone step trail at Catasco falls.

[00:18:09] [SPEAKER_03]: Three 15 rangers, dolphin and death again.

[00:18:12] [SPEAKER_03]: Okay, did the 76 year old from skin activity who admitted he had only eaten one piece of coffee cake that day.

[00:18:20] [SPEAKER_03]: Kind of will give you a shortness of breath dehydration and amongst other things.

[00:18:24] [SPEAKER_03]: And they said hiker should make sure that they are hydrated and well nurse before heading out for an adventure.

[00:18:30] [SPEAKER_03]: You know, cataroscopal falls is only around like a total of around two miles.

[00:18:37] [SPEAKER_03]: But the steps.

[00:18:39] [SPEAKER_03]: I don't I forgot how many I counted within there.

[00:18:41] [SPEAKER_03]: I think it's 136 steps.

[00:18:43] [SPEAKER_03]: It really brings in a lot.

[00:18:45] [SPEAKER_03]: So extra food water.

[00:18:46] [SPEAKER_03]: I got 137.

[00:18:49] [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, you got to be kidding your line.

[00:18:51] [SPEAKER_03]: Are you really your line?

[00:18:51] [SPEAKER_03]: You don't eat any count.

[00:18:52] [SPEAKER_03]: Who counts steps when they go to cataroscopal?

[00:18:55] [SPEAKER_03]: I did when they first created that.

[00:18:59] [SPEAKER_03]: I was very curious.

[00:19:00] [SPEAKER_03]: They created that before I did 3500 club cleanup and that was when they first did the steps.

[00:19:08] [SPEAKER_03]: And I was just like, I actually typed in from the parking area of 23A.

[00:19:13] [SPEAKER_07]: And that was what you buy yourself.

[00:19:15] [SPEAKER_03]: I was with Jessica Jessica was well, that was to be fun for her.

[00:19:19] [SPEAKER_07]: You're like, don't talk to me.

[00:19:20] [SPEAKER_07]: I'm one 99 100 101 and she brings and you're like, Jessica, don't talk to me.

[00:19:26] [SPEAKER_07]: I'm counting.

[00:19:26] [SPEAKER_07]: Can't you see?

[00:19:27] [SPEAKER_07]: She was a head of the day actually.

[00:19:29] [SPEAKER_03]: So it's like, all right, she's out there.

[00:19:31] [SPEAKER_03]: I'll count.

[00:19:31] [SPEAKER_03]: And the Dawson was below me as the first time in the mess Dawson.

[00:19:34] [SPEAKER_03]: So he's pretty cool to do.

[00:19:38] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

[00:19:39] [SPEAKER_03]: So the Rangers helped subject to Dawson.

[00:19:41] [SPEAKER_03]: Shruck where he has rested before walking or it's the way to Laura House in the park area.

[00:19:45] [SPEAKER_03]: Resources were cleared at 407.

[00:19:47] [SPEAKER_03]: It's not even two hours later.

[00:19:49] [SPEAKER_03]: So they just have somebody stationed there on weekends.

[00:19:52] [SPEAKER_03]: I guarantee it.

[00:19:54] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, that closed parking area on 23A is their area.

[00:19:58] [SPEAKER_03]: They're there to just go over and get within.

[00:20:01] [SPEAKER_03]: I don't know.

[00:20:02] [SPEAKER_03]: You think that's her staging area?

[00:20:04] [SPEAKER_03]: That's where they hang out now.

[00:20:07] [SPEAKER_03]: Okay.

[00:20:08] [SPEAKER_03]: I mean Dawson is there 24 seven.

[00:20:10] [SPEAKER_03]: That guy.

[00:20:11] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm pretty sure he lives at North South Lake.

[00:20:14] [SPEAKER_03]: And I know.

[00:20:15] [SPEAKER_03]: So you know, he's interesting.

[00:20:17] [SPEAKER_07]: They are there Saturday and Sunday because those are the busy days.

[00:20:22] [SPEAKER_07]: Are they getting paid overtime on Saturday and Sunday?

[00:20:25] [SPEAKER_07]: Is that like overtime duty for them or is that just regular hours?

[00:20:30] [SPEAKER_03]: I mean, I would say that's overtime.

[00:20:32] [SPEAKER_03]: Dawson Dawson's a hard core worker.

[00:20:34] [SPEAKER_03]: That guy is dedicated to the job.

[00:20:37] [SPEAKER_03]: I got a and I've talked to him several times.

[00:20:40] [SPEAKER_03]: I've tried to get him out of here several times.

[00:20:41] [SPEAKER_03]: But he's a very good people person, but not a good media person.

[00:20:48] [SPEAKER_07]: Let's just say that.

[00:20:49] [SPEAKER_07]: I just don't think the D.C. is going to allow active duty

[00:20:52] [SPEAKER_07]: Rangers on our podcast.

[00:20:54] [SPEAKER_07]: You know, Slade wants to come back.

[00:20:56] [SPEAKER_03]: I talk to him over this weekend.

[00:20:58] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm saying straight.

[00:20:59] [SPEAKER_05]: Okay.

[00:21:00] [SPEAKER_03]: Bring him on.

[00:21:01] [SPEAKER_03]: And we talk about that.

[00:21:03] [SPEAKER_03]: So on September 14th, three days ago,

[00:21:06] [SPEAKER_03]: Ray Book District was contacted about an overdue hike

[00:21:09] [SPEAKER_03]: that had been dropped off at the Biscuit Brook Tellhatt at 730 AM.

[00:21:13] [SPEAKER_03]: The reporting party indicated that the 83-year-old from Shandake

[00:21:16] [SPEAKER_03]: and met other hikers at the trailhead,

[00:21:19] [SPEAKER_03]: and it advised that she would get a ride from home

[00:21:21] [SPEAKER_03]: when she was finished.

[00:21:23] [SPEAKER_03]: At 1250 AM, so basically the next day,

[00:21:27] [SPEAKER_03]: the four-shrangers Francesca and local police check

[00:21:29] [SPEAKER_03]: the Hikers residents and confirm she had not returned home.

[00:21:33] [SPEAKER_03]: Raygers, Francesca and Stretton began their linear searches

[00:21:37] [SPEAKER_03]: over big Indian firm mountains, where the subjects

[00:21:40] [SPEAKER_03]: was scheduled to hike at 13 AM, New York State Police received

[00:21:44] [SPEAKER_03]: coordinates from the subject for a mountain.

[00:21:47] [SPEAKER_03]: When the Rangers arrived, the location she was not there.

[00:21:50] [SPEAKER_03]: At daybreak, five additional Rangers in Catskill Mountain

[00:21:53] [SPEAKER_03]: Search and Rescue Team joined the search.

[00:21:56] [SPEAKER_03]: At 10 AM, the Los Hikers saw assistance from a

[00:21:59] [SPEAKER_03]: resident's off-floss-bearantly road, which is the road

[00:22:02] [SPEAKER_03]: that basically slide mountain Biscuit Brook.

[00:22:04] [SPEAKER_03]: The homeowner called 911 to put the missing subject

[00:22:08] [SPEAKER_03]: was lost and at the resident's seeking assistance.

[00:22:11] [SPEAKER_03]: Lieutenant Slade and Ranger Stren interviewed in

[00:22:13] [SPEAKER_03]: value of the subject who is in good health,

[00:22:16] [SPEAKER_03]: and at 1230 PM Shandake and police drove her home.

[00:22:21] [SPEAKER_03]: Awesome incident.

[00:22:22] [SPEAKER_03]: You know, curious about this situation.

[00:22:27] [SPEAKER_03]: It's 83 years old to have like a thought of who it is

[00:22:33] [SPEAKER_03]: because there's not many 83-year-old hikers.

[00:22:37] [SPEAKER_07]: I have a thought, I just don't know if I can and or should say her name.

[00:22:45] [SPEAKER_07]: Why not?

[00:22:46] [SPEAKER_07]: Well, I don't know if it's something that would be embarrassing

[00:22:50] [SPEAKER_07]: to her, but she is a legendary Catskill hiker.

[00:22:56] [SPEAKER_07]: And if you do know legendary Catskill hikers that are in their

[00:23:01] [SPEAKER_07]: 80s and still hiking, this incident relates to her.

[00:23:06] [SPEAKER_07]: I just find it interesting that she met apparently she met other hikers at the trailhead.

[00:23:10] [SPEAKER_07]: Does that mean she was planning to hike with them that day?

[00:23:13] [SPEAKER_07]: But, Dinnan, that she started out hiking with them that day and fell behind.

[00:23:17] [SPEAKER_07]: Is this another one of these situations where a group of hikers left

[00:23:23] [SPEAKER_07]: somebody behind?

[00:23:25] [SPEAKER_07]: I don't know, but that's interesting.

[00:23:27] [SPEAKER_07]: And if so, it seems pretty late for the call in about being concerned

[00:23:35] [SPEAKER_07]: about her whereabouts.

[00:23:36] [SPEAKER_07]: It was like midnight when they went to check on her at her house,

[00:23:39] [SPEAKER_07]: which also was indication that everybody in the Catskill hikers

[00:23:43] [SPEAKER_07]: can communicate.

[00:23:44] [SPEAKER_07]: That's been involved for a while, knows where she lives.

[00:23:48] [SPEAKER_07]: So, you know, look, it's interesting.

[00:23:51] [SPEAKER_07]: It's sad.

[00:23:52] [SPEAKER_07]: It's great to see that she was found in the Chizoké and hopefully her hiking

[00:23:58] [SPEAKER_07]: enthusiasm is still burning strong after this event.

[00:24:03] [SPEAKER_03]: But, you know, I would say so here, your comments kind of go sky high

[00:24:06] [SPEAKER_03]: when you survive overnight.

[00:24:08] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

[00:24:09] [SPEAKER_03]: Catskill's up at her mountain.

[00:24:11] [SPEAKER_07]: This was the time of year that you can survive overnight

[00:24:14] [SPEAKER_07]: a couple months from now.

[00:24:16] [SPEAKER_07]: It's going to be a bit more difficult.

[00:24:18] [SPEAKER_07]: But this underscores the importance of letting people know where you're

[00:24:22] [SPEAKER_07]: hiking and letting them know what time you're going to be out of the woods

[00:24:27] [SPEAKER_07]: and anyone like I tell my wife, you know, we've a note because I generally

[00:24:31] [SPEAKER_07]: leave the house before she wakes up in the morning.

[00:24:34] [SPEAKER_07]: And on my note, I have basically the time that I expect to be back

[00:24:38] [SPEAKER_07]: in the car have service and reach out for her.

[00:24:42] [SPEAKER_07]: And that hopefully is an indication to her to execute the fire drill

[00:24:48] [SPEAKER_07]: that if I'm not reporting back at the designated time, the first phone

[00:24:52] [SPEAKER_07]: calls to the life insurance agent and then to my attorney who has the will

[00:24:58] [SPEAKER_07]: in that order.

[00:24:59] [SPEAKER_07]: So yeah.

[00:25:01] [SPEAKER_03]: Same same, you know, I tell Jessica whenever I go out where I'm going

[00:25:06] [SPEAKER_03]: but time, you know, I should be out of the trailhead and what time I should

[00:25:11] [SPEAKER_03]: be contacting her and so it's like you do.

[00:25:13] [SPEAKER_03]: And, you know, it's with this instance,

[00:25:16] [SPEAKER_03]: it's a big importance because people knew where she was so they wouldn't have to go

[00:25:21] [SPEAKER_03]: scrambling to be like, you know, where was she?

[00:25:24] [SPEAKER_03]: You know, if that's big and infer there's only one trailhead or you go

[00:25:28] [SPEAKER_03]: to see her, Jessica Brooke but she said Jessica Brooke so they knew she signed in.

[00:25:33] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm pretty sure she signed in.

[00:25:35] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, well, it's just right here that she met other people at the trailhead.

[00:25:38] [SPEAKER_07]: So yeah, long.

[00:25:39] [SPEAKER_07]: And she's, you know, she's well connected in the hiking community and

[00:25:43] [SPEAKER_07]: you know, I just again find it interesting that she somehow broke off from that

[00:25:49] [SPEAKER_07]: group if she was planning to hike with them or not.

[00:25:51] [SPEAKER_07]: We don't know but it wasn't until midnight thereabouts that, you know,

[00:25:57] [SPEAKER_07]: they started to just check in on her and again,

[00:26:03] [SPEAKER_07]: just underscores the importance that if you're hiking solo, you know,

[00:26:07] [SPEAKER_07]: have a designated partner back home or somewhere that if you don't check in with

[00:26:13] [SPEAKER_07]: them by a certain time, they know what planned to execute in terms of, you know,

[00:26:20] [SPEAKER_03]: calling out for help for you.

[00:26:23] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

[00:26:23] [SPEAKER_03]: Good job by the Rangers and the Katso amount and search and rescue team.

[00:26:28] [SPEAKER_03]: I really appreciate you guys working together is is what we do here in the

[00:26:32] [SPEAKER_03]: Katso girls and they did an excellent job and I got a bit.

[00:26:38] [SPEAKER_03]: It's awesome.

[00:26:38] [SPEAKER_07]: And the connection we have, but wasn't your search and rescue team called out on that?

[00:26:44] [SPEAKER_03]: They, they, they were, can confirm it and I that.

[00:26:47] [SPEAKER_03]: Okay.

[00:26:48] [SPEAKER_03]: All right.

[00:26:49] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm going to move on.

[00:26:51] [SPEAKER_03]: I haven't got a, I haven't got approval yet.

[00:26:54] [SPEAKER_03]: So all right.

[00:26:56] [SPEAKER_03]: So one of the bigger stories that you pointed out to me, Tat and this is this is huge.

[00:27:02] [SPEAKER_03]: You know, I got a, we're talking about a day of survival in the Katso girls.

[00:27:07] [SPEAKER_03]: How about a month of survival?

[00:27:09] [SPEAKER_03]: So hiker found the live after a month of being a load in the wilderness.

[00:27:13] [SPEAKER_03]: Officials said that she only had, he only maybe had a day left.

[00:27:19] [SPEAKER_03]: So Washington, North Katso kids, National Park, July 31st.

[00:27:25] [SPEAKER_03]: That's a very rugged area.

[00:27:27] [SPEAKER_03]: I got it meant higher peak area.

[00:27:30] [SPEAKER_03]: They said in the statement that team by people magazines, by the people that deputies were notified by stark Park staff on August 3rd.

[00:27:38] [SPEAKER_03]: This isn't this is a little well dated. Sorry about that.

[00:27:41] [SPEAKER_03]: An abandoned vehicle at Hennigan past trailhead and a dog found eight miles on the trail near the Chillerock,

[00:27:47] [SPEAKER_03]: whether the dog belonged to Robert Schuck with last seen Angela Lai 31st area by hikers.

[00:27:54] [SPEAKER_03]: Now according to the police, the hikers said that Schock didn't have an overnight supplies on him.

[00:27:59] [SPEAKER_03]: So once again, at a brings 30 days overnight supplies.

[00:28:04] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

[00:28:05] [SPEAKER_03]: Deputies arrived to inspect the vehicle. They found windows rolled down and Schock's wallet in dashboard, which is brick and that's a little startling.

[00:28:16] [SPEAKER_07]: Well what does it tell you that the windows were rolled down and his wallet is on the dashboard?

[00:28:25] [SPEAKER_07]: Like, Rob me?

[00:28:27] [SPEAKER_07]: Well, it's wrong.

[00:28:29] [SPEAKER_07]: I've been on the one hand.

[00:28:30] [SPEAKER_07]: I didn't check out the surroundings and how remote or not remote this place is.

[00:28:35] [SPEAKER_07]: But I get the sense that if you pull into a trailhead or somewhere to start a hike and you leave your windows down and you're wallet on the dashboard,

[00:28:47] [SPEAKER_07]: you number one, you got to be in a pretty remote or not frequently visited area because you would not leave your wallet on the dashboard.

[00:28:57] [SPEAKER_07]: You would have your windows rolled up and your wallet hidden someplace, not in plain sight.

[00:29:03] [SPEAKER_07]: I'm bored of my backpack, so really carry your wallet in your backpack.

[00:29:07] [SPEAKER_07]: I do my backpack, my keys, my keys.

[00:29:10] [SPEAKER_07]: I don't, I don't bring any of that stuff with me. But I won't say where I keep my stuff because I basically drive around in a tent with four wheels on it.

[00:29:18] [SPEAKER_07]: That's right.

[00:29:20] [SPEAKER_07]: So the second thing I infer from this is he wasn't planning on being in the woods very long.

[00:29:29] [SPEAKER_07]: He left his windows down.

[00:29:30] [SPEAKER_07]: What did he stop there to do?

[00:29:32] [SPEAKER_07]: Maybe to run out and take a couple photos, maybe a quick hour hike, power run.

[00:29:37] [SPEAKER_07]: But this is not he has no overnight provisions or gear.

[00:29:41] [SPEAKER_07]: His windows are down, the wall is on the dashboard. This sounds like a die.

[00:29:46] [SPEAKER_07]: I was going to be in the woods for a very, very brief period of time.

[00:29:52] [SPEAKER_03]: And look at the map, man.

[00:29:56] [SPEAKER_03]: This is not an area that you would want to be.

[00:29:59] [SPEAKER_03]: That's like this is about the tree line all shit.

[00:30:02] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah. So what is he like stopping for a sunset?

[00:30:06] [SPEAKER_07]: Is he checking out the sunset? Is he going up to a viewpoint?

[00:30:12] [SPEAKER_07]: Is he doing something quick?

[00:30:15] [SPEAKER_07]: Interesting.

[00:30:16] [SPEAKER_07]: Eight miles.

[00:30:17] [SPEAKER_07]: That's not quick.

[00:30:18] [SPEAKER_07]: But now did this spiral into something else?

[00:30:22] [SPEAKER_07]: Did something else happen?

[00:30:24] [SPEAKER_07]: Because the interesting part of this is, is there's no even though he's found and he's in the hospital.

[00:30:29] [SPEAKER_07]: And there's all this reporting. They don't tell us what the, what it is that happened to him such that he could not get back to his car.

[00:30:38] [SPEAKER_07]: Did he fall? Did he injure himself?

[00:30:41] [SPEAKER_07]: What does it that happened?

[00:30:43] [SPEAKER_07]: Was he dragged away by big foot? We just don't know from the story.

[00:30:48] [SPEAKER_03]: But it takes some 30 days to find them.

[00:30:51] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah. How it copters? No clues additional.

[00:30:54] [SPEAKER_03]: Around in the near searches. Then an August 30th National Park Rangers alerted WCSO deputies that

[00:31:03] [SPEAKER_03]: Shock had been found alive in a chilly week walk basin.

