Tag Archives: Hiking

Don’t have all day to hike and still want to get out? Here’s a hike for you.

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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.

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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.

IMG_8116 IMG_8113As 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.

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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!

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IMG_8126After you cross the stream, continue on the trail and hike up a small hill where you will see this on your right-

IMG_8136Even 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.

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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.

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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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Am I a spoiled hiker? (Probably)

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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.

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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.

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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:

  1.  People dropping trash on the trail and at the viewpoint. Young and old, male and female, I saw people dropping wrappers and leaving water bottles where they sat.
  2. A conversation between two woman (I was probably thirty yards away and I thought it was thirty feet) where one said to the other, “Doesn’t hiking to Anthony’s Nose make it easier to relate to Bill Bryson’s “A Walk in the Woods?” Really??
  3. A group of at least fifteen people who had just made it to the Nose for the first time. Although I applaud the fact that they made it  to the top, they way they were carrying on about it, you would have thought they had conquered Everest. Sorry folks, not even close.
  4. One gentleman, probably around 60 years old and listening to some form of techno pop (without the aid of ear buds or headphones) noisily making his way down the trail, oblivious to everyone else hiking.

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.

 

 

 

 

 

Hockey, Hockey Parents, Their Kids and Keeping Calm

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“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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One road I’ve traveled and traveled and traveled….

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“Study how water flows in a valley stream, smoothly and freely between the rocks. Also learn from holy books and wise people. Everything – even mountains, rivers, plants and trees – should be your teacher.”

-Morihei Ueshiba

Pulling up to the trailhead I couldn’t help thinking that I had been there before, many times. The drive up South Mt. pass was all too familiar, but still comforting knowing the direction I was headed. The turn off of route 9, just opposite of the decrepit deli that never seems to have any customers, the horses that always seem to close to the road and the houses set back in the woods-only to be seen when the trees are bare and the warmth of the summer has left us. All of these things remind me of the different paths, I have taken throughout my life. Curving and winding roads that led me to places that at times didn’t necessarily make sense, but I took them anyway.

I park the jeep and step out onto the moist dirt, sinking ever so slightly with every step that I take.  I walk around to the back, open the gate and pull out the Kelty daypack that has kept me company on every hike that I have done for at least the last fifteen years. Examining the pack, I marvel at the fact that as old as it is, the wear and tear is just about non-existent. Green in color with yellow straps, the only damage that is visible is a cracked buckle on the waist belt.

My trusty friend and I have seen rain, sleet, hail, snow and at least a 100 degree range in temperature during its life. I open the top and look inside, making sure that my water bottles are filled, camera and ipod are secured and my cell phone is within reach. Yes, the picture above is my actual pack and trekking  poles!

I put the pack down, lace up my boots and adjust my hiking poles, eagerly anticipating another trip to The Nose. Sitting on the back of the Jeep, I take a deep breath and look up the Appalachian Trail at the white blazes and think about the thousands of stories that they could tell if they were able to. Throwing my pack on, I adjust the straps and head up the trail.

Seeing as it is Christmas Eve, I fully expect to see more people heading to the Nose, but they are curiously absent. As I leave the safety of the parking area, I have to admit that I am perfectly happy knowing that I am the only one (from this location) making what I hope will be a quiet hike to the viewpoint.I begin to focus on my surroundings as the jeep slowly disappears behind me and the sound of the small stream that I passed becomes a distant memory.

I am always amazed at the way that the wind sounds as it passes through the trees. Depending on the season, it can range from a soothing warm embrace that permeates every pore of your body to a cold chill  that cuts through even the warmest of clothes. Today, the temperature is an incredibly unseasonable 65 degrees so the breeze, even though it is December 24th, is oddly soothing. The light rain that is falling helps contribute to a to a satisfying sense of well being.

Marching steadily uphill I relish in the fact that I still have not seen or heard another person. The solitude has allowed me to focus on the moment at hand. The crunch of leaves,  the tic, tic, tic of my trekking poles hitting the rocks on the trail and the sound of every breath that I take helps better clear away the garbage that has accumulated over several weeks of not being able to get out into the woods. I like to think of it as a mental tune up where I can get rid of that negative energy and recharge my batteries.

