Queen of the Catskills

 Huckleberry Point 4.9 miles I was honored to be invited to join Luna on her final hike of the All Trails Challenge: Redlining the Catskills. The Challenge entails hiking all of the trails within the Catskill Park. Quite a feat for any human, let alone a 6 year old.  A group of us met at the parking area on Platte Clove Rd. at 8am, and the lot was already pretty packed. In anticipation of difficulty getting out later, I made sure my car was facing out of the spot. I knew people might try to get creative with the parking and make it extra tight to maneuver. It was pretty cold this morning, which I love. Once we started, it was incessant mud and running water on the trail. I recommend waterproof hiking boots and poles to help give stability when crossing over the stream. You’ll have to rock hop.  Just before the lookout point we stopped to create an arch with our hiking poles for Luna to walk through. Her dad made her a sign that looked just like the patch so we all took tu...

Rusk 4.1 miles We got up very late and didn’t make it out until 1. As we were driving up Spruceton, I said to Deb, “There’s no way we’re gonna get a spot. We should’ve gotten out earlier.” However, we nabbed the last spot in the second lot. I’ve so missed the frequent blessings I seem to predominantly experience in the outdoors. We picked up the herd path and I think this was the easiest time I’ve ever had getting up Rusk. Usually, it feels like a slog, but today I felt incredibly efficient. The trails were damp, but we had sufficient traction on the way up. On the way down the damp leaves and loose rocks got kind of slippery. Deb definitely slid on her butt a couple of times. Aside from that, there were no bugs and perfect temperatures. Something worth noting is that the stream is flowing pretty heavily, but there are enough rocks peaking through to have a place to step. I’d recommend hiking poles, though, if it’s not a common practice for you to bring them. The leaves on the ground b...

 Sleeping Lion 1609 feet elevation gain 2.6 miles  It’s been a minute since I’ve done a solo bushwhack. And when I realized that the thought of it was starting to intimidate me, I realized it was time to get back out there. Also, I’ve been really missing solitude in the woods so I chose Sleeping Lion because I figured I wouldn’t see many people.  You couldn’t ask for more perfect conditions on the trail. No bugs, perfect temperature, ground is damp but you still have traction, and the sunlight is just inspirational today. The nettles are in retreat, but there are still some forces on the ground and they are armed, so I’d recommend pants.  This is definitely a good confidence booster hike. I took the ridge up. It’s steep in some sections, but pretty easy for a bushwack—no cliffs or tricky ledges to find paths through. While there may be no views, I found the sunlight shining through the trees to be beautiful itself. There are gold and brown leaves blanketing the groun...

Got roped into Tough Mudder today. I’d never done an obstacle course before—probably because I save most of my risks for skiing, but it was totally fun. I think the standout obstacle had to be the “Arctic Enema.” They advertise it as an ice bath that is “colder than your ex.” Not true, but it felt just as traumatic. I thought, “Whatever, I’ve been in ice baths before. No big deal.” But this felt like a different level. My body reacted as though I was overdosing on cocaine with my heart beating so fast that I couldn’t catch my breath. It was to the point where I was concerned for about 30 seconds. Could probably live without having that experience again, but overall it was more fun than I thought it would be—especially since I wasn’t feeling it due to a long hike last night. Another obstacle, though this one is not within the course, is the cleanup you’ll have to do in your car and in your home. There will be dirt and detritus from the course EVERYWHERE. And it’s in that weird state b...

 Red Hill: 4 miles I don’t think I’ve ever hiked Red Hill before. It’s kind of far away from me, but it is a lovely easy hike. This also means I’m done with the fire tower challenge. We took the new DEC route from Denning Rd. The trails were dry. There was maybe one spot of mud. The trail has a lot of stone stairs and there were no bugs. When we arrived at the top we were immediately taken with the warm glow emanating from the windows of the observer’s cabin. It had been a while since I’ve seen volunteers in the cabin. We recognized each other from the Catskill Trail conditions group. I really love meeting people from the 3500 Club and Facebook group out in the wild. Makes it feel like a real community. Got to catch the last bit of sunset from the tower. Once we arrived back at the car, we watched the stars for a bit, which is my favorite thing to do on my sunset hikes. They always look so intense at trailhead parking areas. I also was invited to play pickle ball today. It’s like r...