[00:31:08] [SPEAKER_03]: So an interview published on September 1,

[00:31:11] [SPEAKER_03]: Shock's mother, Jan Thompson said her son 39 was recovering at a hospital.

[00:31:16] [SPEAKER_03]: She said he's in a lot of pain and isn't speaking very well.

[00:31:20] [SPEAKER_03]: But he's go here and seem pretty high spirits. I didn't push him too much.

[00:31:26] [SPEAKER_03]: Now the humans, society contractor, August 1th because of forest-wrainer found shocked dog.

[00:31:31] [SPEAKER_03]: Ready on the trail. So that's, and then 26 days later they found him.

[00:31:37] [SPEAKER_03]: It looks like a lot of searches went around.

[00:31:42] [SPEAKER_03]: They had disbelief.

[00:31:45] [SPEAKER_03]: Facebook folks said that details were talking about the discovery.

[00:31:50] [SPEAKER_03]: He was a fine-bound but not well.

[00:31:55] [SPEAKER_03]: And it just goes spirally and from there.

[00:31:58] [SPEAKER_03]: And it 30 days.

[00:32:00] [SPEAKER_07]: It says he didn't move for the last two weeks.

[00:32:03] [SPEAKER_07]: Did you see that?

[00:32:04] [SPEAKER_03]: Exactly. It's stuck in the exact spot for the past two weeks and based on a condition that he's found

[00:32:09] [SPEAKER_03]: And there is no reason for the crude question.

[00:32:12] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, and they didn't think he'd be the equivalent other day.

[00:32:16] [SPEAKER_07]: So what's the quality of the carolina?

[00:32:18] [SPEAKER_07]: Let me ask you this. This is the curve ball. Ready?

[00:32:21] [SPEAKER_07]: Are you ready?

[00:32:24] [SPEAKER_07]: Do you think it's a good or bad thing that his dog wasn't with him?

[00:32:29] [SPEAKER_03]: I think that's a good thing that the freaking dog could survive.

[00:32:34] [SPEAKER_03]: He, like, you know, he, the dog could find his way out but the guy couldn't.

[00:32:38] [SPEAKER_03]: What's going on?

[00:32:39] [SPEAKER_07]: Well, I'm thinking that if you're lying there, right?

[00:32:45] [SPEAKER_07]: You have no food, you have nothing to eat and your dog is still around you.

[00:32:49] [SPEAKER_07]: And you're really, really hungry.

[00:32:52] [SPEAKER_07]: Do you know where I'm going?

[00:32:53] [SPEAKER_07]: Stosh.

[00:32:55] [SPEAKER_07]: Are you gonna eat the dog?

[00:32:58] [SPEAKER_07]: Never, never.

[00:33:00] [SPEAKER_07]: Right?

[00:33:01] [SPEAKER_07]: Even if it gets really, really bad you're down to your final day, you know, you need to eat something.

[00:33:06] [SPEAKER_07]: It's either eat the dog or die.

[00:33:08] [SPEAKER_07]: That's regret for the rest of my life.

[00:33:12] [SPEAKER_03]: You got to admit.

[00:33:14] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

[00:33:14] [SPEAKER_03]: You're not gonna admit that.

[00:33:15] [SPEAKER_07]: You're gonna eat the dog.

[00:33:17] [SPEAKER_07]: No, I wouldn't, I wouldn't eat the pet but I will say I did read that book.

[00:33:20] [SPEAKER_07]: I think I mentioned it like, you know,

[00:33:22] [SPEAKER_07]: the dog that he shows ago about this guy in 1849 going across death valley and they literally ate everything.

[00:33:29] [SPEAKER_07]: They brought with them all of the oxen animals, everything else because they didn't,

[00:33:35] [SPEAKER_07]: they had no maps.

[00:33:36] [SPEAKER_07]: They didn't realize what they were getting into and there was no food, no water.

[00:33:40] [SPEAKER_07]: It's a really epic story but nonetheless, here's this guy.

[00:33:44] [SPEAKER_07]: I look at it's like, geez, you know, maybe it's a good thing that the dog ran off.

[00:33:48] [SPEAKER_07]: Maybe he went after the dog.

[00:33:51] [SPEAKER_03]: So, the other thing, the other thing I pulled, well, okay, go ahead.

[00:33:55] [SPEAKER_03]: I just don't understand that there wasn't those down in the wall on those down.

[00:33:59] [SPEAKER_07]: That's bizarre.

[00:34:00] [SPEAKER_03]: But that's the other thing I've never heard that before.

[00:34:03] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, I mean, was money taken out of the wall at credit cards,

[00:34:06] [SPEAKER_07]: taken out they don't tell us whether it was or wasn't but it's just very bizarre that he left his car with the windows down and the wall on the dash.

[00:34:16] [SPEAKER_07]: Now, I functionally, you know, my door's mine as well be open because you can't lock him.

[00:34:21] [SPEAKER_07]: You know, I have a soft top on my Jeep.

[00:34:24] [SPEAKER_07]: It's easy to get access to it but I don't leave my wall on my dash.

[00:34:29] [SPEAKER_07]: Right, we're looking at the wall on the sign that says, you know, while I'm here,

[00:34:32] [SPEAKER_07]: I mean, I just, that was weird and the next weird thing that I see is after this guy's found he's in the hospital.

[00:34:42] [SPEAKER_07]: His mother doesn't go out to see him.

[00:34:46] [SPEAKER_07]: Right, did you see that? And there was a bunch of comments in there that the, you know, the story says that mom's not going out to see her son.

[00:34:56] [SPEAKER_07]: And then there's this comment by Heather where she says, Heather says, she's giving her some time to recover before she visits.

[00:35:04] [SPEAKER_07]: Are you kidding me as a mother? I'm pretty sure I would be there immediately after finding him.

[00:35:11] [SPEAKER_07]: What do you think?

[00:35:11] [SPEAKER_07]: Was it okay for mom to not rush out to see her son?

[00:35:19] [SPEAKER_03]: Where she got that. That's pretty fucked up.

[00:35:21] [SPEAKER_07]: Isn't it? I mean, I couldn't imagine something like that happened into one of my kids.

[00:35:27] [SPEAKER_03]: You know, your daughter is out there in the wilderness, like this.

[00:35:32] [SPEAKER_03]: You know, Ted, I looked up where this location is and Northern Cascades is a remote as heck.

[00:35:39] [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, that's right. Yeah. She was just there a few weeks ago. Yeah. Right.

[00:35:42] [SPEAKER_03]: It's almost like the BC like Canada area where it's the Canadian Rockies.

[00:35:47] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah. It's immensely beautiful up there and remote.

[00:35:52] [SPEAKER_03]: And wow, I hope my kids, she leave her that freaking wild.

[00:35:55] [SPEAKER_03]: On the dashboards and stuff.

[00:35:57] [SPEAKER_07]: For wallet my credit card.

[00:35:59] [SPEAKER_03]: Send her message right now.

[00:36:00] [SPEAKER_03]: I'll be like, do you leave your wallet on the dashboard and your windows down when you go hiking in the North Cascades?

[00:36:07] [SPEAKER_03]: Please tell me why you do this shit. She probably does.

[00:36:11] [SPEAKER_03]: Like, I know there have been problems up in New Hampshire where people have been breaking in at around the

[00:36:17] [SPEAKER_03]: X, breaking into your cars and stuff. And they have signs saying there's nothing in here.

[00:36:20] [SPEAKER_03]: Don't freaking break in. They still break it.

[00:36:23] [SPEAKER_03]: But there's nothing in there.

[00:36:25] [SPEAKER_03]: But leaving your windows down your wallet on the dashboard is kind of like saying, like, I'm giving up my identity.

[00:36:32] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm going out to live alone.

[00:36:33] [SPEAKER_03]: But you don't have, or you suggest thing you didn't want to be found?

[00:36:38] [SPEAKER_03]: Well, if you didn't want to be found, you'd have shit to survive.

[00:36:42] [SPEAKER_03]: Like this guy didn't have stuff to survive.

[00:36:44] [SPEAKER_03]: I would have a tent.

[00:36:46] [SPEAKER_03]: I would have at least something like food.

[00:36:49] [SPEAKER_07]: I'm wondering if he was just going out there to die.

[00:36:52] [SPEAKER_03]: That's true.

[00:36:53] [SPEAKER_03]: That's what I think a lot of these times when people look to these areas of like seclusion and stuff like this.

[00:37:03] [SPEAKER_03]: That they are going out to either get healed.

[00:37:07] [SPEAKER_03]: Like we've talked about before, you know?

[00:37:09] [SPEAKER_03]: Like having a seven, ten days on the trail without food.

[00:37:13] [SPEAKER_03]: Let me go in the Colorado wilderness or they're going to go up in the northern cascades.

[00:37:17] [SPEAKER_03]: Only they're breaking wallet on the dashboard.

[00:37:20] [SPEAKER_03]: There will be no open.

[00:37:21] [SPEAKER_03]: What the hell?

[00:37:22] [SPEAKER_07]: It's just a crazy story.

[00:37:24] [SPEAKER_07]: And then the icing on the cake of weirdness is mom doesn't go out to see them.

[00:37:31] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, right?

[00:37:32] [SPEAKER_03]: Like this has got to be a whole like okay we've got to follow up on that.

[00:37:37] [SPEAKER_07]: We've got to keep on that situation because we need to put our team on it to keep following the story as a developer.

[00:37:45] [SPEAKER_03]: The CWC on that.

[00:37:47] [SPEAKER_03]: Well, we get the rangers to do it.

[00:37:49] [SPEAKER_03]: They love doing overtime.

[00:37:51] [SPEAKER_03]: So we'll get them on it.

[00:37:53] [SPEAKER_03]: So that's it.

[00:37:53] [SPEAKER_03]: I just find that the most bizarre.

[00:37:56] [SPEAKER_03]: One of the most bizarre situations that I've ever heard is that you leave your wallet.

[00:38:01] [SPEAKER_03]: On the dash with the windows rolled down.

[00:38:03] [SPEAKER_03]: You know, Jessica and I have been talking about going this place in British Columbia called the Buggabooce.

[00:38:12] [SPEAKER_03]: You get to hike up this eight mile trail and you're at a hut that overlooks one of the most pristine areas.

[00:38:20] [SPEAKER_03]: Glacier climbing areas.

[00:38:22] [SPEAKER_03]: And you have to put chicken wire around your car.

[00:38:25] [SPEAKER_03]: And then you have to roll your windows down a little bit so it doesn't get too hot.

[00:38:29] [SPEAKER_03]: So the the marments don't want to go in there to get warm.

[00:38:33] [SPEAKER_03]: Now that I find I find weird.

[00:38:36] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm just like okay, that's weird but I understand rolling your window down with no chicken wire and heavy your wall on the front dashboard is a little odd.

[00:38:45] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

[00:38:46] [SPEAKER_03]: Interesting.

[00:38:47] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, very interesting.

[00:38:49] [SPEAKER_03]: And just crazy incidents.

[00:38:50] [SPEAKER_03]: I know this was a while ago, but you know, I just I just happened to Ted brought up a lot of things.

[00:38:55] [SPEAKER_03]: I thought this to my intention. I thought it was a great.

[00:38:59] [SPEAKER_03]: Well, the kind of incident to talk about because it does not happen over here, especially in the cat skills.

[00:39:08] [SPEAKER_03]: So very odd.

[00:39:09] [SPEAKER_03]: Except in the biscuit book area where you could be scranded overnight.

[00:39:15] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, but 83 year olds find their way out to a 39 year old that just sits there in days for two weeks.

[00:39:23] [SPEAKER_03]: Interesting.

[00:39:25] [SPEAKER_03]: So once again, thank you to the monthly supporters there.

[00:39:28] [SPEAKER_03]: Mike, thank you for John Salotowski.

[00:39:30] [SPEAKER_03]: Jim C.

[00:39:31] [SPEAKER_03]: Betsy A.

[00:39:32] [SPEAKER_03]: Denise Vanessa Joseph.

[00:39:34] [SPEAKER_03]: Jim C. and Michael.

[00:39:35] [SPEAKER_03]: Thank you guys very much for supporting show really appreciated.

[00:39:39] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm I'm Labyrinth.

[00:39:40] [SPEAKER_03]: Once again, also, thank you to the sponsor of this show.

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[00:40:36] [SPEAKER_03]: So,

[00:40:37] [SPEAKER_03]: mentions coffee.

[00:40:39] [SPEAKER_03]: So, I want to give a mention about that's the innocent.

[00:40:43] [SPEAKER_03]: So, she is a supportive of the show.

[00:40:45] [SPEAKER_03]: She did her completion of her through Hague Through the Scarpent Trail.

[00:40:48] [SPEAKER_03]: Then this, she had a difficult time on her first time.

[00:40:52] [SPEAKER_03]: She told me all about it was a fantastic story we're going to get her on the show about this.

[00:40:56] [SPEAKER_03]: Because she had a leg injury and stuff.

[00:40:59] [SPEAKER_03]: She went through another summit, which did an amazing job.

[00:41:03] [SPEAKER_03]: And now her second time, she did a total through hike of it and she had a fantastic time.

[00:41:10] [SPEAKER_03]: Just want to congratulate you Betsy on your apartment through hike of amazing experience.

[00:41:15] [SPEAKER_03]: I got an event of Scarpent Trail is like the other.

[00:41:18] [SPEAKER_03]: It brings you total, different wilderness of just through hikes.

[00:41:23] [SPEAKER_03]: And it kind of catches you with through hikes.

[00:41:25] [SPEAKER_03]: I got an event.

[00:41:27] [SPEAKER_07]: Do you have any time to tell me about that?

[00:41:32] [SPEAKER_07]: But I see how it would be appealing to do not just as a through hike challenge.

[00:41:38] [SPEAKER_07]: But just as a really interesting and unique area of the cat scale,

[00:41:43] [SPEAKER_07]: as you go through so many different forests,

[00:41:46] [SPEAKER_07]: a lot of different geological features and rock formations.

[00:41:51] [SPEAKER_07]: You get some really, really great cat skill views.

[00:41:56] [SPEAKER_07]: So,

[00:41:57] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, I mean, yeah, I would be up for it.

[00:42:00] [SPEAKER_07]: Would you trust me?

[00:42:01] [SPEAKER_07]: No, I wouldn't trust you.

[00:42:03] [SPEAKER_07]: I would trust the 83 year old who was able to survive overnight on fur.

[00:42:08] [SPEAKER_03]: That's right, that's right.

[00:42:10] [SPEAKER_03]: All right.

[00:42:11] [SPEAKER_03]: So also pink pony, A18, Tracy Rankin,

[00:42:15] [SPEAKER_03]: also had the most scrambleishest morning in the gauks.

[00:42:18] [SPEAKER_03]: Perfect weather hit the labyrinth.

[00:42:20] [SPEAKER_03]: No people, no bugs, wet rocks.

[00:42:22] [SPEAKER_03]: Six plus miles of fun, including carriage roads backs.

[00:42:26] [SPEAKER_03]: So Ted, you're familiar with the gunks.

[00:42:28] [SPEAKER_03]: Have you ever met this place?

[00:42:30] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, my daughter and I did the labyrinth one time.

[00:42:35] [SPEAKER_07]: And it's worth doing one time maybe more.

[00:42:39] [SPEAKER_07]: You do or should you're supposed to buy a day pass.

[00:42:44] [SPEAKER_07]: I think last time I checked it was like $30

[00:42:47] [SPEAKER_07]: to hike the mohank area of the gunks.

[00:42:52] [SPEAKER_07]: And it's really worth it.

[00:42:53] [SPEAKER_07]: I mean, they do spend a lot of money on trail maintenance trail marking.

[00:42:57] [SPEAKER_07]: It's just a fascinating area to go visit.

[00:43:03] [SPEAKER_07]: And like I said, my daughter and I did it once.

[00:43:06] [SPEAKER_07]: It's a very famous hike to do in the gunks.

[00:43:09] [SPEAKER_07]: There's a lot of other hikes like it though.

[00:43:14] [SPEAKER_07]: Maybe not as big or as tight as the labyrinth.

[00:43:19] [SPEAKER_07]: But like expensive?

[00:43:21] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, and the other areas.

[00:43:22] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, you can go through the mohank preserve where I think a day pass is ten or

[00:43:26] [SPEAKER_07]: fifteen dollars or you buy a season pass.

[00:43:31] [SPEAKER_07]: But my daughter, I think has a hiking route through the gunks where you hit eight of these.

[00:43:39] [SPEAKER_07]: Some what they're not technical technical rock scrambles but they're pretty challenging.

[00:43:44] [SPEAKER_07]: I know one sum of them she took me on.

[00:43:46] [SPEAKER_07]: I was kind of like, whoa.

[00:43:49] [SPEAKER_07]: She's a beast.

[00:43:50] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.

[00:43:51] [SPEAKER_03]: So that's our name again?

[00:43:53] [SPEAKER_03]: Her name is Sephronia.

[00:43:55] [SPEAKER_03]: Wow.

[00:43:56] [SPEAKER_03]: Dude, Sephria.

[00:43:58] [SPEAKER_03]: That's a beautiful name.

[00:44:00] [SPEAKER_07]: It is.

[00:44:00] [SPEAKER_07]: It's a family name.

[00:44:03] [SPEAKER_07]: Her she's named after Sephronia Missouri.

[00:44:09] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.

[00:44:09] [SPEAKER_07]: To see an Instagram.

[00:44:10] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, she does up.

[00:44:11] [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, you want with it?

[00:44:13] [SPEAKER_03]: You'll.

[00:44:13] [SPEAKER_03]: Please that would be awesome.

[00:44:14] [SPEAKER_03]: I want to follow her stories.

[00:44:16] [SPEAKER_03]: She hasn't followed.

[00:44:17] [SPEAKER_03]: Why isn't she following me?

[00:44:18] [SPEAKER_03]: That's the one.

[00:44:19] [SPEAKER_07]: Well, that's, you know, she's not into heavy metal.

[00:44:21] [SPEAKER_07]: So that's yeah.

[00:44:22] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.

[00:44:23] [SPEAKER_03]: What's that?

[00:44:24] [SPEAKER_03]: We'll have you metal.

[00:44:26] [SPEAKER_03]: I mean, we'll chat about that in a second.

[00:44:29] [SPEAKER_03]: So so once again, the lab breath, Mohawk.

[00:44:31] [SPEAKER_03]: Don't they don't they get enough money from the frickin' rates

[00:44:34] [SPEAKER_03]: that they charge at the hotel?

[00:44:37] [SPEAKER_07]: These these places have to be inherently expensive

[00:44:41] [SPEAKER_07]: to operate just, you know, the cost of maintaining that facility,

[00:44:45] [SPEAKER_07]: maintaining these trails.

[00:44:46] [SPEAKER_07]: It just has to eat money up.