After 30 minutes of pretty intense reflecting and walking, I reach the intersection of the AT and the Camp Smith trail. Since it is still warm and only drizzling, I am in no hurry to reach the top and decide to take a quick break before I tackle the final mile to the viewpoint. The point where the two trails meet is a favorite path to the top of many hikers so I fully expect to see others out enjoying the day.

To my further delight, I don’t see anyone as I prepare myself for the task ahead. Pushing on, I selfishly hope that no one else is (at the very least) sitting at my favorite spot. If you have ever seen pictures that I have taken on the Nose, you will have a pretty good idea of where that is!!

The rain and wind pick up as I round the final curve to the viewpoint and I am amazed that I can not see a single person!! This is unheard of! I quickly head to my “spot” and take off my pack, placing my poles next to my trusted friend and sit down, enjoying the solitude that has been given to me on this beautiful day.

It truly does not get any better than this…

Think about it. Time passes way to quickly and life is certainly shorter than we all think. What do you do to “recharge” your batteries? Do you get a chance to purge the negativity from your life, if only occasionally? Regardless of how you choose to do it, make sure that you find something that you can call yours, if only for a little awhile.

 

Does music soothe your savage breast?

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

-John Burroughs

“Music to me is the air that I breathe, it’s the blood that pumps through my veins that keeps me alive.”

-Billie Joe Armstrong

I love music. I always have and always will. Music has been there for me through all of the good, bad and indifferent times over the course of my life. The lyrics I have memorized and the melodies I love to hear play over and over again on a constant loop like my own personal soundtrack. This is twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

As the years have passed, I have found that my musical tastes have mellowed along with my demeanor. Gone (hopefully) are the days of constant anger and aggression, replaced in part by a sense of well being brought on by making certain positive life choices and then implementing them to see what direction they take me in.

Now, while I still listen to the bands that I did when I was younger (Ozzy, Mettalica, Black Sabbath),  today I am drawn more to the likes of the Grateful Dead, Phish, the String Cheese Incident as well as old classic rock favorites such as Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. When I really feel a need to decompress after a particularly trying day, I’ll put on Bach, Enya or perhaps George Winston.

Each of these artists, depending on my mood and frame of mind, allows me to transcend my personal reality and as a result, I do not have to dwell on whatever that particular day has brought to me. It is my goal to not live in the past, but instead do the best I can with the present so it can enlighten my future.

Although I do not usually listen to music while I am hiking, I will pull out the ipod when I reach a viewpoint or stop to take a rest. The music I listen to when I am hiking are the woods themselves. The soft crunch and swishing of the leaves  as I walk along the trail puts me at ease, the same way that music does. The best thing about this is that when you allow yourself to hear the music of the woods, the song never ends! Even hiking in the rain provides a melody all its own that can’t be denied.  I like to think of days like this as being under the influence of Mother Nature.

So where does that leave us? Whenever I go out into the woods I do so with a purpose. While hiking for the sake of hiking is ok, you can make a choice to bring each and every hike to a different level after answering a few questions.

First, what brings you to the trail? Thinking about why you are heading out and what you would like to accomplish by being out in the woods. Are you just trying to clear your mind after a bad day? Are you looking for answers to a problem? Whatever the case may be, clear your mind of everything else and get out there. The rest will take care of itself.

Second, think about where you are hiking. It may not seem that important, but subconsciously the hike you choose to do on any particular day reflects the frame of mind that you are in at that time. I know that when I really need to clear my mind, I pick a hike that I know will be challenging. I pick a hike that I know will force me to take full account of what I am doing. I am hiking!!!

Third, getting outside, embracing nature and taking advantage of that time and what the outdoors has to offer is very therapeutic and transformative. When you are hiking, either with friends or alone, take the time with your thoughts so you can really embrace each moment. You can think and focus on what you need to configure your own revitalization and rejuvenation.

So take the music that is the soundtrack of your life and your love of the woods and savor those memories. Take the time to file each of them away in your heart instead of just in your mind. That is what makes not only hiking, but your life, special.

There is no Zen in PC thought.

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“Tolerance isn’t about not having beliefs. It’s about how your beliefs lead you to treat people who disagree with you.”

-Timothy Keller

We live in a pretty disturbing time. Yes, we have to contend with ISIS, economic woes, poverty and many other issues that consume our thoughts. But in the last couple of weeks, however, something more disturbing has come to the forefront and really needs to be examined.

