walking on petals


Merry-Go-Round at Bear Mtn. State Park (see last post for another view of it.)


Interior snap.

Walking as Medicine

Walking is good for the body, mind, and soul. I'm glad to have two healthy legs and will use them every day... for as many days as they can carry me.

Walk on the Pier

Walking along Ferry Road to the Pier.

Once I got to the end of the pier, there was a treat. This is the first time I've seen a ship here.


It was windy, I only walked for an hour and a half, but I collected some nice pieces of driftwood.

Another Wet Walk

Walked from Nyack Beach State Park to Rockland Lake State Park in the rain. This is the halfway point.




I wandered around aimlessly off trail, and walked a mile north on the Haverstraw Trail as well. This is the Haverstraw Trail on the way back-- The river is on the left. Saw three deer, some rabbits, and lots of birds.


Walking along the Hudson River back to Nyack.


When the rain let up, I picked up nice nice beach glass and stones.

Monday 4/26 ~ A little over three hours, very pleasant walk. Approx. Seven miles

Today's Rainy Day Ramble

A welcome sight ... maypples along the path.

Started out by quickly circling Hessian Lake, which is at the base of Bear Mtn. ( Anthony's Nose is the mountain in the background.) A good warm-up.


The mists hide the top of Bear Mountain as seen from the bridge.



Crossed back over the bridge. Here I'm standing at the base of Anthony's Nose. I was on a wide raised walkway, in a safe spot, when an old guy driving by stuck his head out of his car window and screamed "Don't fall!" It must have looked like I was in a precarious position to him.


Walked along the shore. A constant light drizzle for about half the time, the temperature seemed to drop at midday, but I was comfy (properly dressed and had a thermos of Earl Grey tea.)


A very quiet Sunday. Not many people out. I was able to help some people who asked for very specific trail directions. That always feels good.
Hike time: 2 hours 20 mins.

The Good Earth

Plum Blossoms near Bethel, NY.

The Catskill region is greening.

Pear tree in blossom, crabapple (center) and an apple tree at right.

The AT was Born Here

My favorite walk in New York State is on the very first miles of the AT.

But wait... I was on the AT when I took this picture!


Today I got a great hiking related gift from a friend--she gave me a digital voice recorder with all kinds of groovy functions. (Remember the old dictaphone Gary Cooper talked into in the Audrey Hepburn movie "Love in the Afternoon?" ) Well this is light years away from that!

I sometimes stop for a few seconds on a hiking path to type an inspirational thought into my iPod touch, a few days ago I scribbled an idea for a poem on a shopping bag in the car. Later on I was never really able to figure out what I meant by some partial phrases I'd typed into the iPod and I couldn't even read the scribbled words on the bag in the car. So the gift is really perfect-- it's like my friend is psychic or something! ( She's a songwriter and a solitary walker, so she uses one. )

Walking to the Top

On the 1777 E trail ~ Bear Mountain State Park.


Chipmunk on boulder: Happy Earth Day to You.

Rock formation on 1777 E trail


Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. ~ John Muir

Cat Nap on Mat

Eddy has perfected his own yoga pose. The sleeping piglet pose.

On My Favorite Bridge

I enjoy crossing bridges on foot


Looking over the Popolopen Creek


Looking at Putnam County's Manitou Marsh ~ once known as Mystery Point Marsh ~ 4 miles of hiking trails & great for birders. The marsh is home to a variety of crabs and grass shrimp.

Feeling the bridge bounce a bit as a big truck rumbles across... seeing the cables vibrate... all part of the experience. I love being on the bridge, rain or shine. It's always cooler and windier there.

Yesterday's Elk Photos

Personally, I love the Tiffany Elk torso that sits on a cliff near the Bear Mountain Bridge. Some people think it looks cheap and tacky and is totally out of place. (People love to complain about everything! ) This elk has always made me happy, though!


The elk, along with a herd of real elk, was a donation to the park. The real elks faded away, but this memorial to them remains.


Kids love to see the elk. (That's Peekskill in the distance)


I circled the elk yesterday.

Stepping Out

I was given a couple of pedometers last month, and adjusted them to my stride. Day One: an average day, a non-hiking day and I wanted to see -- on a somewhat sedentary day, how many steps I took. (around the house, out shopping) The pedometer said almost twenty thousand steps. I doubted I'd taken that many steps. I tried the higher tech pedometer on another "sort of sedentary day" and it was over twenty thousand steps. So I don't need a pedometer, I'm walking plenty, even on days when I'm around the house.


Fourteen miles one way? Not a problem. Although lately I've been hiking by *my old childhood method. Walk for 2-4 hours then turn around and come back. I never get bored walking.



Hiking all day ( ten hours let's say) isn't hard for me since I've been a dedicated walker since I could toddle. My feet don't hurt and my bones don't creak. I wake up feeling physically and mentally great, and I've come to the conclusion that walking, strolling, and hiking is really good for me.

*When I was a little kid, I was often on my own on summer days. My parents both worked and I'd get up with them at dawn, have breakfast with them. My mom would pack a nice lunch for me to take to the park. But instead I'd walk off into the day, walking across the city, trying some new routes, for 3 or so hours, stopping to observe whatever, eat my lunch, then slowly walk back the way I came. That took care of my 6-8 hours of being on my own. Walking became addictive and I became a collector of maps. On weekends my dad would take me on strenuous hikes-- he never got tired, but was a meditative sort of person, so our hikes were blessedly quiet ones, with stops to look at a particular tree, enjoy a view, think about nothing,

Napping Cat Pic

Eddy when he was a kitten.

Walking in Tallman Mountain State Park


Another path


Rock Steps made in the 1920's.


Nice place to picnic.

Rewarding Climb In Highlands, NY

Carefully wending my way over and around boulders, I climbed down off the trail, and then walked along the widest ledges, looking for an easier way back up. There was no easier way, so I decided to just take my time and enjoy the climb back up. It was a good workout and I did enjoy it very much.


Surprise! I found myself atop a tunnel that ran through the mountain I was on. A freight train tunnel along the shoreline.


One reward for climbing around was this view. I went way off the trail and climbed down over boulders to reach a place with a new view. In the distance you can see Sugarloaf Mountain across the river in Hudson Highlands State Park.

Where I Usually Walk

One of my favorite places to walk --across the Popolopen Creek footbridge and over to Fort Montgomery from Bear Mtn. State Park. I could hike all day at Bear Mtn. several times a week--there are so many trails, plus museums, the zoo, fishing areas, the tower, the Tiffany Elk, bridges, a beautiful Merry Go Round, and interesting people from all over the world visit the park. I'm always asked if I can take a photo of a group or a couple. The drive is only a little more than a half hour, so I can just go without much preparation.

Tallman Mountain State Park is nice if I only have a hour or so to walk. It's less than ten minutes away by car.


Rockland Lake State Park is less than 4 minutes away-- and people are always walking there. The path around the Lake is about 3 miles and if you stop and stand still, you see a lot of wildlife.


I watched this heron catch a fish and do some stunt flying a few days ago.