“Black and white creates a strange dreamscape that color never can.”
-Jack Antonoff
Playing With Black & White (Some More)
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Tag Archives: Hudson Valley Hiking
The Trail
Heading up the trail at Ward Pound Ridge.
Happy Hiking!!!
The Guardian (COB)
The guardian of the parking lot at one of my favorite hiking spots.
Hiking Solo? Leave an Itinerary!
“What seems to us bitter trials are often blessings in disguise.”
– Oscar Wilde
I have had the opportunity to do a great deal of thinking since I’ve been laid up after my surgery. One of the questions that keeps running through my mind is, what if I had been alone during that backpacking trip? What if I didn’t have my two friends there to call for help in what has proved to be one of the worst days I have ever had. Now, when I originally planned this trip, I was going to go alone but a couple of months later I asked two friends if they wanted to join me on what was supposed to be a three day adventure.
Thankfully, Ray had an app on his phone that was able to give the exact latitude and longitude of where we were. If I had been alone, I would have only been able to give a general description of where I was therefore possibly delaying my departure from the trail. Jaime immediately knew to call 911 and the Park Rangers to summon help as quickly as he could. Once again, if I had been alone, due to my physical condition I am not so sure whether I could have properly summoned help and I may have sat there for hours waiting for another hiker to come along.
When I was younger I never thought that hiking alone could be a dangerous activity. I spent many days in the woods and my family didn’t even know where I was or when I was going to be back. I never thought for one second that I would ever get hurt hiking!
However, as I started to get older, I decided that it was probably in my best interest to leave an itinerary, just in case. So what info do I leave my family?
- The first thing I do is write down the name of the trail map(s) I will be using. Next, I make sure that I carefully detail what trails I will be hiking on. The most important thing to remember about this one? Never, ever deviate from the information that you leave for your family!!
- Make sure that after you write the information down you tell someone that you are going hiking and that you have left an itinerary. If no one is home when I am leaving, I will text my wife and tell her I am going and that the info is in the kitchen.
- When I start the hike I will text my wife to let her know that I am heading out on the trail and how long I think it will take me to complete the hike. If I think that I am going to be later than I originally thought, I send her a text letting her know that.
- As soon as I have completed my hike, I usually give my wife a quick call just to let her know I am done.
I used to think that leaving all of this information was overkill. After fracturing my ankle last month, I am now more committed than ever to making sure that I let someone know when I am going to be out hiking.
Oh yeah, one more thing. Make sure you have more than enough water for your hike. Stay hydrated!!!!!
Happy Hiking!!!
Blue (CFFC)
Happy Hiking!!!
Water (CFFC)
Happy Hiking!!!
Walk, Walk, Walk
“Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time.”
-Steven Wright
Not that those of us who hike/walk have to be told, but check out the link below for some great information on the benefits of walking. It fascinates me that an activity as simple as walking can have such a profound effect on your overall health.
Happy reading and as always, Happy Hiking!!!
Hiker Culture
What do I love about hikers? Pretty much just about everything. With the exception of a couple of folks, I can tell you that every hiker that I have ever met have been unique individuals who have great stories to tell of one hike or another. Over the years the number of hikers that I have encountered has grown ten fold and for the most part that has been a good thing. I love seeing the sweaty smiling faces as I pass them on the trail. The greetings of “What’s up?” and “Have a nice hike!” stay with me as we each move past each other in our own space and time.
But what else is it about hikers? What has attracted to me to this culture of hiking and its intrepid travelers? Many things. But before we get into some specifics, what is culture?
A very simple definition of culture that I got from the Cambridge dictionary is the following and says that culture is “the way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of a particular group of people at a particular time”. I would think that hikers, no matter what kind, fit this definition. They are an incredible diverse group of individuals that come together and create their own dialect, customs and lifestyle. So, what are my top three characteristics or values of what I see as hiker culture?
Overall, hikers are an incredibly welcoming group. It doesn’t matter what how old you are, your race, weight, height or religion, If you are out traversing the trails, then you are a full fledged member of the group. They aren’t afraid to break bread with strangers or share what they have if they encounter someone who may not have planned a hike properly.
I have also found that hikers aren’t afraid to ask for assistance from other hikers if they aren’t sure of where they are or where they may be going. And this is the coolest part. If they can, they will help you! Out comes the map and together you will work towards a solution to get you on your way. Although both of these provide an example of a sense of community, they are on different levels.
The one thing that truly makes me proud to be part of this tribe is the respect that fellow hikers have for trails that they are walking on. Words such as “Leave No Trace” actually mean something to people who hike. I can count on one hand the number of times that I have had to pick up trash while hiking. To me, that sends a powerful message.
Now remember, this list is by no means a comprehensive one. I have chosen my top three and shared them with you.
What are the values or characteristics that define hiker culture for you?
Happy Hiking!!!
Moving Forward
“It’s always hard to deal with injuries mentally, but I like to think about it as a new beginning. I can’t change what happened, so the focus needs to go toward healing and coming back stronger than before.”
-Carli Lloyd
Ever since I’ve been laid up with this fractured ankle, all I have been thinking about is hiking. My favorite hikes, not so favorite ones, ones that I’ve done many times and ones that I’ve done once. I’ve dreamed about hiking and have already started planning my “Return to Hiking” hike that will hopefully usher in a new era of hiking for me.
Will that first hike be a difficult one? You bet. But I need to get back on the trail. I need to be out there. I already miss the warm air moving through the trees, the sound of rushing water in the streams that run parallel to many of the rock strewn paths. I miss making my way around a corner and being mesmerized by an awesome view, captivated by the colors of the season and just sitting and breathing in the awesomeness that is just being there. If you have hiked, you know what I’m talking about!
Obviously, however, I am getting way ahead of myself. As I was laying in the hospital, all I could think about was getting the surgery to repair my ankle so I did everything that the doctors and nurses asked me to do. My goal was to go home.
Now that I have been home for ten days, I have the same anticipation as I sit and wait for my followup appointment with the surgeon. The hope next Tuesday is that I will get a positive report on my progress and soon after PT will follow. For me, PT is the next step, the next chapter in not only in my physical recovery, but in my mental salvation as well.
Thanks for reading and your positive comments!
Happy Hiking!!!
And The Winner Is…The Rocks!
There once was a guy named Mike,
And boy did he like to hike.
Into the woods and onto the trail,
Walking and walking so he could tell a good tale.
Then came that morning, on a hot day in June,
When he strapped on the pack and it ended too soon.
The rain had come heavily, the whole night before,
It seemed that the rocks had to settle a score.
As he walked on those rocks, and he breathed in the air,
The hiking was good, and he had not a care.
Then all at once, he started to slide,
With nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.
His foot then then got caught and he heard a strange snap,
Oh what had happened? Was it some kind of trap?
As he lay on the ground, the situation was grim,
He knew it was bad, his head started to swim.
One short week later, after the surgery was done,
It was obvious and true that the rocks, they had won.
Happy Hiking!!!
The Zen Hiker 