Iron Spirit Trail: The Space Between The Roads

Over Mothers’ Day weekend, I drove to New Jersey. Took my kiddo out to dinner on Friday night. Saturday’s rehearsal with Katye Kellye and The Interruption was scheduled for late afternoon.  For a change, I had a chance to get a run in before driving down the shore to rehearse.

high water

When I lived in NJ, Lake Denmark Road was my regular roller skiing haunt.  Five miles of rolling pavement, it wends through country that’s the antithesis of the tired “Jersey? What exit?” trope.  It’s adjacent to Picatinny Arsenal, and on the right day, one’s workout is leavened with explosions as they test ordnance.

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The Bristol Hills Trail

As seasons change, so do our methods of outdoor recreation. When ILoveNY starts to put out their Fall Foliage Report, it ques my brain to contemplate hiking in the Adirondacks.

Naples Creek Trail Head

The ADK region is usually first for peak foliage in early October, and I wasn’t able to make it work. Luckily here in the Finger Lakes, peak is much later. The large bodies of water hold heat and delay the onset of cooler temperatures needed to trigger the color change in leaves, and extend the fall foliage season. The FLX has some challenging hikes, and I set my sights on Naples. The Bristol Hills Trail is a 50-mile branch trail of the 900+ mile Finger Lakes Trail System.

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Goodnow Mountain Ramble

As I wrote this on 14 October, fat, waterlogged snowflakes were pelting out of the sky and accumulating in my yard. The upcoming weekend was Columbus Day, the swan song for hikers. On Sunday, I got out into the woods, hoping to get a measure of solitude. I gazed at the bottom of the map. Hoffman Notch or Goodnow Mountain?

I chose Goodnow. The trailheads alongside Route 73 confirmed my decision. They were all stuffed to the max with cars. I wouldn’t mind climbing Cascade again, but not with 500 of my closest friends. I turned onto the Northway to dash down to exit 29 and Blue Ridge Road.

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