Coming across these sign posts on the AT represent either the beginning or the end of hike. On this particular day, it marked the end of a short but excellent hike. As you got closer to the sign, the sounds of cars got louder and louder, signalling that civilization was near and the peace achieved for that day would soon be over.
To see where the idea for this post came from, please visit:
Forty minutes from where I live in Mahopac, NY is probably one of the best flea markets in New England. Every Sunday from 7 am to 2 pm, the Elephant’s Trunk Flea Market opens its gates in New Milford, CT to every type of collector and flea market aficionado in the area. You can find everything from the eccentric to the eclectic and everything in between.
The Elephant Trunk started in 1976 in New Milford and at the time, having 15 vendors was considered a good turnout. Now, they say up to 500 vendors show up to sell their wares on any given Sunday and also have numerous food trucks on the premises.
Driving up to the entrance at just about 7:20 am, the traffic flowed nicely as the people directing you into the parking area made sure that they got you situated pretty quickly despite the large number of cars coming off of the main drag. Even with the heavy traffic, the guys directing you were incredibly friendly. As we walked up to the main gate the odor of frying bacon filled the air and I was truly surprised at the number of people already bringing purchases out to their cars. As with the gentleman directing the traffic, the folks working at the main gate warmly welcomed us and were equally as friendly.
Our technique for getting around any flea market is a simple one. We start at the first row and move down it, carefully surveying each of the spaces on both sides of the row. One of the things that I don’t mind about this (and many others) is that they don’t categorize the areas. You can literally find some eccentric art in one space and collectible toys in the one right next to it. 
One of the best things that I have found about all flea markets and especially this one, is that the vendors are more than willing to let you bargain with them to come to a mutually agreed upon selling price. I didn’t find one person who wasn’t at least willing to entertain a lower price than what they were originally asking.
On this particular Sunday morning we spent the better part of three hours traversing the acres upon acres of everything conceivable that a collector could want.
Here are some pictures of some of the more interesting items that I came across:
Awesome collection of vinyl and the owner was super cool!
And finally…
So, if you have nothing to do on a Sunday morning over the course of the next several months, you should definitely take a trip to the Elephant’s Trunk, you won’t regret it!
-Milan Kundera
A year ago this Friday, we rescued this beautiful Black Lab/Mastiff (we believe) mix from the Briarcliff SPCA. We had originally gone to the shelter to look at another dog that we had seen on their website, but something just didn’t feel right about him. As we waited to look at another dog, this guy here calmly walked up to the front of his cage, sat down and proceeded to lick my hand through the metal bars and I will freely admit that he had me right then and there. We took him for a walk and the decision was an easy one-he was coming home with us.
Little did we know that this had been his plan from the first minute he saw us. I am convinced that Jase knew that we were the family that should have the honor of adopting him. Only a dog owner can truly understand what I am saying when I say that he chose us. He has brought a great deal of joy to our lives as well as some trying moments. But that all comes with having an almost 80 pound dog that thinks he is a lap dog and (at the time we adopted him) was only 11 months old.
As his second birthday approaches, I can only imagine the hikes that he will take us on, the rides we will take and the pleasure that he will continue to bring us for many years to come. Truly man’s best friend.
“Nothing left to do but but smile.”
-Jerry Garcia
“Whatever you do, take care of your shoes.”
–Trey Anastasio
Today was a long day at work. Leaving work, I just wanted to get home and not do anything. But as I pulled up my driveway, I saw a manila envelope stuck between the windshield wiper and the windshield of my wife’s car and I knew that my day was going to get better. My updated hiking maps had arrived!!! I’m going to put on a Phish show and start planning hikes for the summer. Life is good…
It is a rainy, wet day here in the Hudson Valley. Usually on a day like this, I would get out and hike. I do know people who don’t like to hike if the weather isn’t perfect, but I really don’t mind hiking in the rain. I find that the falling rain itself offers some solace. But you know what?? Not today. Today I am resigned to the fact that I will make an honest attempt at getting absolutely nothing accomplished. And you know what? I’m fine with that. Today I will do nothing but read…
Our dog Jase’s favorite ball. Unfortunately, today it will sit where you see it.
