Tag Archives: Upper Hudson Valley

The World Awakens

One of the unique things about hiking and walking is you get to see the world in many different lights. Depending on the time of day that you venture out, you can, and probably will, have a drastically different experience than you would if you had decided to wait to head out, either later or even earlier in the day. On the days that I am not on one trail or another, I have several loops on the local roads that I like to walk to start my day. Because it has been so hot, I have spent just about the last week getting up and walking at 4:30 am.

Although I get up around the same to go to work during the school year, I can’t compare getting up to hike and getting up to go to work. Not that I don’t love my job, because I do, but it is much easier on the psyche getting up that early when you are doing something that is going to help your mind and body move forward on every level.

Now, the reason I mention this is because I have noticed that whether I am deep in the woods or on the road, each day starts remarkably the same way. On the trail, the woods are eerily silent and the only sound I hear, and quickly become in sync with, is my boots kicking up the earth as I explore my surroundings. As the sun makes its way over the hills and through the dense brush of the summer woods, you can start to hear the chipmunks and squirrels begin their daily routine of survival.

The same can be said of those living in the suburbs. At this time of year, all I hear when I start walking is the communal hum of air conditioners in the houses of those who are also beginning their daily routine of survival. Bleary eyed, or in some cases teary eyed, I see the people on my walk leaving the comforts of home, briefcase or bag in hand with looks of temporary despair as they start their daily journey to, where?

As the sun continues its relentless march upward and across the morning sky, the dew begins to dry on any exposed leaves and as a summer breeze moves in from the west, the trees silently stir. At this time of the morning, especially when I am on the trail, I’ll take a few minutes to just sit with my eyes closed and take it all in. The shift from the night slumber to awakening reality can be a real eye opener (no pun intended).

More and more life continues to stir and it is obvious to me that in both cases, each place has its routines that must be adhered to. Routines, that when looked at closely, follow a pattern that help determine whether, if followed, they are among the survivors that day.

Isn’t daily survival a short-term goal for everyone? Isn’t it important to start every day in peace so we can make the decisions going forward necessary to help maintain that peace? I am looking for peace at home, peace at work and just living life without the drama that seems to consume us. Think about how you can preserve your peace as well as those around you based on how you start your day.

The Fahnestock Special-7/20/16

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“Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken.”
-Frank Herbert

“I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.”
-Rosalia de Castro

“Let me live where I will, on this side is the city, on that the wilderness, and ever I am leaving the city more and more, and withdrawing into the wilderness.”
― Henry David Thoreau

Today was a perfectly glorious day in the Hudson Valley. When I started hiking at 6:45 am, the temperature was a cool and refreshing 58 degrees with absolutely no humidity. The sky was blue and if only for the wisps of white fluffy clouds, the suns brilliance would have been absolute. For an early morning hike on July 20th, you weren’t going to get much better than this. Mornings like this are a rarity in this area for mid to late July, with days usually being much warmer and humid than what I was faced with today. Instead of being confronted with a hazy film and endless bugs that thought I was a good source of protein, the slight breeze that was present made my eventual journey into the woods a positive one

Leaving the house, the sun was slowly rising as I made my way around Lake Mahopac. I was amazed at its brilliance, but with no humidity to hinder its ascent, the warm glow basked everyone who was out shortly after sunrise.

One of the best things about hiking in Fahnestock State Park is its proximity to where I live. Traveling north on the Taconic State Parkway, it only takes 15 minutes to get from my front door to the trail head.

Parking alongside Route 301, the Charcoal Burners Trail makes a hasty retreat into the woods where it meets with the Perkins Trail (Y) about .1 of a mile after you start.

Slowly winding its way uphill, the trail snakes its way further and further away from the heavily traveled route 301.

If you have never done this hike before, you will be pleasantly surprised when you come out of the woods, turn left and begin walking on grass. It is a welcome change from the usual rocks and uneven terrain that are a staple of every trail.

As you walk through the grass, be prepared for your boots to get wet!!!

After a short distance you turn right and in front of you will be a gate. Make sure that as you make your way through this area, you stay on the trail as you will be hiking on private property.

Instead of being confined to a narrow rocky trail, once you pass through the gate the entire world opens in front you. Breathtaking in its scope, a myriad of photographic opportunities await as you take a moment to reel everything in.

As you continue hiking, you will see horses on your left and cows on the right. The trail continues on some really nice terrain, and even though the grass was wet with a cool morning dew, it was somewhat better than the trails we are used to in this area.