Let me first say that I am no fan of political correctness. My friends, political correctness has run amok in this country. Our college campuses, high schools and society have fallen prey to the ideas of a few, and if you don’t agree with them, you are then branded a bigot among other things. Gone are the days when you could actually have an opposing thought, because if you don’t agree with a person or a group, then you have committed some form of unthinkable crime. Peter Thiel says that “the core problem in our society is political correctness.”

I firmly believe that we all strive to think and act in ways that correspond to a belief that most everyone is tolerant of others in society. Unfortunately this is not always the case. It seems that those who claim to be the most tolerant are not. I honestly can not comprehend how you can say that a person is racist, bigoted, homophobic or whatever because they don’t agree with you is acting in a tolerant manner. Noted author Ray A. Davis sums it up perfectly when he says that “tolerance only for those who agree with you is no tolerance at all.”

As a strong believer in the first amendment, it should be obvious that as long as you’re not threatening anyone or spreading any type of hate speech that could hurt someone, then what you say should be left alone. You shouldn’t be demonized, threatened and ostracized because of your beliefs. The beauty of the first amendment and living in the United States is that we are allowed to actively disagree with others who do not share the same thoughts.

I would like those who instantly have a guttural reaction to those who oppose them and vocalize it to rethink their reaction and ask themselves, “how is this being tolerant?”

In trying to be a more compassionate, and yes, a more tolerant person, I am trying to keep an open mind to other people. I’m not going to lie-this has proven to be a very difficult task. I do not agree with a great many things, but I refuse to resort to saying that someone is a racist etc. because they do not agree with me. What then can we do to truly show that we are tolerant?

First and foremost, everyone needs to accept the fact that people are not going to agree with everything that you say or think. Having this belief alone would considerably elevate the level of discussion in this country when it pertains to controversial issues,  

Second, let’s agree that just because someone disagrees with us that they instead choose another way of reacting than spewing hate back at your detractors. Accept what they have to say as what they believe. Resorting to the old responses of “you’re a racist or a homophobe” just doesn’t cut it anymore. If anything, it shows a distinct lack of intellectual depth and understanding of what free speech is.

Third, if you disagree with a radio program or a television show based on its content or message, turn it off. If you find a book, blog, newspaper article or any other written matter to be offensive, don’t read it. It really is as simple as that. As fervently as you hold your beliefs, so do people who disagree with you. And that is the point as well as the big picture.

As with earlier posts, you may be asking yourself, “What does this have to do with hiking, and more importantly Zen Hiking?” I believe that a distinct correlation exists between the two. Being Zen in being able to live in the now, and not worry about what has happened in the past and what may happen in the future. We all want to live our lives as we choose without being afraid to express our views.

Taking the time to think while I hike has allowed me to do several things. I know that at work I have colleagues who have expressed differing viewpoints as to handle a situation. When I am out in the woods (especially this time of year) walking, thinking and breathing in the crisp autumn air gives me a chance to examine each side of a situation. Sometimes I stand firm and other times I am compelled to change my view based on what has been presented to me. Regardless of what the end result is, I have thought about it and can further articulate it when asked to do so. I am not blindly and ignorantly shutting down the ability to express opinions that differ from mine own.

Another colleague, whom I respect immensely, told me recently after a rather contentious discussion that she disagreed 100% with what I had to say. No name calling, no threats. A mutual disagreement among colleagues that did not end badly That is how it should be.

My point is a simple one. We all choose how we react to everything that happens to us everyday. We can choose to react passively or in anger. We can choose to react showing our ignorance. But, if we choose to do so, we can react in a manner that shows compassion and tolerance. Labeling and calling people names because they do not share our thoughts is the antithesis of actually being tolerant.

Think about these questions:

If I choose to react in a negative manner to those who disagree with me, how is that promoting any type pf beneficial discussion?

If I choose to accept the fact that other people will hold different beliefs, can that possibly hurt further discussion?

If I am at a point where I hold a very strong belief, can I at least get to a place where I can, at the very least, begin to understand where that other person is coming from?

“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.

-Buddha

 

Remember when you were young?

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Does anyone besides me remember when kids played outside and had to actually engage in some form of human interaction? For years now, whenever I talk to kids (I work in a high school) and ask them what they did over the course of a weekend or during summer break, I always get the same answer and it never involves being outside.

