Hayes Nature Park

Sometimes I get anxious.
A panic that is not explainable.
It sneaks up...
Tightening in my chest.

i.
can't.
breathe.

heart racing
difficulty swallowing
choking feeling
tears falling

a desperate need to gain control
yet i can't seem to
make the panic go away!!

If I could breathe
everything would be fine...

A calming walk in winter woods.

I had passed the parking area on Moe Road many times.
You can see a trailhead marker when driving by.
... but no sign around to indicate there's a park there.
I have looked at maps.
I have tried to find it by looking for hiking trails in the area.
I couldn't find any information.

When I parked...
I finally noticed the Hayes Nature Park sign.
It was way colder out than I had anticipated.
Tolerable.
I had my gloves, scarf, and put my hood up.
Ready to explore!

Something I enjoy about cold days.
I am alone to wander the trails.
Houses are built all around the park boundaries.
... but there are plenty of trees.
... sheltering the view.

i imagine
when the naked trees
have clothes of leaves
the birds are plentiful

It was a really nice walk.
The path was smooth to walk on.
I could see it being a nice place to run.
Lots of wooden bridges!

I saw a hawk fleeing crows.
Crows have particular caw.
... while they chase
... and peck at
... birds of prey
I enjoy watching birds.

The trail is really well marked.
A one mile loop.
In the shape of a figure 8.

I did the loops poorly.
... so I ended up traveling.
... a little father than a mile.

A quick easy mile.
Good for any season.

I learned the park opened in 2011.
After learning the name of the park.
I was able to find a little information.

I will most certainly be visiting this park again soon.

Beginning of the trail from Moe Rd.

First bridge.

Bridge near a junction to the Liberty Way Entrance Loop.

Upstate New York Winter Woods.

Clear Directions.
There were signs at every junction.

Another Bridge.
I'm not sure how many there are, but I like that there are many.

First Bridge at the end of the hike near Moe Rd.
I think...

Town of Clifton Park - December 30th 2014

Distance Traveled - 1.29 miles

Dwaas Kill Nature Preserve

An Abnormally Warm Winter Day

We found a trailhead!
I think we were at the main entrance on Pierce Rd.
Even after researching extensively...
I do not know.

When we started, Nathan asked me if I had turned on my MyTracks.
I was glad he asked because when I hike I like to see...
how far I go.
how fast I go.
how long did it take me?

He basically said he didn't care about those things.
He wanted to have the gps...
In case we needed it to get back to where we began.
I believe I mentioned in my post about Saratoga National Historic Park...
I am directionally challenged.
The gps helps to eliminate any quarrel or question of,
"Which way did we come from?"

It was a wetland trail.
Old, wooden pallets made boardwalks and bridges.
Eliminating some of the wet and squishy.
Nathan pointed out an old car...
buried in the ground.
the woods and wild life ignoring its existence.
as if it somehow belonged there.

Of course this leads to a conversation with the question...
How did the car get there?
Speculation about the woods being younger than car occurred.
Maybe it used to be farmland?
Maybe it was just flood plains?
Maybe someone drove it down a trail...
or an old road?

There was another old car.
A little farther back...
Not nearly as "buried" as the one near the trail.

After we passed the cars...
we came upon a wider, sandier trail.
There was a steep hill to our right so we decided to go left.
The path was easy to walk.
Some hills to go up...
and down...
It got the heart beating.
... but it wasn't by any means strenuous.

Daylight was fading.
A major factor on how long we were able to explore the area.

At a certain point we could see the trail where we started.
Instead of turning around...
going back the way we came...
we took a little deer path across a short distance.
Looping us back to our original path.

The sun setting gave the starkness of winter a magical glow.

Dwaas Kill Nature Preserve has very little information available on it.
Every time I thought I found a site with information...
it would lead me back to Clifton Park's Town Hall site.
It always went back to a committee called Open Space.

I like gathering new information.
After I've been somewhere
I want to know more about that place.
It doesn't always have to have history attached.
Nature and weather are fascinating enough.
... but it's nice to be able to learn about an area.