This was a great place to get some excellent pictures of the surrounding countryside. Without the summer haze that you would expect in mid July, the mountains in the distance were crystal clear. Even more interesting were the tractors, some dead and some alive, that seemed to inhabit the area. They added some nice character to the pictures that you see here.

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Continuing on the grass, follow the trail markings (not hard to miss) and you will make the hard left turn.

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After walking for another 10 minutes, you will eventually end up re-entering the woods. As with everything else, all good things must come to an end and the trail picks up exactly where it left off, in the woods.

Once you get back on the trail, you will see that it heads downhill for probably about a mile, ending at a small bridge. If you were to do this hike in reverse, you would have a pretty long climb, so if you decide to do this hike, choose your direction wisely! This is also an excellent place to stop and rest for a little bit because you have a small climb ahead of you.

After crossing Glynwood Road, the trail heads steeply up hill for approximately 1/4 of a mile and then turns on to a dirt where you will stay until it heads deeper into the woods.

As the trail gradually slopes downward, you will see a lake to your right. Now marked by Blue Blazes, this will continue to be the color of the blaze that you will follow for almost the rest of the hike.

As the trail winds around the lake, it begins a slow ascent back to the Charcoal Burners Trail where, one mile from the end of the hike, you can rest for a final time at yet another lake.

After you rest and get some good photos, cross the bridge and follow the blue blazes until they turn left. You will stay on the red Charcoal Burners trail until you reach Route 301.

Overall this hike is 6 miles long. Technically it isn’t a very difficult hike, but it does offer a couple of small climbs that will get your heart pumping. As you can tell by the pictures, it does, however, offer a wide range of scenery that will allow you to get some excellent photos.

Peace and happy hiking!!

Carefree

Details

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Details

Lake Sebago and Skenonto-I Dub Thee…Solitude…

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“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity”
― John Muir

“In solitude there is healing. Speak to your soul. Listen to your heart. Sometimes in the absence of noise we find the answers.”

–Dodinsky

WOW!!! All I can say about this hike is solitude…If you are looking for hike where after being on the trail for less than a mile you pretty much don’t see or hear any signs of civilization, then this is your hike. Of course this is just another quality hike that I got from Don Weise’s book, Circuit Hikes in Harriman-35 Loop Hikes and Trail Runs in Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks. (I completed this hike on 7/13/16).

If you look at this hike on the map, it resembles a melting lollipop!

Starting off at the end of Johnsontown Road (which is a circle), the beginning of the trail is clearly marked with horizontal white bars.

The beginning of the trail immediately starts heading uphill, although slightly and for a short period is, at first, a mixture of dirt and road. As you move deeper into the woods and away from everything, the trail goes through many variations and runs the gamut from dirt to rocks to a fine grassy surface.

A pleasant surprise that I had on the trail today was the wildlife that I encountered. Usually I don’t get to close to many animals, but today, I could have reached down and touched the rabbit that you see in this picture. It was truly amazing!

I am not going to lie, I love rabbits!

The trail, meandering its way through the woods, continues to move uphill ever so slightly and at times you don’t even notice that you have been gaining any elevation until you turn around and look at where you have been.

Although you do spend time on trails at the start, you also find yourself traversing a woods road that is easy to walk on. As I have noted on other hikes, this is also one in which you could introduce small children to the joys of hiking.

One and a half miles into your trip you will pass the Dutch Doctor Trail on your right. You will also encounter this shelter again on the return trip, this time on your left side.

One of the other scenic wonders that are in abundance in this area are the isolated and stray boulders that just appear to be cast throughout the park. These boulders seem to have just been placed where they are by some unseen force.

Continue to follow the white bar trail for 1.75 miles where you will see the start of the yellow triangle trail. This, and the victory trail (later) will signify the head of the lollipop. Stay to your right and now follow the yellow triangle trail.

One of the more unique things that I did notice after I moved on to the yellow triangle trail was the almost immediate change in the terrain of the trail. The triangle trail represented a calmer, more meditative and deliberative approach to this hike. Notice how the lush woods seem to envelop you as you become one with the terrain. It is more earthen and the sound of your boots striding along the trail signifies the solitude that I was seeking.

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At almost three miles, you will be able to see Lake Sebago on your right. I decided at this point to stop for a water and picture break.

The trail becomes a little tricky at this point as you should continue on to the right along the shores of Lake Sebago. The markings aren’t that clear, but even if you follow what looks like what should be the obvious trail, you will end up back on the yellow trail triangle trail shortly. Staying on this trail, you will eventually come to the shores of Lake Skenonto.

