Posted by: David Giacalone | January 16, 2014

icy beauty and mystery along the Mohawk

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– view westward from Riverside Park playlot – 15Jan2014

view from west entrance to Riverside Park along the Mohawk in Schenectady - 15Jan2014

 An article in today’s Schenectady Gazette about backed-up ice from North St. in the Stockade to Rexford, tells us that “The sun glistening on the ice-packed river was a stunning sight.” (“Residents along riverfront keep wary eye on ice,” by Kathleen Moore, B1, Jan. 16, 2014, posted online Wed. morning, Jan. 15). Unfortunately, the article comes with only one photo, and it was taken at Freeman’s Bridge.  Kathleen was definitely right about the beauty on the River, and I think you’ll agree after viewing our Slideshow below, which naturally focused on the Stockade portion of the Mohawk River. [Click on the free-standing (outside the Slideshow) photos for larger versions, which help demonstrate the beauty.] There’s much more ice-jam beauty in our posting from Monday January 13.

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two ducks near the CSX trestle . . a pair of ducks could not resist the sunshine

 Mystery? But, before the beauty, I want to mention a mystery playing out along our stretch of the Mohawk the past few days, as depicted in the following following photos and collages:

immediately below: photos taken [L] Jan. 13; [R] Jan. 14

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 IMG_3611  . . . Jan. 15, 2014

– above: For three days (Jan. 13, 14, 15), a mass of ice was “stuck” between North St. and the Western Gateway Bridge (and perhaps as far upstream as Rexford), although there appeared to be nothing but clear, flowing water for its trip downstream.  Even the often-culpable piers of the CSX trestle were clear. The downstream edge of the ice mass was in the shape of an arch and spanned both banks of the River.

IceGone16Jan2014 . . . MohawkIceMystery

– collages showing: [R] the ice mass, arch-shaped edge, and flowing water at the CSX trestle, each day Jan. 13 -15; [L] the mass largely broken up this morning, January 16. Click on the images for a much larger version.

Is there a riparian hydrologist in the house?  Can you explain how this wedged-in ice phenomenon happened?  The multi-talented Mark Fisher, strolling the Park near his North St. home yesterday, pointed out that the strength of the arch structurally might offer an architectural explanation for the refusal to budge.  Any facts or theories resolving the mystery would be appreciated. [see update at foot of this posting]

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. share this post with the short URL: http://tinyurl.com/IceJamBeauty2

IMG_3518 Finally, one more mystery (at least for me of limited scientific expertise):  How did the “ice ditch”, with perfectly perpendicular sides get formed alongside the shoreline, near Governor’s Lane?  Despite the fog, I’m certainly no machinery was secretly used to carve the formation.  Mark Fisher helpfully suggested that the Binnekill, which empties in the Mohawk closeby (between Cucumber Alley and Gateway Landing), has its own current, running at a different speed and depth than the Mohawk. That difference might have brought about the separation from the mass of ice.  I’ve often wondered why there would so often be unfrozen water near the shoreline behind Washington Ave. and Cucumber Alley, and around the old Burr Abutment.  The Binnekill current — which was surely bursting with snow and ice-melt — might indeed be the answer.  Please feel free to comment.  The following collage shows pictures related to the “ice ditch” issue.

iceditch

update re “Mysteries” (Jan. 17, 2014): At the brand new Mohawk Ice Jam Camera (reported in today’s Gazette, here), I found an email address for Gary Wall, a hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, based in Troy.  I wrote Mr. Wall last night asking if he could explain the Stuck Ice Floe and the Ice Trench mysteries.  He wrote back this morning:

David – thanks for your email.  I think your friend Mark Fisher has the right idea with the arch support.  The legs of the arch are locked into the downstream RR bridge.  As far as the trench, I think it may be the result of the water lowering and a gap forming between floating and grounded ice.  Thanks for sharing your website, you have some very nice pictures.

Gary
Gary R. Wall

Hydrologist
U.S. Geological Survey

425 Jordan Rd.
Troy, NY 12180
(o) 518-285-5621
(c) 518-275-5485
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archlocktrestle13Jan2014
As can be seen in the photo above, the leg of the ice floe “arch” can be seen on the Scotia shoreline, locked into the CSX trestle, and holding the large mass of ice in place.  The same formation exists on the Schenectady shoreline.  Therefore, despite the water in the center of the River flowing freely past the trestle, the legs on each side of the arch held the ice mass in place for three days, until melting broke things up enough to weaken the arch and the legs.