If you only have a couple of hours and want to get a good sweat going, I have a pretty decent 2.5 mile hike for you. Located in the Hudson Valley, (Carmel, NY to be exact) Fahnestock State Park has over 500 miles of quality hiking trails that are well worth visiting. The best thing that I have found about Fahnestock is that as compared to other hiking areas in the Hudson Valley, most of the hikes here do not begin with a thigh hammering and lung busting climb. Sure, eventually you will have hills to climb, but I have found that for the most part, Fahnestock’s trails are meandering and actually quite pleasurable.
This particular hike begins on the Appalachian Trail (heading South) next to Canopus Lake on route 301.
Although you start on the road on the AT, after descending some stone steps, the AT will continue to the right. You, however, will continue hiking until you reach the blue trail (Three Lakes Trail). Don’t worry, it’s not that far.
As you work your way down the trail, you will notice a mine entrance on your right off into the woods. Even though they are incredibly interesting, my advice to you is to not leave the trail to investigate them. Several people have done so and lost their lives. If you didn’t know, Fahnestock State Park is known for its rich iron ore mining that ocurred from the mid 18th century to the early 20th century.
About a half mile into the hike, the terrain levels off and as the path winds through the woods, you will notice the changing vegetation and a drastic increase in the number of mosquitoes. Obviously from late spring and into the fall, bug spray is a must, especially if you are hiking with small children. Don’t think that just because it is a short hike you won’t suffer from bug bites. Take it from me, you WILL be eaten alive!
As you make your way up the trail, three quarters of a mile in you will come to a point where you can continue straight or turn right and stay on the blue trail. For this hike we are going to continue on the blue trail.
The trail remains flat for a short time and then quickly descends to a small stream. The amount of water in the stream varies based on the time of year as well as how much rain has fallen in the recent past. On this day, not much water was running so crossing was a breeze!
After you cross the stream, continue on the trail and hike up a small hill where you will see this on your right-
Even though the entire hike is only 2.5 miles long, this would be a perfect place to stop for water or eat lunch or a snack with the kids. After a break you will head downhill for a very short time and then you will begin climbing again. On this hike, this will be your only somewhat major climb. Walking steadily uphill for 5-10 minutes you will come across a large mound of rocks.
You need to pay careful attention at this point to the trail. As you look at the picture below, you can see a trail straight ahead and to the right. You will want to go right and you will now be on the AT (North). The Three Lakes Trail continues straight ahead for a few more miles. (that’s a hike for another day!) What you can not see in this picture is that the AT is also on the left, and that goes South.
As you make the right turn onto the AT, it’s pretty much smooth sailing all the way back to where you began your hike on Route 301.
This is the last landmark that you will see on the AT as you head up to the left back to the road. Like I said at the beginning of this post, this is the perfect hike if you only have a couple of hours to get out. I used to do this hike with my kids when they were younger and it proved to be the right length and difficulty to keep them interested in the hike.
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Located approximately one and a half hours from where I live in Mahopac, NY is one of the finest used bookstores that you will ever find. Tucked away in sleepy Hillsdale, NY, Rodgers Book Barn has been a destination of choice for bibliophiles since 1972. I know that I have been a regular visitor (3-4 times per year) since 1991 and have yet lost my desire to return year after year to see what has been added.
This out of the way gem reportedly has 50, 000 books, a claim that would be very hard to dispute, unless of course you decide that you want to count every book. Just check out the pictures of the interior that I have posted! The beauty of the Book Barn lies not in the fact that they have so many books, it is instead the layout of the Barn that promotes an atmosphere where it is ok to spend hours browsing the varied and eclectic titles that the owner, Maureen Rodgers offers. Although used, the books are all in pretty good shape and are only a few dollars a piece (at a maximum).
