Tag Archives: Hiking

Iron Mines Short Loop (4)

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“Hiking is the answer. Who cares what the question is.

-Anonymous

“I walk, I look, I see, I stop, I photograph.”

-Leon Levinstein

After resting my ankle for three days, I decided it was time to get back out into the woods. The swelling was gone and it felt pretty good so I figured at the very least I would lace the boots up and if it hurt too much I could just turn around and end today’s hike early.

As you pull into the parking lot, this is your view.

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Lake Skannatati

As is the norm with most of my summer hikes, I got the parking area pretty early today. Since it is the day before Independence Day, I thought that even at this hour more people would have been out. But at 6:10 am, the only other person I saw was this guy fishing!

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To the right of the lake you immediately see a kiosk and two trails. This will be the start as well as the end of the hike. The blue blazed Long Path is on your left and the red triangle A-SB (Arden Surebridge) will be on your right.

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The beginning and end of the hike.

Starting on the Long Path, you will wind your way around the lake, mainly staying on even ground. As you move deeper into the woods, you begin a series of small ups and downs on the trail until you intersect with the yellow blazed Dunning Trail. If you are looking for an even shorter hike than this one, you could make the right onto this trail and it will eventually intersect with the A-SB trail. Instead, take a left and after a few minutes the Long Path will turn off to the right while Dunning Trail stays on the left.

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The Long Path intersects with the Dunning Trail

Staying on the LP, you begin a steady climb until you reach the A-SB trail.

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The blue blazed Long Path

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Red Triangle A-SB Trail

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Heading down the A-SB Trail back towards the lake.

Once you turn onto the A-SB trail, it’s mainly all downhill until you get to the lake.

Overall I enjoyed this hike. The difficulty rating of moderate that I have seen in its description seems appropriate. The only negative thing that I can see with it, and this has been an issue with the Long Path in the past is the way that they blaze the trail. While I was on the LP today I spent way to much today not being able to find blazes and I had to reroute myself several times.  They could definitely put some of the blazes closer together and at critical junctures make it easier to follow them.

Summer 2017 Mileage:

7/3/17-4.3-16.02

 

Nuclear Lake (3)

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“Fill your life with experiences, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show.”

-Anonymous

Before I even begin to describe this hike, I think I spent too much time telling you how good my new boots were. The reason I say this is because about half way through the hike (approximately 2 miles), I went to step up with my left foot and with my right foot on an uneven tree root, it slid to the left, twisting my right ankle and sending me to the ground. Of course I really can’t blame the boots, but why blame my own clumsiness??

Since I was in the middle of the woods, I had no choice but to keep going. Up, down and over rocks, tree roots and leaves I went, the pain increasing with every step. I really  wanted to stop, but I knew that wasn’t possible. So I forged ahead for the remaining two miles and finished the hike.

Wow…I certainly am not a baby when it comes to pain, but this really hurt. I’m confident it isn’t broken, but it certainly is sprained. So as I sit on my couch with my foot up on a pillow with a bag of vegetables as an ice pack, I’ll describe what still was a really nice hike! Unfortunately I’ll be of the trails for a few days to let my ankle rest.

Parking just off of route 55 in a small parking lot, the initial blue trail lasts from the parking area until it joins the AT. A kiosk just off of the parking lot has a map for the nuclear lake hike as well as the obligatory warning about ticks.

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The start of the Nuclear Lake hike.

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Map of today’s hike.

Within a minute or two of leaving the kiosk, you will see the AT. Stay to the left on the AT and begin your journey through the woods. After about 5 minutes you will see the blue blazed Beekman Uplands Loop on the left. Do not take this trail! That is a hike for another day.

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The AT runs through some very nice woods.

The two bridges below make for pleasant distraction as you meander through the woods.

Almost immediately after crossing the bridge on the right, you will see this sign on a tree off to the right of the AT.

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The start of the yellow blazed Nuclear Lake Loop Trail.

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A section of the trail.

Photos of Nuclear Lake.

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The Nuclear Lake Loop

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As you circle the lake you cross several interesting rock walls.

Keep following the Yellow Blazes until you reach the point where the loop ends and meets up with the AT again. Take the left and continue on the AT until you get back to the blue trail that leads back to the parking lot.

