The Gunks Blog

Run Wild and Verkeerderkill Falls

Posted on by Steve Aaron

Ten years ago I started photographing trail running events, almost by accident.

My respect for these athletes has grown over the years, and it still amazes me to witness the grit and strength of these runners as they traverse trails through the mountains on courses of ranging from 10 to 70 miles in length.

Taking in the View at Sam's Point

Over the years, I’ve come to know many of the runners with appreciation for their perseverance, but also for their warm sense of community. Trail runners are an incredibly friendly group of athletes.

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Tagged: Gunks, Hiking6 Comments

Spring Hiking in New York

Posted on by Steve Aaron

Ski season gave way to hiking season in April for me. After a few local hikes to stretch out the legs, in late April, my dog Stella and I joined my friend Ken for a hike up Wittenberg Mountain in the Catskills. This was my first “big” hike of the season, with the goal of meeting up with my daughter Alison and her friend Alice as they completed their Catskill 3500 peaks on Wittenberg.

Climbing Wittenberg

Ken, Stella and I started at Woodland Valley, trudging along to the base of the steeps of Wittenberg. The climb up the steeps was a great challenge so early in my hiking season and it went well for all three of us. There was one spot where I had to hand off Stella to Ken to pull her up a tall, steep section.

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Tagged: Catskills, Gunks, Hiking3 Comments

The High Point Carriage Road at Minnewaska

Posted on by Steve Aaron

In the last days of August, the High Point Carriage Road, a historic 2.8-mile piece of the Minnewaska State Park’s carriage road network, officially re-opened to the public. On September 1, my friend Brian and I set out to explore the new road on bicycles.

Smiley Carriage Road
Smiley Carriage Road

We started at the Minnewaska parking area and rode on the Upper Awosting Carriage Road to Lake Awosting. From Awosting, the Smiley Carriage Road would connect us with the new High Point road. Although I’m a frequent visitor to Minnewaska, this was my first cycling trip on the full length of the Smiley Carriageway that was restored a few years ago.

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Tagged: Biking, Gunks, Hiking8 Comments