When spring comes to the Adirondacks, it's a glorious sight. The bright blue sky domes deciduous trees showing hints of green. Birds sing, frogs croak and all around are the sounds of water running over rocks. Even a short hike is a treat for the senses.
We were getting a late morning start, so my son and I headed back to the Hammond Pond Wilderness in North Hudson to explore Chalis Pond. The trail, which starts on Ensign Pond Road, is only 0.6 miles long. There is an easy incline to the first part of the trail, then it is mostly flat. At the end of the trail the lovely pond opened up in front of us.
Four people were fishing on the pond, floating in small rowboats and canoes. Sitting at the edge of the pond, we watched countless young trout play in the shallow water. Chalis is a reclaimed trout pond, which means that at one point all the fish in the pond were eradicated to eliminate non-native invasive fish, most likely escaped bait fish. The pond was then restocked with trout. If you plan to fish in Adirondack ponds, please note that live bait is prohibited in most places to protect the native trout populations.
We like to watch aquatic life, and we got quite a show at Chalis Pond. Besides the trout, there were many tadpoles and gilled salamander larvae. The salamander larvae are particularly fun to watch. With their short legs and tail fins, they look like a strange cross between lizards and fish, and proved fascinating to my nine-year-old hiking partner. Salamanders are not lizards. They are amphibians like frogs and spend much of their lives near water. Later in the summer we'll spot them in wet areas and after a rain.
My son discovered clusters of frog eggs in a swampy area just off the trail. He has asked for a return trip in a week or so to see if they've hatched. For kids who like to explore nature, like mine, a springtime hike to a pond can be very rewarding.
