Tag Archives: hudson valley ny

Fall Colors Are Finally Here!!!!

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“Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go.”

-Unknown

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The trail at the start of the hike.

After not hiking for several days, I got back on the trail on Thursday to see what I could see. And finally, I saw some pretty intense fall colors as I made my way around the Green Trail and up a rocky road to a shelter. Due to a busy week, not only have I not been out hiking, but I also did not get on my stationary bike as much as I would have liked. Needless to say, my legs felt out of sorts and I knew that I was moving a little slower than I usually do.

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Some nice fall colors in the woods.

With that said, it did feel good to get the legs moving and to breathe in the crisp fall air. Today I did bring my decent camera with me so I was hoping to get some decent pictures that adequately represented the day. Although it wasn’t brilliantly sunny, as the sun set it keep peeking through the clouds offering me a pretty nice array of colors and shades within the clouds.

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An awesome sight!!

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Happy Hiking!!!

2017 Mileage:

10/26/17-4.1-300.92

Work->Green Trail->Home

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“Walking is my main method of relaxation. I don’t go over my lines or try to solve the world’s problems, I just enjoy the scenery and the wildlife.”
-Kevin Whately

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The changing leaves as seen through my crappy cell phone camera!

I have found no better way to end a day than to get out and hike. This time of year is especially nice with the cooler temperatures and leaves falling out of the trees to just wander around the woods and think about absolutely…nothing. All I need is that couple of hours of movement to get the brain straight.

After work today (Thursday 10/19), I made my way to Ward Pound Ridge to hike the Green Trail. Today’s hike was made that much better by the total absence of any people. The only company I had this afternoon was the breeze blowing through the trees and an ocassional squirrel making its way from tree to tree.

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The sun setting in the woods about half of the way through the hike.

Happy Hiking!!!

2017 Mileage:

10/19/17-3.5-291.62

 

Albany->Ward Pound Ridge

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“When we are pushed and pulled in many different directions, we lose our sovereignty. We’re not free. Don’t allow yourself to be carried away anymore. Resist. Each mindful step is a step toward freedom. This kind of freedom is not political freedom. It’s freedom from the past, from the future, from our worries and our fears.”

-Thich Nhat Hanh

After an unexpected trip to Albany on Friday the 13th, I was left with a couple more hours of daylight than I was used to. Knowing this, I decided to go for a hike. The weather was beautiful and a nice cool breeze washed over the woods. Despite the fact that I had driven over four hours, I felt surprisingly good as I made my way on to the trail. My goal at first was to walk the original 5 1/2 miles of the Labyrinth but I hoped to do more.

Finishing the last couple of hundred yards of the first loop, I still felt good and knew that I would be able to do a few more miles. Instead of doing the Red Trail again, I broke off when it intersected with the RT and followed until it met up with the Yellow Trail. This brought me back to the car.

Truly an exercise in trying to find your inner peace!

Happy Hiking!!!

2017 Mileage:

10/13/17-10.2-284.62

 

Another Near Miss….

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“Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.”

-Roger Miller

Another day, another hike, another near miss with the rain. Only this time I didn’t even know it was supposed to rain! Heading out right after work, I decided to do the loop that I did on Sunday, only this time I would go past the connector trail and continue on the Red/Yellow Trail to the finish.

When I was about a half of a mile from the end, I saw this leaf suspended in mid air. At first I was a little freaked out because I couldn’t see anything holding it up. It just kept turning with the slight breeze that was blowing.  Even when you look at the picture, you can’t see anything!!!

As I finished the hike and stretched my legs, I felt the familiar drops of rain as it went from barely raining to pouring in a matter of a couple of minutes. Once again, I got lucky and didn’t get soaked!

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Happy Hiking!!!

2017 Mileage:

10/11/17-4.8-274.42

Reverse Green

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“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.”

-Lauren DeStefano

“I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house.”

-Nathaniel Hawthorne

Another beautiful autumn day means another day to get out and hike. Since it’s the end of a work day and daylight is dwindling, that means a shorter hike than usual. That’s no problem however, because it’s just good to get out into the  woods, no matter what time of day!

