Tag Archives: hiking quotes

Ward Pound Ridge In Spring

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 “If everyone in the world took care of each other the way folks do out on the trail, and if everyone approached each day with as much hope and optimism as hikers do, the world would be a better place.” – Jon Tullis

“If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.” – Frank A. Clark

“We don’t stop hiking because we grow old, we grow old because we stop hiking.” – Finis Mitchel

Spring has been good for Ward Pound Ridge Reservation this year. A good amount of rain has provided the moisture necessary to turn the woods from a greyish-naked landscape to a beautiful lush wonderland. The smell of the trail is overwhelming!!

When I started this relatively short hike, it was a cool and breezy 53 degrees under clear blue skies. I ended up taking the green trail to the yellow trail for a distance of 3.7 miles. Although there were no real views to speak of, just being in the woods on such an excellent day was good enough for me!

This area of New York, especially in WPR, is marked by miles and miles of these stone walls. When you first look at them strewn throughout the park, they seem really random. With that said, I can’t imagine that when they were built, they were just put there for no reason. I am sure it has to do something with land boundaries. The amount of back-breaking work it had to have taken to build them is absolutely crazy!

At just over 2 miles into this hike is a rock that I stop at every time I am on this trail to take a water break and just chill. It is positioned in such a place that you can feel the breeze come through the trees, but if you walk up the trail another 50 feet, the breeze is gone. I know that is pretty random, but random is ok.

Unfortunately, as spring turns to summer, the lush greenness that I am seeing now will disappear. The woods will still be beautiful but will start to take on a depleted look.

Would I drink this water even if it was filtered? I don’t know…

It doesn’t look this way in the photo, but this is a nice incline on the trail. Luckily for me, I was going down it instead of up! Maybe next time.

Overall, this hike is a good one if you don’t have much time or just want to get out into the woods for a break. Since it was Memorial Day yesterday, I thought that I would see more folks heading out but I guess at the early hour I chose to hike it was not to be.

One of the best things about WPR is that if I had decided that I wanted to hike some more, the possibilities would have been endless. With many of the trails connecting and close by each other, adding another mile or five miles wouldn’t have been an issue.

Happy Hiking!!!!

Hike #4-5/30-3.7-14.9

School Mountain Road

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“Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more that what we could learn from books.”

— John Lubbock 

“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.”

-Gary Snyder

Although this hike is only about three miles from the one that I did the other day, it couldn’t have been more different. This section of the park, at one period of time, seems to have been a somewhat residential area. Fahnestock State Park was used for mining during the 19th and 20th centuries.

One of the nicest things about this hike is that the folks who maintain the park have made some really substantial improvements to this section of the park. Not necessarily at this point of the hike but in others. In the photo above, you can see that to traverse the stream, you have to walk down the steps to the right and cross on the metal beams.

After a winter where we did not see much snow, I was pleasantly surprised to see this stream running as strongly as it was. Nothing is more serene than sitting next to a running stream!

When I last hiked here almost a decade ago, these bridges (and several others) did not exist. In a partnership with West Point and its School of Engineering, several of these bridges were built so that hikers would have an easier time navigating what used to be some pretty tricky terrain. Read the information below for a full explanation of how they worked together to make the trail safer.

Happy Hiking!!!

Hike #3-4/15-4.1/11.2

Another Fine Day…

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“Hiking and happiness go hand in hand or foot in boot.”

– Diane Spicer

“An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.”

– Henry David Thoreau

Another day means another outstanding hike in the Hudson Valley of New York!!! Today, I traveled to Fahnestock State Park to spend some time on its fine trails. Although it was a relatively short hike of 3.1 miles, I will admit that I am in the process of getting my legs used to being out in the woods again. At my kind of advanced age of 58, I can’t just jump on the trail like I used to be able to do (sigh).

The weather this morning was actually better than yesterday. The temperature at the start of the hike was a crisp 51 degrees, and the sun was shining. The best part about the cooler weather? NO GNATS!!! That was a good thing because, as with yesterday, I forgot the bug spray…Today I spared myself more hours of scratching.

