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.