Gear

Gear, a photo by imprint777 on Flickr.

Weekend Earth: using Map and Compass

punch brook

punch brook, a photo by imprint777 on Flickr.

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.

Terry Hearn: Carp Fishing

Ride the Lightning

Last night a big storm rolled through northern New Jersey around 11 PM and brought a ton of lightning along with it. One of the bolts happened to strike a tree in my backyard, which exploded some of the tree and left a huge scar down the side. There were pieces of wood all over the yard and even on the roof of the house, which is a good distance from the tree. Not only did the bolt damage the tree but also it went through the fence separating the yards and electrified the threshold of my neighbor’s door which shocked one of their dogs when they went out this morning.

Mors Kochanski Circa 1975 Part 1

Alaska, Silence & Solitude

DM

DM, a photo by imprint777 on Flickr.

Mount Houvenkopf

Serene he stands, with mist serenely crowned,
And draws a cloak of trees about his breast.
The thunder roars but cannot break his rest
And from his rugged face the tempests bound.
He does not heed the angry lightning's wound,
The raging blizzard is his harmless guest,
And human life is but a passing jest
To him who sees Time spin the years around. 

But fragile souls, in skyey reaches find
High vantage-points and view him from afar.
How low he seems to the ascended mind,
How brief he seems where all things endless are;
This little playmate of the mighty wind
This young companion of an ancient star

Joyce Kilmer

1972

Getaway

NJ Timber Rattlesnake

Past Adventures

Turkey Mountain

This past Monday I hiked Turkey Mountain which is part of the Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area. I was already a little familiar with area from hiking Pyramid Mountain and already had the trail map so I wasted no time getting to the start of the trail. I began my journey on the Yellow Trail which started off relatively easy but was loaded with mosquito's from a nearby swamp. After being on the trail for sometime I passed by the ruins of what looked like on old shed. After inspecting the ruins I continued on the Yellow Trail toward the Limestone Quarry. The trail started to get a little difficult at this point with a pretty steep climb. I wasn't 100% sure if I saw the Limestone Quarry but if i did it was nothing special. Next I came across Botts Pond which I got to by going off the trail down a hill.

Botts Pond was a nice spot to rest and grab a drink but beware of all the mosquito's and other insects that are lingering around this wet area. While I didn't see any fish in the water I did see plenty of tadpoles darting around. After my rest I climbed back up the hill and continued back on the Yellow Trail. This part of the hike was rather boring with not much to see and for a good portion your are hiking next to a road and even have to cross over the road. As I approached the Scenic Overlook I spotted some interesting wildlife. I saw what I believe is an eastern garter snake and a toad.

The Toad was very tolerant and let me get several photos from different angles. Once the toad went on his way I did the same and continued on the Red Trail to see the Stone Ruins. After hiking on the Red Trail I turned left on the Green Trail and saw the Stone Ruins. There are two sites with ruins in this area, with one being much easier to find than the other.

This location also offered a scenic overlook which was nice but was obscured by power lines. Although it was hard to see there is a view of the NYC skyline.

From the Green Trail I hiked towards the 100 steps on the Blue Trail which leads back to the visitors center. This part was the least interesting and you are hiking underneath power lines. The 100 steps weren't bad going down but I could imagine they would be much worse going up. Although Turkey Mountain is a less traveled hike than Pyramid Mountain there is a reason why and that reason is that it is rather boring. However if you don't want to be around many people this is a good hike.

Pyramid Mountain

A few weeks ago I went to Pyramid Mountain in Boonton New Jersey. Upon entering the visitors center parking area I picked up a trail map and planned out my hike. I started on the Blue trail which started off with a walk over a nice footbridge and a small stream. After a small uphill climb I picked up the White trail and walked on boardwalks over a wet marshy area. Once I was out of the open wet area I passed by the Ruins of the Morgan Place which wasn't that exciting and was also crawling with bugs due to Bear Swamp. Luckily Bear Rock was only a short ways down the trail which I was looking forward to seeing.

Bear Rock is a glacial erratic which is a rock that is different from the size and type of rocks native to where it rests. According to the trail map Bear Rock is one of New Jersey's largest glacial erratic and was deposited there by the Wisconsin Glacier over 18,000 years ago. Bear Rock really is enormous and deserves to be admired, it is easily one of if not the biggest rocks i have ever seen. After studying the rock and imagining what the Lenape might have used it for hundreds of years ago I exited the swamp and began the first difficult climb of the hike. The climb up the trail was fairly short but exhausting and required the use of both hands to scramble over some rocks. At the top of the climb I headed left toward Tripod Rock which Pyramid Mountain is most known for.

Tripod Rock is also a glacial erratic and as the name implies it is a huge boulder resting on three much smaller boulders. Tripod Rock really makes this hike special, as it truly is a wonder of nature and is very fascinating.When I was finished with Tripod Rock I continued on the White trail to the first scenic overlook and to pick up the Orange trail. The scenic overlook gave a view of the Taylortown Reservoir and was a very relaxing welcomed sight.

Next I continued on the Orange trail which followed alongside the reservoir which offered many great sights along the way. This part of the hike was one of my favorites due to being so close to the reservoir which I really enjoyed. After finish the Orange trail i picked up the yellow trail which took me back the Blue Trail where I started at the visitors center. Even though Pyramid Mountain is a very interesting hike with lots to see I would warn you not to go on the weekend because I could imagine it being very crowded with other hikers hanging around certain spots.