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Posted in flooding/ice floes-jams, river seasons | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: David Giacalone | January 13, 2014

blues skies after our icy flood-watch weekend

 IMG_3421 From ducks and dogs to tykes and codgers, sunny skies brought the curious to Riverside Park this morning to see the results of our weekend almost-flood experience.  Below, I’ve posted about two dozen photos taken between 10:00 and 11:00 A.M. on Monday, January 14, along the stretch of the Mohawk that borders the Schenectady Stockade.  You can see them in the Slideshow below and find their thumbnail images in the following Gallery, which you can click on to see larger versions.  You can follow the weekend developments along the River by going to our prior posting.

IMG_3383 Give me blue skies any day, rather than gray cloud-cover, for photographing my neighborhood.

j13Jan2014-ducks

– unlike your Editor, the ducks knew enough to avoid the weekend rain and ice  –

-share this posting with the short URL: http://tinyurl.com/BlueskyMohawk

– all photos taken Monday morning, Jan. 13, 2014:

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Click on a Gallery thumbnail for a larger version.

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Posted by: David Giacalone | January 11, 2014

another snowmelt flood-watch along the Mohawk (with updates)

10 pm Sunday: River at a standstill, near minor flood level –

MohawkSchdyEspl10PM

– ice build-up at the Riverside Park Esplanade, 10 PM Sunday  –

– share this posting with the short URL: http://tinyurl.com/fickleMohawk

IMG_3405 – Monday follow-up: click to see photos of the lovely aftermath under blues skies on Monday –

 danger A Flood Warning was issued at 11:33 PM Sunday, through late Monday night.

Flood Warning for the Mohawk River at Schenectady - 12Jan2014

NWS: The Mohawk was at 219.76′ at 10:50 pm at Schenectady. Minor flood stage is 220′. It is predicted to peak at 221.3′ at 7 AM Monday.

. . . 6 PM Sunday update:

 scene looking west from the west end of Riverside Park along the Mohawk River at Schenectady NY about 9 am on 12Jan2014  . . . MVI_3348

above: [L] 9 AM and [R] 5 PM Sunday at Riverside Park (click on a photo for larger version)

scene at Riverside Park esplanade along the Mohawk River at Schenectady NY about 9 am on 12Jan2014  . . . Mohawk-Esplanade-Stockade5PM

– [L] 9 AM at Riverside Park Esplanade; [R] 5 PM at Esplanade (Sunday, 12Jan2014)

6 PM Sunday update:  Despite my ho-hum attitude this morning, the Mohawk has risen quickly this afternoon at Schenectady, reaching about 217′ at 5 PM, with 216′ being the Action Stage, and the Flood Level at 220′.

scene looking west from the end of Washington Avenue along the Mohawk River at Schenectady NY about 9 am on 12Jan2014 . . . MVI_3347

– [L] 9 AM and [R] 5 PM Sunday at end of Washington Ave. in Schenectady Stockade –

Nonetheless, the National Weather Service prediction service has not yet issued any predictions for the Mohawk at Schenectady.  That may be because the water level will depend on the happenstance of weather ice chunks and floes start accumulating at bridges or bends of the River.

scene showing piers of the CSX trestle over the Mohawk River looking east from Riverside Park in Schenectady NY about 9 am on 12Jan2014 . . . IMG_3359

– CSX Trestle [L] 9 AM and [R] 5 PM –

The water was still moving smoothly and fairly well along Riverside Park at 5 PM, although it has filled up with ice debris, and does not have large open water areas as it did this morning.

I was told by an Alplaus fire department officer that the River was almost at a standstill at Rexford, around 4:30 PM.  The water may start backing up and rise more at Schenectady should it slow further at Rexford.  Note that NWS has already predicted that the Mohawk has peaked without flooding at Little Falls, and predicted to peak at five feet below flood level at Cohoes overnight.

. . . Sunday morning update (Jan. 12):

scene looking west from the end of Washington Avenue along the Mohawk River at Schenectady NY about 9 am on 12Jan2014

  scene at Riverside Park esplanade along the Mohawk River at Schenectady NY about 9 am on 12Jan2014

– above: scene about 9 AM Sunday of the Mohawk looking west from [top] Schenectady’s Washington Ave. and [lower] the Riverside Park esplanade with its water level gauge –

scene from the west end of Riverside Park lpking east along the Mohawk River at Schenectady NY about 9 am on 12Jan2014 The wind was a lot scarier than the River this morning along the Mohawk in Riverside Park.  There are still no large chunks of ice in evidence that could accumulate at bridge and trestle piers, and the water level at Freeman’s Bridge is about 211 feet, well below the 220′ flood stage at that location, and basically the same level as before the spike in temperature and weekend rains.   Plus, the sky has some hints of blue, making it even easier to be optimistic that there is virtually no likelihood of flooding here in the Stockade.

