For those of you who don’t care what time of year you go hiking – you just want to go – this is the time of year when you should hop onto the Metro-North, ride upstate for about an hour to: Peekskill, Garrison or Cold Spring, then circumnavigate the quaint little town(s) and head out into the woods!
The Appalachian Trail (AT) winds its way over 90 miles of New York State. One of the many amazing things about this trail is how cunningly it belies the distance between itself and busy cities or tourist attractions nearby, such as New York City and the Bear Mountain Zoo. Both of these urban areas are located mere miles away from the trail and yet when you are in the woods, you would never know. Another grand thing about this stretch of the AT is that it is only rated at a moderate level of difficulty for hikers, enabling the general public to partake in the grandeur of the trail. From early spring until late autumn hoards of: nature enthusiasts, fitness aficionados, (you can tell who they are because of their supernaturally bright gym clothing ) and families swarm onto the trails enjoying the gently slopping terrain and fantastic views.
If you seek the silence of the woods as a rejuvenation away from the torrential outpourings of city life, especially during peak hiking seasons, the AT in upstate NY might not be the best place to seek solitary sanity. You probably want to try some other trails in the area such as the Taconic Region Trails.
If you are interested in hiking, but do not have a outdoor buddy and you fret over the dangers of hiking alone- the AT is the place to be! Prior to your departure, make sure and tell someone local (friend or family) where you are going and about when you expect to be back. This will give you some security in case something does happens while you are on the trail. Also be sure to bring a whistle, a water bottle and some layers (you will most assuredly get hot during your walk ). Along the AT you will enjoy short bouts of solitary hiking at your own pace interspaced with limited trail conversation as you pass other hikers.
While this is a well traveled trail there are still dangers in the woods, especially alone. Be sure not to wander off the trail. Even if you are confident in the direction you came from and feel like you need to take a short-cut or prove something by bushwhacking your way home, don’t do it. It is not only stupidly easy to lose your sense of direction in unfamiliar woods, but you will also be leaving more than just foot prints behind you. Trails are blazed by trained foresters who keep in mind the best routs around erosive areas and animal habitats.
By tramping off the trail you heighten the natural erosion rate, you will probably wander into some more dangerous wildlife (snakes are a huge part of this ecosystem) which would normally avoid the busier trail area, you could confuse other hikers who might follow you leading to more natural damage or you could get injured off of the trail and it would take much longer for help to arrive …
intrepid trekking 