After you spend some time at Lake Skenonto, a short walk will bring you to the Blue “V” (victory) trail (this is a woods road for the time you will be on it). As it was another incredibly humid morning, it was a great relief to find that when I turned onto this trail, a strong breeze began to blow. Luckily and thankfully, this breeze stayed with me for the rest of the hike.

After walking on this road for almost a half of a mile, you will see the familiar markings of the horizontal white bars that you had left to go on the yellow trail. Turn left here and you will now stay on this trail for the remaining three miles of your hike.

Please note that once you turn back onto the white bar trail, it begins a nice uphill climb that will get you breathing pretty hard! As you move up the hill, feel free to periodically look to your right to enjoy the views.

After you crest the hill, you will start a descent that takes you to the end of your hike.

Another interesting rock formation.

As I noted at the start of this post, this is an excellent hike if you are looking to get away from everything for a few hours and still get a good workout. During this hike I heard nothing but birds singing, chipmunks and squirrels running through the woods and the distant sound of freight trains. The breeze, which I gladly welcomed on the latter part of the hike, provided its own mystical soundtrack as I moved through the woods. There were no car horns, trucks, anything that resembled the civilized world. To say that it was bliss would be an understatement.

That is why I dub thee…solitude.

Another awesome hike!!!

The Horn Hill Bike Path

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“With beauty before me, may I walk
With beauty behind me, may I walk
With beauty above me, may I walk
With beauty below me, may I walk
With beauty all around me, may I walk
Wandering on the trail of beauty, may I walk”
– Navajo: Walking Meditation

“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.”

-Unknown

It was yet another beautiful day here in the Hudson Valley (7/11/16). When I got to the south parking lot of the Anthony Wayne Recreation Area (AWRA) at about 7:15 am, the temperature was in the high 60’s with no real humidity. Their was a slight breeze, which at that time of the morning actually raised goose bumps on my arms. Without a doubt, that certainly beat the alternative of heat and bugs. For almost the middle of July, you couldn’t ask for anything better!

The other day I introduced you to a book written by Don Weise called, Circuit Hikes in Harriman-35 Loop Hikes and Trail Runs in Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks. Since I am familiar with the AWRA, I saw the Horn Hill Bike Path listed as one of the “trail runs, walks, ski loops, and mountain bike rides” and decided to try it out.

After you get off of the Palisades Parkway and enter the AWRA, go to the second parking lot (the south lot) and park by the kiosk. This marks the start of your hike as well as the end.

Depending on the time of day that you begin (or end) your hike, this would be the perfect place to sit down and enjoy a snack. It is well shaded and today it even had a bed of pine needles that you could easily throw a blanket down on if you chose to do so.

Starting out on the bike path, the walking is easy as the trail is flat and winds through the woods with a serpentine like quality. Tree roots fill the trail and almost beg you to be cautious as you move south away from the parking lot and further into the woods.

The trail continues winding through the woods and still has not gained any appreciable elevation. As I kept walking, I couldn’t help but think about how much small(er) children would enjoy this hike. Since the area is wide open, they can actually run ahead of you (a little bit!) and do some exploring. The one thing that they will really love are the wooden bridges that guide you for the first part of the hike.

After approximately ten minutes of hiking, the bike trail intersects with the AT for the first time. Even at 7:45 am, I could hear thru hikers in conversation as they were already making their way towards Bear Mountain.

Crossing the AT, the trail meanders until it makes a 90 degree left turn. Weise’s book has a short loop and a long loop listed as your choices for the day. Either one would be a worthy choice, but if you choose the short loop (3.85 miles), you will continue on the Beechy Bottom Road for the remainder of the hike. If you decide to hike the longer figure eight loop (5.6 miles), the trail veers off to the right, .1 of a mile after you make the left turn. After the turn, the trail is no longer flat and you start climbing up hill pretty steadily.

Although this is a climb, it certainly is manageable and shouldn’t cause much distress. After several minutes of heading up hill, the trail flattens out and you are directed to make a right turn to continue the climb.

As you move along, make sure that you take the time to check out everything around you. I was pleasantly surprised at the diversity of the trees, plants and bushes in the middle of July and I can only imagine what this area looks like when the fall foliage is in full effect later in the year.

The loop will continue on a downwards slope and as you near the end and just before you rejoin the Beechy Bottom Road, you will literally be yards from the Palisades Interstate Parkway. I had originally planned to take a water break at this point, but I quickly changed my mind. After enjoying so much quiet, I found that the vehicle noise from the Parkway disturbing to say the least. Wanting to get away from the cars, buses and horns as quickly as I could, I forged ahead and didn’t stop until the quiet returned. Luckily, at this time of year, the woods are pretty dense and this has a habit of dulling all of the extraneous noise that civilization produces, which meant a return to peace was not far off.