[00:44:50] [SPEAKER_07]: But Mohawk preserve the Mohawk Mountain House is, you know,

[00:44:54] [SPEAKER_07]: it's what these grand Catskill resource used to be.

[00:44:58] [SPEAKER_07]: The mountain house still is.

[00:45:00] [SPEAKER_07]: I mean, with these hiking trails around it,

[00:45:03] [SPEAKER_07]: the lake, it's a pretty neat place.

[00:45:07] [SPEAKER_03]: We're lucky to still have it.

[00:45:09] [SPEAKER_03]: I gotta get down there.

[00:45:10] [SPEAKER_03]: I gotta get down over with you.

[00:45:11] [SPEAKER_03]: Maybe one day I'll show up here door at like 6am

[00:45:14] [SPEAKER_03]: and just be like, I don't even know where you live.

[00:45:16] [SPEAKER_03]: I'll just knock on your door.

[00:45:18] [SPEAKER_07]: All right, I'll make sure we have what do you charge your car?

[00:45:22] [SPEAKER_07]: I'll have to have like a couple cables or something.

[00:45:25] [SPEAKER_07]: That way I can deal with you for like a couple days

[00:45:27] [SPEAKER_07]: so while your car charges.

[00:45:29] [SPEAKER_07]: A couple days, a couple days.

[00:45:32] [SPEAKER_03]: So pink pony once again,

[00:45:33] [SPEAKER_03]: 18 on Instagram said a beautiful morning hike up Mount Taurus,

[00:45:38] [SPEAKER_03]: Bill Hill and the Courses State ruins.

[00:45:40] [SPEAKER_03]: They have it added ventures and look out to Storm King,

[00:45:44] [SPEAKER_03]: which I know is a very popular,

[00:45:46] [SPEAKER_03]: of course, a full of graffiti,

[00:45:48] [SPEAKER_03]: which I know this is really disappointed.

[00:45:50] [SPEAKER_03]: They have also covered openings in the front of the house,

[00:45:53] [SPEAKER_03]: paintings and not sure how she feels about that.

[00:45:56] [SPEAKER_03]: Some minimal humans, the couple toads and a black serpent.

[00:46:00] [SPEAKER_03]: So black serpent, so that's pretty cool.

[00:46:03] [SPEAKER_03]: So I'm Tata, I know you're familiar with this area.

[00:46:07] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I've never hiked over there though.

[00:46:10] [SPEAKER_03]: Well then you shouldn't say, yeah.

[00:46:12] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, well I know where it is.

[00:46:13] [SPEAKER_07]: The general area and I know that kind of know the terrain,

[00:46:18] [SPEAKER_07]: but no, I don't, you know she said she didn't see anybody.

[00:46:22] [SPEAKER_07]: It's I have good experience when I hike over

[00:46:25] [SPEAKER_07]: in that area.

[00:46:25] [SPEAKER_07]: I see too many people.

[00:46:27] [SPEAKER_07]: It just kinda kills the outdoor vibe for me.

[00:46:30] [SPEAKER_03]: So the black serpent should we get a hold of

[00:46:33] [SPEAKER_03]: what's his name for the snake?

[00:46:36] [SPEAKER_03]: Where's that?

[00:46:37] [SPEAKER_03]: Does it almost snake down there?

[00:46:38] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I don't think it would excite him.

[00:46:40] [SPEAKER_03]: Okay. Yeah, okay. So that's good.

[00:46:43] [SPEAKER_03]: So also we were tagged with by finisher farmers market.

[00:46:47] [SPEAKER_03]: They went on the tambourc look,

[00:46:49] [SPEAKER_03]: which is a perfect hike to do in tandem for the farmers market.

[00:46:52] [SPEAKER_03]: Situated in the field just below the stunning view,

[00:46:55] [SPEAKER_03]: awaiting your victorious descent,

[00:46:58] [SPEAKER_03]: with fresh fruits, veggies and coffees and donuts,

[00:47:01] [SPEAKER_03]: chips and salsa cookies and tamales, and much more.

[00:47:05] [SPEAKER_03]: So definitely gonna look into this,

[00:47:07] [SPEAKER_03]: see the fiducial farmers market.

[00:47:10] [SPEAKER_03]: If I'm gonna do the tambourc loop,

[00:47:11] [SPEAKER_03]: I would definitely show up there to get some

[00:47:13] [SPEAKER_03]: fricking chips and salsa, got damp.

[00:47:16] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, I have to do that as part of the old trails.

[00:47:18] [SPEAKER_07]: It's one of the little trails I need to cross out

[00:47:22] [SPEAKER_03]: that you have right?

[00:47:24] [SPEAKER_07]: They got a very minimal.

[00:47:25] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, I'm getting there. I'm slowly, you know,

[00:47:30] [SPEAKER_07]: checking them off the list.

[00:47:32] [SPEAKER_03]: I gotta, I don't know.

[00:47:33] [SPEAKER_03]: I gotta do a lot, but I might be going up slide

[00:47:36] [SPEAKER_03]: next week just to get the view of the stunning

[00:47:40] [SPEAKER_03]: colors that we're gonna have maybe within the next week or so.

[00:47:44] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, I don't know if, well,

[00:47:46] [SPEAKER_07]: if slides the best place to do it,

[00:47:49] [SPEAKER_07]: where are you thinking of doing it?

[00:47:50] [SPEAKER_07]: What I've come to call pirates look out

[00:47:52] [SPEAKER_07]: that look out, you've turned me onto.

[00:47:55] [SPEAKER_07]: I also say, I'll give you the coordinates for that one

[00:47:58] [SPEAKER_07]: Danny Davis and I found.

[00:48:01] [SPEAKER_07]: On slide?

[00:48:02] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, it'll blow your hiking socks off.

[00:48:05] [SPEAKER_07]: It's over towards the other side.

[00:48:07] [SPEAKER_07]: I'm not gonna tell you what it's over towards.

[00:48:09] [SPEAKER_07]: Because my northern part of slide,

[00:48:11] [SPEAKER_07]: a correct.

[00:48:12] [SPEAKER_07]: I'm like, slide right now.

[00:48:14] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, right now I'm drawing a blank on north,

[00:48:16] [SPEAKER_07]: south east west.

[00:48:17] [SPEAKER_07]: I'm not giving up directions, but it's,

[00:48:21] [SPEAKER_03]: Jim called my spot,

[00:48:23] [SPEAKER_03]: Russins roost.

[00:48:24] [SPEAKER_07]: Russins roost, really?

[00:48:26] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.

[00:48:26] [SPEAKER_07]: I like, I like pirates look out

[00:48:29] [SPEAKER_07]: because they call that ridge pirates ridge.

[00:48:32] [SPEAKER_07]: Okay.

[00:48:32] [SPEAKER_07]: I like it.

[00:48:34] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, well, I'll say, yeah, also say fans is

[00:48:37] [SPEAKER_07]: it's like,

[00:48:38] [SPEAKER_07]: um,

[00:48:39] [SPEAKER_07]: spruce,

[00:48:40] [SPEAKER_07]: fern,

[00:48:41] [SPEAKER_07]: or spruce grove hell

[00:48:43] [SPEAKER_07]: to get there.

[00:48:44] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.

[00:48:45] [SPEAKER_07]: I mean even Danny was like a little,

[00:48:47] [SPEAKER_07]: because he had never been to that one look out before

[00:48:49] [SPEAKER_07]: and he was kind of questioning the wisdom of going over there

[00:48:52] [SPEAKER_07]: and he's like the bushwack.

[00:48:53] [SPEAKER_07]: And he's the bushwack king of slides.

[00:48:56] [SPEAKER_07]: And then the burrows range and it was like,

[00:48:57] [SPEAKER_07]: yeah, it was like,

[00:48:59] [SPEAKER_07]: whoa, I know my first time over there,

[00:49:00] [SPEAKER_03]: was cursing you.

[00:49:02] [SPEAKER_03]: So when you're going up slide mountain,

[00:49:05] [SPEAKER_03]: you remember this one part of slide mountain that's

[00:49:07] [SPEAKER_03]: almost open that looks like a whole massive area of blowdown happened

[00:49:12] [SPEAKER_03]: and there's new growth there.

[00:49:14] [SPEAKER_03]: There's new pines.

[00:49:16] [SPEAKER_03]: That's what I figure this area is going down to the pirates look out

[00:49:21] [SPEAKER_03]: is once you're up to near the top of a slide mountain,

[00:49:25] [SPEAKER_03]: there's just one area that opens up.

[00:49:27] [SPEAKER_03]: It doesn't have a view,

[00:49:28] [SPEAKER_03]: but you can see just an open area that there's just like there's there had to be a

[00:49:35] [SPEAKER_03]: crazy event that blew all these trees down.

[00:49:38] [SPEAKER_03]: This is what it felt like when I pushed back over to that area.

[00:49:41] [SPEAKER_07]: Well, that's what it's like.

[00:49:42] [SPEAKER_07]: I mean, you have those small juvenile spruce trees

[00:49:48] [SPEAKER_07]: that are anywhere from ankle bliders to up to your shoulders.

[00:49:53] [SPEAKER_07]: But the problem is when they're that small,

[00:49:56] [SPEAKER_07]: they're really tight together because they're all still struggling

[00:50:00] [SPEAKER_07]: for that area and that sunlight.

[00:50:03] [SPEAKER_07]: So they're just really close together.

[00:50:05] [SPEAKER_07]: It's not until they're more mature that they start to weed out.

[00:50:10] [SPEAKER_07]: And the first time I went through there was tough

[00:50:13] [SPEAKER_07]: because of the wet snow.

[00:50:15] [SPEAKER_07]: And it was this snow was on the trees and it's dropping on you

[00:50:19] [SPEAKER_07]: and you're trying to get to this look out because

[00:50:21] [SPEAKER_07]: you're like, it's not going to be a big problem.

[00:50:30] [SPEAKER_07]: And then there's a big problem that's going to be a big problem

[00:50:32] [SPEAKER_07]: And so I'm going to ask you guys to ask me if I can help you

[00:50:38] tell me if you could do anything,

[00:50:38] [SPEAKER_07]: I mean, I know you're going to talk about this.

[00:50:39] [SPEAKER_07]: I mean, you're going to do something like that,

[00:50:40] [SPEAKER_07]: you know, you're going to do something like that.

[00:50:40] [SPEAKER_07]: But you know, that's the only thing you could do that

[00:50:50] [SPEAKER_07]: when you got a chance.

[00:50:50] [SPEAKER_07]: You know, you're going to be in the room.

[00:50:51] [SPEAKER_07]: two doll over his face curse words.

[00:50:55] [SPEAKER_07]: You know, so that's a powerful friend.

[00:50:57] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, and then we had the long bushwack down.

[00:51:01] [SPEAKER_07]: It was like kind of like the never ending day,

[00:51:03] [SPEAKER_07]: but he went down the never something, right?

[00:51:05] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, we went down again, pirates ridge.

[00:51:08] [SPEAKER_07]: We hit this like massive grove of hemlocks,

[00:51:12] [SPEAKER_07]: which always makes it worthwhile.

[00:51:13] [SPEAKER_07]: And then you get into like a low drainage area

[00:51:17] [SPEAKER_07]: in the shanty brook,

[00:51:20] [SPEAKER_07]: your shanty brook, that's what I think it's called.

[00:51:24] [SPEAKER_07]: That you go through there and then you make your way

[00:51:27] [SPEAKER_07]: over to the east branch and then down the trail.

[00:51:31] [SPEAKER_07]: Dear shanty, that involves the wild cats, right?

[00:51:35] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, we didn't know.

[00:51:36] [SPEAKER_07]: So we were, we didn't get over to the wild cats.

[00:51:40] [SPEAKER_07]: But it involves that, no.

[00:51:42] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, yeah.

[00:51:43] [SPEAKER_07]: Everything in the cat's skills generally involves wild cats.

[00:51:45] [SPEAKER_07]: One way or another.

[00:51:46] [SPEAKER_07]: The wild cat ranch, yeah.

[00:51:48] [SPEAKER_07]: So if you ever hike over in the wild cat range,

[00:51:50] [SPEAKER_07]: the black forest, yeah.

[00:51:52] [SPEAKER_07]: You've been to the black forest?

[00:51:54] [SPEAKER_07]: Yes, worth it.

[00:51:57] [SPEAKER_03]: I found a way or starting from.

[00:51:59] [SPEAKER_07]: Well, I think once you get to the black forest

[00:52:01] [SPEAKER_07]: and you can just roam around it,

[00:52:02] [SPEAKER_07]: once you get there, it's worth being there.

[00:52:05] [SPEAKER_07]: It's how you get there.

[00:52:07] [SPEAKER_07]: Whether you cross the west branch,

[00:52:09] [SPEAKER_07]: to get there or come in following the edge

[00:52:14] [SPEAKER_07]: of the lost valley property, to get there.

[00:52:17] [SPEAKER_07]: I found when I was back there,

[00:52:19] [SPEAKER_07]: I found a 10 foot plus waterfall.

[00:52:24] [SPEAKER_07]: Ooh, yeah.

[00:52:25] [SPEAKER_07]: That's where I was pretty cool.

[00:52:28] [SPEAKER_03]: Now, anyway, all right, again,

[00:52:31] [SPEAKER_07]: we go on a tangent.

[00:52:32] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, yeah.

[00:52:33] [SPEAKER_07]: Bragging and boasting about Catskill hiking.

[00:52:36] [SPEAKER_07]: We could probably do this all day long.

[00:52:38] [SPEAKER_03]: Let's do this all day long.

[00:52:38] [SPEAKER_03]: Let's crack open a few more cold ones.

[00:52:41] [SPEAKER_03]: Well, so yeah, cold ones.

[00:52:43] [SPEAKER_03]: Ted, I saw you kind of waves or something like,

[00:52:47] [SPEAKER_03]: almost like a football.

[00:52:48] [SPEAKER_03]: It's going across the kickoff.

[00:52:51] [SPEAKER_07]: It's doing like a little commercial here.

[00:52:53] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.

[00:52:54] [SPEAKER_07]: So I'm drinking a Serenac pale ale.

[00:52:59] [SPEAKER_07]: It's not some sexy craft brewing company.

[00:53:04] [SPEAKER_07]: It's the Matt Brewing Company of Utica, New York,

[00:53:07] [SPEAKER_07]: which is more widely known as being the Brewers of

[00:53:13] [SPEAKER_07]: Stash, do you know what they brew?

[00:53:16] [SPEAKER_07]: Pay attention, Stash.

[00:53:18] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, beer.

[00:53:19] [SPEAKER_07]: What Matt Brewing for generations brewing Utica Club?

[00:53:25] [SPEAKER_07]: That's the beer they made.

[00:53:26] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, yeah, you know.

[00:53:27] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, nobody really likes Utica Club,

[00:53:29] [SPEAKER_07]: but there's Serenac pale ale is not too bad.

[00:53:34] [SPEAKER_07]: No, no, no.

[00:53:36] [SPEAKER_07]: I'm not an IPA person.

[00:53:38] [SPEAKER_07]: I kind of like the Ambers and Darks.

[00:53:41] [SPEAKER_07]: And the Serenac pale ale is a light version of a pale ale.

[00:53:47] [SPEAKER_07]: Not light and calories, just light in flavor spectrum.

[00:53:53] [SPEAKER_03]: So tonight I am having a eight waste in time.

[00:53:57] [SPEAKER_03]: A Vermont hard cider crafted beer.

[00:54:01] [SPEAKER_03]: So this was made in Virginia's.

[00:54:05] [SPEAKER_03]: I think that's how you say it Vermont.

[00:54:07] [SPEAKER_07]: So it is called a peaches and cream.

[00:54:10] [SPEAKER_07]: Stashes reading it using what are you using your phone to

[00:54:13] [SPEAKER_07]: macro magnify what's on the the can or your vision just

[00:54:17] [SPEAKER_07]: they've already.

[00:54:19] [SPEAKER_07]: No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,

[00:54:20] [SPEAKER_07]: I can't straight anymore.

[00:54:22] [SPEAKER_03]: They have whole poetry on the back of this.

[00:54:24] [SPEAKER_03]: So it really, it looks like a whole freaking song inspired by

[00:54:28] [SPEAKER_03]: Greg Almond.

[00:54:29] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm not going to, it says eight waste in time.

[00:54:32] [SPEAKER_03]: I ain't wasting my time on this poetry thing, but it's

[00:54:36] [SPEAKER_03]: pretty decent.

[00:54:37] [SPEAKER_03]: It's not as good as the other stuff I had.

[00:54:39] [SPEAKER_03]: I had a lot of hard cider in Vermont when I was up there and

[00:54:43] [SPEAKER_03]: they have some good shit, just sell them out inside or down

[00:54:47] [SPEAKER_03]: either it's and they have a place that you can mix and match

[00:54:52] [SPEAKER_03]: of like different ciders.

[00:54:54] [SPEAKER_03]: So I mean, I would choose one of one of this and I but at

[00:54:59] [SPEAKER_03]: least four like four pack of cider.

[00:55:03] [SPEAKER_03]: So 60 hard ciders.

[00:55:04] [SPEAKER_07]: Max, when you say mixing mats like mix and mac,

[00:55:08] [SPEAKER_07]: a six pack.

[00:55:10] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, or four pack.

[00:55:11] [SPEAKER_07]: Okay.

[00:55:12] [SPEAKER_03]: Well, is is phenomenal.

[00:55:14] [SPEAKER_03]: It was pretty cool.

[00:55:15] [SPEAKER_03]: So yeah, ain't wasting time tag that in here.

[00:55:20] [SPEAKER_03]: So previous hex tad will talk about your previous hex because

[00:55:23] [SPEAKER_03]: I had a lot.

[00:55:26] [SPEAKER_07]: Also, you want to hit mine?

[00:55:28] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.

[00:55:29] [SPEAKER_07]: Yes.

[00:55:30] [SPEAKER_07]: So two weekends ago, I did three stops at three different

[00:55:34] [SPEAKER_07]: places to click off a multitude of tail trails towards that

[00:55:40] [SPEAKER_07]: all trails challenge and they were interesting of those

[00:55:44] [SPEAKER_07]: that was the most interesting.

[00:55:46] [SPEAKER_07]: I'm going to have to say it goes to German hollow where

[00:55:51] [SPEAKER_07]: it's just was a straight up and down for me climbing over

[00:55:54] [SPEAKER_07]: 1200 vertical feet, I think in like a mile point four.

[00:55:59] [SPEAKER_07]: But it was fairly interesting, at least the first half.

[00:56:02] [SPEAKER_07]: But that is not the best hike I've done in the last two weeks.

[00:56:07] [SPEAKER_07]: Do you want to hear about the best hike I did in the last two weeks?

