Category → Hiking
Thanksgiving date
Since we had visited Assateague on our recent 2012 RV adventure, we decided not to go back for Thanksgiving as we had in previous years. Instead, since the kids were in school, Trish and I went for a little hike together:
We had a great time!
Hike to Pine Meadow Lake
We went on what turned out to be a long hike on Sunday. We started at Kakiat Park and headed up the Kakiat Trail. Mechel and Bala examine a waterfall:
Baila’s new boots were giving her heel blisters, so we put on a but of moleskin from the handy first aid kit:
Crossing under the power lines:
Grandpa and Grandma rocks (I think):
This reminds me of an album cover for some reason:
After fighting our way up the Kakiat trail through pretty broken terrain, we bailed out onto the gas line easement and hiked Torne Valley road towards the lake:
There was a bit of water in spots:
The lake at last:
The sun was setting fast, so I carried Baila for most of Torne Valley road. It took 2.5 hours to get to the lake, and only 1.5 hours to get back:
Walking the gas line easement:
RCC in the distance:
We made it back 10 minutes after sunset. Close call!
In the last half-mile, we passed a woman to whom we said hello but got no response. She was heading up the mountain as darkness fell. Here’s what turned out to have happened:
RAMAPO — Rescue personnel were called out to Kakiat County Park on Haverstraw Road on Sunday night to conduct a search for a local woman.
Rockland County Sheriff Louis Falco said the woman, described only as in her early 20s, was reported missing around 7 p.m. after she had an argument and went into the park property.
Police were gearing up for a major search — as many as 40 rescue personnel were gathered at the park’s pavilion and an aviation unit was about to be called-in — when the woman emerged from the Old Mill trail just after 8:30 p.m.
“As we we’re gearing up to put another search team into the woods she actually came out,” Falco said, later adding, “We would have stayed here all night.”
Members of the woman’s family were on the scene and after she was located and checked out by medics, she was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital. The woman was distraught but not seriously injured, Falco said.
The incident, first reported just after 7 p.m., drew a response from Rockland police fire and rescue units, some of which have deployed K-9 units and all-terrain vehicles to conduct the search.
Officials set up a command post near the park’s pavilion about 500 feet off Haverstraw Road. Beams from flashlights swung in the dark as police searched the wooded area.
Later, after the search had been called off, two officers could be seen inspecting the woman’s backpack. The contents were laid out on a picnic table: a jean-jacket and a bottle of seltzer water.
Here’s the route. 8.02 miles, 4 hours. 1,670 feet of climb. Max grade was 42.5%:
The kids were real troopers. We will have to leave a bit earlier next time.
Skating and museums
We went ice skating at the Bear Mountain rink today. Trish is on the left edge of the frame, and Mechel is the fellow in the grey and red jacket in the center of the frame:
Hiking in Harriman
We did a little hike from Call Hallow Road (upper right) to Second Reservoir:
First Reservoir:
This tree probably grew around another tree which has since fallen down:
Hunting salamanders:
Second Reservoir:
Back at First Reservoir:
The dam at First Reservoir:
It was a nice hike!
Harriman hike to ORAK and Jackie Jones fire tower
The four of us went for a quick hike today in Harriman. I didn’t bring a camera, but there’s a blog post here of the route we took with some photographs as well, albeit the wrong season.
The Jackie Jones fire tower is quite high, and the fact that it’s made of rusting angle iron doesn’t inspire confidence. Did I mention it’s high? From the top, we could see NYC to the South, Haverstraw and the Hudson to the East, and Lake Welsh to the North. Trish wasn’t feeling well and stayed at the bottom, but the three of us reluctantly made it to the top and then quickly descended.
Nice way to spend a couple hours of a Sunday afternoon!
Hiking with the kids
I took the kids on what turned out to be a 4.5 mile hike today. We visited Third Reservoir and Breakneck Pond. Start point is here.
Mushrooms on tree:
Swamp on the “Red Arrow” trail:
Our first lake, “3rd Reservoir”:
Coming down from Breakneck Mountain to Breakneck Pond:
Camp Wakonda on Breakneck Pond. I was a little worried we might run into some homeless people, as the camp is obviously not is session right now:
The dock has an enclosed 4 foot deep, wood-floored swimming pit:
Creek fording on the way back:
The kids had a great time, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the kids could walk that far. We were out for about 3 hours.
Las Vegas / Death Valley trip
We went out to Las Vegas in late January. I was excited to use my MiMo 7” USB monitor. There’s just one cable between the laptop and the monitor, and no power cable:
The first thing we did Tuesday morning was visit Grandma:
On the way to Death Valley, we stopped at the Lathrop Wells rest area:
Wednesday morning, I headed out to the dunes near Stovepipe Wells before dawn. While I was running around up there, I ran into another photographer who turned out to be from Westchester. Small world!
Later that day, we hiked up Golden Canyon:
Mechel found a fence lizard. At some point the lizard managed to run up his sleeve. Mechel was not happy.
Baila climbed up quite high:
Mechel and I climbed a long way up a slot canyon off of Golden Canyon. Here Mechel is heading back down:
Panorama from the entrance to the Golden Canyon Parking area (click on image to see full size):
That afternoon, the kids went swimming:
Later that afternoon, I went back to Golden Canyon, and poked around on “Nemisis”, the hill that defines the left wall of Golden Canyon (shown at fall right in the panorama above):
I went to the visitor center and saw a road runner:
Sunset over Texas Springs campground:
Mud:
I walked along with Baila on her bike at dusk. We visited the airstrip next to the ranch:
Thursday morning I went up to Zabriskie Point before dawn:
This panorama was captured before local sunrise – only the Panamints are in the sun (click on image to see full size):
Trish took this photo while horseback riding:
Our hotel room at the ranch:
We walked through Harmony Borax Works:
Next we headed up to Mosaic Canyon:
I love this photograph of Abbey – it looks like she’s doing a zombie impersonation. “Nnnuuurrgg… Brains…”
The kids were hiding:
Trish provided security for the hike:
Next we drove back to the dunes near Stovepipe Wells. Since I had already been to the dunes Wednesday morning, I stayed back and made lunch while everyone else went out to the dunes.
This raven watched me making lunch, waiting for me to drop or spill something:
Trish captured David and Mechel jumping off the dunes:
After I finished making lunch, I went out to get them:
After that, we drove back to Las Vegas and had a big family dinner:
Friday morning, we went to see Grandma again:
We then went to a nearby park where we met Aunt Sharon and Sam. Their dog Oscar was a big hit:
On Monday, Trish and the kids went with Bubbie and Zaydie to Lake Mead:
Quick hike
Last Sunday, we went for a quick hike in Monsey Glen park. We briefly hiked the tracks like Mechel and I did a few years ago:
Mostly Perpendicular
We went for a hike to Mostly Perpendicular on Sunday. We ended up hiking a portion of the hike I did in the winter of 2005.
Charge!
Climbing:
From the top:
\
Descending:
Spider!
Look, another spider!
The journey home:
The most amazing thing was that both kids did the hike just fine. I wore the backpack to carry Baila, but she didn’t need it.
Here’s the route. We hiked 2.53 miles:
South Moutain hike
The four of us hiked a bit on the Long Path, like Mechel and I did in December of 2004. We were only out for an hour or so, as the sun was setting. Here are some pictures:
Here’s a panorama assembled from 5 pictures:
Fun!