A site dedicated to hiking and nature photos and videos, as well as stories about my adventures, in and around the Hudson Valley region of New York State.

Miles hiked: 324.6
Feet climbed: 50,632
Hours on trail: 191.6

Latest Hikes

The Irvington Woods – Hermit’s Grave, Macy’s Monument, Irvington Reservoir

5.75 mi
846 ft gain
02:29:41

After a long break, I returned to one of my favorite hikes: The Irvington Woods. The park packs in reservoirs, ponds, wetlands, Hermit’s Grave, rock outcrops, overlooks, monuments, carriage trails, and plenty of elevation change. My route linked the blue, red, yellow, and purple loops, passing Hermit’s Wetland, Macy’s Monument and Terrace, Sunset Rock, Irvington Reservoir, Marshall’s Pond, and Ice Pond. It was a beautiful, varied 5.8-mile hike through grasses, pines, open trails, water views, steady climbs, and sunny mid-70s spring weather overall.

Harriman State Park – Breakneck Mountain, Lake Wanosink, Pine Meadow Lake

8.89 mi
955 ft gain
04:02:03

My third visit to the Stephen & Betsy Corman AMC Harriman Outdoor Center was just as wonderful as the first two. The AMC-run center has tent sites, cabins, a dining hall, shared bathrooms and showers, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, and easy access to Harriman State Park trails. Four of us spent the afternoon hiking past Breakneck Mountain and Tuxedo Rock, with beautiful stops overlooking Lake Wanosink and Pine Meadow Lake before following carriage paths back to our cabin. It was a perfect mix of camp, trail, water, good company, and mountain views.

Caleb’s Peak – Appalachian Trail, Kent CT, Club Getaway

1.73 mi
427 ft gain
01:14:07

I led a group of guests from Club Getaway on an off-site excursion up a small portion of the Appalachian Trail to Caleb's Peak, overlooking the Kent, CT mountains and valleys. I'd consider this slightly above a beginner hike because the majority of the trail is uphill/downhill. I used my trekking poles to reduce the strain on my knees. It's well worth the view once reaching the summit.

Bull’s Bridge – Appalachian Trail, Kent CT, Club Getaway

2.29 mi
500 ft gain
01:23:19

I led a group of guests from Club Getaway on this hike along the Housatonic River, covering part of the Appalachian Trail in Kent, CT. The hike was mostly flat, with only slight inclines along the way. At Ned Anderson Memorial Bridge, we stopped to go down to the banks of the Ten Mile River, before turning around to head back. Overall, really beautiful views of some small and medium-sized falls and whitecaps.

Ward Pound Ridge Reservation – Leatherman’s Cave, Joe’s Hill, Green/Red Trail

3.77 mi
515 ft gain
02:02:26

I took a friend from New York City out to explore Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, starting from the Michigan Road parking lot. We followed the green/red trail south and west to Leatherman’s Loop, passed the outlook, then spent time at Leatherman’s Cave, where we found a geocache with a few goodies inside. From there we continued west, picked up the unmarked Blue Moon trail, skirted partway up Joe’s Hill, and looped back to the green/red trail for the walk north to the car. A good hike, even if hiking with friends meant I barely took photos along the way.

Harriman State Park – Harriman Outdoor Center, Limekiln Mountain, Panther Mountain

9.1 mi
1,877 ft gain
06:59:51

My first 3-day weekend trip to the Stephen & Betsy Corman AMC Harriman Outdoor Center was amazing! Our 16-person cabin was clean and modern. The meals were delicious and plentiful. A handful of us went on a Saturday hike through an eastern area of the park, including stops at a couple lookout spots and a bear sighting. The rest of the weekend, we played games around the campfire and went swimming, canoeing, and kayaking in Breakneck Pond. It was truly an enjoyable weekend in nature.

Teatown Lake Reservation – Three Lakes Loop, Overlook Loop, Lakeside Loop

7.4 mi
846 ft gain
04:38:12

This privately held nature preserve spans 1,000 acres and contains over 15 miles of hiking trails. This was an easy and enjoyable hike on a beautiful afternoon with only minimal elevation inclines throughout the day. The scenery was ever-changing, from small streams to marsh lands to lush green areas to pine trees to clearings to lakes to waterfalls. I was pleased with the diversity and would love to explore some of the other trails on a future visit, including Wildflower Island and the rest of the Visitor Center.

The Irvington Woods – Ice Pond, Irvington Reservoir, Memorial Loop, Hermit Wetlands

4.7 mi
646 ft gain
02:34:40

On a beautiful spring-like afternoon, I returned to a familiar park to continue exploring new nooks and crannies. Ice Pond and Marshall Pond were almost done with their winter thaw. It was awesome to view Irvington Reservoir from the west and south angles. I then hit all the POIs in the southern and eastern sections of the park: Macy Monument, the Terrace, the Steps, and Hermit's Grave. On my way north, I made an obligatory stop at Hermit Wetlands. This park holds a special place in my memory as it was where I first gained my initial hiking experience and confidence.