[00:56:10] [SPEAKER_07]: Which also, which also happens to be the shortest hike I did

[00:56:15] [SPEAKER_07]: in the last two weeks and you might not even call it a hike.

[00:56:20] [SPEAKER_07]: So I was setting out to like figure out which trails on this all

[00:56:27] [SPEAKER_07]: trails list that I had not yet finished.

[00:56:30] [SPEAKER_07]: And I discovered there was a couple over the Monk app,

[00:56:36] [SPEAKER_07]: pond area of the Monk app, campground area that I didn't even realize

[00:56:41] [SPEAKER_07]: around the list.

[00:56:44] [SPEAKER_07]: So I googled them and I discovered that the very day that I was going

[00:56:50] [SPEAKER_07]: to hike these trails, the Catskill Trail Crew was going to be

[00:56:59] [SPEAKER_07]: there doing trail maintenance.

[00:57:02] [SPEAKER_07]: So could you think of a thing more on cool than showing up to hike

[00:57:07] [SPEAKER_07]: these trails, hiking by the trail crew, right?

[00:57:11] [SPEAKER_07]: Well, they're out there doing their thing and you just kind of like

[00:57:14] [SPEAKER_07]: sonder by because you're like doing this trail challenge.

[00:57:17] [SPEAKER_07]: So I decided I couldn't do that and then I had to sign up to do

[00:57:23] [SPEAKER_07]: trail work.

[00:57:24] [SPEAKER_07]: And I did.

[00:57:26] [SPEAKER_07]: I signed up.

[00:57:26] [SPEAKER_07]: I signed up.

[00:57:27] [SPEAKER_07]: I got an acknowledgement email back the next morning at 830.

[00:57:32] [SPEAKER_07]: I showed up at the parking lot and I met these people who were part of the trail

[00:57:37] [SPEAKER_07]: crew.

[00:57:38] [SPEAKER_07]: They all accept myself were repeat offenders.

[00:57:42] [SPEAKER_07]: I was a first timer.

[00:57:44] [SPEAKER_07]: And of course, the trail crew leader is one math Smith, right?

[00:57:52] [SPEAKER_07]: He was a former guest on the show who I remember when he was on because he said his post

[00:57:58] [SPEAKER_07]: hike ruined bite was a chocolate milkshake and beef chili from different types, right?

[00:58:08] [SPEAKER_07]: Such an unlikely combination.

[00:58:10] [SPEAKER_07]: So I busted his chops a little bit about that before we set off.

[00:58:14] [SPEAKER_07]: And he said that he's changed his culinary preferences at Stourwords and

[00:58:19] [SPEAKER_07]: he's moved on to the stewards hamburger.

[00:58:25] [SPEAKER_07]: I didn't know they made burgers at Stourwords, but apparently they do when Matt Smith likes

[00:58:28] [SPEAKER_07]: them.

[00:58:29] [SPEAKER_07]: Nonetheless, we set off to do a few miles of few miles.

[00:58:34] [SPEAKER_07]: Things like just under four miles of trail maintenance around a thick pond area.

[00:58:45] [SPEAKER_07]: And let me tell you that was a great experience.

[00:58:48] [SPEAKER_07]: Such a cool group of people to hang out with.

[00:58:51] [SPEAKER_07]: You know, everybody was really cool and casual.

[00:58:54] [SPEAKER_07]: There was just a great vibe amongst all of us.

[00:58:59] [SPEAKER_07]: And you know what's I have to say?

[00:59:02] [SPEAKER_07]: It's a lot of fun.

[00:59:03] [SPEAKER_07]: I think it's the most fun I've had on a hike this year other than hiking with my daughter

[00:59:11] [SPEAKER_07]: and doing couple bizarre bush wax with Danny Davis.

[00:59:16] [SPEAKER_07]: But other than that, I thought this was just a wonderful experience.

[00:59:22] [SPEAKER_07]: And I'm thoroughly convinced that everybody needs to get out there with the Catskill

[00:59:27] [SPEAKER_07]: Trail crew and you know, grab the loatvers if you will and cut some branches, cut

[00:59:36] [SPEAKER_07]: some safflinges, just clean up some trails.

[00:59:40] [SPEAKER_07]: It's a really, really enjoyable time.

[00:59:42] [SPEAKER_07]: You get some really good swag.

[00:59:45] [SPEAKER_07]: You start off, you get some patches, decals, then you get a patch the second time

[00:59:52] [SPEAKER_07]: you show.

[00:59:53] [SPEAKER_07]: That day, some of the people that were there was only six of us.

[00:59:56] [SPEAKER_07]: Two of them got t-shirts, really cool t-shirts.

[01:00:01] [SPEAKER_07]: And you know, people that the people that were there plan on coming back and they

[01:00:04] [SPEAKER_07]: do come back because like I said, Matt is very, very chill.

[01:00:09] [SPEAKER_07]: And it's just a fun gratifying experience.

[01:00:14] [SPEAKER_07]: So now let me tell you other than the pure joy of cutting safflings and branches

[01:00:22] [SPEAKER_07]: along the trail.

[01:00:25] [SPEAKER_07]: One of the funny things that day is obviously that morning, Matt before we set out

[01:00:31] [SPEAKER_07]: Matt and new my name.

[01:00:33] [SPEAKER_07]: And I said, oh yeah, I remember you from the podcast and the the milk shake and the

[01:00:40] [SPEAKER_07]: chili, which I thought was really, really funny and bizarre.

[01:00:43] [SPEAKER_07]: So we go through the rest of the day and he calls me by my name and others are calling

[01:00:47] [SPEAKER_07]: me by my name.

[01:00:49] [SPEAKER_07]: Then we get done with the end of the day and we're hanging out in the parking lot.

[01:00:53] [SPEAKER_07]: And he is talking about a hiking trip that he's planning on a few weeks

[01:01:00] [SPEAKER_07]: to go for a look for a certain airplane wreck in a certain area of the cat skills

[01:01:06] [SPEAKER_07]: that nobody apparently has found before and he's he's hooking up with the bunch

[01:01:10] [SPEAKER_07]: of people to find it.

[01:01:11] [SPEAKER_07]: And I say, oh, is Joe in stash coming?

[01:01:16] [SPEAKER_07]: He says, well, Joe's coming, but stash isn't coming.

[01:01:20] [SPEAKER_07]: Then he goes on and talks about all stash does these days.

[01:01:24] [SPEAKER_07]: Is this podcast?

[01:01:29] [SPEAKER_07]: And so that one of the other fellows starts asking him about the podcast.

[01:01:33] [SPEAKER_07]: What he means about the podcast about the cat skills and are talking about it.

[01:01:37] [SPEAKER_07]: And then Matt says, that recently stash has gotten the co-host and the show is, I'm

[01:01:46] [SPEAKER_07]: not making this up.

[01:01:48] [SPEAKER_07]: Stash, he says the show has gotten a lot better.

[01:01:51] [SPEAKER_07]: This is he has, yes, this co-host and he starts to say the name of the co-host.

[01:01:56] [SPEAKER_07]: He stops.

[01:01:57] [SPEAKER_07]: He looks at me and he says, are you tired from the podcast?

[01:02:03] [SPEAKER_07]: And what comedy, how many tads do you think there are that hike in the cat skills?

[01:02:07] [SPEAKER_07]: I mean, it isn't really, so I said just wait, yes, I am just wait.

[01:02:10] [SPEAKER_07]: I'm going to go in the Jeep.

[01:02:11] [SPEAKER_07]: I'm going to get the Sharp B.L.

[01:02:12] [SPEAKER_07]: Start signing autographs now.

[01:02:14] [SPEAKER_07]: So it's really funny how the Catskill Trail crew spent the whole day cutting things

[01:02:20] [SPEAKER_07]: and clipping things and sniping and cleaning the trails with me.

[01:02:25] [SPEAKER_07]: And then at the end of the day they're like, oh, you're the guy from the podcast.

[01:02:29] [SPEAKER_07]: So nice.

[01:02:29] [SPEAKER_07]: I think I converted some more people to listeners.

[01:02:32] [SPEAKER_07]: We'll see if we go from eight to 14 that would be cool.

[01:02:37] [SPEAKER_07]: It was funny that at the end of the day I was outed is the, I call it the

[01:02:44] [SPEAKER_07]: guest and residence, but whatever.

[01:02:46] [SPEAKER_07]: So all right.

[01:02:47] [SPEAKER_07]: So that's my graduation student.

[01:02:49] [SPEAKER_03]: That's awesome for volunteers.

[01:02:51] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, well, and I'll say again, get out there and do it.

[01:02:54] [SPEAKER_07]: It's really cool.

[01:02:55] [SPEAKER_07]: It's just a lot of fun.

[01:02:58] [SPEAKER_07]: And you know, the, you know, I did Danny Davis and I did it on the Burl's range earlier this year.

[01:03:04] [SPEAKER_07]: I helped him out because that's his section.

[01:03:06] [SPEAKER_07]: And I didn't sign up for anything else.

[01:03:08] [SPEAKER_07]: But if you want to go out there and give back to the hiking community, hook up with

[01:03:12] [SPEAKER_07]: that the Catskill Trail crew.

[01:03:15] [SPEAKER_07]: It's really, really chill.

[01:03:17] [SPEAKER_07]: It's remarkably a really good and fun time.

[01:03:21] [SPEAKER_07]: And you leave.

[01:03:22] [SPEAKER_07]: You drive away from your hiking experience.

[01:03:24] [SPEAKER_07]: It's not like you hike the apartment trail or did the Catskill 9.

[01:03:29] [SPEAKER_07]: You didn't do some epic thing in the Catskill like that in terms of miles and elevation.

[01:03:34] [SPEAKER_07]: But you just have this really, really good feeling about doing what you did that day.

[01:03:38] [SPEAKER_07]: So I'm going to try to get out there at least once a season and do this with them.

[01:03:45] [SPEAKER_07]: And eventually burn my t-shirt.

[01:03:49] [SPEAKER_07]: Same.

[01:03:49] [SPEAKER_07]: But the next time they're going to know who I am.

[01:03:51] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, well, and I'm not going to give it to you.

[01:03:54] [SPEAKER_07]: So long.

[01:03:54] [SPEAKER_07]: Now that's, you know, I'm out of the spotlight here now.

[01:03:57] [SPEAKER_07]: You can take it away with your week up in Vermont.

[01:04:02] [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, dude.

[01:04:04] [SPEAKER_03]: What a fantastic time.

[01:04:05] [SPEAKER_03]: So my wife and I went up to Vermont to celebrate our 12th anniversary.

[01:04:11] [SPEAKER_03]: And we rented this tiny house up in a place called Hyde Park, which is just above Mount Man's field.

[01:04:18] [SPEAKER_03]: Kind of like about sto about 20 minutes north of Stowe.

[01:04:21] [SPEAKER_03]: We're only an hour away from the border of Canada and United States.

[01:04:27] [SPEAKER_03]: So we just, you know, I had all intentions of doing absolutely nothing except for one hike.

[01:04:34] [SPEAKER_03]: I was like, you know, I wanted to do Mansfield.

[01:04:37] [SPEAKER_03]: Highest mountain of Vermont, you know, one of the more challenging ones besides camel hump.

[01:04:43] [SPEAKER_03]: Above tree line, above tree line is fantastic.

[01:04:48] [SPEAKER_03]: But we arrived Saturday and then Sunday Jessica was to psych, you know, let's hike that one hike.

[01:04:54] [SPEAKER_03]: You talked about Mount Elmore.

[01:04:56] [SPEAKER_03]: That has a fire tower.

[01:04:58] [SPEAKER_03]: And I was like, are you sure about that?

[01:05:00] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm like it's supposed to rain a little bit.

[01:05:01] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm like, yeah, let's go.

[01:05:03] [SPEAKER_03]: So we did.

[01:05:05] [SPEAKER_03]: We went out and hiked a.

[01:05:06] [SPEAKER_03]: It was a 3.7 mile hike up to a fire tower that it would really awkward because it's a nice flat area.

[01:05:16] [SPEAKER_03]: It starts, it takes a right hand turning and goes up a little bit of more hiking and then it gets to some steep

[01:05:22] [SPEAKER_03]: sense to where there's ladders.

[01:05:26] [SPEAKER_03]: There's like, it looks like little carved in areas of the rock.

[01:05:30] [SPEAKER_03]: Like they must have pulled a explosive center or something like that to make it kind of like steps is really odd.

[01:05:38] [SPEAKER_03]: And then you get to the fire tower which is not at the actual summit.

[01:05:41] [SPEAKER_03]: It's actually a little bit kind of to the east of the summit.

[01:05:46] [SPEAKER_03]: And I was just like the solo to have it mounted to the summit.

[01:05:50] [SPEAKER_03]: But it was, it was absolutely phenomenal day.

[01:05:54] [SPEAKER_03]: We beat the rain.

[01:05:54] [SPEAKER_03]: We could see the rain off to the kind of the west hitting the higher peaks of Vermont.

[01:06:01] [SPEAKER_03]: And you know, we kind of celebrated our 12th anniversary there, which was a very, very beautiful.

[01:06:09] [SPEAKER_03]: She climbed up.

[01:06:10] [SPEAKER_03]: I think it was two tears of the fire tower and got a little paranoid and then ran back down.

[01:06:15] [SPEAKER_03]: So we got, we got a picture of her eyes wide open just like this is getting a little too crazy.

[01:06:23] [SPEAKER_03]: But then we took pictures down at the tiny house that we had.

[01:06:27] [SPEAKER_03]: We rented amazing tiny house and it was really cool, especially in the tiny house because

[01:06:34] [SPEAKER_03]: living in that kind of space, you know, where like I took a picture of it and my arms went out to the blindness of the house.

[01:06:45] [SPEAKER_03]: And then, you know, I went outside and I showed you that picture tattoo was probably like, you know, three times the size of my arm.

[01:06:52] [SPEAKER_03]: So it was what, you know, 24 feet.

[01:06:55] [SPEAKER_03]: Why?

[01:06:57] [SPEAKER_03]: I would blank blank.

[01:06:58] [SPEAKER_03]: So that's why it is probably like 7th, 8th.

[01:07:02] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, to me it struck me is something that you could put on the trailer and drive down the road.

[01:07:07] [SPEAKER_03]: I said half of the trailer.

[01:07:09] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, that these things are assembled off site.

[01:07:11] [SPEAKER_07]: They're brought in on a trailer and they're set up there, you know, as little pot houses.

[01:07:17] [SPEAKER_07]: But it was a light.

[01:07:18] [SPEAKER_07]: But by surprise you to know that when I was younger, much younger, I would spend my summers living on a boat that was smaller than that.

[01:07:26] [SPEAKER_07]: So I get the idea of the, the confinement.

[01:07:29] [SPEAKER_07]: But it looked like a cool place with a great view.

[01:07:32] [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, yeah, I would located in the middle of everything and then the next day so we did Mount Elmore, which was only around.

[01:07:40] [SPEAKER_03]: I think it was like 3100 feet.

[01:07:42] [SPEAKER_03]: The next day I set out to do a man, Mount Mansfield, which is the highest peak of Vermont,

[01:07:47] [SPEAKER_03]: which is I think is around 42, 42, 230, 4300 feet.

[01:07:54] [SPEAKER_03]: And I approached it from the Western area, which was sunset ridge, which you get a certain amount and then to an elevation area and you're both true line whole rest of the time.

[01:08:07] [SPEAKER_03]: When I was driving in, I look over and I see some mountains.

[01:08:11] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm like, oh, cool. They're not in the clouds and then all of a sudden Mount Mansfield comes into perspective and it's in the clouds.

[01:08:18] [SPEAKER_03]: Like, all right. So maybe, you know, it's it's 730, maybe a clear up by 830 when I arrived in there.

[01:08:27] [SPEAKER_03]: And I didn't, I got once I got higher and higher.

[01:08:31] [SPEAKER_03]: The clouds were still there.

[01:08:33] [SPEAKER_03]: It was totally worth it. The only crazy thing is is that I hit some awesome winds at the top.

[01:08:40] [SPEAKER_03]: 50 to 60 mile an hour gusts, constant 20 to 30 mile an hour winds. That's my kind of stuff.

[01:08:48] [SPEAKER_03]: I was ready for anything. I had my puppy jacket in there. I had my micro spikes in there.

[01:08:54] [SPEAKER_03]: First day kit, you know, I guarantee my thing was over 30 pounds, my pack.

[01:08:58] [SPEAKER_07]: Awesome. So when you're up there in that wind, you're wearing like a hard shell.

[01:09:05] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I had only a hard shell, a long sleeve, moisture wick insured and a t-shirt.

[01:09:12] [SPEAKER_07]: Oh, then moisture wick insured. And so would you have on your legs? Did you have a heart set of hurt shell pants on or just a regular pair of hiking pants or something else?

[01:09:20] [SPEAKER_03]: Like, like, just regular, high-caden moisture wick in the pants.

[01:09:23] [SPEAKER_03]: Okay. It got a little chilly. I had to put gloves on and my winter hat.

[01:09:29] [SPEAKER_03]: But I stayed up at the summit for like 45 minutes trying to get a view and I didn't really get much.

[01:09:35] [SPEAKER_03]: So it was, but there's this one spot between Mansfield and it's called West Mansfield that is just kind of like a tunnel of air.

[01:09:44] [SPEAKER_03]: And it was absolutely fantastic. I took a video of it. I posted it on Instagram and Facebook.

[01:09:50] [SPEAKER_03]: And it just felt like a whole-nother world of just getting blown apart by the winds.

[01:09:58] [SPEAKER_03]: And I was, that's my kind of stuff. You know, I love the views.

[01:10:03] [SPEAKER_03]: I wanted to go up there for the views, but I got that freaking massive wind and it blew my mind away.

[01:10:09] [SPEAKER_03]: You got the experience. Right? Oh, yeah. It was great. I met two other hikers up there.

[01:10:14] [SPEAKER_03]: And that's it. And they have the amazing long trail up there, which I plan on to maybe to think of do section hiking

[01:10:21] [SPEAKER_03]: Of the long trail up there. So 272 miles going from all the way to the base of a bon top to the Canada.

[01:10:29] [SPEAKER_07]: And so you get up there around the top of Mount Mansfield, highest mountain in Vermont.

[01:10:35] [SPEAKER_07]: It's great weather conditions for you. It's got a little light in it.

[01:10:40] [SPEAKER_07]: Some, some, it's blowing hard. Did you have like a beverage on top?

[01:10:46] [SPEAKER_07]: Did you have like hot cocoa, coffee, tea, a heart-gainer with a hard side?

[01:10:51] [SPEAKER_07]: Oh, you could have brought a thermos or something. You know, I could have.

[01:10:56] [SPEAKER_03]: You know, I didn't think about that. I was just, I was excited to be, you know, to tag another one of those

[01:11:04] [SPEAKER_03]: Northeas 67. And I did it in a considerable amount of time.

