Author Archives: Charlie
Yosemite National Park, California – July 8, 2010
Thursday: This is the interior of the restaurant. I like the architecture. The National Park Service tries hard to design buildings that blend into the parks. I shot this at ISO 400, lens wide open (f/3.5), no flash, hand-held at … Continue reading
Yosemite National Park, California – July 7, 2010
Wednesday: The trailhead to Half Dome starts near the Happy Isles bus stop, which is about a mile from Curry Village. We had debated walking there, but because we already planned at least a 14.2-mile hike, and because I worried … Continue reading
Yosemite National Park, California – July 6, 2010
Tuesday: I had met Julie briefly the evening before, near Curry Village’s grocery store, and we agreed to meet the next morning for breakfast. There is a hearty all-you-can-eat buffet available at a restaurant in Curry Village, and I enjoyed … Continue reading
Yosemite National Park, California – July 4-5, 2010
Sunday: I flew from LaGuardia to Cleveland, then on to Denver, then to Fresno, California. (I found a bargain airfare of around $350 roundtrip.) The planes grew progressively smaller with each flight: I started on a Boeing 737 that held … Continue reading
Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, Westchester County, NY
Ward Pound Ridge Reservation is the largest park in Westchester County. Native Americans built a fenced-in enclosure into which they drove deer; this provided the “pound” in the name of the park. The park supposedly has 41.9 miles of trails, … Continue reading
Blue Mountain Reservation, Westchester County, New York
I joined a group heading for Blue Mountain Reservation for what was supposed to be a 5 mile hike. Unfortunately, the leader took a right when he was supposed to take a left, and when I attempted to point it … Continue reading
Mt. Greylock State Reservation, Massachusetts
“[W]hether we will or no, Majesty is all around us here in Berkshire, sitting as in a grand Congress of Vienna of majestical hill-tops, and eternally challenging our homage.” – Herman Melville, from the dedication of Pierre Leaving home at … Continue reading
Pine Barrens, New Jersey
David Brotsky has been leading trips around the world for over a decade. I have been on a few of his one-day events and signed up for this two-day event over Memorial Day weekend.
Mianus River Gorge, Westchester County, New York
Another source for learning of hiking locations is the Nature Conservancy. Its website is not that easy to navigate, but if you keep drilling through it you might find a list of places worth visiting. Because of a late start, … Continue reading
South Beacon Mountain and Scofield Ridge, Dutchess County, New York
The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference website listed an 8 mile strenuous hike, suggested by Daniel Chazin, in Dutchess County, New York. The hike is routed over a number of trails and properties, as I will detail below. I set … Continue reading