Palisades

Today I went hiking in the Palisades on the Forest View Trail/Closter Dock Trail Loop. The Weather man was calling for rain all day but when I woke up it was sunny and hot a good day to be outside. Once we got to the location we started out on the Aqua blazes of the Long Path near the park administration building. The beginning was not that good due to being so close to the highway but once we got close to the cliffs it got much better. One of the first things we came upon was this huge waterfall in the cliffs. The picture doesn't do it justice as the cliffs are way higher than they appear in the picture, 540 ft in certain spots.

After continuing on the Long Path we stopped at Ruckman Point which had incredible views of the Hudson River and other surrounding areas. There was also carvings in the rock from over 100 yrs ago. This one is dated June 1891.

This lovely Black Racer allowed us to take a few photos of him.

After hiking for a while we picked up the Blue and White blazed Forest View Trail. We took it down some very ancient rock steps to get to the Shore Trail along the Hudson, Which is marked with White blazes. Once at the bottom we went right and started along the Shore Trail. This is the most interesting part of the hike for a number reasons. You are much further away from the highway and are protected from the noises of motor vehicles, it is relatively flat terrain and you are hiking right next to the Hudson River.

Crab claw on the shore of the Hudson

 I packed my favorite trail food, Cinnamon raisin bread with peanut butter and honey.

 Much of the shore was littered with Trash and pieces of trees.

ESEE-3 on the shores of the Hudson

Whats left of an old dock

Dead Crab

A view of the cliffs from the shore of the Hudson River.

Rather than continuing on the Shore Trail at the fork we went right which climbs up a woods road. After about a mile the Shore Trail joins the woods road and we continued following the white blazes.  To get back to the car we made a right turn at the next fork following the Orange Blazes passed a stone underpass and straight to the parking lot. The hike rounded out at about 6 miles and while most of it was flat there were a couple steep climbs especially at the end.

Life in Iqaluit Nunavut

September Bonfire

On September 1st my buddy nick and I started up a bonfire. It was a great way to celebrate the start of September and the approaching fall weather. The night turned out to be very comfortable with lower temperatures which made the bonfire all the better.

Tom Brown Jr

White Water Summer

White Water Summer (1987) starring Kevin Bacon and Sean Astin is a film about Alan (Sean Astin) and four other boys who spend a summer in the mountains with crazy counselor Vic (Kevin Bacon) who is intent on turning the boys into men and who wants things done his way and his way only.

One of my favorite parts of the movie is the beginning where Vic is shown hiking through the city with all of his gear on his back to get to Alan’s house to explain how the trip would run to Alan’s parents. Vic is such a rugged outdoorsmen that instead of taking a taxi or other transportation he hikes with all his gear from the mountains to the city.

The first time I saw this film I fell in love with it. Every scene is filled with retro camping outdoor gear, the photography is amazing and so is the soundtrack. There’s even a scene where Vic starts a fire with a bow drill. If you’re a fan of retro outdoor gear and clothes or summer camp movies this is a movie you need to see.