Tag Archives: Hiking

Planet Fitness Fun

Leave a reply

“I try to get myself up and moving as early as possible. Optimum is to be on the treadmill while it is still dark outside.”-Henry Rollins

“An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.”-Henry David Thoreau

Five in the morning at my local Planet Fitness.

Many people don’t like walking on a treadmill. I don’t think it is so bad. With that said, as satisfying as an hour-long workout on the treadmill may be, hiking on a beautiful trail on a cool morning is much better. Just saying…

My daily walk, whether it is on the treadmill or in the woods, is how I get my brain and body out of its night-time slumber so I can get on with the day.

I have friends and relatives that ask me, “How can you walk on a treadmill? Doesn’t it get boring?” My answer? Nope. Not at all!

First, I have my iPad, and the very first thing I do is put on a Goose show. If you aren’t familiar with the band Goose, check them out. They fall in the same jam band genre as The Grateful Dead, Phish, Moe., and so many others. If they don’t get you moving and motivated, I don’t know what to tell you!

Second, the treadmills at Planet Fitness all have small TVs on them. I can’t explain the pleasure I get trying to read the closed captioning as it runs across the bottom of the screen. Often times it is jumbled, incorrect, and incoherent. It is still pretty funny!

So, as we move into the summer months, my goal is to get out hiking as much as I can. On the days that I can’t, I will continue to do my thing on the treadmill.

You just have to keep moving!!!!!

Happy Hiking!!!

Early Morning Bliss!!!

Leave a reply

“I felt like summer had taken me over.”-Junot Diaz

“Everything good, everything magical, happens between the months of June and August.”-Jenny Han

“Summer breeze makes me feel fine.”-Seals & Crofts

What a beautiful morning!!! That is the only way to describe it. Not many days during the month of June start off with a cool 57 degrees with no humidity and an awesome breeze. Not only that, I didn’t see a single fly, mosquito or gnat during the entire hike. Could it get any better? I don’t think so!

Even though I have been on some of the trails on this hike previously, I would say I have never hiked probably three of the six miles. As with the rest of Ward Pound Ridge, it was outstanding. The trails were well maintained and since I haven’t been in this part of WPR since before COVID, I was met with a nice surprise very early into the hike.

A wonderful addition to Ward Pound Ridge.

After several years of disrepair to existing bridges, the folks at WPR apparently made the decision to install two of these covered bridges across a stream that runs through a portion of the park.

Five thirty in the morning at the start of the hike.

The entrance to my happy place!

I’m going to guess that this area floods when it rains…

It was almost as if the trees were standing guard over this part of the trail.

Even though you can’t really tell by the photo, this stream is running and provided a great soundtrack with the breeze blowing through the trees as I took a break.

Call me crazy, but can you see the shape of the turtle?

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, today was an absolutely beautiful morning to be out hiking. These are the kind of days where you can head out into the woods and use the time to reenergize and refocus with no distractions.

Today, like many other hikes I have done in WPR, I didn’t see to many folks out on the trail. However, one person who I saw should be an inspiration to us all. As I was working my way up a hill, I felt good about myself and was happy that I wasn’t that tired or winded. About 3/4 of the way up the hill, I heard a trail runner approaching from my rear. As I turned around, I saw a man who was easily 10 years older than me (I’m 58) who blew by me like I was standing still.

Needless to say, the good feeling I had quickly disappeared.

Of course, I say this with just a little bit of humor, because this guy, for as old he is, is in phenomenal shape. Kudos to him!!!

HAPPY HIKING!!!

Hike #5-6/15-6.0-20.9

Three Days Later…

1 Reply

“Sun is shining. Weather is sweet. Make you wanna move your dancing feet.” – Bob Marley

“It was a splendid summer morning and it seemed as if nothing could go wrong.” – John Cheever

“My favorite weather is bird-chirping weather.” – Terri Guillemets

Walking out of the house this morning to go to the gym was an absolute joy. When I left at 6:30, the sky was blue, and a cool breeze ran through my yard. It was awesome!!! We haven’t seen weather this nice for almost a week!

