Today's Hike

[tirolski]

Filthy animals?

A "Pristine" Adirondack Lake Is Seeing an Alarming Spike in Pollution. Researchers Point to a Surprising Culprit.

A report from the Adirondacks is leading some researchers to surmise that hikers’ gear is likely a leading cause of microplastic contamination in at least some wild water sources.

www.backpacker.com

 

[JK_PA]

JK_PA Hometown Area Hike - 11/02/2025 (Part 1)
I’ve been wanting to explore the trails south of my hometown, Peekskill NY, for a while now and last Sunday provided the opportunity as I visited my mom for the weekend. I had an idea of the area I wanted to explore but the distance was too long for a round-trip hike (at least for me). Lugging my bike up from PA to self-shuttle was doable but not ideal and I felt bad asking a relative to help with an early morning shuttle. After pouring over maps, I figured out a way to make my exploration work without any bike or car needed. Therefore, I walked out of my childhood home front door at 7:45 am and started my hike.

The first part was a 1.2 mile walk to downtown Peekskill. It had been a while since I wandered around town. A lot has changed over the years and many places from my youth have long since closed. I was happy to see that the Paramount Theatre was still open (with Grand Funk Railroad playing there the night before!).

I got an excellent cup of coffee at the Peekskill Coffee House

and then hiked the 0.8 miles to the Peekskill waterfront. What a beautiful morning.

I was in a New York state of mind, so I hopped on the southbound Hudson River Line

A couple stops later, I exited at Croton-Harmon and hiked southeast on Rt 9 along a very much appreciated bike path that separated me from the main highway.

What stood out to me about this part of the hike was the contrast between the Rt.9 vehicle traffic noise on my left (see photo above) and the beautiful views of the Croton and Hudson Rivers on my right (see photo below).

After 1.3 miles, I picked up the Old Croton Aqueduct trail and headed north.

 

[JK_PA]

JK_PA Hometown Area Hike – 11/02/2025 (Part 2)
The Old Croton Aqueduct Trail in this section parallels the Croton River

Seeing the ventilation towers along the aqueduct trail was pretty cool.

After 3.6 miles along the Old Croton Aqueduct, I arrived at the Croton Dam for some well-needed lunch.

The road at the top of the dam is pedestrian only. I remember when you could drive on that road. I also remember when, in my misspent youth while going too fast in my 1969 Malibu on a really foggy night, I was inches away from crashing head-on into a stone barrier when that 90 degree turn at the end of the bridge in the below picture suddenly came out of nowhere.

From the top of the dam, I started hiking northwest on the Briarcliff-Peekskill Trailway (which I had not been on before). Definitely not as well-traveled. I did not see another hiker for this section of the hike.

After 5.1 miles, I made it to Spitzenberg Mountain at the southern end of Blue Mountain Park.

And then another ~1.5 miles to the top of Blue Mountain. The trail network in Blue Mountain Park is confusing and not well marked (and I love it that way!). Too often, trail networks are overmarked and there is not much thought needed to find your way. Not at Blue Mountain Park. I felt a sense of accomplishment when I made it to the top of Blue Mountain (at least I think the little “s” on what looked to be the highest rock designated the summit). Awesome!

I was back in Peekskill now in an area I knew relatively well. Blue Mountain Park connects to Depew Park so after only ~1.5 miles I was hiking in Depew Park past the site of my eagle scout project, as then past the pool where many a cold morning was spent swimming laps for the swim team back in the early 80s. Finally, it was just another 2 mile walk through Peekskill to get back to my mom’s house just as the sun was starting to set. After hiking 17 miles total, I was spent! What a great hike on a beautiful day that brought back a lot of memories from a childhood that is now a long time ago.

