Category Archives: Hikes
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
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
Hunt Parker & Mt. Holly Sanctuaries, Westchester County, NY
I wanted to do a moderate hike, and checked the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference website for suggestions. A contributor named Jane Daniels had suggested this 7.6-mile route in northern Westchester County, New York, that visits two sanctuaries. I decided … Continue reading
Zion Canyon, Utah – September 3, 2009 (P.M.)
Thursday afternoon: Re-energized, I rode the shuttle back north, stopping at the “Court of the Patriarchs” exit. Whereas Bryce Canyon had “overlooks,” featuring beautiful vistas from the canyon rim looking down, I suppose that one could say that Zion had … Continue reading
Zion Canyon, Utah – September 3, 2009 (A.M.)
Thursday morning: With my backpack, an energy bar, an apple, and a one liter and 700 ml bottle of water, I boarded the shuttle at the Visitor’s Center. As the shuttle pulled away, I saw a man wearing a red … Continue reading
Zion Canyon, Utah – September 2, 2009
Wednesday morning: I drove the 75 miles from Bryce to Zion, arriving while it was still morning. I entered the park through the East Entrance, which includes a 1.1-mile tunnel through a sandstone mountain, which, when completed in 1930, was … Continue reading