Turkey Mountain - Yorktown Heights, NY

2009 Hike #1:


Click the above photo to view Turkey Mountain on Google Maps

LOCATION: Turkey Mountain
DATE: June 8th, 2009
CITY: Yorktown Heights, Westchester County, New York
DISTANCES: 43 miles from Downtown Manhattan, 23 miles from White Plains (NY), 28 miles from Danbury (CT), 44 miles from Poughkeepsie, 9 miles from Chappaqua.
DIRECTIONS: From the South (New York/White Plains) Take the New York State Thruway/Major Deegan North to the Saw Mill Parkway North. Follow SMP to 26: Taconic State Parkway North. Follow TSP to the Underhill Avenue exit. At the end of the exit ramp, turn right onto Underhill Ave. In Downtown Yorktown Heights, turn right onto New York State Route 118. Drive 1.6 miles south. You will find the entrance to the trailhead on the right, directly across from the sign for Peter Pratt's Inn.



Sometimes, the world's biggest surprises are right in your backyard. I have lived in Chappaqua, New York for 22 years and a half years, and I did not know the existence of a hike-able mountain known as Turkey Mountain a mere 10 minute drive away. Needless to say, I was flabbergasted, yet ecstatic when I found out about the trail while "Googling" trails in Westchester County.

Unfortunately, Rachel was unable to join me for this first hike of the 2009 season. She is finishing up her last few days in Ohio before she spends the summer back on the Northeast. We are going to make it our goal to do as many hikes as we can this summer!


Click the above image for a close-up of the trail map

I arrived at the trailhead of Turkey Mountain to find a dirt parking area adorned with 9 cars, and several signs such as the one above to help guide my way. One important thing to note about the trail is that DOGS ARE NOT ALLOWED! So leave your furry friends at home if you are feeling compliant.

The nature preserve contains six trails, though only two (Blue and White) hit the summit of the mountain. I decided to do a round trip, going up the Blue Trail (a 1.5 mile trek to the top), and the White Trail going down (a much shorter 0.7 miles). I am not sure what the other trails have to offer - I am excited to try them sometime since I live so very close by!



The first half of the Blue Trail was relatively flat and easy, with nice pieces of boardwalk to guide the hiker through mud-prone sections. Neat looking trail blaze markers such as this one:



were very easy to find and frequently placed. The letters stand for Yorktown Parks & Recreation. The town did a REALLY nice job with this facility! I met another cool sign as the Blue Trail met with the Red Trail: PHOTO

Continuing onward, at about 0.5 miles in, the trail began to dramatically steepen, and I found myself huffing and puffing a bit. I came across some relatively impressive rock formations alongside the path (PHOTO).

As I reached the first mini plateau (each plateau with its elevation is marked on the Blue Trail Map near the top of the article), I found that the trail came close by to lands owned by New York City for Water Supply. These signs are a common sign in Westchester County, near its several reservoirs: PHOTO

I continued on my way, and I met my second plateau, which was pretty (PHOTO), but not yet the view I was looking for. I did see, however, at this plateau and at the summit, lots of beautiful wildflowers, such as this one:


Click the above photo for a closeup.

After a third mini-plateau, I reached the summit. It took me about 35 minutes from the bottom, taking lots of pictures.


In this photo, you can see (just left of center) the silos of Hanover Farm, one of two operating farms within a 15 mile radius of Chappaqua. Click for a closeup.

At the summit, gazing to the south is the main attraction of Turkey Mountain: a view of the New York City skyline 40 miles to the south on a clear day. Today was about 80% clear, so I was able to see the skyline pretty well with the naked eye. Unfortunately, it did not come out as well as I had hoped on camera. Nevertheless, if you focus your eye just left of center above the trees, you can barely make out the skyline. On this one, click to enlarge. Zoom in if you must!:



Also in view from up here are reservoirs (PHOTO), as well as the Old Put truss railroad bridge, which is now used as a bike path (PHOTO).

Pretty breath-taking for the suburbs (PHOTO).

Following the White Trail on the way down was much quicker than going up. It didn't seem as steep as that initial push 0.5 miles or so into the Blue Trail, but it was a more gradual incline down. Near the bottom, I found an outdoor classroom, which is supposedly used yearly during field trips by the Yorktown Schools: PHOTO

Finally, as I neared the parking lot, I met a snake friend! He stuck out his tongue at me! I thought this was a pretty cool shot, seeing that our paths crossed for maybe 10 seconds tops. If anyone knows the type of snake this was, please leave it as a comment:


Click the above photo for a closeup.

FINAL CONSENSUS: If you are looking for a relatively quick getaway and, if you happen to live in Westchester County, is close to home, I HIGHLY recommend Turkey Mountain. It is not too difficult, it offers spectacular views, and brings the excitement of mountain hiking close to home, in a quick and painless journey. It's a nice introduction to higher altitudes, as this one doesn't even crack 1,000 feet! Nevertheless, you truly feel like a giant up there...
Difficulty: (A couple of rough spots for the out of shape hiker, but if you bring water you should be fine).
Trail Markings: (Yorktown did a GREAT job labeling the trails. Trail markings did match conventions, and the bottom of the map provided a guide to trail marking).
Trail Condition: (Again, Yorktown should be commended - EXCELLENT job in these trails' upkeep).
Good for Kids: (This is a good starter hike for kids who are used to sitting on the couch. However, it is not recommended for inexperienced hikers under the age of 8).
Views: (Absolutely gorgeous).
Length: 1-2 hours.