The loop that I did today took me from the Blue Lakes Trail to the Appalachian Trail. I could smell the earth as I walked along, and it felt good under my boots. Each step is a constant reminder of why I have spent so much time hiking. Sometimes you just need that little nudge to keep yourself grounded!

One of the best things about hiking in Fahnestock is the large number of trails that intersect with each other. Why is this such a good thing? If you spend some time checking out the East Hudson Trails Map 103, you will see that you can make loop hikes of just about any length or hike point to point. The possibilities are only limited by how long you want to hike and your imagination.

The AT heading north to Maine! After climbing a moderate hill, the Blue Lakes trail intersects with the AT, which in my case, took me back to my car.

HAPPY HIKING!!!

Hike #2-4/13-3.1/7.1

The First Of Many

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“I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.”–John Burroughs

 “You can visit the same trail twice, but you’ll never take the same hike – We Dream of Travel

“I could never resist the call of the trail.” – Buffalo Bill

Today is a beautiful day. Why? It was the official start of my spring/summer hiking season! To start things off, I decided to head to Ward Pound Ridge to hike a loop that covered portions of several trails so I could test out my legs. Although I have been walking on the treadmill for several months, it is never the same as being out on the trail. I’ll let you guess as to which one is better!!!

Since it is still early spring, the landscape still had the cold and barren look of winter. I imagine that in a few weeks things will change drastically, which will make every hike new again.

Although the park still looked like winter, spring was definitely in the air. At 7:20 am, the temperature was an incredibly comfortable 62 degrees. I don’t know about where you live, but temperatures like this, although not unheard of in mid-April, are certainly not the norm. My biggest surprise were the gnats that I thought were a summer time phenomena. Being eaten alive by these airborne piranhas was not fun. Of course, I didn’t think that I needed to bring any bug spray. Big mistake.

So how did the hike go? It was awesome. I can’t put into words how nice it was to be out on the trail again. I usually turn my phone off while I am hiking, but today I sent a celebratory text to my daughter to let her know the old man was back on the trail! The dirt under my feet felt so much better than the treadmill that I have become used to, and being able to listen to the wind in the trees was mesmerizing.

The verdict? It was an excellent hike on an excellent day. I couldn’t have asked for a better day at Ward Pound Ridge. Three years and three months after my heart attack, I felt great physically and continue to be incredibly thankful that I am still able to hike. I am looking forward to the next few months of hiking in the Hudson Valley!

HAPPY HIKING!!!

Hike #1-4/12-4.0/4.0

Where is Spring?

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“We don’t stop hiking because we grow old. We grow old because we stop hiking.” – Finis Mitchell

“The best view comes after the hardest climb.” – Anonymous

 “A walk in nature walks the soul back home.” – Mary Davis

I thought for sure that our almost nonexistent winter was done. Planning for hikes and getting excited to be outside has occupied my thoughts for several months now. Throw in a couple of really nice days in the 50s, and you have the recipe for some pretty nice hiking.

Unfortunately, for a winter that really wasn’t, it decided today would be a good time to play one last nasty trick on us here in the northeast. At this point, I believe we have well over six inches of heavy wet snow, and it is still coming down really hard.

The one good thing is that since it is mid-March, the snow will melt at a much quicker rate than if it was January. Give it a couple of days, and it will be gone!

In the meantime, planning for the spring and summer moves forward. I’ve got quite a few new hikes planned that I will be sharing with you here on The Zen Hiker.

Happy Hiking!!!!

Spring Is Closer Than You Think

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“Hiking is not escapism; it’s realism. The people who choose to spend time outdoors are not running away from anything; we are returning to where we belong.”– Jennifer Pharr Davis

“We live in a fast-paced society. Walking slows us down.”– Robert Sweetgall

It has been a pretty mild winter here in the Hudson Valley of NY. With no major snowstorms and except for one cold snap (if you could call it that), it has been a serious bummer for all of the skiers out there! Now that we are in mid-February, spring is right around the corner. With spring, of course, comes the promise of longer, warmer days and many hikes, both old and new.

