Hiking. Dogs. What could be better?

Adventures of Georgie and her squad of humans. Places to hike (and places not to hike), important thing to note, and some pictures to top it off.

[doggonehiking-blog]

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Franny Reese State Park, NY

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Franny Reese State Park, NY

We weren't expecting much from this one, to be honest. We pass by the park (or at least the entrance) all the time, and were never very intrigued. But as I'm sure you can guess, we were wrong. And very happy to be. It started off by going below the MidHudson bridge, which felt pretty cool and troll-like. Then after a bit of uphill, there was a beautiful view of the Hudson and Poughkeepsie that I had no idea exited. Pleasant surprise number one. The trail continued and it was nice and woodsy. There were some very cool sections of trees that made for some nice pictures, but the walk was fairly normal and not very exceptional. Until we hit the old estate. Old estate you ask? I know, who knew! Apparently a rich dentist lived in those woods over 100 years ago, and due to poor management (and perhaps a bit of spoiledness) of his children, it all fell into disrepair and you can go on a very self guided tour of the old estate. (Obviously following the path and not wandering off of it or anything). For a history nerd, this was the coolest little gem of a spot, and really made the whole hike much more interesting. There are some servants quarters, a carriage house, and also the big mansion itself complete with a ballroom for your viewing. (Okayyyyy I have no idea if those are accurate as there are no signs indicating what each building was, but those were our educated guesses). So it was overall not the most strenuous or exciting of a hike, but if you're looking for an easy money spot enriched with some history on the side, this one's for you. Difficulty: 3 Views: 6 Date-worthy?: yes, particularly if you're dating a social studies teacher Historical allure: 7 Bring your dog: 10 Bring bug spray: 10

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END BSL! Sign and share!

<a href=“http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/my-montr%C3%A9al-includes-all-dog.html”>My Montréal includes ALL dogs | Montréal: Ma ville inclut TOUS les chiens Petition | GoPetition

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Poet’s Walk, NY

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Poet's Walk, NY

I've been here a few times, but I was taking Georgie and some of her squad for the first time, and I think it's still worth mentioning. There's a fancy farm stand on the edge of the road going to the walk/hike, and it's worth it to check out. Local fruits, vegetables, and meats for the buying. Which we certainly did. Poet's walk is not really a hike in my book, although some may disagree. It's a partial loop and takes less than an hour to walk. The trick is taking your time and soaking up the sights: the wild flowers, the meadows,the nicely crafted wooden chairs, the gazebos, etc. This is a place to take your children (dog or otherwise), to relax and maybe have a picnic. Probably not in the middle of a hot day like we did, but there were many spots of shade to find comfort. The trail first goes through meadow, then woods, both of which have some nice stopping points. It seems to be gaining in popularity through the years, so you will definitely see others on the journey. Still, it's a great spot to explore when you're looking for a calm day to inspire you. Difficulty: 3 Views: 6 History: Interesting! Go on a date?: Definitely Bring your dog?: 10

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Ferncliff Forest fire tower

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Ferncliff Forest, NY (Fire Tower)

I'm going to be honest with you here. We didn't explore this "forest" much. We went for the fire tower, and that's what we did. The very short walk (10 minutes?) to the fire tower afforded us some great forest-y trails, a pond, camping grounds, and a few lean-to's. The pond was a little orange (Georgie went in despite my discouragement), but we did get to skip some rocks, so there was that. The fire tower itself was pretty solid. Two of us battled some height fears, but for a fire tower it seemed really safe. AKA: it didn't sway too much in the wind. And the views were unbeatable. Not much effort for a panoramic view of the Hudson Valley. There were a bunch of trails around, and they were very woodsy, so if that's what you're into, it's something to consider. We wanted some better views so we drove a mile or two down the road to Poet's Walk for a bit of exercise. Difficulty: 2 Views: 8 Views for effort: 10 Bugs: 8 Good for a date?: Yes, so long as you aren't afraid of heights... Bring your dog?: 1 (pups don't tend to like fire towers, and like I said... The pond was orange?)

[doggonehiking-blog]

Breakneck Ridge, NY

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Breakneck Ridge, NY

We finally did it.

Breakneck is one of the most popular hikes in the Hudson Valley, and many city-dwellers take the train just to hike it.

We had been putting it off for months because we wanted to be ready for it. It’s supposed to be one of the hardest, so we waited. Then it got hot and we wimped out due to the weather. Then we got the luckiest forecast of a low 80-degree day, and knew we had no other choice.

So it was Breakneck day.

It begins with a rock scramble unlike I’ve ever seen. Steep and never ending. Apparently it’s only about a mile, but feels absolutely endless. Thank goodness Georgie is a mountain goat in spirit. She did better than we did.

There are four overlooks, each a bit higher with a slightly different vantage point of the Hudson River and its surrounding area. We got to see our various hikes (Bull Hill, Storm King, Beacon), which were some fun moments of pride.

We went a mile or two more to the final stopping point on top, ate a snack, and could still see the road we came in on. The entire hike consists of vertical rocks, so we didn’t get much in the way of horizontal distance.