[01:11:12] [SPEAKER_03]: And, you know, I just, I enjoyed that weather experience of, you know, not everybody gets 100% views all the time.

[01:11:21] [SPEAKER_03]: And I got that and I cherished it. And, you know, people, there was another guy I met that was doing.

[01:11:27] [SPEAKER_03]: I think it was doing like two organizers and he was at the same experience as me. And he was just like, this is phenomenal.

[01:11:35] [SPEAKER_03]: I loved the wind. I loved the air flow and it was just I, I just, I was blowing away. I had a great time.

[01:11:43] [SPEAKER_07]: Well, so how did, how did that, um, above the tree line experience on Mount Mansfield compared to your recent experience in the whites?

[01:11:54] [SPEAKER_07]: So I'll get to the tree line.

[01:11:55] [SPEAKER_03]: Very, that was a good, that's a good question because I have my, all my questions are good or better.

[01:12:01] [SPEAKER_07]: Okay. We'll just, you can agree on that. Okay. So how did Mount Mansfield above tree line compared to above tree line in the whites?

[01:12:08] [SPEAKER_03]: So the whites have those massive currents like, you know, besides six feet tall.

[01:12:14] [SPEAKER_03]: I did not see anyone of those above tree line in Mount Mansfield.

[01:12:20] [SPEAKER_07]: And is that, is that because there's just ledge less ridge walking from one mountain top to the other in the green mountains or they just, they don't have, my senses and the whites you have a really, really robust and long standing hiking club.

[01:12:40] [SPEAKER_07]: The managers that terrain and is it lacking in the greens or you just don't need something like that to do like an up and down on Mount Mansfield?

[01:12:53] [SPEAKER_03]: That's a very good question because I know, for a fact that that area has a very good search and rescue team that has very big situations.

[01:13:06] [SPEAKER_03]: So I'm very curious about that because you know, I was noticing that when I went up there was blue markers showing me the way which you know, I kind of understood and I kind of checked my position every time.

[01:13:18] [SPEAKER_03]: But I didn't notice any carrots and I was just like, you know, this at times could be problematic, you know, during the winter seasons, but you know, I don't know how many people go up there.

[01:13:29] [SPEAKER_03]: And you know, it's probably minimal compared to Mount Washington and Lafayette and stuff like that.

[01:13:34] [SPEAKER_07]: So how much distance did you cover above tree line where you would need something like a Karen to help you out on the day of poor visibility?

[01:13:44] [SPEAKER_03]: So when I went up, when I went up the sunset ridge area, it was probably around I'm pretty sure like a mile and a half to mile.

[01:13:54] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, yeah. So that's a lot of time. On a day when it's really blowing you have basically wide out conditions.

[01:14:02] [SPEAKER_07]: Having a hiking body and being able to string rope from one Karen to the other would be.

[01:14:07] [SPEAKER_07]: Oh, yeah.

[01:14:09] [SPEAKER_03]: They don't have them there.

[01:14:11] [SPEAKER_03]: Nope.

[01:14:12] [SPEAKER_03]: It was pretty crazy because you know, I can see probably good 50, 60 feet ahead. So that was good.

[01:14:18] [SPEAKER_03]: I could tell where I was going inside.

[01:14:22] [SPEAKER_07]: On that day, yeah.

[01:14:24] [SPEAKER_07]: But I look back in my skiing days, I've skied a new Hampshire where seeing 15 feet in front of you was not possible.

[01:14:35] [SPEAKER_07]: I mean, it was just, it was just insane.

[01:14:36] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, it was just insane. I mean, it was blowing 70 miles an hour.

[01:14:40] [SPEAKER_07]: You're on a ski area, you know, slope.

[01:14:43] [SPEAKER_07]: There's snow up there. There's loose snow. When those gusts come along, you're not, you can't see the only thing.

[01:14:49] [SPEAKER_07]: The only thing is you know which way is downhill because you're on skis and they're pulling you downhill.

[01:14:56] [SPEAKER_07]: But at times the wind was so strong. You'd be almost at a dead stand still.

[01:15:00] [SPEAKER_07]: I don't see the time though.

[01:15:03] [SPEAKER_07]: Uh, did I, you know, I mean, you know, here I am. I'm closing in on age 62.

[01:15:07] [SPEAKER_07]: And I used to ski in Vermont when I was, in didn't even have a driver's license.

[01:15:12] [SPEAKER_07]: And I still remember all of those epic work called days.

[01:15:15] [SPEAKER_07]: It's snow mountain and sugar bush, um, Mad River Glen, you know, some of the, so you've been on Mansfield.

[01:15:24] [SPEAKER_03]: So you've been on the, yeah.

[01:15:26] [SPEAKER_04]: Nice.

[01:15:27] [SPEAKER_03]: So it was my first time.

[01:15:29] [SPEAKER_03]: It was my first time.

[01:15:30] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.

[01:15:30] [SPEAKER_07]: That's right across the street.

[01:15:32] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.

[01:15:32] [SPEAKER_07]: But every time I've been there, I've had skis on my feet, you know?

[01:15:35] [SPEAKER_07]: So I, I haven't liked them.

[01:15:37] [SPEAKER_07]: So let's go. Let's go.

[01:15:38] [SPEAKER_07]: All right.

[01:15:39] [SPEAKER_07]: We're on the tiny house together.

[01:15:40] [SPEAKER_07]: Let's wrap this up and we'll sleep in the water together.

[01:15:44] [SPEAKER_03]: All right.

[01:15:45] [SPEAKER_03]: The next, the next thing though, I had a really quick hike the next day.

[01:15:49] [SPEAKER_03]: So I did three straight days of hiking up of what they call Stowe's pinnacle.

[01:15:53] [SPEAKER_03]: Very easy. Probably a three mile hike goes up to a top of the peak that does a 360.

[01:15:59] [SPEAKER_03]: Look at the green mountains.

[01:16:01] [SPEAKER_03]: Cool thing.

[01:16:02] [SPEAKER_03]: I would say about that is I saw F 35 fighter jets flying over there.

[01:16:07] [SPEAKER_03]: And I thought it was fantastic.

[01:16:08] [SPEAKER_03]: I was yelling at everybody.

[01:16:10] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm like, after the five fighter jets,

[01:16:12] [SPEAKER_03]: they're two billion dollars worth of planes.

[01:16:14] [SPEAKER_03]: And then everybody was looking at me like I was like,

[01:16:17] [SPEAKER_03]: Like, okay.

[01:16:18] [SPEAKER_03]: What's your point?

[01:16:20] [SPEAKER_03]: So, but it's the time they do.

[01:16:22] [SPEAKER_03]: I found out that they're, they're doing a petition to get rid of them to have them stop flying out of Benington Airport over in the front.

[01:16:30] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.

[01:16:31] [SPEAKER_07]: I was like, yeah.

[01:16:32] [SPEAKER_07]: Back in my skiing days, I remember being up there and part of their training is to,

[01:16:39] [SPEAKER_07]: I'm going to call it dog flights.

[01:16:40] [SPEAKER_07]: I don't know what it really is.

[01:16:43] [SPEAKER_07]: But they're training one fighter jet chasing another and they're literally,

[01:16:48] [SPEAKER_07]: they're turned 90 degrees.

[01:16:51] [SPEAKER_07]: So when they're just like they're just flying at whatever mock speed it is,

[01:16:57] [SPEAKER_07]: just, you know, snaking through the mountains like that.

[01:16:59] [SPEAKER_07]: It's really an incredible sight.

[01:17:02] [SPEAKER_07]: And obviously if you're out there hiking and trying to get into the solitude of nature.

[01:17:10] [SPEAKER_07]: And then these, you know, these jet powered fighter planes go flying.

[01:17:16] [SPEAKER_07]: But and then they come back again because that's what they're doing.

[01:17:18] [SPEAKER_07]: They're just chasing one another.

[01:17:20] [SPEAKER_07]: Wow.

[01:17:21] [SPEAKER_03]: You know, I thought it was phenomenal.

[01:17:23] [SPEAKER_03]: I was blown away.

[01:17:24] [SPEAKER_03]: Because you don't see that in the cat skills.

[01:17:27] [SPEAKER_03]: I heard, you know, a new hamster they see those, those big bowings and stuff like that.

[01:17:32] [SPEAKER_03]: But these F-35s are they flew over at an insane high, high altitude in the high speed

[01:17:41] [SPEAKER_03]: that I barely caught them on camera at a long way.

[01:17:45] [SPEAKER_03]: Oh yeah, they look like little like flies.

[01:17:48] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, I've been skiing at Killington on bare mountain or run called outer limits,

[01:17:56] [SPEAKER_07]: which has a chair left going up the one side of it.

[01:17:58] [SPEAKER_07]: And sometimes you swear if your ski pole was long enough,

[01:18:01] [SPEAKER_07]: you could reach out and touch one of these planes.

[01:18:03] [SPEAKER_07]: I mean, that's an exaggeration obviously,

[01:18:06] [SPEAKER_07]: but the planes are literally, I mean, they're not that high up and they're not that far out.

[01:18:14] [SPEAKER_07]: Because part of the thing is that they're doing is they're trying to fly through with low elevation

[01:18:19] [SPEAKER_07]: and to dodge, you know, shake the other plane off of their tail.

[01:18:23] [SPEAKER_07]: Now, this again, this was back in the late 80s, early 90s and maybe you say it's top 10.

[01:18:32] [SPEAKER_07]: And maybe since then, they've been told not to get that low to the ground.

[01:18:38] [SPEAKER_07]: I'm not sure.

[01:18:39] [SPEAKER_07]: I do know that they do a lot of this out west and the desert out west,

[01:18:43] [SPEAKER_07]: where there's nobody around.

[01:18:45] [SPEAKER_07]: That's just our armed services preparing, you know?

[01:18:49] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, they're doing their thing.

[01:18:50] [SPEAKER_03]: It was an amazing experience.

[01:18:53] [SPEAKER_03]: And if you go up to Vermont,

[01:18:55] [SPEAKER_03]: I suggest you go up to the sto area,

[01:18:58] [SPEAKER_03]: awesome food, awesome sighter, awesome,

[01:19:02] [SPEAKER_03]: just everything, heikes everywhere,

[01:19:04] [SPEAKER_03]: galore for not just, you know, tad and I, but for everybody that could enjoy it and have a good time.

[01:19:10] [SPEAKER_03]: That sto is pinnacle was for everybody and it offered above tree line experience for 360 reviews.

[01:19:17] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, that's cool.

[01:19:18] [SPEAKER_07]: I remember in the difference between New Hampshire and Vermont,

[01:19:24] [SPEAKER_07]: was that Vermont just had this sense of being more,

[01:19:29] [SPEAKER_07]: more secluded and less developed in New Hampshire.

[01:19:33] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, but again, I haven't been up there for quite a while,

[01:19:39] [SPEAKER_07]: but back in the 80s and 90s I spent a lot of time up there.

[01:19:43] [SPEAKER_03]: Wow, it looks like I mean,

[01:19:45] [SPEAKER_03]: the year second coming to Vermont, New Hampshire, let's go.

[01:19:48] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, let's do it.

[01:19:49] [SPEAKER_07]: Let's do it.

[01:19:49] [SPEAKER_07]: What we need to do, to make this work,

[01:19:51] [SPEAKER_07]: what we need to do is we need to get our wives to hook up, right?

[01:19:55] [SPEAKER_07]: To go, to get to, to get to, to them and to sync with something.

[01:19:59] [SPEAKER_07]: And here's the solution, stash.

[01:20:01] [SPEAKER_07]: This is how it'll work.

[01:20:03] [SPEAKER_07]: We'll get our wives together and we'll let them take your credit card to go shopping.

[01:20:08] [SPEAKER_07]: And then you and I can go hike.

[01:20:10] [SPEAKER_07]: I think that's a good plan.

[01:20:13] [SPEAKER_03]: Not possible.

[01:20:15] [SPEAKER_03]: All right.

[01:20:15] [SPEAKER_03]: So let's go over awesome once again,

[01:20:18] [SPEAKER_03]: awesome times Ted.

[01:20:20] [SPEAKER_03]: Thank you for volunteering.

[01:20:21] [SPEAKER_03]: Really appreciate it.

[01:20:22] [SPEAKER_03]: That's a great.

[01:20:23] [SPEAKER_07]: Again, again, folks, Catskill Trail Crew.

[01:20:26] [SPEAKER_03]: It is a lot of fun.

[01:20:30] [SPEAKER_03]: And then, you know, speaking of that,

[01:20:31] [SPEAKER_03]: definitely volunteer opportunities, 3500 club.

[01:20:34] [SPEAKER_03]: Their cats, their, their,

[01:20:38] [SPEAKER_03]: what's it called?

[01:20:40] [SPEAKER_03]: You could lower the trail state.

[01:20:42] [SPEAKER_03]: Trowards are closing down for the,

[01:20:44] [SPEAKER_03]: the year of the Catskill Trail Crew is still looking for volunteers all the time.

[01:20:48] [SPEAKER_03]: Catskill Mountain Club Visitors Center.

[01:20:50] [SPEAKER_03]: Charlie Rover Trail Crew, probably mountain fire tower,

[01:20:53] [SPEAKER_03]: New Jersey New York, New Jersey,

[01:20:54] [SPEAKER_03]: Troy Comforts is looking for volunteers.

[01:20:56] [SPEAKER_03]: We're going to get into them in a little bit.

[01:21:01] [SPEAKER_03]: I have a plan for that.

[01:21:03] [SPEAKER_03]: So also if you want stickers,

[01:21:05] [SPEAKER_03]: camp Catskill told me they're out of stickers,

[01:21:07] [SPEAKER_03]: so I'm going to try to get them some more stickers.

[01:21:09] [SPEAKER_03]: But email me.

[01:21:12] [SPEAKER_03]: tablets do a quick weather forecast.

[01:21:16] [SPEAKER_03]: So this Friday looks like it's going to be an absolute,

[01:21:19] [SPEAKER_03]: it's been a absolute last stunning two weeks.

[01:21:22] [SPEAKER_03]: And it looks like it's going to be great this weekend.

[01:21:24] [SPEAKER_03]: Fantastic weather up there.

[01:21:26] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah Friday, a high of 57, a low 46,

[01:21:31] [SPEAKER_03]: minimal winds may be like 15 degrees.

[01:21:33] [SPEAKER_03]: And this is coming from from twin mountain on the Devils path.

[01:21:39] [SPEAKER_03]: So Saturday, minimal rain may be some clouds,

[01:21:43] [SPEAKER_03]: a high of 55, a low 46 again,

[01:21:46] [SPEAKER_03]: and Sunday, a little bit cloudy,

[01:21:48] [SPEAKER_03]: a little bit of rain showers.

[01:21:50] [SPEAKER_03]: I have 52, a low 46 again.

[01:21:53] [SPEAKER_03]: Absolutely phenomenal.

[01:21:54] [SPEAKER_03]: Get out there and hit some peaks and have fun.

[01:21:57] [SPEAKER_03]: Volunteer.

[01:21:58] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah. And I suspect this weekend.

[01:22:01] [SPEAKER_07]: It's going to be a little more colorful out there.

[01:22:04] [SPEAKER_07]: And next weekend, the weekend after this,

[01:22:07] [SPEAKER_07]: it's probably going to be getting into a high percentage

[01:22:11] [SPEAKER_07]: of fall foliage.

[01:22:14] [SPEAKER_07]: Because it's going to be happening soon.

[01:22:16] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.

[01:22:16] [SPEAKER_07]: Because I know when I was out there last weekend in the western

[01:22:19] [SPEAKER_07]: cats with the Cats Guilt Trail crew,

[01:22:22] [SPEAKER_07]: that yeah, you were starting to see some of those

[01:22:24] [SPEAKER_07]: colors creeping in.

[01:22:25] [SPEAKER_07]: And it wasn't everything wasn't green.

[01:22:28] [SPEAKER_07]: You were starting to see some yellows,

[01:22:30] [SPEAKER_07]: some reds.

[01:22:31] [SPEAKER_03]: It's getting there.

[01:22:32] [SPEAKER_03]: It's getting there.

[01:22:33] [SPEAKER_03]: So let's get out.

[01:22:36] [SPEAKER_03]: So,

[01:22:36] [SPEAKER_03]: the last set of sponsors and then we'll get onto the guest

[01:22:38] [SPEAKER_03]: as I, how about it?

[01:22:41] [SPEAKER_03]: Let's do it.

[01:22:42] [SPEAKER_03]: All right.

[01:22:42] [SPEAKER_03]: So discover Camacats,

[01:22:44] [SPEAKER_03]: and the local internals,

[01:22:44] [SPEAKER_03]: failure, ultimate hiking store.

[01:22:46] [SPEAKER_03]: Mind top quality gear,

[01:22:48] [SPEAKER_03]: apparel, and accessories for all your outdoor adventures.

[01:22:51] [SPEAKER_03]: Our expert, staff is here to help every hiker from a

[01:22:54] [SPEAKER_03]: getter or season post.

[01:22:56] [SPEAKER_03]: We also carry a variety of unique Catskill

[01:22:58] [SPEAKER_03]: souvenirs and gifts.

[01:22:59] [SPEAKER_03]: This is us online at campcatskill.co.

[01:23:03] [SPEAKER_03]: Or in their store to visit you do your next journey.

[01:23:06] [SPEAKER_03]: Adventure starts here at Camp Catskill.

[01:23:09] [SPEAKER_03]: Also discovered the beauty of the Catskill's

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[01:23:20] [SPEAKER_03]: From breathtaking vistas to hidden gems

[01:23:22] [SPEAKER_03]: or if you just peek back in to simple day hikes,

[01:23:25] [SPEAKER_03]: we'll lead you to the best spots in back.

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[01:23:29] [SPEAKER_03]: wonders with scenic route guiding.

[01:23:31] [SPEAKER_03]: Check that out on all social media platforms.

[01:23:34] [SPEAKER_03]: And also, if you mentioned the podcast,

[01:23:36] [SPEAKER_03]: get 10% off.

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[01:23:41] [SPEAKER_03]: So also embark on a transformative journey with another

[01:23:44] [SPEAKER_03]: summit.

[01:23:45] [SPEAKER_03]: Another summit is dedicated to serving veterans and first

[01:23:48] [SPEAKER_03]: responders with free outdoor activities.

[01:23:51] [SPEAKER_03]: Activities like walks in nature,

[01:23:53] [SPEAKER_03]: paddling hiking, even backpacking,

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[01:24:07] [SPEAKER_03]: Apply to nannetorsubbott.org.

[01:24:10] [SPEAKER_03]: Alright, so let's get on to the guest of the night.

[01:24:14] [SPEAKER_06]: Let's go.