Since I am retired and have lots of time, I have armed myself with updated maps of all of the awesome places to hike in the area. The last couple of weeks have been spent planning my spring adventures.

My plan is a simple one. Mix the old in with the new and also the ones that I haven’t done in some time.

 I will readily admit that once I find a hike that I really like, I tend to go back to it time and again. While that isn’t necessarily a totally bad thing, it would be nice to explore some areas near me that I have ignored over the years. Now is as good a time as any to get to some of the places that I have wanted to hike, but for one reason or another, I never did.

In the meantime, I will continue walking at the gym and getting into hiking shape. I know walking on the treadmill isn’t the same as hitting the trail, but it is part of my daily routine, and I enjoy it! I get to manipulate each workout based on how I feel that day or if I just feel like pushing harder than I normally do. Nothing grabs your attention like increasing the incline to try and simulate some of the hills like I might find out in the woods.  

The last three years have been interesting. I was hoping to be further along with my return to hiking than I am, but I’ll continue to take it one day at a time. I figure now is as good a time as any to take the plunge and stop being afraid of what might happen. If I worry about it 24/7, I’ll never get back into the woods.

For me, that is unacceptable.

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND HAPPY HIKING!!!!

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“We don’t stop hiking because we grow old – We grow old because we stop hiking.” – Finis Mitchel

“Hiking and happiness go hand in hand or foot in boot.” – Diane Spicer

“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” – Beverly Sills

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! I know, I know. It’s January 2nd!! That’s ok. A new year usually brings with it a whole new basket of resolutions that most people will not keep. I’m sure some folks will disagree with me, but at this point, I’m just keeping it real!

So, my resolution this year is a simple one. After a year of almost no hiking, I want to hike more in 2023 and capture those hikes through photographs.

In trying to achieve and keep that resolution going, however, I have to further refine how I prepare for my hikes.

Over the years, I have found that how I get ready for my spring and summer hikes has changed drastically since I was a younger lad.

Back in the day, my prep used to include the following: 1) Go to the trail and hike. Now? The script has flipped on this one, folks. These days I have to think about my knees and ankles and making sure my hiking route is written out in detail so if I get injured, my family will know where to lead the authorities.

Filling my day pack used to be a pretty simple deal as well. The contents used to consist of maps, water, snack, lunch, camera, bug spray, first aid kit, and other assorted nonsense.

As I have explained in previous posts, I can no longer use a traditional day pack and have to, instead, use a sling pack. Since they are much smaller, I have to now choose very carefully what I bring with me.

Most of the items listed above will stay, just more condensed and in smaller containers. I’ll start experimenting shortly with packing my sling pack as the winter progresses.

Physically this year, I am going to add training with resistance bands to my winter routine. After doing a great deal of research, it looks like it certainly couldn’t hurt, so I will add that to my regimen. I have also added specific exercises to help strengthen my ankles and knees.

The point of all this? To make sure that my hiking experiences are safe and continue to be fun. If hiking is painful and no fun, why hike? So preventive maintenance is the way to go.

Once again, Happy New Year and, of course, HAPPY HIKING!!!

2023 Catskills Fire Tower Challenge

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“Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow.”

– Henry David Thoreau

If you are reading this, you probably enjoy hiking. I know that I do. But one thing that makes hiking better is a challenge! I received an email today from the NYS Department of Conservation that had in it the 2023 Catskills Tower Challenge.

If you hike to each of the towers listed between 1/1/23 and 12/31/23, you will receive a certificate of completion as well as a very cool commemorative patch! (Shown above)

Here is a map showing the locations in the Catskills of each of the towers.

I won’t list all of the particulars here as I am sure that if you are like me, you like to do your own research. I can tell you that I have already Googled the distances from my house to each of the towers as well as the distance of each hike. I am thinking that since most of these are between 1.5-2.0 hours away, so I will try to do at least two a day, if not more! That will be a decision that I will make at a later date.