Most of the responses I get involve the couch, sleeping and video games. Very rarely do I have kids tell me about the time they spent actually being outside and just playing. Forget about hiking. I talk about the hikes that I do and they look at me as if I am from another planet. As a matter of fact, the look they give me is the same one that I see when I tell them when I was their age we only had channels 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13  to choose from on the television. And to make matters worse, Channel 13 was Public Broadcasting!!!

Children of my generation just didn’t play outside, we explored. There was a sense of excitement as we ran through the woods and built forts and just spent hours upon hours of wandering. The great thing about it was that it never got old. No matter how many times you walked through the same woods, on the same path, it didn’t matter whether it was a beautiful day or raining, it seemed as if there was always something new to experience. The only limits to do what we could do depended on how much our imagination held us back. Remembering that time, there were no limits.

As you know, I look forward to being outside hiking as a way to balance myself and to get rid of the mental garbage that accumulates on a daily basis. I find it refreshing to be able to breathe in the air and feel the soft swell of the earth under my feet as I hike towards an awesome view point or from trail to trail. I have found that it is not the end that counts, it’s the journey.

REI, the sporting goods company, is giving all of their employees the day after Thanksgiving off so that they can “opt outside.” Why? They are encouraging all of their employees to take the day and hit the trails. Shouldn’t we all be doing this? Shouldn’t we be encouraging our kids to get outside and do something? We have an entire generation of kids who spend seven hours a day in school and then the rest of the evening inside watching tv or playing video games.

In looking at the big picture, can I automatically assume that everyone will experience the same benefit that I do from spending time outside? Can I assume that if someone takes the time to get out and just walk around, that they would feel better, both physically and psychologically? I think that the proof of this can not be denied.

We all lament about the “good old days” and how things used to be so much simpler than they are today. The time where we didn’t mind being outside, even in the rain and the snow. I really wonder what it will take to get back to that time? Can we? Should we? Sure, it is really great to be able to get out into the woods when I can, but I’m not going to lie, it isn’t enough and I wish it was more.  Do you remember when you were young?

Anthony’s Nose vs. Technology

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“It was my letting go that gave me a better hold.”

― Chris Matakas

When I was out hiking several weeks ago, I had some time to think about how my attitude towards technology at work and my home life overall had changed over the course of the last several years. Since I have hiked the familiar trail to Anthony’s Nose countless times, I was once again afforded the opportunity to let my mind wander since I didn’t have to really worry about getting lost. As days go it was one of the better ones that we had seen in quite a few weeks. Cooler temperatures, no humidity and a light breeze made for perfect hiking conditions.

As I strapped my pack on and tightened the laces on my boots, I hoped that I wouldn’t see to many people on my journey. It’s not that I am anti social, but there are times when the need to be alone with your thoughts takes precedence over everything else. Why you may ask? It’s really pretty simple.

We live in a world that is dominated by the technology around us. I know that in my house you have the tv, computer, telephone, cell phones and ipods.We can’t even escape this deluge in our cars. It seems as though someone is looking at or listening to something twenty four hours a day. I know many people of my generation who grew up without this 24/7 technological onslaught feel overwhelmed, at times, by the sheer volume of everything that is being directed at us.  Every aspect of our lives is controlled by our use of technology.

Think about it. When was the last time that you saw something positive on the news? I know, I can’t either.  It doesn’t happen. Death, corruption, destruction, child molesters, fires, car accidents. It’s all negative and it is hurting each and every one of us.

Why does this matter? Up until about three years ago, I felt that if I didn’t check my work e-mail at home, or my personal e-mail ten times a day, I would be missing something. I especially felt this at work over breaks and during the summer.

And please don’t ask about Facebook. When I first joined Facebook I felt the need to comment on just about everything that was written. I would get into lengthy arguments with people who I disagreed with, especially in regards to politics. Over the course of the last year, I have tended to pick and choose what I respond to. Unfortunately, many people feel the need to focus on the negative and can not engage in any type of healthy and productive debate.

I would actually get angry over the stupidity that I saw and it just seemed like an awful waste of energy.

This led to my recent decision to not respond to Facebook posts, no matter how provocative they may be. At this point in my life it just doesn’t seem productive to engage in such incredibly pointless debates.