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The end of the Nuclear Lake Loop Trail.

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A stretch of the AT.

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The AT goes back into the woods.

Summer 2017 Mileage:

4.2-11.72

 

 

Vasque St. Elias GTX Update

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“Let’s wander where the wifi is weak.”

-Anonymous

“In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous.”

-Aristotle

Yesterday I went for a pretty flat and easy hike to start breaking in my new boots. They fared pretty well and even when I got up this morning my feet were no worse for the wear. As a matter of fact, they felt pretty good!

Today, I went to Anthony’s Nose to give them a bit of test. Even though the hike isn’t that long (3.7 miles), it does have some substantial hills that range from very rocky to nice soft dirt. Coupled with some nice flat areas as well as some downhill sections (since the hike is an out and back), I think this hike gave me good idea of what to expect in the future.

With that said, I like these boots even more than I did yesterday! They don’t feel like any other backpacking boots that I have ever worn. They are really light but still offer incredible ankle support. After the hike today, I still didn’t  experience any hot spots, blisters or major discomfort.

If you suffer from weak ankles or just hike in very rocky or uneven terrain, these boots are definitely worth looking into. As I have noted in previous posts, I have hiked in Vasque boots for the better part of the last two decades and have never really had a problem with them. This pair just solidifies my love for Vasque Boots!

Keep on hiking!

Anthony’s Nose (2)

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“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

-Buddha

“Without health life is not life; it is only a state of langour and suffering – an image of death.”

-Buddha


It was another beautiful day for hiking in the Hudson Valley! At 7 am it was sunny, the temperature was about 52 degrees and the hiking was easy with a nice cool breeze that stayed with me all the way to the top. It really doesn’t get much better than this, especially at the end of June. It could be much hotter with humidity that would stop a horse in its tracks!

I did have an opportunity to meet a young lady who, according to her, hadn’t been to the Nose in a couple of years. She was hiking with her golden retriever, an absolutely beautiful dog who obviously knew I was a dog lover since he came right up to me and introduced himself! She had forgotten where the turn off was for the view-point so I pointed her in the right direction and off they went.

As we went our separate ways at the top, the retriever kept coming over to me to say hello! Some hikers might not like that, but I had no problem with it. He was really friendly and seemed to enjoy being out in the woods. That is one smart dog! Before she left, we did speak again about different hikes in the area and she asked me to take a picture of her and her friend with the Bear Mt. Bridge in the background.

I mention this because my faith in humanity has been partially restored, if even for a day. It is unfortunate, but even out hiking people are often times so distracted by one form of technology or another that the simple act of speaking to someone is often seen as an intrusion.  So kudos to this young lady for taking the time to speak with me and share some of her experiences and her furry friend!

Since I have documented so many trips to the Nose, I’ll spare you the usual pictures. What I have for you instead is some pictures of a hawk that flew straight up and then would ride the downdraft out of sight. To say the least, it was pretty awesome!

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This hawk was riding the downdrafts with a friend. Pretty spectacular!

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Another view of our fine feathered friends.

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One last look….

Summer 2017 Mileage:

3.7-7.52

 

Summer’s First Hike (1)

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“We don’t stop hiking because we grow old-we grow old because we stop hiking.”

-Finis Mitchell

“I could never resist the call of the trail.”

-Buffalo Bill

The first hike of the summer season!!!!

I headed out to the Horn Hill Bike Path after publishing my previous post to start breaking in my new Vasque boots. Overall they did well. They were comfortable and I didn’t really experience any discomfort until close to the end of the hike. Not much, but exactly what I would expect from a new pair of boots. No twisted ankles, blisters or hot spots.

I decided to do the shorter loop of this hike and it truly is amazing how it changes throughout the year. I have documented this hike in just about every season and with the amount of rain we have had recently, everything is in full bloom.

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The kiosk at the start of the hike.

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The smell of pine was intoxicating on several sections of this hike!

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More pine…

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The only short hill on this hike.

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This wasn’t here the last time I was here.

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Although these roots can be perilous, they are cool to look at!

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The trail near the end of the hike.

Summer 2017 Mileage:

3.85-3.85

Out With The Old And In With The New….