Today I did the Green Trail again and instead of going in the direction where I would end my journey on a steep downhill, I reversed directions and went up the steepest portion first. Even when I do the Red and Green Trails (they are together for the first 2.4 miles), I usually go in one specific direction. The opposite way proved to be much challenging than I am used to. That’s ok though, sometimes you need to get the old ticker moving!!!

Happy Hiking!!!

2017 Mileage:

10/3/17-3.6-260.62

The Power Of The Pole

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As I made my way through the woods today, I found myself thinking about my hiking poles. This pair, as well as the many I have owned over the years, have served me well. I never really gave much thought as to the reason why I actually used them in the past, but I do know that because of weak ankles and bad knees, I have a need for them at this point.

But today, as my poles were clink, clink, clinking on the rocks, I actually starting thinking about the mechanics of how I was of using them. Was it just a mindless action? One where you just put one pole in front of the other or is it something more calculated? As I walked on a nice flat section of the trail, it did seem like more of a mindless repetitious act of putting one pole in front of the other.

As I made my way onto a portion of the trail that was downhill and much more rocky, the placement of my poles didn’t seem so random. I thought of a comparison to something that has absolutely nothing to do with hiking. I am thinking of chess players. When you think about it, they say that chess players have to be thinking 4-5 moves ahead of their current one in order to stay in the game. The same is true when you are traversing difficult terrain.

Although it may seem random, I really don’t think that it is. Somewhere in my subconscious something is telling me where to place my trekking poles to save the wear and tear on my knees and ankles. This is especially true when I am moving quickly. Your mind has to be thinking at least a couple of steps ahead of your current one in order for you to stay on your feet.

So what does that mean for you? I think that if you take a step back and look at how you use your poles, you’ll come to the same conclusion that I have-that using trekking poles is a conscious act but what happens when you are hiking with them is not. Think about it…

Happy Hiking!!!

Check That Forecast!

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Rule #1 of hiking: Check the weather forecast before you plan to go out on a long hike.

My original plan yesterday was to hike between 9 and 10 miles, all depending on how I felt. As I closed in on around 4.5 miles, it started raining. I looked up at the sky and immediately knew that I wouldn’t be finishing that long hike. Since I hadn’t bothered to check the forecast, I didn’t bring ay rain gear. With the temperature at the time at around 51 degrees, hiking in the pouring rain was out of the question.

Well folks, another lesson of live and learn!!!

Happy Hiking!!!

2017 Mileage:

9/30/17-5.5-250.32

 

How Lucky We Are

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Close to the end of my hike today, I crossed paths with two older gentleman. The first man, probably around my age, tipped his hat and greeted me with a hearty “good morning!” The second man, quite a bit older than his hiking partner and moving very slowly, also greeted me warmly. It was what he said next that has stuck with me all day. As we passed each other, he looked me in the eye and said, “aren’t we lucky to be out here?” Indeed we are…

Escape With Me…

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“We travel not to escape life…but for life not to escape us.”

-Anonymous

No matter how long the hike, be it a short day hike, a weekend backpacking trip or a week long venture into the woods, part of the reason for getting out there is to escape. The first result after utilizing Google says that escape means to “break free from confinement or control.” Let’s face it, we are all subject to some form of “confinement or control” in our lives. At work or at home, the pressures of just being a member of society dictate that we have some time to get away, if only for a couple of hours.

In my humble opinion, the most important part of escaping involves disconnecting yourself from everything, mostly technology. Having a cell phone is good in case you have an emergency or you want to take pictures while you are on the trail. Otherwise, turn it off. No answering calls and no texting. And as much as I love music, I won’t bring my ipod with me on any day hike. If I am doing an overnight or multi night trip I’ll probably keep it in my pack for when I make camp after a long day of hiking.

Part of the “escape” for me is being enveloped by the woods around me. The changing terrain, the breeze making its way through the trees and the awesome views. You can’t fully embrace the disconnect unless you are truly disconnected! With all of the sounds in the woods acting as your own soundtrack, why would you make a conscious choice to disturb that?

So make the choice on your next hike to disconnect and then reconnect with your surroundings. You can thank me later!

Happy hiking!!!