Peekamoose Blue Hole: Paradise Lost?

I first heard Peekamoose Blue Hole was in trouble last year.  I’d recommended the spot to a buddy of mine, and upon his return he told me with a tragic tale.

Peekamoose swimming hole

Things were grim: hundreds of people with grills were playing loud music surrounded by broken glass and garbage. He told me there were so many cars parked along the road that it was difficult to drive past it.

Peekamoose Blue Hole, as I knew it, was not supposed to be that way. While it hasn’t exactly been a secret since the dawn of the internet age, it’s location, lack of services, and the 10-foot deep pool’s ice cold water temperature had always limited crowds.

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Urban Kayaking: Liberty Island

I’m a creature of habit. When it comes to kayaking, I go back to the same couple of areas over and over again. This year I made a resolution to spread my wings and explore some new areas.

truck with kayak

On July 4th weekend, Liberty Island seemed like a good place to start. I checked the tides. High tide at 7:56 AM, combined with light traffic in the morning, would be my best bet for calmer waters. I aimed for an early start and set two alarms.

I got on the road around 6:40 am, not too bad really. I headed south on the Palisades Parkway. I put in on the New Jersey side at Liberty State Park, paddling solo. I was on the water by 7:40.

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Jiminy Peak: My First Time

Recently I googled “Jiminy Peak 1989.” I found an E-bay listing for an old booklet celebrating Jiminy Peak’s 40th anniversary, which turned out to be the 1988/89 season. I had to have it.

jiminy-triple-chair

I was 17 in February 1989. The day after a school dance my friends thought it would be fun to drive to Jiminy for some skiing. Most of us had never skied but we were fit and confident.

We schlepped our cooler full of food to the lodge, rented skis, bought lift tickets and headed out. In hindsight it might have been smart to take a lesson. I fell twice just getting my boots into my bindings. I figured out how to brace myself on my poles and got through the lift line on pure high-school-senior upper body strength.

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