Come Back Rachel!!!!! - Jon

Mount Tremper of the Catskill Mountains

Hike #2:

LOCATION: Mount Tremper - Catskill Park
DATE: June 5th, 2008
CITY: Mt. Tremper, New York - outside Phoenicia, New York
DISTANCES: 124 miles from Downtown Manhattan, 63 miles from Albany, 43 miles from Poughkeepsie, 10 miles from Woodstock
DIRECTIONS: Take the New York State Thruway (North from NYC, South from Albany) to Exit 19: Kingston. At the traffic circle, follow signs for Route 28 West. After 19 miles, bear right onto Route 212 East into the Hamlet of Mt. Tremper. At the four-way intersection, turn left onto County Route 40. Follow for 2.5 miles to the trailhead.


Mount Tremper Trailhead Sign

The habits of living in Ohio for 9 months out of the year are hard to break. One gets accustomed to flatness of the area and thus, there is nothing even remotely strenuous about taking a two-hour walk. However, once back in the hilly regions of the east coast, your 'mountain' legs adapt easily.

It's Jon's and my mission to escape outside more often than not this summer. So we started off my summer with a bang. We were hoping to go tubing on the Esopus River in the Catskills, but the weather proved to be too chilly and too cloudy It was time for Plan B, hiking.



While surveying the land in Phoenicia NY, Jon and I discovered Mt. Tremper. The mountain had a hiking trailhead about two miles down the road. The trailhead included maps and places that we should spot along the trail. The maps that they have at the beginning of the trailhead are exceptionally useful, and I highly suggest that anyone planning to climb to the top of Mt. Tremper takes one.



The trail marks four specific vantage points. The first is the trailhead itself and the official registry of those attempting to climb Mt.Tremper for the day. The second, marks an old abandoned quarry that can be viewed clearly from the trail. The third, and most interesting point is the lean-to with excellent sign-in book. In the book, many people shared quotes, lyrics and even poems to describe their experience on the mountain, while other people's entries were purely for entertainment purposes.



The last stop on the map was the Fire Tower on the VERY top of Mt. Tremper. When Jon and I got to the top of the Fire Tower, we greeted by sweeping views of the upper Hudson region. We could see for miles as clouds drifted dreamily over the mountain's peaks and farms. We were also, however, greeted by the lock on the very top of the Fire Tower. Hopefully, future hikers will not come across this obstacle.

Final Consensus: This is a fantastic hike and a completely rewarding one. It truly does bring new meaning to the term "day hike". The grueling trek up to the top of the Fire Tower is completely worth it once you get one glimpse of the pastoral view. When one gets to the top of Mt. Tremper, it is indeed an accomplishment. The hike long, difficult and exhausting, but because of all those things it makes the end result rewarding and worthwhile.
Difficulty: On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the most challenging for the average day hiker), around a 7.
Good for Kids: Perhaps ages 10 and up. Younger children may enjoy a short hike on the trail, but it would not be ideal for them to hike all the way to the top.
Length: 3-6 hours
Rachel's Note: Please bring plenty of water!!!! This is a LONG hike and water will essential. Also, insect repellent would be a good idea as well.

Hocking Hills State Park: I Can't Believe it's Ohio!

Welcome to life, Weblog!

Hike #1:

LOCATION: Old Man's Cave and the Rock House, at Hocking Hills State Park.
DATE(s): April 19th, 2008 (Rock House), and May 18th, 2008 (Old Man's Cave)
CITY: Logan, Ohio
DISTANCES: 57 miles from Columbus, OH, 32 miles from Athens, OH
DIRECTIONS: Take US Route 33 East out of Columbus (accessible off of Interstate 70 East towards Wheeling) or West out of Athens. Upon entering Hocking County, you will find several signs directing you to the different sections of the park.



There is only one word that I can use to describe Hocking Hills State Park, and that is magical. Nestled in Southeastern Ohio about an hour's drive from Columbus, Hocking Hills is a shocking sight to see after becoming accustomed to the pancacke-flat landscape of Columbus, and nearly everything westward stretching to the Rockies.

Hocking Hills is divided into four separate sections throughout Hocking County, Ohio. In Rachel and my first visit to the park in April 2008, we visited the northernmost region of the park, a location which features the Rock House (pictured above). The Rock House itself is a naturally created mini-cave. Inside it is gorgeous, with brilliantly red cut open rock and stone. Inside the house you will find carvings from visitors dating back to the mid-nineteenth century.



Yesterday, Rachel and I visited the largest and most popular region of the State Park, Old Man's Cave. This trail and region is extremely accessible and is a very easy hike for young children. It features various gorgeous cliffs and waterfalls, coupled with miles and miles of trail. Much of the would-be steep sections of the trail use stairs, making it especially accessible for unexperienced hikers.



A very distinctive element of the park are the beautiful stone footbridges (shown in the above right photograph). These footbridges provide easy access across streams, usually to access waterfall locations.



There are three main waterfalls in the Old Man's Cave section of Hocking Hills: the Lower Falls (as pictured above), the Middle Falls (a small waterfall just upon passing the visitor's center and gift shop), and the Upper Falls (as pictured below). Each of the falls are easily located due to the plentiful signage throughout the park. One most likely does not need to consult a trail map to find ones way around Old Man's Cave.



The Upper Falls in particular sports an amazing shade of turquoise from limestone deposits in the water.



FINAL CONCENSUS: Hocking Hills's gorgeous rocks and alcoves (as seen to the above - notice how small the people in the shot look under th gigantic rock) and picturesque waterfall landscapes are perfect for any hiker, seasoned or unseasoned. It is also perfect for children and the elderly. One can easily do one of these sections in a couple hours, or one can knock off several parts of the state park in one day. Make sure to bring lots of water!
DIFFICULTY: Easy
GOOD FOR KIDS?: YES!
LENGTH?: 1-3 hours



We hope you enjoyed our first entry! When the RJP returns for summer vacation, expect an update almost every weekend featuring trails all about the New York-New Jersey area! Thanks y'all!

-Jon