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After several years of great hiking with my Vasque boots, it’s time to retire them for a new pair. I’ve spent the last several days researching a new pair, paying special attention to boots that have a great deal of ankle support due to the fact that my ankles at this point are shot. Normal every day hiking boots won’t help me now, so I have to get some good backpacking boots.

Out with the old….

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Good bye old friend!!!!

And in with the new….

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The new Vasque St. Elias GTX Size 12W

I have been hiking in Vasque boots for the better part of 20 years now and I have found them to be incredibly good boots. This new pair appear to be much lighter than my old ones and the young man who helped me at Campmor said that the technology has advanced to the point where a good pair of backpacking boots don’t have to weigh 10 pounds!!!!

I’ll be heading to some familiar trails by the Anthony Wayne parking area to start breaking them in later to get a feel for how they do.

Stay tuned for the first hike write-up of the summer!!!!

The Start of Summer

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March, April, May and June,

The end to which could not come to soon.

School is out and the summer is here,

I can get back to hiking without any fear.

I haven’t been blogging, and that is a shame,

The work piled up and I have no one to blame.

But now that it’s over and there is time to be had,

The blogging resumes and for this I am glad.

So as you now read this, please forget the bad rhymes,

The summer is here hopefully full of good times!

Please join me as I get back on the trail,

Blogging my hikes with pictures and tales….

The Catfish Loop Trail

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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

“Remember to turn everything off once a week including your brain and walk somewhere quiet.”

-Anonymous

Today’s hike, located just across the street on Dennytown Road from the parking lot, was a decent one. It started on the Appalachian Trail and after 100 ft made a right turn onto the Catfish Loop Trail. Five miles of up, down and all around!

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Just cross the street to start the hike.

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The trail as it heads deeper into the woods.

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And deeper…

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The view to the left as I made my way down a hill.

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At the bottom of a hill.

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The trail went on like this for about 1.5 miles.

 

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A little scramble through this tight space.

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Almost at the end of the hike.

The Fahnestock Special (in reverse)

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“While you’ll feel compelled to charge forward it’s often a gentle step back that will reveal to you where you and what you truly seek.”
― Rasheed Ogunlaru

“How weird it was to drive streets I knew so well. What a different perspective.”

-Suzanne Vega

To change things up a little and get a new perspective on a hike that I’ve done many, many times, I reversed the route the route on the Fahnestock Special. For many years I have done this circular clockwise route in the same direction because it offers a hill that gives your legs, heart and mind a workout. The reverse route has a couple of very short climbs, but nothing like what is offered in the other direction.

Anyway, taking  a new way did make the hike seem a lot quicker than it usually is and I did get a much different perspective than what I am used to seeing.

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I had passed this tree just a couple of days earlier and did not see any mushrooms.

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A close up of one of the mushrooms.

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Wool Wins!

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Even though I have been hiking for a good part of my life (40 years), I have never considered wearing anything but cotton socks for my adventures. When the temperature started climbing earlier in the week and the usual hot spots reappeared, I figured that it might be time to try something new. For me the pattern is the same. As my feet sweat, they became soaked and it feels as though I am walking in a puddle of water. And this is when it isn’t raining!

As I could pretty much predict, as they became soaked from my sweat, they bunched up and it  just became very uncomfortable to hike.

So when I got home I did a little investigating, read several articles and ended up at Amazon looking for wool socks. Now I know that anyone reading this is probably thinking that I am a little late to the game on this one (and you’re right), but in the past I could never justify paying what they wanted for wool socks. What a mistake….

I settled on the MERIWOOl 3 pack Merino Wool Blend socks.

What an eye opener! Even as I slipped on them on for the first time yesterday, I knew that I had been missing something. Soft and comfortable, it literally felt like I was putting gloves on my feet. Yesterday’s 6 mile hike had rain, lots of sweat, and plenty of walking through wet grass and stepping in puddles, sometimes up to the top of my boot. I know that if I had been in my usual cotton socks, my feet would have been in agony. But they weren’t. These socks didn’t bunch up at the toes, really get wet from the rain, puddles or sweat and kept my feet comfortable the entire hike.

Needless to say I am now a believer. I will never, ever wear cotton socks hiking ever again. Ever…