Soon after my water break I finished the loop and headed on to the Beechy Bottom Road. Since I could only hear the clicking of my hiking poles and the sound of my boots propelling me forward, I knew that the peace I longed for on the trail was with me again.

Once again, the AT runs through the bike trail and heads steeply up West Mountain (Not noted on the sign below).

Moving on, the road remains flat and there are many places to stop and eat lunch, a snack or just to rest. If you choose not to stop for an extended amount of time, you will find that the miles disappear quickly. Although the hike never really gets difficult, the fact that you have been walking on roots and rocks for most of the way make for some sore feet. At this point you are beginning to feel it!!!

As you near the end of the hike, you will go down a short downhill section and you will see a sign that tells you to go right. After you make this right turn, immediately veer left instead of staying on the road. I make this point because even though I read the description in Don Weise’s book, I continued on the road itself. This, of course, is no fault of the author, it was my not reading it correctly! Anyway, that added about 1/2 mile onto the hike as I figured out my mistake when the road ended and I had nowhere else to go.

Turning back around and heading back on the road, I made the correct turn and about 15 minutes later, you will see this locked gate, signifying the end of your hike in the woods.

At this point you will turn left and walk all the way to the far parking lot where you began. Since I did the longer loop and added about a half of a mile due to my mistake, this hike ended up being just a little over six miles.

Although I was tired, the walk back on the road next to the main parking lot had several interesting things to photograph. Here is a sample of what I saw on my walk back to my car:

As with every hike that I do, I can tell you that this was a truly an excellent way to start the day! It helps to keep things in perspective and allows for time to reflect without all of the distractions that we are faced with each and every day.

Thank again to Don Weise as this proved to be another superb circuit hike that I not only look forward to doing again this summer, but also as the seasons change.

It’s always better to be safe than sorry…

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Now that I am getting older (not that old), I actually plan for emergency situations during even my most routine hikes. When I was younger, the thought of carrying a first aid kit with me never entered my mind. If I got a cut or twisted an ankle, I took 500 mg of suck it up and dealt with it when I finished the hike.

These days, I do have to admit that I have a little bit of a fear that if something happens to me while I am hiking, I might have to spend the night in the woods. For a situation like this, I believe that I am prepared if this does happen.

A good way to prevent spending a potentially long, cold and painful night in the woods from happening is to think proactively. First and foremost, you should write an itinerary of where you will be hiking. I always leave a written record of where I will be parking, the route I will be taking and how long I think my hike will take. If I think that I am going to go over the time that I allotted, I text that person and let them know that. Of course getting a cell phone signal at times can be challenging out in the woods, but at some point you will get one. Regardless of your age, I strongly suggest that everyone do this. Many people have spent days in the woods and elsewhere because no one knew where they were. Case in point-Aron Ralston.

Here is what I currently carry in my daypack:

Starting from left to right on the top:

A Back Country First Aid Book. It covers care for every conceivable ailment or injury that you could incur out in the woods.
A small shelter (space blanket) that will offer protection in the rain, wind, snow and the chill of the night if you are caught outside even in the summer.
Along with a lighter, I carry waterproof matches.
Of course bug spay.
A small pouch that has gauze pads, band aids, Povidone-Iodine U. S. P. Prep Pads and antiseptic towelettes.
The package marked Bandaging Materials has many of the same things as the red pouch, just in larger sizes.
Pain relieving antiseptic spray.

Now this doesn’t seem like much, but for most of the minor to moderate things that can happen to you during a hike, I am more than prepared to deal with them. Especially if I am hiking with smaller children, a bee sting or bug bite can be made more comfortable until they get home! I keep all of these items in large baggies to make sure that they stay dry and all of this doesn’t take up much room in my pack. That leaves plenty of space for water, snacks, my camera, ipod, etc.

Finally, I did purchase two first aid kits off of Amazon for my daypack. If you do a little research on the web, you can certainly make your own First Aid Kit by going to your local pharmacy or grocery store and buying everything that you need there. This is what I have done to replenish the items that I have used.

If you have any suggestions or would like to share what you currently use, please do so. Let’s learn from each other!!!!

Mt. Beacon-(Don’t Be Afraid)

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Even though I have spent the better part of the last twenty five years hiking the Hudson Valley, I have never hiked Mt. Beacon. I don’t know whether just looking at it the many times that I drove by it or seeing its massive form from a distance scared me away, but I never did get the courage to do it-until the other day.