[01:24:16] [SPEAKER_03]: Tonight, Samantha from the Catskill Waters

[01:24:18] [SPEAKER_03]: at Corporation joins us and she's going to be talking about

[01:24:21] [SPEAKER_03]: a horror organization that she works with

[01:24:23] [SPEAKER_03]: and the organization that the Catskill

[01:24:26] [SPEAKER_03]: has to protect the areas of the rest force

[01:24:28] [SPEAKER_03]: and the several towns that are in the Catskill Watershed

[01:24:32] [SPEAKER_03]: area.

[01:24:33] [SPEAKER_03]: So Samantha, thanks for joining us tonight.

[01:24:35] [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you guys for having me.

[01:24:36] [SPEAKER_00]: It's a pleasure to be here.

[01:24:38] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, are you sure about that?

[01:24:40] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, you know.

[01:24:43] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, you're good.

[01:24:45] [SPEAKER_03]: You're good.

[01:24:46] [SPEAKER_05]: It's all about exactly.

[01:24:48] [SPEAKER_03]: Exactly.

[01:24:48] [SPEAKER_03]: It's all for fun.

[01:24:49] [SPEAKER_03]: We all do this for fun.

[01:24:51] [SPEAKER_03]: So why don't you get a little background

[01:24:53] [SPEAKER_03]: about yourself and then we'll get into the CWC

[01:24:56] [SPEAKER_03]: at the Catskill Watershed Corporation?

[01:24:58] [SPEAKER_00]: So my name is Samantha.

[01:24:59] [SPEAKER_00]: I grew up here right in Arqville.

[01:25:03] [SPEAKER_00]: I went to school at Margaretville Central School.

[01:25:06] [SPEAKER_00]: Went off to college, got a degree in communication studies.

[01:25:11] [SPEAKER_00]: Came back.

[01:25:12] [SPEAKER_00]: I worked in a couple local restaurants.

[01:25:16] [SPEAKER_00]: And then I saw a newspaper article looking

[01:25:18] [SPEAKER_00]: for an administrative assistant at the Catskill Watershed Corporation

[01:25:21] [SPEAKER_00]: back in 2017.

[01:25:25] [SPEAKER_00]: I had an interview.

[01:25:26] [SPEAKER_00]: I was hired.

[01:25:27] [SPEAKER_00]: Here I am.

[01:25:29] [SPEAKER_00]: And I moved around in a couple different positions

[01:25:32] [SPEAKER_00]: trying to find the right fit.

[01:25:33] [SPEAKER_00]: And I ended up where I am now as the communication and education manager.

[01:25:39] [SPEAKER_00]: So idea with our social media, our website updates,

[01:25:44] [SPEAKER_00]: and the main part of my job is the education grants

[01:25:49] [SPEAKER_00]: that we provide two schools in the west of Hudson Watershed

[01:25:52] [SPEAKER_00]: and the five boroughs of New York City.

[01:25:55] [SPEAKER_00]: So I administer those grants and just kind of, you know,

[01:25:58] [SPEAKER_00]: attend their programs, field trips, whatever I can

[01:26:04] [SPEAKER_00]: possibly do.

[01:26:06] [SPEAKER_00]: And I look over the applications, their final reports,

[01:26:10] [SPEAKER_00]: their financials and they move on with their projects.

[01:26:15] [SPEAKER_03]: So you're basically the outreach of the CWC.

[01:26:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Pretty much yes.

[01:26:20] [SPEAKER_03]: And social media and stuff like that plays a big role

[01:26:23] [SPEAKER_03]: in today's society.

[01:26:26] [SPEAKER_03]: So who goes to you because that's tough to do.

[01:26:28] [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you.

[01:26:29] [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, we're not into it as much as maybe some of the other organizations

[01:26:34] [SPEAKER_00]: we're trying to try and get a feeling to some live feeds,

[01:26:39] [SPEAKER_00]: videos, and that kind of thing.

[01:26:41] [SPEAKER_00]: But it's hard because we're such a big,

[01:26:43] [SPEAKER_00]: we're small organization but we do a lot of big things.

[01:26:47] [SPEAKER_00]: And it's hard to keep track of all of them.

[01:26:51] [SPEAKER_00]: But as long as the staff keeps me updated,

[01:26:54] [SPEAKER_00]: I can get out in the field and take photos, pictures,

[01:26:57] [SPEAKER_00]: and get them up on our social media for everybody else.

[01:27:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Just find out what we do.

[01:27:02] [SPEAKER_03]: And that outreach is very important for once again,

[01:27:05] [SPEAKER_03]: your area is education.

[01:27:07] [SPEAKER_03]: And we need education all around the caskills for certain,

[01:27:11] [SPEAKER_03]: you know, different types of projects and stuff like that,

[01:27:15] [SPEAKER_03]: you know, whatever there is of a live no trace and different prospects

[01:27:20] [SPEAKER_03]: of that.

[01:27:21] [SPEAKER_03]: So it's always good.

[01:27:22] [SPEAKER_03]: Social media is huge these days as we all know.

[01:27:25] [SPEAKER_03]: So now with that being said,

[01:27:28] [SPEAKER_03]: what is the Catsco watershed corporation?

[01:27:32] [SPEAKER_00]: So we are a locally based locally staffed nonprofit organization.

[01:27:37] [SPEAKER_00]: We have several different environmental protection programs,

[01:27:42] [SPEAKER_00]: economic development programs, education.

[01:27:46] [SPEAKER_00]: We have, you know,

[01:27:48] [SPEAKER_00]: including with our environmental protection programs.

[01:27:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Our biggest program is probably our sector,

[01:27:52] [SPEAKER_00]: we have our own government and our own government program.

[01:27:54] [SPEAKER_00]: So we have, for example, a government program.

[01:27:54] [SPEAKER_00]: That's what most people typically know us for when

[01:27:57] [SPEAKER_00]: we're out of to outreach events,

[01:27:58] [SPEAKER_00]: they recognize the name associated with their septic system.

[01:28:01] [SPEAKER_04]: Interested.

[01:28:03] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.

[01:28:05] [SPEAKER_00]: But our main mission is to preserve and strengthen the regions.

[01:28:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Economy and minister, you know,

[01:28:11] [SPEAKER_00]: all of our programs and be efficient with it.

[01:28:14] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm going to now with how long you've been to at this for 17 year or since 2017?

[01:28:23] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, seven years now.

[01:28:25] [SPEAKER_03]: How long has the watershed been around?

[01:28:28] [SPEAKER_00]: So that will push us into when the memorandum of agreement was signed also known as the M-O-A.

[01:28:34] [SPEAKER_00]: And that was signed in 1997.

[01:28:38] [SPEAKER_03]: Wow, nice.

[01:28:39] [SPEAKER_03]: So do you now?

[01:28:42] [SPEAKER_03]: I mean, this is really awkward with the septic systems and stuff like that.

[01:28:46] [SPEAKER_03]: Like, this is within a certain parameter of the Catskills correct.

[01:28:51] [SPEAKER_00]: Yes, so it's five counties.

[01:28:54] [SPEAKER_00]: It's Delaware County, Ulster, Green, Skohary, and Sullivan counties.

[01:29:00] [SPEAKER_00]: So the boundary line, it's not a straight line.

[01:29:04] [SPEAKER_00]: DEP has a very nice map that you can type in a specific location and it'll drop a pin.

[01:29:09] [SPEAKER_00]: And it'll show you whether you're inside that line or outside.

[01:29:13] [SPEAKER_00]: And if you're inside your eligible for our programs as long as you meet all of the requirements.

[01:29:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Wow.

[01:29:20] [SPEAKER_00]: And if you're outside, unfortunately, we can't help you.

[01:29:24] [SPEAKER_07]: Is what determines whether you're inside or outside of the line?

[01:29:28] [SPEAKER_07]: Whether or not the stormwater that flows off your property would flow into the New York City

[01:29:37] [SPEAKER_07]: Reservoir system.

[01:29:38] [SPEAKER_00]: Typically, yes.

[01:29:40] [SPEAKER_07]: Hopefully you want to be inside the line.

[01:29:43] [SPEAKER_07]: Ince that's a good thing being inside the line.

[01:29:46] [SPEAKER_00]: I got it.

[01:29:46] [SPEAKER_00]: I want to be inside the line to take advantage of our programs, although some people,

[01:29:52] [SPEAKER_00]: you know, they don't want to be under watch of the city and have the city regulations.

[01:29:59] [SPEAKER_03]: So this is a big corporation with the involved sort of as far as the correct.

[01:30:04] [SPEAKER_00]: The Catskill Watershed Corporation itself is about 22 employees I believe.

[01:30:11] [SPEAKER_07]: What overall, what's your annual budget, including all the grants that you administer?

[01:30:16] [SPEAKER_00]: I do not know our annual budget.

[01:30:18] [SPEAKER_07]: Is it in the millions of dollars?

[01:30:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Yes.

[01:30:21] [SPEAKER_07]: It's just a ballpark.

[01:30:23] [SPEAKER_07]: Is it North or South of 10 million?

[01:30:26] [SPEAKER_00]: Probably North.

[01:30:28] [SPEAKER_07]: Okay.

[01:30:29] [SPEAKER_07]: And you said you were a non-profit.

[01:30:31] [SPEAKER_07]: Yes.

[01:30:31] [SPEAKER_07]: But is the funding for your program, the CWC from the City of New York or elsewhere?

[01:30:39] [SPEAKER_00]: It's from the City of New York.

[01:30:40] [SPEAKER_07]: And that's good.

[01:30:41] [SPEAKER_07]: That's good.

[01:30:42] [SPEAKER_00]: Yep.

[01:30:42] [SPEAKER_00]: So they fund all of our programs here.

[01:30:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Some, you know, most of them are on a contract, whether it's five years, 10 years.

[01:30:53] [SPEAKER_00]: So they get like certain increments of money each year each program.

[01:30:57] [SPEAKER_00]: And they all differ.

[01:31:00] [SPEAKER_00]: The Catskill Fund for the Future program, which is the CFF program under the economic development,

[01:31:05] [SPEAKER_00]: that was a revolving fund of 59.7 million when it first,

[01:31:11] [SPEAKER_00]: when CWC first started.

[01:31:14] [SPEAKER_07]: And what is it up to now?

[01:31:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Well, that was the total funds.

[01:31:21] [SPEAKER_00]: So they, I mean, they invested.

[01:31:22] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know what it's, you know, invested as.

[01:31:25] [SPEAKER_00]: But, you know, they give to local businesses and then they pay them back with interest.

[01:31:31] [SPEAKER_00]: So it kind of varies.

[01:31:33] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not sure what they're total.

[01:31:35] [SPEAKER_00]: But we've put out quite a bit of money to local businesses.

[01:31:40] [SPEAKER_07]: So so I get it from what you've hit on so far.

[01:31:43] [SPEAKER_07]: The CWC does both things like helping people with their septic system

[01:31:48] [SPEAKER_07]: and keeping an compliance with the regulations.

[01:31:51] [SPEAKER_05]: Yes.

[01:31:52] [SPEAKER_07]: As well as it has this revolving fund and presumably other funds and grant programs that help

[01:31:58] [SPEAKER_07]: economic development within the city's watershed or the Catskill watershed.

[01:32:03] [SPEAKER_00]: Yes, that's great.

[01:32:05] [SPEAKER_07]: Okay.

[01:32:05] [SPEAKER_07]: And this all emanates out of this memorandum of agreement.

[01:32:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Yep.

[01:32:09] [SPEAKER_00]: So when the memorandum of agreement started after several, several years of negotiations,

[01:32:19] [SPEAKER_00]: each program had a certain amount that they started with and it was only a few programs to start off.

[01:32:27] [SPEAKER_00]: So it was a septic program that started at 13.6 million.

[01:32:32] [SPEAKER_00]: And at that time, they were all five year contracts.

[01:32:35] [SPEAKER_00]: There was an operating budget of 3.5 million.

[01:32:40] [SPEAKER_00]: I had mentioned that the economic development CFF was 59.7 million.

[01:32:45] [SPEAKER_00]: And as well, you know, our future stormwater was over 31 million.

[01:32:51] [SPEAKER_00]: The public education program was 2 million.

[01:32:55] [SPEAKER_00]: So that was just in the beginning and over time it's just been evolving.

[01:33:00] [SPEAKER_00]: And the programs are expanding.

[01:33:02] [SPEAKER_00]: The programs are getting bigger.

[01:33:03] [SPEAKER_00]: We're adding new programs.

[01:33:05] [SPEAKER_00]: Some programs have been taken away.

[01:33:08] [SPEAKER_00]: So the numbers vary from when everything first started.

[01:33:12] [SPEAKER_00]: But it's definitely more than what it originally was.

[01:33:17] [SPEAKER_03]: Definitely what's happened in the CAT skills in the past, you know, five to 10 years.

[01:33:22] [SPEAKER_03]: It's definitely got to expand because, you know, people are buying property, people are buying homes.

[01:33:27] [SPEAKER_03]: People need to know what they need to do and stuff like that for the reservoir system and the water system in the CAT skills.

[01:33:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.

[01:33:34] [SPEAKER_00]: And when COVID hit, we had such an influx of people moving up here.

[01:33:39] [SPEAKER_00]: So their current septic systems in their home, their second homes that they had weekend homes

[01:33:45] [SPEAKER_00]: weren't able to take the capacity of somebody being here full time.

[01:33:50] [SPEAKER_00]: So there were a lot more failures.

[01:33:52] [SPEAKER_00]: So we saw a lot more people calling, a lot more numbers coming in.

[01:33:56] [SPEAKER_00]: And of course with that everything got skyrocketed with prices for materials.

[01:34:02] [SPEAKER_00]: So it all just balances out.

[01:34:06] [SPEAKER_00]: Eventually does it ever come to an end?

[01:34:09] [SPEAKER_03]: No. No, no, it doesn't feel like, you know, with the week we say something

[01:34:16] [SPEAKER_03]: with weed travel around the CAT skills lately, it doesn't feel like it's slowing down.

[01:34:21] [SPEAKER_03]: It feels like stuff is kind of steady pace of building around the CAT skills.

[01:34:25] [SPEAKER_03]: I just see it all over the place.

[01:34:27] [SPEAKER_00]: Oh absolutely.

[01:34:29] [SPEAKER_03]: Taddy, you're saying the same thing when you travel?

[01:34:31] [SPEAKER_07]: Definitely in the CAT skills and in the Hudson Valley, you know, the real estate market has been

[01:34:37] [SPEAKER_07]: exceptionally strong since COVID hit that was strong leading up to COVID.

[01:34:43] [SPEAKER_07]: And then it just kind of, you know, escalated even more.

[01:34:46] [SPEAKER_07]: It did kind of slow down a little bit when interest rates went up.

[01:34:49] [SPEAKER_07]: But now interest rates are going to click back down, presumably, and we're expecting another

[01:34:54] [SPEAKER_07]: push in the market.

[01:34:56] [SPEAKER_07]: But stash is your house on a septic or municipal sewer?

[01:35:01] [SPEAKER_07]: Unisable.

[01:35:02] [SPEAKER_03]: That's what this is with the town city.

[01:35:04] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.

[01:35:05] [SPEAKER_07]: So do you even know what a septic system is and how it works?

[01:35:08] [SPEAKER_03]: I do. I live at a home in Otigo, New York with 414 people.

[01:35:12] [SPEAKER_03]: So yes, I do know what a septic.

[01:35:13] [SPEAKER_07]: Wow. Okay.

[01:35:14] [SPEAKER_07]: So, so, man, the one that you just, but before we get into all these programs, once you just

[01:35:20] [SPEAKER_07]: educate us on, you know, the quick flyover what a septic system is for those of our listeners who

[01:35:27] [SPEAKER_07]: don't know. And then why it is that the city of New York is so concerned that septic systems in the

[01:35:33] [SPEAKER_00]: watershed function properly. So a septic system is in short, basically all of your pipes in your

[01:35:42] [SPEAKER_00]: house coming together to one pipe to exit your house. It goes into a holding tank.

[01:35:52] [SPEAKER_00]: Your solids will sink. Your liquids will leach out into a leach field and kind of dissipate

[01:35:59] [SPEAKER_00]: as to ground water from there. Go through all the natural filtration and then

[01:36:05] [SPEAKER_00]: into your local streams eventually and then into the reservoirs. So that's why the city is so

[01:36:12] [SPEAKER_00]: concerned about protecting the water and making sure that we bring the septic systems up to regulations

[01:36:19] [SPEAKER_00]: so there's not just sewage flowing out of your house into a little stream next to your house and

[01:36:25] [SPEAKER_00]: then into the reservoir to go down the New York City. Thanks. That would be a catastrophe.

[01:36:31] [SPEAKER_07]: Right? Or them, yes. Yeah. So when you gave that description, I thought of a septic system

[01:36:36] [SPEAKER_07]: is a glorified cat hole. Yeah, overexposed cat hole. So it works. So in, it works. It's

[01:36:46] [SPEAKER_07]: the city of New York is funding the Catskill Watershed Corporation for the purpose in part

[01:36:52] [SPEAKER_07]: of making sure everyone septic system is properly working and functioning and when it isn't.

[01:36:58] [SPEAKER_07]: Does the Catskill Watershed Corporation just give money to people to upgrade their system or

[01:37:05] [SPEAKER_00]: repair it or these low interest loans or something else? These are grants, but it's a 100% voluntary

[01:37:13] [SPEAKER_00]: program. We can't force anybody to replace their septic system. Maybe if your neighbor calls and

[01:37:22] [SPEAKER_00]: says that you have just straight sewage running onto your lawn, maybe they could contact the

[01:37:28] [SPEAKER_00]: DEP in the York City Department of Environmental Protection, maybe they could do something or

[01:37:35] [SPEAKER_00]: contact the department of health but us as our organization we don't do that.

[01:37:41] [SPEAKER_03]: You're, I mean, you're an, you're nonprofit. So that's tough to kind of force that on people.

[01:37:48] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. So it's a 100% up to the whole known homeowner to contact us for us to come out

[01:37:55] [SPEAKER_00]: to a site visit, evaluate, check to see if their system is even failing or not.

[01:38:01] [SPEAKER_00]: And then go from there and get them into our program to get them fixed.

[01:38:05] [SPEAKER_03]: So would that be said like do you see a most of the pollinators actually contacting you and take

[01:38:12] [SPEAKER_00]: a responsibility of this situation? A lot do, yes. That's good. But there's obviously a lot also

[01:38:22] [SPEAKER_03]: that don't. Do you see them as like uneducated about the Catskill Watershed Co.

[01:38:30] [SPEAKER_00]: I think maybe it's some, uneducated like they're not educated about it. They don't know.

[01:38:36] [SPEAKER_00]: They don't want the city involved in the process because the city is the regulator of the program.