If you saw my previous post, you saw the result of weather conditions allowing the smoke from Canadian forest fires to infiltrate the Hudson Valley of NY where I live. An orange haze covered the area, making the air smell like a campfire. It was overwhelming!!!! Even though the smell of a woodsy fire was really strong, it was actually pleasant.

So, on my way to the gym, I decided to go to the two spots where I took pictures on Wednesday to replicate the same views on a clear day. WOW!!! What a difference.

Thankfully the haze didn’t last as long as they thought it was going to. A couple of days ago, there was talk that it could last well into the weekend. I can say that for the first time in days, I haven’t been coughing every two seconds with a sore throat.

HAPPY HIKING!!!

Ward Pound Ridge In Spring

Leave a reply

 “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

Leave a reply

“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…

Leave a reply

“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

Leave a reply

“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

Is Trail Etiquette A Thing Of The Past?

1 Reply

Etiquette means behaving yourself a little better than is absolutely essential.-Will Cuppy

I don’t know about you, but the reason I love being out in the woods is to get away from the insanity of what has become today’s society. Unfortunately, over the course of the last 10 years, I have noticed a marked decline in the actions that used to be the norm when you would be out hiking. The poor behavior that folks exhibit in everyday life is now quickly becoming an unwanted reality in the one place where so many go to seek refuge.

Granted, I can’t say that this occurs everywhere, but in my neck of the woods, the Hudson Valley of New York, I have been witness to a willful disregard of what I consider to be common sense trail etiquette.

Here are three of my biggest pet peeves (in no particular order):

Noise on the Trail:

If I’m hiking alone, I really enjoy listening to the sounds of nature. The leaves rustling in the winds, the sound of my boots in the dirt as I hike along the trail, and the water running in a stream. Each of these is incredibly soothing to my mind and body.

Now, if I am hiking with another person or in a small group, I do like to talk, oftentimes because it is to catch up with them because I might not have seen them in some time. When we do hold a conversation, it is at a reasonable level.

Here’s the problem. When I can hear a group coming from half a mile away, you are talking too loudly. Common courtesy says that you should at least make an attempt to keep your conversation amongst yourselves. Remember when we used to tell our kids to use their “inside voices?”

This all becomes moot, of course, if you see a bear. Then you are free to yell as loud as you want.

I never thought I would say this, but music has also become a problem on the trail. Regardless of whether I like the music you listen to or not, I shouldn’t have to listen along with you while I am trying to enjoy my hike. With technological advances, this has become even most evident at popular viewpoints where hikers have no problem taking out small portable speakers and subjecting the rest of us to their musical tastes instead of enjoying what nature offers. That’s what headphones are made for.

Leave No Trace

The amount of garbage I have picked up over the years, even in remote areas, is, quite frankly, unbelievable. Even before “leave no trace” became a thing, it was pretty much understood that you DON’T LITTER!!! It really isn’t that difficult to pick up your trash and dispose of it properly. Or is it?

Dogs on the trail

Being a lifelong dog owner, I can tell you that I love dogs. I have always considered each one that I have had as a member of my family. With that said, I knew that a couple of them didn’t have the temperament to take out hiking. Not that they were aggressively mean, but they tended to be on the rambunctious side, and I knew that this might scare small children and unexpecting adults. The solution is simple: keep your dog on a leash if you are going to bring them hiking. I have met some really nice dogs on the trail, but when you are in the zone, an unleashed dog, no matter how nice, can be an issue.

For some of you, none of this may be a problem. I respect that, But just as I do, please remember that you aren’t alone out there. Everyone out there, young and old, should be able to hike in peace if they choose to do so.

HAPPY HIKING!!!

Where is Spring?

Leave a reply

“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!!!!