Week Four - Sylvan Glen Park Preserve, Yorktown

Sometimes I don't get a turn on my own computer, until the weekend is over. We completed this hike on Saturday, and hope I can paint an accurate picture. Sylvan Park Preserve is located close to the Taconic Parkway in Yorktown. There is a parking lot for visitors with a map of the trails. Adam, Sam, Antonia, Cooper (woof), and myself hiked the white and blue blazed trails for a total of 2.25 miles of splendor.  Cooper completed an additional 2.5 miles at least running back and forth, back and forth. Nothing short of dog heaven. We walked into only one other group of folks during the time we were there. There was plenty of change in terrain: the uphill path of a gas pipeline, mature woods, wetlands, and oh yeah an enormous granite quarry that provided beautiful vistas, and a peak into the past. Remnants of the largest industry in the history of Yorktown awaited us including rusty old thick cables bolted into rock, and the ruins of a working shed.  I learned that the granite from this quarry was trucked to Manhattan for the construction of St. John the Divine and it was mostly due to the skills of Italian craftsmen.  I wondered how we could manage to reopen that quarry for people like me who still don't know what having a granite kitchen is like. It was beautiful, and crazy to imagine the kind of labor that took place there.  There is even ice skating in the winter at this site, I wonder when that will be.

It was a splendid time with my family!!

Week Three - Rockefeller State Preserve, Pocantico Hills

Phewwww, didn't know if I was going to get out before the end of the weekend but I did and it was so great!! Antonia begged me to not make her go, Sam wanted to go but had a basketball game and Adam was coaching it.  Antonia went as far as offering to go snow shoeing on the aqueduct instead, desperate to get out of the bigger adventure. Not this time!!
I had my plan and execute solo I did. I was at the Preserve in the past, having visited at Stone Barn, and also went out around Swan lake with my sis and neice last year on our first snowshoeing excursion together.  Today it was just me, the woods, the brook, and the snow. I traveled in my boots through the yester snow fall along the Ridge Trail, uphill and meandered back through the Brook Trail.  Both were spectacularly peaceful and near empty at 2pm. It was cold and the snow was unscathed but for the light footprints of hikers and parallel impressions of cross country skiers. I stopped often to listen to the water that would not stop for me.  I missed not having Cooper or Bingo with me but I don't know that their paws are as resilient as those of the dogs I encountered on my walk.
I had already gone about 2 miles when I decided to not resist the Old Rail Road Bed and Peaceful Path. I will do my best to upload some photos I took on my phone because it really was tranquil to the max.  I trudged through the snow imagining past generations doing a similar trek in the winter months on their way to school...as so many have regaled us grandchildren with tales of. I hope that they enjoyed their journeys as much as I did.
http://nysparks.com/parks/attachments/RockefellerRockefellerStateParkBrochureandMap.pdf this one!!! Map of Rockefeller Trails

Week Two - Teatown Lake Reservation, Ossining

Sorry for the delay in my posting. We (Adam, Antonia, and myself) actually walked this route last Wednesday but have been away and so here are the details. It was another mild day for January, about 47 degrees when we hit the trail at about 1:00. The Teatown Lake Nature Center is a great starting point, offering a topographical model of the park, trail maps, gift shop and most importantly, nature - snakes, really cool stick insects, and much more.  We were recommended to hike the Hidden Valley (HV) Trail, based on our preferences. Overall the Reservation has nearly 15 miles of marked trails. We headed toward the HV trail, passing a bunch of rescued Eagles, Hawks, Owls that were all well cared for. The hike itself is 1.8 miles, but it didn't feel it, there was such diversity along the way. We passed through a large "vernal" pool - a body of water that dries out in the summer allowing salamanders and wood frogs to prosper, and red maple wetlands.  There was some uphill/downhill walking but more than anything the hike was varied and enjoyable due to the babbling brooks and rocky ledges.  We never did see the actual "Teatown Lake", we weren't even close. Now that I have studied the larger map I realize that we will be making more trips to this beautiful place, not only does it offer multiple hikes, it hooks up with many other local trails that will keep one going for hours.

Week 1- Cranberry Lake Preserve, North White Plains

January 7th and it was 60 degrees when we started our hike through Cranberry Lake's Purple trail. I love this trail because its so close and I can get most of my family to join in. Make sure to stop by the lodge and pick up a map with historical facts to learn while trekking.  The quarry that supplied stone for the Kensico Dam is found here, my son (13years old) and neice's (15 years old) favorite part of the hike.  This hike is great for beginners and any outdoor enthusiast.
No dogs allowed :(