Just to let you know in advance, at the very least you will buy several books during your visit. I have found that it is impossible not to do so, and you will not be disappointed. From classics that you read twenty years ago to a new find, Rodgers Book Barn has books that you won’t find anywhere else. If the weather is nice, as it was when we went yesterday, you can hang out at one the tables outside of the Barn and peruse your purchases! A win-win all around.
For those of you who hike, I am also currently investigating several hikes in the area so you could do double duty and make a full day of it. Rain or shine, what could be better than a hike and an excellent used bookstore? Check back later for more details.
A couple of weeks ago I broke one of my most sacred rules of hiking-Never, ever, ever, ever hike to Anthony’s Nose during peak hours on a Sunday. Having not done so in a very, very long time, I forgot just how congested this wonderful hike can be. Usually on beautiful day like today I would seek out another place to hike where I know I wouldn’t see many people and be subjected to the congestion and mayhem that comes with everyone having the same idea as me.
Not thinking, however, I made the drive to the AT as it crosses South Mt.Pass and headed to the Nose. Everything was fine as I meandered through the woods, noting how the last time I was here we were still in the throes of winter and now, the trees were green and the ground was still wet from rain that had fallen the previous evening. And although the wind was blowing, the temperature was in the low 50’s and it was lightly raining, it felt good to be out in a familiar place.
Little did I know that my solitude would be short lived…
That good feeling lasted, of course, until I reached the point in the trail where the AT intersects with the Camp Smith trail. You see, whenever anyone writes about Anthony’s Nose and its virtues of being one of the most popular hikes in the Hudson Valley, the directions that they give everyone to get there are from Route 9D near the Bear Mt. Bridge.
Now keep in mind that until I reached the AT/Camp Smith intersection, I had not seen one person, not a single soul. I was being lulled into that mental happy place that I love to go to when I hike, especially here at the Nose, my Holy Grail of hikes. My most favorite hike of all time. Have I mentioned how much I love hiking to Anthony’s Nose? So imagine my shock and surprise when I crested the small hill just before the trail heads up to the Nose to see no less than 15 people coming off of the AT!!
As I worked my way past the group, I thought, “ok, a small group is here, it won’t be so bad. I can’t always expect to be here alone. Just get far enough ahead of them and they won’t make it to the top before you spend some time resting before you head down.” I really need to stop thinking. It only got worse. Working my way up the trail, I greeted three large groups that were headed in the opposite direction as well as two others headed to the view point.
When I arrived at the Nose itself, I can honestly say that I had never seen so many people at the top before. Now before I go any further, I have to make a few things clear. First, I fully believe that anyone that wants to hike should be able to do so whenever they want and wherever they want. With that said, however, as with everything else in life you have responsibilities, even when hiking.
Noting that, I am also a firm believer in proper trail etiquette. That goes for everything from leaving trash to listening to music to the volume of your voice (or your groups). As noted in the previous paragraph, the number of people, young and old was staggering. I literally had to weave my way through several groups of hikers to get to my favorite spot overlooking the Bear Mt. bridge.
Who wouldn’t want this all to themselves?
I can tell you with certainty that today, the folks that I was out on the trail with were lacking any form of trail etiquette. Here is a short list of what I encountered:
Not feeling the love, I decided to head back down to South Mt. Pass and call it a day. So, my first question is this-Am I spoiled and entitles hiker? To a certain degree I suppose that I am. I will admit that I prefer to have the viewpoint to myself or just a few other people, and for the most part over the years, I have. My next question is this-Do I expect to much from my fellow hikers? To this I offer a loud and resounding-I don’t think so. I fully expect everyone on this trail, and every other one, to exhibit the same courtesy that my friends and do.
My last thought will be this: Common courtesy should be a common virtue. Our hiking trails, especially in an area this close to NYC, should be considered sacred ground. I always go back to this variation on a theme- Treat people and things as you would want to be treated or you may lose them.