A better understanding of an area helps hikers to be prepared.
Myself, I like to know distances and what terrain to expect.
It helps me know what supplies to bring.
... and mentally prepare for endurance.
mud.
hills.
mosquitoes...

A Dwaas Kill Preserve trail map?
I found two.
... but they were both a little difficult to read.
... and they were created for planning trails.
Dwaas Kill Nature Preserve Map is the most recent trail map I could find.
A quick look shows very few existing trails.

I ended up taking my MyTracks information.
... and made a map of the path Nathan and I took.

Comparing the maps I learned Nathan and I did a little jaunt around a sand pit.
If there was a junction by Long Kill...
where we could have turned left to stay on an existing trail...
I never saw it.

I do plan on exploring this park some more.
Perhaps even join an Open Space hike.

After researching.
... and looking at maps
... I did come up with a pretty good idea of how those cars got into the woods.

The train tracks at the top of the hill of the sand pit.
I can imagine the cars.
Being abandoned.
Rolling down the hill.
To their burial ground.

A follow up post I wrote after visiting the park about one year later can be read here! Dwaas Kill Nature Preserve II

Entrance Located on Pierce Rd.

Boardwalk.

Long Kill.

Winter Berries.

Nathan on the sandy part of the trail.

Sun setting.

Trees tops glowing.

December 26th 2014 - Clifton Park, NY

Distance Traveled - .86 miles

Last Day in Colorado

Colorado - Rocky Mountain National Park

Longs Peak, Trail Ridge Road, Bear Lake, Horseshoe Falls - August 21st 2013
Trail Ridge Road Highest Elevation - 12,183 feet
Bear Lake Trail Distance Round trip - .8 miles
Alluvial Fan Trail Distance Round Trip -  .3 miles
Characters - Alicen, Nathan

A day off from hiking...

Since it was our last day in Colorado we decided to take a drive on the Trail Ridge Road.
It's the highest continuous paved road in North America.
Nathan was driving.
I will admit I had moments of panic as we drove up.
Sometimes all I could see was sky.
Other moments it was just

a 

long 

way 

down

We stopped at a few lookout points.
Taking in the greatness of the mountains.

Longs Peak.
Elevation 14295 feet.
It is the highest peak in Rocky Mountain National Park.
We were able to see it from most places we visited in the park.

We didn't end up driving the whole length of Trail Ridge Road.
We decided to do something else.
We knew we'd be driving the following day to Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Our change of plans allowed us a quick walk around Bear Lake.
The trouble writing about this trip now is some details are lost.
I do remember being tired this day.
I did not want to walk too far.
At all.

Somehow...
After we enjoyed our time at Bear Lake...
Nathan got me out on my feet
one
more
time

Horseshoe Falls.
It was a very easy, quick walk to see the falls.
An Alluvial Fan.
This waterfall is popular because of its geology.
So much so that I had a difficult time learning the actual name for the falls.
It is just referred to as the Alluvial Fan in Horseshoe Park.

It was a fun stop.
Nathan even got me to stick my
sore
tired
feet
in the river below Horseshoe Falls.
I'm glad I did.
It was refreshing.

~21.5 miles hiked in Colorado!!!

Longs Peak on the left.
A wonderful view to start the day!

Explanation of Parks.
I thought the plaque would say it better than I could.

Longs Peak.

Another bit of history from a plaque.

Nathan with Longs Peak in the background.

Alicen at a lookout on Trail Ridge Road.

Bear Lake.
Half Mountain and Longs Peak.

Nathan at Bear Lake.

Bear Lake.
Hallet Peak.

The valley of Horseshoe Park?

Horseshoe Falls.
Alluvial Fan.

Alicen at Horseshoe Falls.

Roaring River.
We dipped our feet in this river. It seemed like a perfect way to end our hiking in Colorado.

Trail Ridge Road Information

Bear Lake Information

Horseshoe Park Information

Eight Northeastern Mountain Hikes

I was surfing the internet and came across an arbitrary list.
14 Of The Most Unbelievably Beautiful Drives in America.