Ward Pound Ridge Reservation – Cross River, Kimberly Bridge, Deer Hollow

5 mi
577 ft gain
02:40:10

There's something special about the Cross River in the warmer months, but nothing compares to seeing it weave through patches of snow and ice. I was super impressed with how well my crampons performed on the ice-covered trails. Throughout the day, I encountered icy inclines, icy declines, and ice so smooth it looked like panes of glass. Never once did I feel any sort of slippage or instability in my walking. Temperatures were in the low 20s with very little wind, so as long as I was moving along, I barely noticed the cold.

Mohonk Preserve – Sky Top Tower, Labyrinth, Crevice, Lemon Squeeze

9.2 mi
1,266 ft gain
06:32:03

This was an amazing day filled with some challenges I don't normally encounter on my traditional woods-based hikes. If rock scrambles and crawls through tight spaces and up ladders are your thing, the Labyrinth, Crevice, and Lemon Squeeze deliver. The reward includes amazing views reaching as far as NY, NJ, CT, MA, and PA from Sky Top Tower. The Mohonk Mountain House property and Mohonk Lake are equally beautiful. We barely touched the surface of the seemingly endless trails offered by Mohonk Preserve and I'll definitely be back again soon!

Bull Hill Loop – Northgate, Cornish Estate, Washburn Trail, Breakneck Brook

8.7 mi
1,581 ft gain
06:13:11

I'm really happy with the way this day turned out! The weather was beautiful, in the low 70's with no humidity. The dozens of buildings in ruin were amazing to explore and to imagine life in a different era. On top of that, the waterfalls, the mountain and river views, and the varied terrain put this hike toward the top of my all-time favorite list. The 1,400 foot incline from the start to the summit of Bull Hill is sneaky because it's a low grade, but still enough to get the blood pumping. It's a very approachable hike for almost any level of hiker.

Eugene and Agnes Meyer Preserve – Byram Lake Reservoir, Aqueduct, Upper Meadows

6.7 mi
820 ft gain
04:22:36

This was a fun preserve to explore! The western area of the preserve features several large meadows containing wild flowers being visited by bumble bees, honey bees, butterflies, and dragonflies. The eastern section leads to Byram Lake Reservoir, including two aqueducts and a man-made waterfall. Throughout the hike there are various wetlands, including a red maple swamp and several vernal pools where reptiles, amphibians, frogs, salamanders, and fairy shrimp live. The elevation changes are minimal and these were all easy trails to follow for even a novice hiker.

Harriman State Park – Harriman Outdoor Center, Breakneck Pond, Pine Meadow Lake

8.8 mi
1,024 ft gain
05:20:31

I met up with group of six friends who rented a weekend cabin at the Stephen & Betsy Corman AMC Harriman Outdoor Center. I was impressed with how modern and clean the cabin was, with two bedrooms, six beds, and electricity for lights, a microwave, and a refrigerator. We started the day with an almost 9-mile hike from Breakneck Pond to Pine Meadow Lake and back. Then we grabbed dinner in the dining hall before heading out to kayak and canoe across Breakneck Pond. We finished the night sitting around the campfire, chatting and playing games.

Harriman State Park – Turkey Hill, Stockbridge Mountain, Black Mountain, AT, Long Path

13.5 mi
2,339 ft gain
08:10:19

I came out of this hike completely soaked in sweat. This is the first time I really pushed through the heat for such a long distance. I was initially worried if I brought enough water, but I monitored my intake and sipped at a consistent pace throughout the day. I knew going in this would be more of a forest hike than a view hike and I was okay with that. Due to the intense sun, I didn't want to spend too much time on mountain tops and I was happy to stay in the shade as much as possible. Even without the views, it was an awesome hike! I enjoyed exploring a new section of Harriman.

Breakneck Ridge – Hudson River, Notch Trail, Fire Tower, Wilkinson Memorial Trail

10.4 mi
2,894 ft gain
08:33:18

This was an amazing hike on a beautiful day. Since it was a Tuesday, I only ran into a handful of people the entire day, which allowed me to have a really peaceful hike and I felt like I practically had the park to myself. The views climbing up Breakneck were breathtaking. The trek up to the fire tower was fun and a challenge of its own. Being able to "hog" the fire tower gave me some really awesome shots. The second half of the hike heading back south is an oasis of quiet forest. Then being able to catch a few trains on video was the cherry on the top of an already perfect day.