[01:38:44] [SPEAKER_00]: So they are going to be on site to make sure that it's designed correctly installed correctly,

[01:38:48] [SPEAKER_00]: working properly. You know, some people don't typically want that but there's not much

[01:38:56] [SPEAKER_00]: we can do about that. And then the other incentive with us is if you are a full-time resident,

[01:39:02] [SPEAKER_00]: we will pay 100% of the replacement. You don't have to lay out any money out of your pocket.

[01:39:10] [SPEAKER_00]: If you, if you're second home, we'll pay 60%.

[01:39:15] [SPEAKER_07]: That's a pretty good deal. I'd like you find you working amazing deal. Yeah, I need a

[01:39:19] [SPEAKER_07]: deceptic replacement. I'd like you guys to pay even just 30%.

[01:39:23] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, no. It is a great program. 30%. Yeah. Yeah.

[01:39:28] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah. What do you think Snatter's tavern has with their septic system? They have a maple tree

[01:39:35] [SPEAKER_07]: out in the back of the parking lot with the stool next to it so you have a place to put your beer.

[01:39:40] [SPEAKER_07]: Samantha, please tell me you know about Snatter's tavern. I don't think I do. No way. Oh, that's wrong.

[01:39:46] [SPEAKER_03]: And you're the outreach coordinator. Right? Right outside of a like a show can kind of like

[01:39:55] [SPEAKER_03]: the a show can area. Yeah, it's on 28 A. Yeah. And when it's arrived by, it looks like what was

[01:40:01] [SPEAKER_03]: that movie like go remember the song? Like those slash beetle juice? Yes. That's right. That's what

[01:40:08] [SPEAKER_03]: it looks like. It's a bar. You maybe should reach to them and see if they need a popular bar.

[01:40:16] [SPEAKER_07]: I don't know if depends what crowd you hang out with. Exactly. So moving along. Why don't you

[01:40:22] [SPEAKER_07]: punish that? The the so we talked about the septic program, the other program that you have

[01:40:29] [SPEAKER_07]: that struck my interest which is on the other end of the spectrum if you will, is the economic

[01:40:35] [SPEAKER_00]: development program. Tell us about that. So the economic development program is to help businesses

[01:40:45] [SPEAKER_00]: whether they start up, open up a completely new business, remodel their current business.

[01:40:54] [SPEAKER_00]: They can come to us typically because our rate is probably better than a bank's rate.

[01:41:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Our interest rates and we will loan them the money and they will have to pay it back to us at

[01:41:10] [SPEAKER_00]: ever, you know, whatever term is agreed upon between the business owner and the CWC economic

[01:41:16] [SPEAKER_07]: development team. And so why is it that the city of New York through the CWC has an interest in

[01:41:23] [SPEAKER_07]: loaning money to local businesses and the cat's girls? They want to create and retain jobs here in

[01:41:29] [SPEAKER_00]: the watershed and support that. So I think this is just a way to help with that mission.

[01:41:39] [SPEAKER_00]: And if we don't have jobs here in the watershed, my generation is not going to stay here.

[01:41:47] [SPEAKER_03]: So and it's and it's only building that's what the thing is. It's only building and

[01:41:51] [SPEAKER_03]: the one thing I'm curious about is it's not for me but of the people around the watershed areas

[01:41:58] [SPEAKER_03]: that don't know about the CWC. I really want to know about like what the percentage was.

[01:42:06] [SPEAKER_03]: Do you have like any thought? I don't know. It's a tough question. That's

[01:42:11] [SPEAKER_00]: what I just threw that out there and it was a curveball. Yeah, I mean, I go to a lot of outreach events.

[01:42:18] [SPEAKER_00]: They're mostly all inside of the watershed because there's no point in me doing outreach outside

[01:42:24] [SPEAKER_00]: of the watershed because we can't really help anybody outside but there's still a lot of people

[01:42:31] [SPEAKER_00]: that'll come up to us and be like, Oh, what do you do? We're not familiar. And I don't

[01:42:35] [SPEAKER_00]: know how far people travel so some of these events but I don't even know where the furthest

[01:42:42] [SPEAKER_00]: point from like even our location inside of the watershed would be less than two hours.

[01:42:49] [SPEAKER_00]: So how far are these people traveling to these events that they don't know who we are?

[01:42:54] [SPEAKER_07]: So, but you do get out to the local schools and tell what the CWC

[01:43:01] [SPEAKER_00]: does. We don't know. So it's up to the local schools to apply for a grant.

[01:43:09] [SPEAKER_00]: And that's one of our challenges with our public education program is that program

[01:43:16] [SPEAKER_00]: is the only program that moves outside of the West of Hudson watershed and allows

[01:43:23] [SPEAKER_00]: New York City, the five boroughs of New York City to apply for these grants.

[01:43:28] [SPEAKER_00]: So majority of our applications each round is from New York City, not the West of Hudson's

[01:43:35] [SPEAKER_00]: schools. So I mean, I do send flyers to these schools to try and let them know. I send emails

[01:43:46] [SPEAKER_00]: but another problem is the younger generation. I don't know if they don't know how to write grants.

[01:43:53] [SPEAKER_00]: They have no time, no interest. I'm not sure what the struggle is there but that is one of our

[01:44:00] [SPEAKER_00]: concerned struggles of how to move forward with educating our local kids about where they live.

[01:44:07] [SPEAKER_03]: So, our podcast is more like a hiking podcast but I like to give kind of more of general information

[01:44:15] [SPEAKER_03]: to people of the Catskills because you never know. Most of the hikers come from

[01:44:21] [SPEAKER_03]: around outside of the Catskills from New York City or where there's Hudson Valley and stuff. So what

[01:44:28] [SPEAKER_03]: grant businesses would a hiker likely be aware of when they come into the CWC and stuff like that?

[01:44:37] [SPEAKER_00]: As far as grants? Yeah. I mean, our education grants are mostly for schools, libraries, museums,

[01:44:47] [SPEAKER_00]: vocational institutions, nonprofit organizations and there's the three themes of fresh water,

[01:44:55] [SPEAKER_00]: the New York City water supply system and the West of Hudson Watershed. They have to meet those

[01:45:00] [SPEAKER_00]: three themes in order to apply for a grant to do some kind of either lessen in a classroom or

[01:45:07] [SPEAKER_07]: public audience grant. What about the economic development grants? Those go to local businesses,

[01:45:13] [SPEAKER_07]: either startups or existing businesses? Yes. So are there any success stories out there

[01:45:21] [SPEAKER_07]: businesses that grant money was given to to start off or expand their business? They got money from

[01:45:28] [SPEAKER_00]: them. There's a ton even on our website. We have a little map that you can click on to show where

[01:45:38] [SPEAKER_00]: all the businesses that we've given money to in the West of Hudson Watershed. So give us some highlights

[01:45:46] [SPEAKER_07]: if you can off the top of your head. Go off the top of your head. Who's doing well with that grant money?

[01:45:53] [SPEAKER_07]: We know Schneiders is not on the list but we're going to call them and ask them if they want a little

[01:45:58] [SPEAKER_00]: money for landscape workout fronters new signage. A big one that's constantly in the news is Maves Place.

[01:46:07] [SPEAKER_00]: That place is fantastic. Yeah, so they had gotten alone from us. They were asked to just in another

[01:46:13] [SPEAKER_00]: news article. I think it was last week the Guardian on their successes and how they're doing with

[01:46:21] [SPEAKER_00]: their their programs home goods on Main Street Marketville was another one that was a very successful

[01:46:31] [SPEAKER_00]: She really expanded when COVID hit and started bringing all kinds of produce and foods into her.

[01:46:40] [SPEAKER_00]: I think before that just like a home supply store. You do remember? You don't.

[01:46:48] [SPEAKER_07]: I do. Yeah. What else? There's a ton. Any money given to like micro breweries, craft breweries?

[01:46:59] [SPEAKER_00]: Everybody loves that. I believe we might have given a loan to Union Grove in Arqville.

[01:47:06] [SPEAKER_00]: Nice. All right. They got good stuff. Right down the corner from us. Margaretville telephone company has always been

[01:47:15] [SPEAKER_03]: a big one. That's actually very big due to the, of course, the lack of

[01:47:29] [SPEAKER_07]: agricultural talk about earlier that. What I gather is if I'm, if I'm a hiker, the loves the

[01:47:37] [SPEAKER_07]: cat skills and I want to get out of the daily grind and Manhattan or Northern New Jersey or wherever it is.

[01:47:44] [SPEAKER_07]: I am. I just context Samantha say I want some grant money to open this in the cat skills and you're

[01:47:49] [SPEAKER_00]: going to hook me up is that right? It's not as simple as that. There's a, there's some red tape.

[01:47:55] [SPEAKER_00]: A process to it. You have to create a business plan. You would have to probably do the same

[01:48:01] [SPEAKER_00]: things that a bank would ask you to do, maybe even a little bit more detail. And then it has to go through

[01:48:08] [SPEAKER_00]: like our economic development committee and then another committee and then it goes toward board of

[01:48:15] [SPEAKER_00]: directors. So it is a process, but I think in the end, it's worth it. We're helping local

[01:48:25] [SPEAKER_00]: local businesses. We are nonprofit ourselves a small corporation. We're not some big,

[01:48:33] [SPEAKER_00]: big name bank. You said they're 12 people right? 22 22ish. Wow. We've reached somewhere around there.

[01:48:42] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah. So, while Stasius, queuing up this next question, I'm going to sit down with Pannon

[01:48:49] [SPEAKER_07]: Paper and finalize my business plan. I'm going to be opening. I wanted to open in the cat skills

[01:48:54] [SPEAKER_07]: a petting zoo for mountain lions and I think I know where I can get some seed money to make that happen.

[01:49:03] [SPEAKER_07]: I think so. I can help you with that. Absolutely. I just have to come up with a catchy name

[01:49:08] [SPEAKER_07]: for my family. And maybe some mountain lions. Well, those are easy to find. Stasius and I do

[01:49:13] [SPEAKER_03]: or yes, there are all over the place. I don't doubt it. Pete's skill, Troy. I recently encountered

[01:49:22] [SPEAKER_03]: some baby bobcat. Really beautiful. Tell me, sure they weren't mountain lions because everybody says

[01:49:28] [SPEAKER_00]: bobcats are mountain lions. I am 100% positive. It was not a mountain lion. I was actually

[01:49:33] [SPEAKER_00]: back from a job site for work. And I was in Roxbury. Do you know where the Roxbury

[01:49:41] [SPEAKER_00]: motel is? The fancy. The rooms, the rooms. That was also a very successful economic

[01:49:49] [SPEAKER_00]: development loan that they had gotten from us. That took no. But I was just down the road from there.

[01:49:56] [SPEAKER_00]: And I saw four of them in the road. Three went one way and one went the other. And I'm like

[01:50:03] [SPEAKER_00]: right here until this other little guy gets back with his family. And I obviously took my phone out

[01:50:11] [SPEAKER_00]: and he came right back right across the street and went back to his little siblings there. I didn't see

[01:50:16] [SPEAKER_03]: mom, but I'm sure she wasn't far. So amazing experiences on day? Yes. Like I saw a red fox the other

[01:50:23] [SPEAKER_03]: day. At I was excited to just see a red fox run across the road and run me. And this was going down

[01:50:29] [SPEAKER_03]: towards Buffa Woods. So it was absolutely fantastic. I was excited to just heck. So now Samantha,

[01:50:39] [SPEAKER_03]: we talk about the area of the CWC. Can you kind of like the towns kind of like border

[01:50:47] [SPEAKER_03]: the area that you guys like originated, work with them? That's I know that's a tough one but

[01:50:53] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm curious because you said you were with Waxberry. I didn't know you go. Of course that's kind

[01:50:57] [SPEAKER_03]: of like the the never sink area and such. I'm just very curious kind of like where your borders

[01:51:04] [SPEAKER_03]: are at. We had the never sink, the pacaptant, the Ashoken, the scary right you guys do with the

[01:51:11] [SPEAKER_00]: scary right? Yeah. Do you guys go down to the crowd and the never sink? Okay so you don't

[01:51:27] [SPEAKER_00]: denying down you know down that way around those two reservoirs. Then we have an ulcer

[01:51:33] [SPEAKER_00]: county of Shandaken. Some parts of Woodstock, Olive and then Skohary County got Hunter at

[01:51:47] [SPEAKER_00]: the town. And then Windom, Dewitt, Coneville. Grangorge stuff like that. Grangorge, Pratsville,

[01:51:55] [SPEAKER_00]: Gratsbury, Hawkeye, obviously the town of Middletown, Andy's Bovine,

[01:52:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Stanford, parts of court right, Delhy, Walton, Hamden, Townsville, Parts of Dats.

[01:52:15] [SPEAKER_00]: Yep. So many town 12. Yeah so when you look at the Catskilled Delaware Watershed map it's a little

[01:52:24] [SPEAKER_00]: overwhelming but it's very informative too to see. I'm gonna say such a small area but I think it's like

[01:52:32] [SPEAKER_00]: 1600. Square miles. And all of this stuff happens within just this one particular area.

[01:52:45] [SPEAKER_03]: Awesome so now once again if you're in this area and you have a first or second home

[01:52:52] [SPEAKER_03]: and you need a new septic system let's not have that overflow and go into our local streams because

[01:52:59] [SPEAKER_03]: you know to be honest when I was a kid I had that happened not happened but I had the

[01:53:05] [SPEAKER_03]: septic system was so old that it overflowed and it was the most disgusting thing I've ever

[01:53:09] [SPEAKER_00]: yet it's not funny. It's not funny though. And then you sometimes have older homes that have like

[01:53:15] [SPEAKER_00]: a metal septic tank. So the newer septic tanks are concrete. Yeah. The older ones are metal

[01:53:22] [SPEAKER_00]: and a lot of the times when somebody contacts us and they want to get their septic replaced

[01:53:29] [SPEAKER_00]: a contractor pumping company typically won't pump out a metal tank because they're afraid it's

[01:53:37] [SPEAKER_00]: gonna collapse. Wow, big sons and that's makes sense. And then you have a lot of that are just

[01:53:45] [SPEAKER_00]: S.Pull which is laid up stone. Eggs. Uh 55 gallon drum in the ground. This is why we always

[01:53:55] [SPEAKER_00]: filter our water hikers. I believe our guys maybe had found like an old car that was buried that

[01:54:02] [SPEAKER_07]: was being used as a septic system. That would be my house. You see it all. Ted second house. Yeah.

[01:54:09] [SPEAKER_07]: Well the the message is if you're thinking of buying a house up in the cat skills it's one of the

[01:54:14] [SPEAKER_07]: things to check out that these older homes. Um particularly the ones that were built before 1900 or

[01:54:19] [SPEAKER_07]: before 1920 are very unlikely to have modern septic systems and us it was upgraded you know from

[01:54:26] [SPEAKER_00]: 1980 to to date. And I believe it is also a requirement for in like in a home inspection if you're trying

[01:54:33] [SPEAKER_00]: to get a mortgage because you don't have a lot of real estate agencies and homeowners that are contacting

[01:54:38] [SPEAKER_00]: us to see if we have any kind of record on a specific property that they're looking to purchase

[01:54:44] [SPEAKER_07]: on the septic system. That makes sense. Yeah. They do what they call the dye test where they

[01:54:51] [SPEAKER_07]: they flush a block a dye down the toilet and then yeah that's pretty wild. Yeah they wait to see if

[01:54:57] [SPEAKER_07]: they see that colored water coming to the surface almost like you know the oil you know just over

[01:55:05] [SPEAKER_07]: like I think. So Samantha you mentioned earlier on the memorandum of agreement and it was

[01:55:11] [SPEAKER_07]: negotiated over a period of years um do you know what the the background of that memorandum of agreement

[01:55:17] [SPEAKER_00]: is um so a lot of it had to do with New York City wanting to establish a reservoir you know

[01:55:29] [SPEAKER_00]: system around here taking over people's properties with the eminent domain relocating people

[01:55:39] [SPEAKER_00]: cemeteries discontinuing farms all of that. So the memorandum of agreement was pretty much an agreement

[01:55:47] [SPEAKER_00]: between the city and the upstate communities to come up with an agreement to avoid putting in

[01:55:55] [SPEAKER_00]: a filtration system. So in all of my reading I believe the numbers coming back were saying that

[01:56:04] [SPEAKER_00]: it was going to be like six to eight billion dollars to build this filtration plan and then an

[01:56:12] [SPEAKER_00]: additional 500 million annually. Oh, custom operating costs. Yeah. So that's when the communities

[01:56:20] [SPEAKER_00]: came together to try and come up with the solution of these specific programs to avoid having to

[01:56:29] [SPEAKER_00]: deal with this plant and the annual cost of it. So when the agreement you know came about there was just

[01:56:39] [SPEAKER_00]: the certain key programs that were part of the initial agreement and that's when I was saying

[01:56:48] [SPEAKER_00]: earlier of the dollar amounts. So it was like the septic program operating program,

[01:56:54] [SPEAKER_00]: the stormwater retrofit, the economic development, attacks consulting, there was a sand and

[01:57:02] [SPEAKER_00]: salt storage facility program as well to create facilities to maintain the salt for highways.

[01:57:14] [SPEAKER_00]: So in rate then or something it wasn't washing into our streams. That's actually a problem

[01:57:22] [SPEAKER_07]: up in the cat skills and the water up there with all the salt they use on the roads up there

[01:57:28] [SPEAKER_07]: in the winter. It's been ruining people's wells and of course in the cat skills if a

[01:57:34] [SPEAKER_07]: municipal stock pile of road salt was left out in the open and you get one of these

[01:57:40] [SPEAKER_07]: torrential downpours or like hurricane Irene coming in it's all going to eventually wash into

[01:57:46] [SPEAKER_07]: the reservoir and then what do you do empty the reservoir out? You know to get rid of the salt

[01:57:51] [SPEAKER_00]: your stock with that for a long, long time. Yes. So that was one of the programs we don't have it

[01:57:57] [SPEAKER_00]: anymore. I'm not sure when that was discontinued but that was one of the original programs with the MOA.

[01:58:05] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, all the municipalities probably now have indoor salt storage so it's on the mission.