“Do not let let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.”
-Dalai Lama
“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”
-Buddha
Like a friend of mine who introduced me to the fine art of blogging (my blogging mentor if I may be so bold), she at first intended her blog to be solely about teaching. Mine was supposed to only be about hiking and the joy that it brings me. However, like her, I have found that there are many other directions that you can take and things that you can do that will still bring you to the destination that you originally intended to go to.
For the massive audience of six or seven people that follow my blog and the one or two others who might read it after haphazardly stumbling upon it, you might have noticed that I haven’t posted anything for over a month. The reason? I am a hockey parent. I have been for 14 years now. First for my son, who started playing roller hockey at the age of six in the spring, summer and fall for many years before transitioning to the ice. As he grew older and the level of competition got more, well, competitive, I found myself having a more difficult time staying calm during games.
It is always easier to find fault in everything that the referees and coaches do when you are sitting in the stands.
As many of you may know, it’s never the kids on either of the teams that cause any of the problems, it is always the adults. You see, my son was a goalie. If you follow hockey, you know that if your team wins, the goalie is a hero. If not, well that’s a whole other story. I have to admit that there were time early on (and later) when I lost my shit after listening to adults make nasty comments about my son and daughter. I will further admit that a couple of these prized interactions almost led to physical altercations.
I did have several years where both of my kids played at the same time but on different teams. I then had to contend with two sets of parents. I finally had to make a decision. Knowing that I couldn’t possible take on every parent who acted like a moron, I had to find a way to shield myself from the idiocy. As I reflected on the years that I had been watching my kids play, the one thing that I never really saw was how happy they were when they were playing. My son was even nicknamed “The Jolly Goaltender” because he always had a smile on his face. My daughter, who is also pretty jovial when she is on the ice, is out there having fun and never complaining.
So what I did was this: I decided that I would concentrate on them and not on the parents. I began bringing my ipod to each of the games and literally tuned out the comments from the babbling birdbrains (thank you Dr. Smith!). I also now stay far away from all of the blithering boobies that can’t seem to ever shut up (thanks again to the good Doctor!) and doing this has certainly increased my level of enjoyment of the game.
With all of that said, please allow me to bring this full circle. As with my friend, I fully intended on writing about just hiking. As I move through life however, I keep finding more and more things that when I reflect on them, help to create a more peaceful existence for me and hopefully my family.
So what does this have to do with Zen? Watching my kids play hockey throughout the years and seeing how happy they are when they are on the ice provides me with a sense of peace that I don’t think I could have achieved anywhere else. I can’t even guess at how many positive benefits they have received over the years. Watching my kids and not reacting to everything that happens in a game has not only made me a better person, but it has also given my children something to think about when they have children of their own.
So does every blog entry have to be about hiking? I don’t think so. I think that it might be more beneficial to write about all of the things in our lives that promote our inner peace and contribute to our well being.
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Everything has seasons, and we have to be able to recognize when something’s time has passed and be able to move into the next season. Everything that is alive requires pruning as well, which is a great metaphor for endings.
Henry Cloud
I need the seasons to live to the rhythm of rain and sun.
Sophie Marceau
It’s remarkable how the same scene can look so drastically different only days apart. Doesn’t that kind of remind you of people? Depending on the mood they are in or what they may be experiencing can change how you view them. Even though they may be the same, you get a different feeling or vibe with each one depending on how they present themselves at that time.
I took these pictures 5 days apart in the woods behind my house. It snowed on 2/23 and today is 2/28. It’s that time of year in the Hudson Valley of New York when you don’t know whether you are coming or going weather wise.
If anything, I hope that you enjoyed the pictures that I have taken. It is my hope that in the future, and as the weather continues to improve, I can include more photographs that I take on my hikes (or wherever).
Peace to you all!!!
The Zen Hiker 