So, to get you started, here is the NYSDEC website address:

http://www.dec.ny.gov

You can use the link or Google Catskills Fire Tower Challenge. When you get to the site, all of the information that you need to plan for and complete the challenge is there.

One thing that is guaranteed is that no matter what order you decide to hike these in or the season you hike them, you are going to be treated to unbelievable views that you will be hard pressed to find anywhere else!

Let me know in the comments if you think that this might be something that has piqued your interest and may consider attempting.

HAPPY HIKING!!!!!

An Anniversary I Wish I Didn’t Have To Acknowledge

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“Hiking is a bit like life: The journey only requires you to put one foot in front of the other…again and again and again. And if you allow yourself the opportunity to be present throughout the entirety of the trek, you will witness beauty every step of the way, not just at the summit.” – Anonymous

“I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.” – Rosalia de Castro

Today, 12/26/22 is the third anniversary of my heart attack. Since then, I have made changes to my life that I would think are for the better. After totally overhauling my diet, I find that I don’t crave all of the old crap that I used to. Candy is off the list (even sugar free candy, I can’t stand the taste of it). Fast food, like my favorite, Taco Bell, has also been filed in my brain as a “thing of the past.”

Physically, I feel better today than I have in years. It is amazing to me that you can feel bad for so long and not truly get it that something is drastically wrong. Talk about NOT listening to your body! Once COVID hit, unfortunately, it had my head spinning like a top. Can I still get out and hike? Should I hike?

In between the HA, CHF, and Type 2 diabetes, I have spent way too much time researching each of the conditions as well as how each can affect the others. I’ve probably learned way too much about ejection fractions and echocardiograms. I have also learned a great deal about the medications that I now take to keep my ticker ticking.

Mentally, the journey has been a little tougher. With COVID and the constantly changing messages regarding vaccines, masks, and, well, everything about the virus, it has been incredibly difficult to keep adjusting to every new idea that is floated to the American public. With all of that said, my focus remains on maintaining and also continuing to improve my health, both physically and mentally. I keep all of my doctor appointments and have learned that if something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.

So now I live my life much differently than I did three years ago.  It’s pretty clear that if I hadn’t changed my ways, today would more than likely look very different.

Hopefully, these changes will help to prolong a life that has been altered by years of bad habits and choices.

The most important thing? Stay positive and motivated!

Happy Hiking!

Back to Ward Pound Ridge

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“I go on hikes expecting to see the great outdoors but spend most of the time lost in my own head.” – We Dream of Travel

“I love that moment in a hike when you snap to and suddenly realize for the last 10 minutes you’ve not been observing nature but have instead become a part of it.” – We Dream of Travel

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

As much as I like and expect to post my hikes the same day, sometimes it just doesn’t work out that way. In this case, I went out on Tuesday and the weather was awesome. With the wind blowing through the trees (with no leaves) it still sounded like a winter morning. As of last Tuesday, although it was still warm, the trees are still bare and the woods have a gloomy look to them. I think that it will only take another week or two to show its true colors!

As always, the hiking was nice. I kept it slow and soaked in the warm air and the silence, taking a different loop than I did the previous hike. It was all good with the exception of my left hand which I injured the week before. It made gripping my trekking pole more difficult than it should be. All in all, any hike is a good hike so I was happy and even happier that the next few days were kind of rainy and with the temperatures fluctuating the way they have been, I won’t journey out in the rain until it gets warmer.

But journey out I will. I have plans to go to Bear Mt., Fahnestock State Park, and the Black Rock Forest. I just have to plan my hikes more carefully than I have in the past. Since I am now retired, that is not an issue.

Here are some photos from my last hike.

The result of going to the bathroom at 3:30 am. All is good. This made gripping my trekking difficult.
A section of side trail.
Still more side trail. SILENCE!
Some debris left over from the winter. They did a nice job clearing the trail.
Part of the main trail.
Some more trail.

Feel free to check out the site, “We Dream of Travel”. A great deal of useful information for all hikers.

4/13-3.2/5.9

HAPPY HIKING!!!