The song’s chorus echoes “Aint No Cure for the Summertime Blues.” Fewer people remember the oldies classic every year but the words still ring true for skiers.
My favorite cure to escape the heat of the city has been the collection of parks that make up what is known as “The Gunks.”
It seems there is always something else to see there. The cliff flanked ridge allows unparalleled views of the Catskills to the north as well as the Hudson Highlands to the south.
With an iffy forecast for the summit of Mt Washington, my 2013-2014 season might have gone out with a whimper. Although I was disappointed, at first, I wondered if the balmy temps and fresh leaves and the smell of bbq might put Memorial Day as a win.
Beyond making the adjustment from dynafits to hiking boots, I saw an opportunity to get outside with some friends I don’t see much during the ski season.
The group wanted to get some big miles, and for the first hike of the spring, we set our sights on an empty quadrant of Harriman State Park, opting to hike to Claudius Smith Den from 106 instead of the more accessible, and crowded, Johnsontown Road.
Making the transition from ski-mode to warm-weather activities has never been easy for me, but it gets better every year as I learn more about climbing.
What started out as a summer fling has bloomed into a year round activity with the help of the local gyms, but nothing can ever beat the thrill of going outside, at least for me.
There’s no shortage of opportunity to recreate in New York but there really is something special about participating in a sport that exists in such a stellar form in my own backyard.
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