Hiking in Harriman State Park

Is there a better way to take in the rhythms of nature,

burn off a few calories,

explore new territory,

recreate on the cheap,

and reclaim your sense of calm,

than hiking?

Hiking is therapy in old tennis shoes.

The family and I have continued investigating local parks and trails since our move to the Empire State, just traded gymnosperm for deciduous, clear mountain streams for muddy brooks, and MOUNTAINS for mountains. This past weekend we decided to explore Harriman State Park and more specifically, the Iron Mine Walk that begins at the Lake Skannatati parking area.

The Iron Mountain Walk is described as a scenic eight mile hike that takes you through an area of abandoned iron mines, some that can be safely inspected from the trail. It takes you through wooded glens with little underbrush, across seasonal mountain streams, and provides a "superb overlook across the lakes where the walk began".

I must begin by saying that the trailhead is easily accessible due to its proximity to the Palisades Parkway, something we did not take into account when choosing this hike. For this reason, the parking area was filled with approximately 40 vehicles when we arrived. The number had nearly doubled by the time we left. Of course, not everyone was exploring the trail. The surrounding small lakes provide fishing and boating opportunities. This area is also equipped with picnic tables, so there were a good number of people enjoying a picnic lunch away from the city.

The Iron Mountain Walk is a figure eight, so you have two choices of paths to take at the beginning - one that follows the lake for a short distance and one that proceeds uphill from the start. We took the trail along the lake as was recommended. The trail is fairly level at the beginning with only a few areas where you bounce from rock to rock (a good challenge for our three year old in tow). The views are not spectacular, but they are fairly unobstructed this time of year due to the lack of underbrush and foliage.

With the addition of the little one, we did not hike the entire loop. There was a time when my wife and I could simply throw her on our backs and cover eight miles without issue. But now that she's mobile, we've slowed the pace and lowered our milage expectations; which is necessary when you have to take frequent time-outs to "water the flowers", change soiled clothes, rehydrate, or simply rest. There are a more than a few rocks on the trail that present obstacles to tikes. Our little one had a few spills, shed a few tears, and came home with a few bruises, but as it is with life, "it's just part of the experience" (something I don't think she'll like hearing as she gets older).

One of the biggest surprises on the hike was the almost complete lack of bird song or animals other than small pine squirrels. I came to expect this in the alpine environment of the West, but it was a complete surprise to witness the deficient numbers of wildlife in the hardwood forests of Harriman. I was was at a loss until I heard the first group of fellow hikers approaching... from a 1/4 mile away.

I enjoy hiking because, as mention above, it allows you to reconnect with the natural world, visit new places on the cheap, and it gives you a break from the noise of civilization - a remedy that is a necessity when you live near NYC - a remedy difficult to achieve, however, when fellow NYers forget to leave their urban voices in the city. No wonder the white-tails high tail it and the white capped chickadees flee to "chic-a-dee-dee-dee" someplace new. I would fly too to escape a conversation on the "Jersey Shore" discussed at a level meant be heard over the engine of a single prop plane. I covered the wee one's ears lest her brain be polished smooth.

If I was Vonnegut and you were reading Breakfast of Champions, this would be what a NYer looks like.

FYI... Despite their ability to become the center of attention, NYers are easily startled. Just offer a "Hello." This simple acknowledgement of their existence, which is hard to ignore in the middle of a wooded pasture often leaves them stuttering, looking for the correct words in response.

- Hands off the bear mace, Ma'am. I didn't mean any harm. Just wanted to say "Hello." Thought you might like that. -

In conclusion... The Iron Mine Walk is an easy stroll for an adult in reasonably good shape and can easily be completed in an afternoon. For those like ourselves who come with little shavers, I suggest starting the hike by taking the path that leads uphill away from the lake to start, because with youngsters in tow, you never know how far you will make it. And on this hike if nothing else, one should take in the "superb overlook across the lakes." Next time, I know we will.

Front Porch Musings from NY

Mentality

New York City brings together a diversity in spoken language, skin hues, and culture. But there is one thing most New Yorkers share, a manufactured obliviousness to other people.

It is interesting to witness a person fain ignorance to your presence as you pass them on the sidewalk, even when the two of you are the only two people within eyeshot... in any direction... in a residential area. The possibility of a person not noticing another enter within three feet of him/herself is infinitesimally small, even if he/she happens to have the triple handicap of being deaf, blind, and stupid. But then take the scenario a step further. If you issue a friendly, "Hello," or "Good Morning" to this stranger, there is a hitch in their response, as if you have wrenched them back from the recesses of their inner-mind where perhaps they were tirelessly calculating the the value of their own self-importance,... or perhaps they're just surprised that someone broke the code of silence.

"Huh, whaaa.... Oh, Hi."

Aggressiveness

New Yorkers are notoriously aggressive, whether it be the in-your-face style of ordering at the corner sandwich shop or driving on the expressways, a fact that makes my blood boil every time I enter the expressway or order a turkey sandwich. But you don't appreciate the full extent of NY aggression until you've nearly been run over by two octogenarians pushing shopping carts in the dairy aisle.

Diversity

It is entertaining to walk into the local deli and observe the variety of "english" accents co-mingling. Bronx, Jersey, thick Irish, Indian, Spanish, etc. - all equally foreign to a born Midwesterner, but a pleasant change from the ethnic uniformity of Montana where diversity is measured in shades of white and Republican red.

Summer's End

You don't need to eyeball the calendar to know that summer has turned a corner. You can sense the trees beginning to withdraw, sequestering sugars back to their roots, readying themselves for a long winter. An event that is punctuated by a fanfare of color.

Gone is the heat and humidity that saps any motivation and makes sleeping an impossibility. The days are comfortable and the nights crisp.

Kids disappear from the playgrounds and teens no longer loiter in the streets and malls. School is starting, a sure sign that fall is near.

Fall, my favorite time of year.