3.2 miles | 469 ft gain | Difficulty: Easy | Rating ★★★ After our trip to the Adirondacks, we took a few weeks off from hiking. Partly to recover, partly to make way for Hurricanes Henri and Ida's wrath. We had a great camping trip planned for Labor Day weekend at Rudd Pond in Taconic State Park. And some big plans, including the highest point in Connecticut and the NY-CT-MA tripoint. Unfortunately the consistent rain on Sunday forced us to pack up a day early. Luckily we still got a quick loop in on Saturday, leaving right from our campsite.
Upstate New York
Hike 17: Teatown – Kitchawan Trail
3 miles | 400 ft gain | Difficulty: Easy | Rating ★★★ We've adopted! We're already members of the New York New Jersey Trail Conference, but considering how much we depend on them for great trails, maps and resources, we wanted to give back a little more. So, after training and volunteer orientation, we have adopted the Teatown-Kitchawan Trail, affectionately called the TKT.
Hike 15: Bear Mountain
4.4 miles | 1,165 ft gain | Difficulty: Moderate | Rating ★★★★ Bear Mountain. THE New York City hike. And we felt like we were there, right along side every one of them, especially on the way down. Somehow in my 14 years as a New Yorker, and nearly 2 decades of living next door in New Jersey, I never visited Bear Mountain. Not for a hike, not for the carousel or zoo, not even for the annual Oktoberfest.
Hike 14: Vernooy Falls
3.7 miles | 659 ft gain | Difficulty: Easy | Rating ★★★★ I have trouble understanding where the Hudson Valley ends and the Catskills begin. Staying in New Paltz for the weekend, we wanted to get in one last waterfall before heading home. We decided to head to Vernooy Falls, a moderately easy hike recommended in one of my hiking groups. Just 15 miles away but apparently we were now in the Catskills.
Hike 8: Newburgh-Beacon Bridge
4.2 miles | 352 ft gain | Difficulty: Easy | Rating ★★ The kinda hike. Last week I was super excited to hike Storm King. We arrived around 10am to a mostly empty parking lot. The weather was bright and sunny, with just the right amount of winter nip. As I prepared to put my spikes on, Sean shared the horrifying news - his boots were still in Brooklyn.
Fifty-Two Hikes 