You may be asking, “Why is he focusing on just Facebook?” That is also a simple answer.My interactions on Facebook were the ones that were causing me the most angst and wasting an incredible amount of my time.

The need to be able to escape from our technological lives is what makes every single trip to Anthony’s Nose special. The ability to feel the earth under your feet as you walk and to be able to hear only the train whistles in the distance is, indeed, the perfect mental cleansing. Sometimes you just need to get rid of all of the crap in the attic and move forward.

Needless to say, everyone needs to take the time to disconnect and get back to the basics, at least for a little while. Is it possible to totally disconnect? Not in the 21st century. But you can reduce the amount of time that are swept up in the technological malaise.

Reid Genauer, the lead singer and lyricist of the band Assembly of Dust summed it up perfectly when he said, “Can you help me get my head on straight just a half an inch, so I can muddle on through?”

Take some time to assess where you are with all of the technology available out there and ask yourself if it is really improving your state of mind. I think you might be surprised with what you find out.

(Before anyone attacks me, I know that I am using technology to write and maintain this blog. A necessary evil….)

Mow to Zen

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“I can only meditate when I am walking. When I stop, I cease to think; my mind only works with my legs.”

Jean Jacques Rousseau

Over the years I have come to realize that hiking is not the only form of walking that has a calming effect on my soul and allows me to think without anyone hassling me. Even though today is October 4th in the Northeast, I actually had to mow my lawn. Now I have expressed countless times to my friends, colleagues and especially my family just how much I love to mow my lawn. Every time that I do, I get the same response-”You are truly out of your mind.”

I then say to them, “No, no, you just don’t get it.  When I mow the lawn, I can pretty much guarantee that no one else wants to do it, which guarantees me a period of time where no one will bother me.” I can then get lost in my mind and think what I consider to be profound and incredibly insightful thoughts. Or, if I am not in the mood to think profound thoughts, sometimes mowing the lawn just puts me in my Zen place.

I can remember one time when my kids were much younger I had raised the level of the blade on my mower so the length of the standing grass would be higher. I thought that by keeping the grass higher, it would look better than the golden brown that was over taking my lawn.  As I finished mowing, I remember feeling really good until I heard the yelling. My son and daughter were going at each other at a level that, quite honestly, I didn’t want to deal with.

What was the argument about you might ask? I apologize, but the reason has been lost to the annals of time. And to be honest with you, if I didn’t see any blood, broken or missing limbs or a weapon, then I didn’t care. But what I did in an attempt to save my state of mind, and to allow myself to continue to wallow in my mental abyss was to lower the blade on the mower back to its original height and I mowed the lawn again, guaranteeing me another hour of peace.

And to steal a line from Forrest Gump, “That’s all I have to say about that.”

Should I or shouldn’t I?

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“Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence.”

Henry David Thoreau

Even though I briefly touched upon this subject in my first blog, I thought a more concise explanation was necessary.

As I was contemplating the merits of writing a blog about my journeys throughout the Hudson Valley, I found myself conflicted. Conflicted about what you may ask? How could I possibly have an issue with writing about my favorite (and maybe not so favorite) hikes? Well, It seems as though many of the hikes in the area were relatively unknown until they either appeared in a magazine, newspaper or blog. After people read about them, all of a sudden they became the place to go. Whereas in the past, even on a weekend, many excellent hikes that never had many people were now packed to the gills.

A classic example of this is Breakneck Ridge. Ever since it was voted the #1 hike in North America, it is now inundated with hikers every weekend and holiday. When I say inundated, I don’t mean a small trickle of folks. I really mean a swarm of people from places as far south as New Jersey and well into Dutchess county and north. It even now has its own tiny Metro North station! You used to have to walk to the Ridge from the Garrison station a couple of miles away.

A good friend of mine who I have been hiking with for over twenty years, used to love to hike Breakneck Ridge. When he does go now, he says that the number of people has multiplied exponentially and with it the amount of trash, poor behavior and destruction to the trail. So I thought about and I had to make a decision. If I write about the hikes I love, would I also be contributing to the demise of the places I go to reclaim my sanity and zen? I decided that it would be better to share the hikes I love as well as why I love them and hope that others will treat every trail with the same amount of affection and reverence that I do. Anyway, if I decided that I wouldn’t write about my experiences hiking in the area, what would I write about?