scene showing piers of the CSX trestle over the Mohawk River looking east from Riverside Park in Schenectady NY about 9 am on 12Jan2014

– no chunks of ice have accumulated at the CSX trestle –

According to the Sunday Times Union, it was fogging, not flooding, that was a problem yesterday or overnight in the region, and the National Weather Service has reduced its alert from a Flood Warning to a Flood Watch for eastern New York, with the alert expiring at 6 PM Sunday.

scene looking west from the west end of Riverside Park along the Mohawk River at Schenectady NY about 9 am on 12Jan2014 The photos in the update were taken between 9:00 and 9:30 am, Sunday, January 12, 2014.

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original posting:

CSX train trestle between Scotia and Schenectady over the frozen Mohawk River seen on 10Jan2014 . . . CSX trestle over the Mohawk River between Schenectady and Scotia NY seen after warm temperatures and rain - 11Jan2014

– the Mohawk was covered with ice on Friday (L) and free-flowing 24 hours later –

IMG_3319-001 Officials and regular folks have been watching creeks and rivers around eastern New York this weekend to see whether rains and warm temperatures will cause the streams to overflow, with special worry over ice jams caused by the melting crusts of ice that have formed during the recent spate of frigid weather.  See the Albany Times Union, “Flooding possible in parts of region” (Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014) Here along the Schenectady-Stockade stretch of the Mohawk, rapid snow melt can cause flooding, but this time of year the culprit is much more likely to be large chunks of ice jamming at the CSX trestle, with waters swollen by overflowing creeks upstream.

After a number of trips to my backyard and Riverside Park, at the end of my block, I can say that things look pretty good along the Mohawk as of Saturday evening.  (Disclaimer: the late-afternoon fog [see photo above] might have been covering a drastic rise in the water level, but I doubt it.) The collage below gives examples of scenes that I have found this weekend at the River (click on it for a larger version).

collage showing status of Mohawk Riveralong the Schenectady Stockade - 11Jan2014

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  • I plan to report on any developments or lack thereof tomorrow, Sunday. (especially if the creek does rise)
  • In March 2009, we had a major ice-jam episode along Riverside Park.  It’s worth a look.

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Posted in flooding/ice floes-jams, river seasons | Tags: , , ,

Posted by: David Giacalone | December 23, 2013

goodwill to all from the Stockade

Happy Holiday of your choice!

– goodwill to all, every day of the year –

2014GoodwillCalendar

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   Note: the calendar card is formatted for a 5″x7″ print. 2014CalendarGoodwill

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Posted in Stockade Views

Posted by: David Giacalone | December 19, 2013

Arthur’s Market opens officially

ArthursOpeningDay6PM

– photo taken outside Arthur’s Market at 6 PM on Opening Day –

 update: Arthur'sGrandOpening-corner26Jan2014  Arthur‘s Grand Opening celebration was Jan. 25-26, 2014. See “A Stockade Survivor” (Gazette, Jan. 27, 2014, B1, by John Enger; subscription req’d) .

ArthursOpeningDay3PM . . . DSCF0191 Richard Genest “officially” opened his new version of Arthur’s Market, yesterday, December 18, 2013.  Richard calls it Arthur’s Market and Historic Coffeehouse. In the photo at the head of this paragraph, the Arthur’s Market Open sign rests atop a snowbank in front of the store. The Market will be open daily 8 AM to 8 PM (later on evenings with entertainment); and is, of course, located at 35 North Ferry St., in the Schenectady Stockade.  [click here for the Arthur’s Market website — updated link, July 2016 –  where you’ll find the Who, What, When, etc. of the Market, including its calendar of upcoming performances.]

Click on this thumbnail for a window-shot of its Menu. Arthurs1stMenu

 Back in July, we posted “a very good sign at Arthur’s“, showing the return of the hanging sign, confirming the rumors that Richard, proprietor of the Moon & River Cafe on S. Ferry Street and member of the Kitchen Jazz band, planned to resuscitate/resurrect/renew the venerable Stockade tradition.

ArthursUpdate12Nov2013

– above: a collage from early November showing progress –

. . . OAS2013-arthur'sback

The store semi-opened the day of the 2013 Outdoor Art Show as a sign that the Market would soon be back (see the collage immediately above).