It would be so much harder to return the way we came up (which I regrettably had to do once after a bad sprain on top) and the rest of the hike was a breeze. Some ups and downs and then all down until the trail spit us back out on the road.

It was a cool hike, and different from ones we’ve been doing. It was definitely a nice change of pace and we got to work different muscles. But for all its hype and bragging of difficulty, it definitely wasn’t the best/worst. Don’t get me wrong, you should do it, but it’s still not my favorite.

Difficulty: 8 Likelihood of dying: Considering the name, it’s kind of high. I think this is why people think it’s so difficult, but really it’s just a bit dangerous. Bring your dog: 4, should be big/strong enough to jump high or small enough to carry one-handed while you do the real climbing. Popularity: 10, it’s been the most hiked we’ve come across, and thus the most trashed. Views: 9 Go on a date?: 1. From personal experience... Don't do it... Graffiti and litter: Too much

[doggonehiking-blog]

Cat Rocks, NY

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Cat Rocks, NY

The puns on this one were unbelievable. Please insert your own per your own level of impropriety. 

We agreed pretty early on that this was my kind of hike. Short and sweet, but definitely with a kicker to get your heart racing. I think our total time actually hiking was less than an hour and a half. A good 45 minutes up to the money spot. We kept comparing it to Mt. Beacon, and found it was overall easier and quicker.

The problem was that NY is going through a bit of a heat wave... I like to call it July. 

Good thing we met up nice and early, because the oppressive humidity and the steep climb made for an obscene about of sweat. Who knew 45 minutes could cause that much? Even poor Georgie was drinking all the water she could manage. The heat, however, did not stop her from her ever-present life goal of hunting chipmunks.

If not for the heat, I’d give this hike a gold star. It’s great for a short hike, and you can even invite your city-dwelling friends without too much complaining. What the money shot lacks (the Hudson) makes up for in rolling mountains, hills, and farms. Classic country.

It’s also along the Appalachian Trail, so there’s a fancy lean-to, and we came across a handful of people who (through no fault of their own) made us feel vastly inferior about our hiking skills. But, one of them did say something to ease the blow:

Hike your own hike.

So, go forth and hike.

Level of difficulty: 5 in the summer, 4 in milder weather Money spot: 8 Bring your dog: 9 Bring your city friends: 9 Living up to its name?: Nope. We found no cats whatsoever. Total madness if you ask me.

[doggonehiking-blog]

Black Rock Forest, NY #hikethehudsonvalley

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Black Rock Forest, NY

What a day, people. What a day.

Long, yeah. But not hard. (Unless long equates to hard to you, in which case what I’m saying is void. But really, if you’re one of those people who thinks long hikes makes them hard then I’d like to talk to you. Or if short hikes makes them easy, then yeah please explain...)

Anyway, it’s so worth the 4 hours. 

It was like a totally different world from the start. Quaint little bridges, birds singing prettily, the sun reflecting perfectly off of the damp trees...

And the reservoirs! (yep. plural. multiple. get at me). They were a huge hit with Georgie, and also with us when we got to hone in on our skipping rocks skills. I implore you to go here if only for the reservoirs. 

The hike itself was a long stroll, with some minor uphill battles that are over quickly enough. The views are more than worth it, so don’t be worried about them. (To ease your fears, you should know that by the time you park, your cars already done a lot of the hard stuff...)

The biggest problem with the hike were the bugs. Ohhh the bugs. We were attacked by them on the trails. Attacked by horse flies that chased us down the trail despite our oppressive amount of bug spray and fast running legs. It was unreal I tell you. UNREAL. We were actually laughing in a fit afterwards, but looking over at my friend with a swarm of bugs chasing her, knowing they were also following me... stuff of nightmares, my friends.

Level of Difficulty: 6 Breathtakingness of views: 8 Likelihood of dying: 10 due to horse fly attack induced panic, otherwise a 2 Bring your dog: 9 Rock skipping game: on point

[doggonehiking-blog]

Mills Mansion, NY

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Mills Mansion, NY

Do yourself a favor. Get your friends or your family (or both, as crazy as that may sound) and go to Mills Mansion. Walk the trails. Any of them. All of them. Go to the shore, pretend you’re on vacation. Really look at the Hudson. It’s before your feet. Usually you’re on a mountain, the water miles and years below. But now the water is here. It’s right there. Skip rocks in the water with the enthusiasm as if you’re a child learning for the first time. Pretend you’re on a secluded lake. Feel the quaint lighthouse in the distance. Feel it’s smallness and it’s bigness. It somehow contains both feelings. Follow the trail, walk on the edge of things, trace the water with your steps. Have a picnic. Laugh. Talk about real things. The things you can’t talk about when you’re breathless, but don’t mention the things only spoken of whilst in the sky. And just enjoy. Feel the history of the house, the land, the lives that stood before you. It’s a beautiful place. The beauty rubs off on you. So go. It's an experience.

Difficulty Level: 1 Go on a date?: 10, SO ROMANTIC Views: 7, but not the classic views Likelihood of dying: 1 Likelihood of bettering yourself: 8 (the history teacher in me implores you to take a tour or read up on the history of the place…) Bring your dog: 10

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Shaupeneak Ridge, NY @doggonehiking