At this point I have to give a huge shout out to Sonia and Vanessa, friends of mine who have hiked Mt. Beacon many times. I don’t whether it was them actually shaming me into finally making the hike, but after saying that I would, I certainly couldn’t back out. It just wouldn’t be worth the abuse.

I pulled into the parking lot right off of Route 9D at about 6:15 am and was surprised at the amount of cars already in the lot. As I got my pack ready for the climb, two hikers came out of the woods and after a short conversation I learned that they had hiked all the way to the fire tower (4.4 miles up and back with a total ascent of 1561 feet). My goal for the day was a little more modest. I would just being hiking to the overlook, a hike that would be 2.4 miles up and back with a total ascent of 1004 feet.

Starting in the parking lot on the red trail, the first thing that I noticed was that although not that steep, you immediately start going uphill.

As I rounded the curve in the picture above, I saw in the distance a set of steel stairs that looked pretty intimidating.

I will admit that at first I thought, “this is absolutely friggin crazy, why am I doing this?” Once I started climbing the stairs, however, I quickly noticed that the distance between each stair was not like being in a building. On this staircase each step is closer to the next than a traditional set of stairs, making the climb much easier on the legs!

After reaching the top of the stairs, the trail quickly turn left and moves steadily and steeply uphill.

That’s right folks, no camera tricks here. This is literally what the entire climb to the overlook is like. Even though switchbacks can sometimes give you a little relief from a climb, that is not the case here. You just keep climbing and climbing and….you get the point. Not only is the climb constant, it is steep.

In my case it took me 45-50 minutes to get to the top. Having not done the hike before, I didn’t want to kill myself just getting to the viewpoint so even though I didn’t stop, I did proceed at a slower pace than normal. As I approached the top, I saw a brick building to my right and realized that I had finally made it!

About 100 feet from this spot you get some of the best views in the entire region. Here are pictures of the Newburgh Beacon Bridge, the Hudson River and north and south on the Hudson.

After spending almost an hour exploring the area, I decided that it was time to head back down to the parking lot and unfortunately civilization. I know that the next time I hike Mt. Beacon, I will make the trek to the fire tower.

If you haven’t done this hike, I strongly encourage that you do so. Don’t let a fear of its steepness or difficulty frighten you away from some incredible views. You would only be robbing yourself of a great hike.

Truly man’s best friend

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“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring–it was peace.”

-Milan Kundera

A year ago this Friday, we rescued this beautiful Black Lab/Mastiff (we believe) mix from the Briarcliff SPCA. We had originally gone to the shelter to look at another dog that we had seen on their website, but something just didn’t feel right about him. As we waited to look at another dog, this guy here calmly walked up to the front of his cage, sat down and proceeded to lick my hand through the metal bars and I will freely admit that he had me right then and there. We took him for a walk and the decision was an easy one-he was coming home with us.

Little did we know that this had been his plan from the first minute he saw us. I am convinced that Jase knew that we were the family that should have the honor of adopting him. Only a dog owner can truly understand what I am saying when I say that he chose us. He has brought a great deal of joy to our lives as well as some trying moments. But that all comes with having an almost 80 pound dog that thinks he is a lap dog and (at the time we adopted him) was only 11 months old.

As his second birthday approaches, I can only imagine the hikes that he will take us on, the rides we will take and the pleasure that he will continue to bring us for many years to come. Truly man’s best friend.

Anticipation…

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“Nothing left to do but but smile.”

-Jerry Garcia

“Whatever you do, take care of your shoes.”

–Trey Anastasio

Today was a long day at work. Leaving work, I just wanted to get home and not do anything. But as I pulled up my driveway, I saw a manila envelope stuck between the windshield wiper and the windshield of my wife’s car and I knew that my day was going to get better. My updated hiking maps had arrived!!! I’m going to put on a Phish show and start planning hikes for the summer. Life is good…

	Backpacking Ben on Sunrise (2)-WPC
	Freedom Hiker on Pine Meadow Lake (9)
	Dan on Pine Meadow Lake (9)
	Barb Knowles on Three Days Later…
	Freedom Hiker on Purple Haze??? Not Quite…

The Zen Hiker

Hiking in the Hudson Valley of New York. Reviews of hikes, gear, music and everything to do with hiking.

Tag Archives: Upper Hudson Valley

The World Awakens

The Fahnestock Special-7/20/16

Carefree

Details

Lake Sebago and Skenonto-I Dub Thee…Solitude…

The Horn Hill Bike Path

It’s always better to be safe than sorry…

Mt. Beacon-(Don’t Be Afraid)

Truly man’s best friend

“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring–it was peace.”

Anticipation…

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“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring–it was peace.”

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