It did the same thing for the Walkabout at the end of September. a snack outside of Arthur's

DSCF0129 The Market’s most auspicious pre-opening event was hosting the post-Tree-Lighting neighborhood get-together. See “a heart-warming tree-lighting” (Dec. 8, 2013). It’s an event that I hope will become a long-running Stockade tradition.

DSCF0119-001 . . . DSCF0120

–  outside views of Arthur’s Market during the post-Tree-Lighting event – 08Dec2013 –

If anyone can bring Arthur Market back to life and keep it healthy and thriving, it’s Richard — with the consistent support of the community.  Long Live Arthur’s Market!

ArthursWally05Nov2013a . . .  IMG_2905-001

– Wally and Lawrence in the window of Arthur’s Market –

– a special thanks to Arthur’s Biggest Fan, Sylvie Briber, for all her cheerleading –

– share this posting with this short URL: http://tinyurl.com/ArthursOpens –

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Posted in Stockade Views

Posted by: David Giacalone | December 15, 2013

a stroll in the snow before Sunday brunch

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 – slideshow photos taken in the Stockade and Riverside Park before 9 AM Sunday, Dec. 15, 2013 –

Long before Sunday brunch, I was out strolling with my camera to explore the Stockade after our first real snowstorm of the season.  I traversed only Washington Avenue, Front St. to Lawrence, N. Ferry to Union St., Union back to Washington Ave., and then Riverside Park. Snow removal was the predominant activity I encountered, plus a single dog-walker (in the Park), a smoker on a frosty stoop, a pre-schooler helping dad, and a young woman bringing home a steaming cup of coffee for herself and a lucky guy.  There were also a pair of police cars and a flatbed tow truck on Union Street, of course.

It was a rather gloomy day for photography, despite the clean blanket of snow, so I did my best to find splotches of color. Yes, I braved the cold so you wouldn’t have to get bundled up in order to enjoy the neighborhood.  It was my pleasure, of course.  There are about 40 photos in the Slideshow above and Gallery below.

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– young and older Stockadians were out early –

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Click on a thumbnail image in the Gallery below for a larger version:

Read More…

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Posted by: David Giacalone | December 11, 2013

Stockade holiday greetings for you to use

HolidayGreetingsBulbs  Quite a few people complimented me on an image of a round tree ornament reflecting the Lawrence Circle, which was in our posting last week on the arrival of the 2013 Stockade Tree.  So, I decided to make a set of similar photos of bulbs hanging from the Tree at Lawrence Circle, adding the phrase “Holiday Greetings from the Schenectady Stockade” to each image.  The bulbs have different views of the Circle and its surroundings and varied color schemes.  (I’ve also tried to choose images that minimalize the presence of the photographer in the reflection.)

Please feel free to use one or more of the images as part of your own holiday greetings, without having to ask permission, as long as they are used for non-commercial purposes.  If you click on a photo, your will get a larger version that is a downloadable jpg. file.  The largest side of each photo is 1000 pixels, which should work well in email.  Contact me, if your use calls for a larger file to have sufficient resolution.

The six images are in the collage above, and presented separately immediately below.  Please accept my personal heartfelt and hardy Stockade Holiday greetings and wishes.

BulbGreetings4 . . . BulbGreetings2

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BulbGreetings1 . . . BulbGreetings5

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 BulbGreetings6 . . . BulbGreetings3

IMG_3168  follow-up (Dec. 15, 2013): For more bulbs after a snowstorm, click here.

p.s. Here’s an out-take photo that I did not use for a greetings bulb because there is too much of me in the reflection.  But, I like the shapes and colors, and think it deserves a space on this weblog:

DSCF0036

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Posted in Stockade Views

Posted by: David Giacalone | December 8, 2013

a heartwarming tree lighting

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– Lawrence Circle after the tree lighting –

A lovely tree, along with good weather, spirits, and food, made the annual lighting of the Stockade holiday tree this evening another example of our neighborhood’s special traditions and sense of community.  The Slideshow below has a handful of photos that offer a glimpse of the event.

DSCF0119-001 Arthur’s Market was such a natural, welcoming location for the post-lighting party, that I hope Richard Genest and the Stockade Association will make having the holiday get-together at the Market on the Circle across from the Tree another long-running Stockade tradition.

Our posting last Wednesday has photos of the installation and decoration of the 2013 Stockade Tree.

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DSCF0106  . . . . 2013Lighting-Michelle-Morgan

– Mary Marro [L] lit the tree; Michelle and Morgan glowed –

The following collage is presented for those who like their photography a bit more abstract.  It demonstrates how a shaky hand and the wrong equipment can add a little fun to the Holidays.

tree lighting collage

– as always, click on the collage for a larger version –

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