Tag Archives: Nature

Sunrise On Lake Mahopac

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“The sun will rise and set regardless. What we choose to do with the light while it’s here is up to us. Journey wisely.” — Alexandra Elle

“Just like the days, no two sunrises are ever the same.” ― Jonathan P Lamas

“Nature unfolds her treasure at the first ray of sunrise.” ― Kishore Bansal

Every day I go to the gym, I take the same route. Leaving my house, I quickly find myself on a winding road around Lake Mahopac. Not far from the homestead, I often get some pretty nice views of the lake, and when conditions are like they were this morning, you are rewarded with an incredible sunrise.

Depending on the time of year, weather, and sunrise times, I have found that I can be either very happy or really disappointed with what I get to see. Today, I was given a gift with the start of what I am sure was a beautiful sunrise.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

Yes, I touched this one up just to see how it would look.

In the future, I need to start bringing my camera with me anytime I might encounter something worth photographing. These photos were taken with my Android cell phone, which, as you all know, doesn’t take very good pictures. With that said, these pictures didn’t come out nearly as bad as I thought they would.

School Mountain Road

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“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…

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“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

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“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?

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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?

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“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!!!!

A Foggy, Misty Morning

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“You can walk in a dream while you are awake: Just walk in the misty morning of a forest!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“For a spiritual journey, you don’t have to meditate or visit a temple or listen to a guru! Just live a misty morning while the sun is rising!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

Even though sunny fall days are excellent, so are days like these when a light mist is falling and the fog surrounds you. It is peaceful and the tranquility it provides a sense of calm. These photos and the ones from the other day are the reason I love Autumn so much!

Fall In Mahopac

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“I hope I can be the autumn leaf, who looked at the sky and lived. And when it was time to leave, gracefully it knew life was a gift.”-Dodinsky

“Is not this a true autumn day? Just the still melancholy that I love—that makes life and nature harmonize.”-George Eliot

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

Fall is without a doubt the best time of the year. The long hot days are gone, but the misery of winter hasn’t gotten here yet. Not that I don’t like Winter, but if it is a really, really cold one, it’s no fun. Having a lot of snow doesn’t have the same allure that it did when my kids were young!

So I went for a walk today in the woods that surround my house for the sole purpose of taking some pictures so I could write this blog entry. I love the sound of the leaves as they crunch under my feet and the warmth of the sun as it makes its way through the trees. It is beyond description and it is a shame that it only lasts for a short time.

I hope that you enjoy the photos!

This is about 100 feet outside of my house.
You can see from the light in the background that many trees have fallen during the storms we have had over the years.
We all end up here sooner or later.
A solitary leaf before it separates and begins its slow journey towards death.
I love trees in Black and White.
Although it was chilly, the sun coming through the trees was enough to warm me.

Ward Pound Ridge

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“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.” – Unknown

 “A walk in nature walks the soul back home.” – Mary Davis

Three days ago my friend and I went to Anthony’s Nose. Today, even though I hiked alone, I wasn’t alone. WPR was packed with people at the trailhead and it made it difficult at the beginning to get by other hikers. As I made my way up the trail, however, the crowds thinned out and I did get to enjoy some moments of peace and quiet. This hike reminded me again of why I really enjoy hiking in the early morning. No people!!!!

As you will see in the two pictures below, I also came across this lengthy inhabitant of the woods. From a distance I though for sure it was just a stick and then it moved!!!! I took the pictures and then moved on my way.

An unexpected friend on the trail.
He wasn’t too happy to see me.
Ward Pound Ridge Reservation.

The next photo shows my favorite rock to take a break at about the two mile point. If you notice, I had too get a new pack. Since I had a defibrillator implanted, I can no longer use a conventional daypack with two straps as it would place pressure on the spot of the implant. So after a little research, I found a 10 liter sling pack. This will take some getting used to.

HAPPY HIKING!!!