 

[tirolski]

JK_PA Hometown Area Hike – 11/02/2025 (Part 2)
The Old Croton Aqueduct Trail in this section parallels the Croton River
View attachment 30428
Seeing the ventilation towers along the aqueduct trail was pretty cool.
View attachment 30429
After 3.6 miles along the Old Croton Aqueduct, I arrived at the Croton Dam for some well-needed lunch.
View attachment 30430
View attachment 30431
The road at the top of the dam is pedestrian only. I remember when you could drive on that road. I also remember when, in my misspent youth while going too fast in my 1969 Malibu on a really foggy night, I was inches away from crashing head-on into a stone barrier when that 90 degree turn at the end of the bridge in the below picture suddenly came out of nowhere.
View attachment 30432
From the top of the dam, I started hiking northwest on the Briarcliff-Peekskill Trailway (which I had not been on before). Definitely not as well-traveled. I did not see another hiker for this section of the hike.
View attachment 30433
After 5.1 miles, I made it to Spitzenberg Mountain at the southern end of Blue Mountain Park.
View attachment 30434
And then another ~1.5 miles to the top of Blue Mountain. The trail network in Blue Mountain Park is confusing and not well marked (and I love it that way!). Too often, trail networks are overmarked and there is not much thought needed to find your way. Not at Blue Mountain Park. I felt a sense of accomplishment when I made it to the top of Blue Mountain (at least I think the little “s” on what looked to be the highest rock designated the summit). Awesome!
View attachment 30435
I was back in Peekskill now in an area I knew relatively well. Blue Mountain Park connects to Depew Park so after only ~1.5 miles I was hiking in Depew Park past the site of my eagle scout project, as then past the pool where many a cold morning was spent swimming laps for the swim team back in the early 80s. Finally, it was just another 2 mile walk through Peekskill to get back to my mom’s house just as the sun was starting to set. After hiking 17 miles total, I was spent! What a great hike on a beautiful day that brought back a lot of memories from a childhood that is now a long time ago.

Nice
We rode over that croton bridge in a car as kids & lived not far from the souther terminus of the Peekskill-Briarcliff trail. The area was quite steep in spots.
Fun times.

 

[Ripitz]

JK_PA Hometown Area Hike - 11/02/2025

This is fantastic!

 

[Brownski]

That is some good exploring JK. Awhile ago I read a book called The 12 Hour Walk or something like that. The guys thesis is basically that walking 12 hours alone without outside distractions will unlock enough old memories and neglected parts of your brain that you’ll achieve some sort of personal insights b6 the t8me you’re done. I thought a good way to do it would be to get dropped off at Croton dam and walk back home along the Croton Aqueduct trail, across the Tappan Zee and then some bike paths and surface streets from there. Still haven’t done it yet.

 

[JK_PA]

Nice
We rode over that croton bridge in a car as kids & lived not far from the souther terminus of the Peekskill-Briarcliff trail. The area was quite steep in spots.
Fun times.

Thanks! I didn't know about the Peekskill-Briarcliff Trailway prior to planning for my hike. I enjoyed the northern part of the trail so I'm definitely curious about the southern half. I look forward to checking it out!

 

[JK_PA]

That is some good exploring JK. Awhile ago I read a book called The 12 Hour Walk or something like that. The guys thesis is basically that walking 12 hours alone without outside distractions will unlock enough old memories and neglected parts of your brain that you’ll achieve some sort of personal insights b6 the t8me you’re done. I thought a good way to do it would be to get dropped off at Croton dam and walk back home along the Croton Aqueduct trail, across the Tappan Zee and then some bike paths and surface streets from there. Still haven’t done it yet.

Thanks as well! What a fantastic idea to start from the Croton Dam and make your way home. I'd be happy to help you facilitate that journey with a shuttle when I'm up in the area. Just let me know!
Sounds like an interesting book. While my walk did not fit the criteria from the book, there were many long-forgotten memories that came to mind while travelling through where I grew up. Many were fun, some were sad, but all were good.

 

[DomB]

Did 4 mile trail run in light hiking boots/heavy runners (the boots I did the back country hike in) yesterday. It was so much fun - beautiful scenery, just getting lost in it. 14 miler this morning on the road. This is the first time in any of my blocks where I do a short easy run the day before my long run. In the past, I always took the day off before a long run. Beautiful morning light in the woods this time of year.

Not only is trail running fun and variety from road running, it also lowers the load on you knees. It does increase ankle injury risk, but that is always a risk on a trail.

 

[Ripitz]

Light rain and passing showers last night on the Appalachian Trail until thunder and lightning chased me off the mountain. Got caught in a downpour on the 7 mile ride back. 40 degrees and soaked to the bone, makes you appreciate a nice warm home.