[01:58:10] [SPEAKER_07]: Yep. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And one of the things I heard is the backstory to the MOA was that

[01:58:17] [SPEAKER_07]: the federal EPA came up with these new regulations that required open

[01:58:24] [SPEAKER_07]: reservoirs like the city of New York has. They mandated filtration that all the water go through

[01:58:30] [SPEAKER_07]: a series of filters to remove sediment and other particles and as you point out Samantha

[01:58:37] [SPEAKER_07]: that was hugely expensive to the city of New York and the city of New York desperately wanted

[01:58:44] [SPEAKER_07]: to avoid paying billions of dollars. And the city's solution was is they were going to just start

[01:58:51] [SPEAKER_07]: buying up more land around the reservoirs and that land couldn't be built on it couldn't be

[01:58:58] [SPEAKER_07]: disturbed in that way. They would have less of a a worry or risk of sediments and other things like

[01:59:05] [SPEAKER_07]: treated sewage getting into the water. But the local, all the locals, the local governments and

[01:59:13] [SPEAKER_07]: the Catskill Watershed were up in arms over that because it would take property off the tax roll.

[01:59:18] [SPEAKER_07]: We're diminished the tax rates because this property wouldn't be built on and as you pointed

[01:59:24] [SPEAKER_07]: out earlier would also deprive the area of economic development because there would be fewer

[01:59:30] [SPEAKER_07]: people living up here in less land and area for business and development. So over the course of a

[01:59:38] [SPEAKER_07]: few years there was a series of negotiations that led to this memorandable understanding and then

[01:59:46] [SPEAKER_07]: your your company, the Catskill Watershed Corporation is the the product of that effort

[01:59:53] [SPEAKER_07]: to kind of balance the needs of the city of New York with the needs and interests of the

[02:00:01] [SPEAKER_00]: local community. Yes that is correct so there's 41 towns in the west of Hudson Watershed

[02:00:07] [SPEAKER_00]: that all have part in this agreement. And so after all these years I think the memorandum of

[02:00:16] [SPEAKER_00]: agreement goes back to the 90s is that right? Yeah I believe like 1990 was when it was you know

[02:00:24] [SPEAKER_00]: kind of starting and then going through all kinds of negotiations and trying to come up with a

[02:00:30] [SPEAKER_00]: solution and programs they finally kind of came to an agreement in 95. It's imagine that 95 we didn't

[02:00:38] [SPEAKER_03]: have the emails so that was paper or just talking face to face. I think it was all face to face

[02:00:47] [SPEAKER_00]: yeah wow from everything that I've read or seen or pictures or anything like that there's

[02:00:52] [SPEAKER_07]: been a lot of roundtable discussions. Guys with guys with cigars and board grums. Yes yes

[02:00:59] [SPEAKER_07]: you can like see this moken that's been the thing. Right. So Samantha how do you think it worked out?

[02:01:06] [SPEAKER_07]: It's been almost 30 years. You're kind of on the point for a lot of this. How do you think that

[02:01:11] [SPEAKER_07]: relationship between the city, New York, its DEP and those 40 some local governments in the

[02:01:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Cascade watershed? I mean we all have to work together whether anybody likes it or not. I feel like

[02:01:27] [SPEAKER_00]: we have good relationships with them. We have discussions. We talk things out. We try to come to an agreement

[02:01:34] [SPEAKER_00]: still. If one party is an agreement with something and we're an agreement with something else,

[02:01:39] [SPEAKER_00]: we try to meet in the middle sometimes those conversations take a little bit longer but

[02:01:46] [SPEAKER_00]: we do come to an agreement and a big thing with that is like our contracts for all of these programs.

[02:01:52] [SPEAKER_00]: They have to be renewed every certain amount of years for each one and a couple of years before

[02:01:59] [SPEAKER_00]: that contract is up is when the conversation start of things to change things to add, subtract

[02:02:06] [SPEAKER_00]: you know what to do to make this better and sometimes it takes a couple of years to come to an

[02:02:12] [SPEAKER_00]: agreement but in the end it's benefiting both the city and these west of Hudson communities whether

[02:02:21] [SPEAKER_00]: someone wants to agree with that or not go outside of the watershed. You're not going to get your

[02:02:30] [SPEAKER_07]: yeah. I'm outside of the watershed and if my septic fails, I got to write the check.

[02:02:37] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah right? Yeah we have to move to the watershed. Yeah. I just wish the like the outside like

[02:02:45] [SPEAKER_03]: education of people you know within the watershed could reach this far because I mean like

[02:02:52] [SPEAKER_03]: you know so many people listen to this podcast and I wish it would expand more to get this knowledge

[02:02:58] [SPEAKER_03]: out of the Catsco watershed corporation because there's so many organizations out there that could

[02:03:03] [SPEAKER_03]: help you with your your first home or your second home within the watershed or without actually.

[02:03:10] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah to that and to that point Samantha, why don't you tomorrow morning when you go back

[02:03:16] [SPEAKER_07]: to the office? Why don't you talk to the person who has the checkbook with all that grant money

[02:03:21] [SPEAKER_07]: and write out a big check to inside the line for promotion, new equipment and you know

[02:03:28] [SPEAKER_07]: so we need we need we don't get that doctor now. Don't turn down free money okay. We have all

[02:03:34] [SPEAKER_07]: that we're in a brand new building. Yeah I saw your building it's very nice. Is that down in

[02:03:39] [SPEAKER_03]: Mark Margrave? Yeah. Markville. Yeah. Markville. Oh right next to the Rex Center. Yeah first time

[02:03:46] [SPEAKER_07]: drove fire and I was like I had to put on the brakes. I'm like well look like a medical facility at first

[02:03:51] [SPEAKER_07]: because it was so nice you know you can't I mean it's like a head and shoulders above any other

[02:03:57] [SPEAKER_07]: facility it seemed in the area but I also seem to remember that the recreational building was nice too.

[02:04:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Yes. It was. So did the city pay for that were they? No I believe that was funded by the

[02:04:11] [SPEAKER_00]: holds. Oh the floor? No way. Yes they have a lot to do with that. No way this is yeah I'm going to

[02:04:22] [SPEAKER_03]: challenge us. We're going to get some holds. Yeah we have a big we have a big thing with the

[02:04:29] [SPEAKER_03]: holds of course because with 3500 people and they shut those mountains down so but did you know

[02:04:35] [SPEAKER_07]: that Samantha? Did you know that the golds kicked us off their mountains? I don't know that they

[02:04:41] [SPEAKER_00]: kicked you off but I live in that valley so I am familiar with how much property they own and.

[02:04:48] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah it's beautiful over there. It is phenomenal. I understand that I don't understand at the same

[02:04:54] [SPEAKER_07]: time so I do. I can't do it. I can't draw I did get to work you drive what down the drybrook road

[02:05:01] [SPEAKER_07]: the. I live on drybrook road. Oh you need to see the graham and double top all the time. Yeah so

[02:05:06] [SPEAKER_07]: is my kudos your neighbor? Do you know my he is just up the road from me? No way. All world.

[02:05:12] [SPEAKER_03]: Small world you know the funny thing is Samantha I probably went on your property years upon

[02:05:17] [SPEAKER_03]: years ago searching for that one guy that had dementia. I probably wandered upon your property

[02:05:24] [SPEAKER_03]: that was knocking on your door asking that's how stalsher I met. Oh really? Yeah I was the guy with

[02:05:31] [SPEAKER_03]: dementia. No. I'm glad you recovered. Yeah. So now so Samantha what is the role of community

[02:05:41] [SPEAKER_00]: with the CWC? So our community are the people who are involved in our programs there

[02:05:51] [SPEAKER_00]: are employees all of our employees live within the watershed if you know the community members

[02:05:59] [SPEAKER_00]: in the 41 towns or the ones that elect the supervisors that are on our board of directors.

[02:06:05] [SPEAKER_00]: So without the community we wouldn't be what we are there they take part in our programs

[02:06:15] [SPEAKER_00]: there are businesses they're creating our economy. Right man so if you're within that area contact

[02:06:24] [SPEAKER_03]: the CWC if you need a newer sewage kind of stuff or any means upon that contact them for anything.

[02:06:32] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah absolutely we are always open welcome to any kind of questions if we can't specifically help

[02:06:39] [SPEAKER_03]: you we can help you find where you need to be. So what is the biggest challenge that the CWC faces?

[02:06:48] [SPEAKER_00]: The biggest challenge I had mentioned it a little bit was with our contracts

[02:06:56] [SPEAKER_00]: with the negotiations with the city they are much more complicated than they were when we

[02:07:03] [SPEAKER_00]: first first started 25 years ago the city now requires more reporting more documentation

[02:07:10] [SPEAKER_00]: so that puts a little bit more strain on our staff here to make sure that we

[02:07:16] [SPEAKER_00]: are meeting all of their requirements that they're asking for but probably the bigger challenge that we face

[02:07:26] [SPEAKER_00]: is the history we're losing the history as the generations go on we don't know how things were

[02:07:37] [SPEAKER_00]: like my generation doesn't know what everybody went through obviously losing their homes

[02:07:43] [SPEAKER_00]: getting kicked off of their property but we don't know the history of the MOA you know there's

[02:07:49] [SPEAKER_00]: books and books and videos and recordings but that's what we're losing we're losing the history

[02:07:57] [SPEAKER_00]: and it's really important for the newer staff coming in like myself to learn how we got to where

[02:08:07] [SPEAKER_00]: we are today and if we can't do that we're losing so much value in what we are as a corporation

[02:08:16] [SPEAKER_00]: because we can't appreciate what we have because we don't know what we have. We just know where the

[02:08:23] [SPEAKER_00]: CWC corporation that's that you don't know how we got there yeah so are you referencing that

[02:08:29] [SPEAKER_07]: part of this this history that's fading away is what life was like in the cat skills and for

[02:08:38] [SPEAKER_07]: the local governments and community before the CWC came into existence. Yes possibly yeah

[02:08:47] [SPEAKER_00]: there's I mean yes there is certainly so much history that nobody can fully explain unless they

[02:08:56] [SPEAKER_00]: should live it. But there are documents there's photos there's all kinds of information out there for

[02:09:06] [SPEAKER_07]: us to learn how it happened. Yeah well maybe the CWC on a higher historian somebody that can you know

[02:09:16] [SPEAKER_07]: systematically co-act compile, organize and distill into a document of you know a text

[02:09:27] [SPEAKER_00]: video. There are there's books out there explaining it but we need to read it. Yeah yeah that's the

[02:09:38] [SPEAKER_00]: that's the main goal here and even you know even myself there's a lot of things that

[02:09:44] [SPEAKER_00]: preparing for this interview that I've been researching and looking up that I didn't know.

[02:09:50] [SPEAKER_07]: So why don't you want to you want to you tell us in connection with preparing

[02:09:54] [SPEAKER_07]: for sitting on the hot seat with Stashenai what was one of the more interesting things that you

[02:10:00] [SPEAKER_00]: discovered that you weren't aware of before. Just even the process of the MOA that

[02:10:08] [SPEAKER_00]: you know the negotiations that we're going on between these upstate communities

[02:10:13] [SPEAKER_00]: and these people who you know had no clue what what was to come of it but they fought

[02:10:20] [SPEAKER_00]: they fought hard because they believed in this area they believed in protecting the water

[02:10:30] [SPEAKER_00]: they wanted to see a change in a way that they could help. Also you happen said this but

[02:10:38] [SPEAKER_07]: you're I think a living example of the fact that if I raised my family in the watershed

[02:10:45] [SPEAKER_07]: in the city of New York to comply with EPA regulations was going to have to start buying

[02:10:51] [SPEAKER_07]: up land which would necessarily limit economic opportunities and housing opportunities in the

[02:10:57] [SPEAKER_07]: CAD skills. I would look that as a threat to my family living in the area. Yeah absolutely.

[02:11:05] [SPEAKER_07]: And so do you think that the CWC has been successful or valuable and

[02:11:12] [SPEAKER_07]: preserving and promoting housing and economic opportunities to the locals? Housing is a tough subject

[02:11:23] [SPEAKER_00]: as I'm sure everywhere else housing in general is an issue right now. Mr. Honness.

[02:11:31] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah there is no affordable housing which isn't something that we typically

[02:11:37] [SPEAKER_00]: you know dive into but yeah CWC we're trying to retain jobs by helping the businesses

[02:11:46] [SPEAKER_00]: even within our own organization keeping local kids in the area offering internships.

[02:11:55] [SPEAKER_00]: If any high school college kid came to us looking for an internship and something that

[02:12:00] [SPEAKER_00]: you know they're interested in that could possibly lead to a future here for them to stay here

[02:12:07] [SPEAKER_00]: we're going to try to help them. We're not going to turn them away. We want to see our local

[02:12:14] [SPEAKER_00]: kids growing up here raising families here. Pretty much everybody that works in our office

[02:12:22] [SPEAKER_00]: is mostly local here or they grew up here, they have a connection to this area

[02:12:29] [SPEAKER_03]: some way or another and that's what we want. I remember reading something about that

[02:12:37] [SPEAKER_03]: like one of the three like officers of the CWC, one has to be a local

[02:12:44] [SPEAKER_03]: representative of the past like 20, 30 years or something like that. It's just it's really cool

[02:12:49] [SPEAKER_03]: that they appoint these people that are local residents to represent the CWC. That's our board

[02:12:57] [SPEAKER_00]: members we have 15 board members, they're all elected officials and you know town supervisors

[02:13:04] [SPEAKER_00]: so that's what our board is comprised of is those. They know the area and then there's like

[02:13:14] [SPEAKER_03]: one person that's from near city so that's good that's good for them from my perspective.

[02:13:22] [SPEAKER_00]: But even like the city official that is on our board, they're maybe in Kingston so you know

[02:13:29] [SPEAKER_00]: it's not like they're living in the city. They work for the city but they live rather close

[02:13:39] [SPEAKER_00]: so they're familiar with the area, they're familiar with how things work here.

[02:13:44] [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah and their familiar with the local impact on the city of New York flexes,

[02:13:50] [SPEAKER_07]: it's muscles and the cat skills. It kind of is overpowering to the local governments so

[02:13:56] [SPEAKER_07]: it's good that they have the CWC protecting everyone in the local area as a unified entity.

[02:14:06] [SPEAKER_03]: Yes, and we thank you for that and you can always check out the CWC, the Catsco Waters

[02:14:12] [SPEAKER_03]: Recorporation Online and such like that and see their progress and stuff. I hopefully cement

[02:14:19] [SPEAKER_03]: you guys will get going a little bit more in the social media presence within the next couple

[02:14:27] [SPEAKER_03]: months. Hopefully I mean this kind of boosty up. There's only like like eight people that listen to this

[02:14:32] [SPEAKER_00]: so hopefully it'll help. That's okay we will share it. Eight people. We do, we do quite a bit on social

[02:14:41] [SPEAKER_00]: media now. We obviously could do much more to begin fact it is. Do you guys have a,

[02:14:50] [SPEAKER_03]: you guys have a Facebook? I know that. We have a Facebook we have an Instagram Instagram okay

[02:14:54] [SPEAKER_03]: I will tag both of those in this by the way. Yes we do have both, they're both active.

[02:15:00] [SPEAKER_07]: The only thing you shouldn't do is start a podcast. Facebook and Instagram is okay podcast

[02:15:07] [SPEAKER_07]: leave it to Starsh and I. I just think that's ready for a podcast. I don't know you to break

[02:15:13] [SPEAKER_07]: a time. Yeah, we'll have you back. We'll try to get you back in the next three to six months

[02:15:18] [SPEAKER_00]: for an update and you know, give us that as well. I think that's all for a cover. Thank you.

[02:15:23] [SPEAKER_03]: You can talk about your sewage experiences and stuff. I walk through the mock-and stuff like that.

[02:15:29] [SPEAKER_00]: It's happened. It's happened. I've been to construction sites where there's a wet spot

[02:15:35] [SPEAKER_03]: and you just don't think about it when you walk through it. Understand? I understand. So

[02:15:42] [SPEAKER_03]: Samantha let's grab things up a little bit so you're local. So this will be, I love it.

[02:15:49] [SPEAKER_03]: What is your post-hike bruising bites recommendation? Where do you like to go after after doing

[02:15:55] [SPEAKER_00]: something in the cascals? I don't do a whole lot. I can't tell you the last time I hiked. So I'm sorry.

[02:16:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, that's okay. Where do I like to go? I'm at work. I like going to work.

[02:16:08] [SPEAKER_03]: But where do you like to go to eat and stuff like for dinner and stuff? Where to eat? There's

[02:16:14] [SPEAKER_00]: not many options around here. Play seems to be closing. I go to the Arcville bread and breakfast a lot.

[02:16:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Okay, that's a good one. I also worked there for 10 years. Wow. So a little biased maybe.

[02:16:28] [SPEAKER_03]: What about what's it called? You've got to be kidding me. I love the stuff.

[02:16:34] [SPEAKER_03]: Was it the outpost? Is that the name of it? Well, that's one of them but there's the place in

[02:16:39] [SPEAKER_03]: right outside of Arcville that's the Arcville wooden tavern or something or wooden pizza.

[02:16:47] [SPEAKER_03]: I always mention yeah Oakley is in Jesus. I haven't been there in quite a few years.

[02:16:52] [SPEAKER_00]: That's so good. I got out of that. So I enjoy. So I don't know how long it's been since you've

[02:16:59] [SPEAKER_00]: been there. The old owners of Oakley's opened up a wood fired pizza food truck? No.

[02:17:09] [SPEAKER_00]: So that is my favorite go-to it's called Catskill Mountain Embers? Oh, that's no.

[02:17:16] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, where do we find it? On Friday and Saturday nights they're usually parked at

[02:17:21] [SPEAKER_03]: Union Grove to Stilarie. Oh, yes. Excellent. Yes. I can't believe I have heard that so.

[02:17:30] [SPEAKER_00]: So that is my that's my Friday night go-to. All right, that's fantastic. Yes. So once again thank

[02:17:38] [SPEAKER_03]: you Samantha for joining us tonight. Thank you for chatting with us about the CWC. I really appreciate it.

[02:17:44] [SPEAKER_03]: I'd like to pick a big shout out to the monthly supporters and the monthly sponsors. Really appreciate

[02:17:49] [SPEAKER_03]: you guys donate in the show. Thank you to everyone who is still listening to show 140 episodes

[02:17:55] [SPEAKER_03]: in Samantha. Come with us and talks about the CWC at home. They are to the Catskill community

[02:18:01] [SPEAKER_03]: to Catskill Watershed area in the Catskill Resports. I hope you had a good time Samantha. I hope

[02:18:06] [SPEAKER_00]: you we didn't stress you out too much. No, not too much but thank you guys for having me. It's been

[02:18:11] [SPEAKER_03]: been a blast. Thanks Samantha. Yeah, really appreciate it. I hope you have a good night and let's keep

[02:18:27] [SPEAKER_01]: up. All right, sounds good. Thank you guys. You enjoyed my as well. You too. All right, bye.

[02:18:49] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm Twitter. I am your official website at the show. Remember this, you got to just keep on living

[02:18:57] [SPEAKER_01]: in the Catskill's man and I'd be I. Wake it, wake it, wake it, wake it, wake it, wake it, wake it,