Quote of the Day: Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake. ~Wallace Stevens
We looked forward to this early spring hike in Fahnestock State Park that promised 8 miles of gentle, rolling trails through woods and high meadows with Alpine-like vistas. It was a great way to get in our 10,000-plus steps on the old pedometer.
For those here in NY who know it rained all weekend, we actually went on this walk on April 18th,
the week before Croton Dam (click for those gorgeous pics).
Just a bit over an hour after boarding the Metro North train at Grand Central for Cold Spring, NY, we met our AMC group and piled into cars of forever willing fellow hikers and rode to the trailhead on NY Route 301, just east of the junction at Dennytown Road.
We looked forward to this early spring hike in Fahnestock State Park that promised 8 miles of gentle, rolling trails through woods and high meadows with Alpine-like vistas. It was a great way to get in our 10,000-plus steps on the old pedometer.
For those here in NY who know it rained all weekend, we actually went on this walk on April 18th,
the week before Croton Dam (click for those gorgeous pics).
Just a bit over an hour after boarding the Metro North train at Grand Central for Cold Spring, NY, we met our AMC group and piled into cars of forever willing fellow hikers and rode to the trailhead on NY Route 301, just east of the junction at Dennytown Road.
We got out of the cars and the fearless leader gave us the logistics of the hike and appointed the sweep.
On our way!
Careful. Those stepping stones could be slippery. Glad the boots are gortex.
Lunch. Find the nearest rock and dig in.
At this point of no return, one of the hikers took a surprise visitor out of her shoulder bag. Arf, arf!
Having passed some fields and through a couple of gates, we made our way up a dirt trail toward the meadow.
Voila!
Fearless Leader gave us 10 minutes to romp in the meadow.
Back on the woods trail, we came across a small stretch of rushing water.
That hole in the tree is the handiwork of a piliated woodpecker.
These remnants of rock walls mark the homesteads of pioneers who left this unproductive area to find better lives out west.
Getting lost in the woods can be a frightening experience. Luckily, volunteer trail maintainers from the AMC and other organizations stack these rocks into piles called cairns, which show the direction of the trail.
Too bad we'd already had lunch. What a great stop this would be. In warmer weather, this lake would be full of swimmers.
Could this be an early swimmer getting some sun or just a snake in the grass?
We could hear the sound of the traffic as we made our way back to the cars parked on Route 301.
A weary group waits for the train back to NYC.
Trail map of Clarence Fahnestock State Park, NY.Next week is Mother's Day, so we're not sure if we will take our lunch in the woods, or if we'll be taken to a city restaurant.