I was completely dissatisfied with their list.
I haven’t been on any of their amazing drives?!
I looked at a few more lists on this “outdoor” website.
Out of all the lists I looked at, I have only been to one place?
Ridiculous!
I have been many places in this country.
Twenty-eight US states.
I've hiked in eleven of them.
... I believe.
I've been to four Canadian Provinces.
I've even been to Mexico.
(As long as we're calling it America, I'll go with the whole Northern Continent).
I have seen amazing things!

I wanted to put together my own list.
Based on nothing.
This got me thinking about all the mountain ranges I've hiked on.
What I learned was kind of remarkable.

The Green Mountains in Vermont are considered the same range as The Berkshires in Massachusetts.
This range of mountains is just one range amongst many that make up the Northeast Appalachian Mountains.

The Berkshires.
Catskills.
The Green Mountains.
Taconic Mountains.

All a part of the Appalachians!

I learned the Adirondack Mountains are not geologically related to the Appalachians.
They are a southern extension of the Laurentian Mountains in Quebec, Canada.

Also,the Mount Tom Range is a part of the Metacomet Ridge Mountains.
The Pocumtuck Range is the most northern part of the Metacomet Ridge.
These mountains are young and not geologically attached to the Appalachians.

All of these mountains ranges are often lumped together as the Appalachian Mountains.

I've been hiking or camping in all these mountain ranges.

I've even hiked the Appalachians in Pennsylvania.
... the Poconos. 

My arbitrary list. 

8 Northeastern Mountain Hikes

Mt. Greylock, The Berkshires (MA)

Me observing horse hoof fungus growing.

It was a wet day hiking.
Never saw the mountain.

Steady Ascent.

Trillium.

Slide Mountain, The Catskills (NY)

Ascending Slide Mountain.
A wet hike.

Nearing the summit.
Slide Mountain is the highest peak in the Catskills.
Elevation 4180 feet.

The camping crew.
Steve, Ashley, Jim, Michelle, Nathan, Alicen.
Dogs - Maynard and Marley.

Esopus Creek.
We did some swimming here on our way back home.

Lye Brook Falls, Green Mountains (VT)

Lye Brook Falls.
Cascades down 125 feet.

It was a 2.3 mile hike to the falls.

I love how the layers of rock look.

I love this picture.
The textures.

Alander Mountain, Taconic Mountains (MA/NY)

View from Alander summit.
This hike was strenuous.
Most hiking guides rate it a 9 out of 10 for difficulty.

View from Alander summit.
Elevation 2238 feet.

View from Alander summit.

The backpacking crew.
Nathan, Jim, Michelle, Alicen.

Giant Mountain, The Adirondack High Peaks (Keene Valley, NY)

View from a lookout point on Giant Mountain.
This hike was strenuous for me.

Giant's Washbowl.

The climb was rough.
Elevation gain 3000 ft.
Hike round trip 6 miles.

Giant Mountain summit.
Autumn weather prevented us from a view once we reached the top.
Elevation 4626 feet.

Fourpeaks, Adirondack Backcountry Camps (Jay, NY)

Ridge Camp.
A fantastic place to stay while hiking the area.
Fourpeaks is privately owned.

View from Ridge Camp.

View from Rattlesnake Knob.
I believe the large mountain is Whiteface Mountain.

The ladies.
Ashley, Michelle, Alicen.

View from Rattlesnake Knob.
Elevation 1886 feet.

Goat Peak, Metacomet Ridge Mountains (Mt. Tom Range, MA)

Me enjoying the hike.
Relatively easy hike.
1.2 mile out and back trail.

This hike is known for its trees, but we hiked it in January.

Elevation 830 feet.
The tower is known as a wonderful place to watch hawks.

Me at the top of the tower.

Stone Crusher.
Circa 1928. 

Rocky Mountain & Highland Park, Metacomet Ridge Mountains (Pocumtuck Range, MA)

Poet's Seat Tower.
Built in 1912 as an observation tower.

View from the trail.
Hike was fairly easy.
If you can find it, the trail leads you away from the ridge and runs along the Connecticut River.

This was just out on the trail.
The other side made me imagine it was once used to bake with.

Me enjoying the hike.
It was a stormy, humid day.
I remember a thunder storm came when we finished hiking.

Photo Credits: Jessica Church, Michelle Valk, Nathan Neal, and Alicen Hutcheson.