Take a Hike

Hearting (though sweating in) Harriman State Park.

I rarely get to hike because city-reared Papa Rooster and Mother Hen and Sissy and Lil' Bro don't really enjoy it. We never did it grow up; I only went for the first time back in law school by the Blue Ridge Mountains. Back then, even though I was young, I didn't exercise regularly and was terribly out of shape, bringing up the rear with a classmate 15 years my senior. But I loved the physical exertion and being out in nature.

During the pandemic early years, I researched easy hikes near New York City so we could get outside for an activity, and the whole family went. In the middle of the otherwise peaceful woods across the Hudson from West Point (a not particularly dangerous spot), Papa Rooster berated me for leading the whole family into certain doom and putting us at risk of robbers in the woods. (Um - what? Trauma carried over from living in a wartorn country until he arrived here, I am guessing. And the Viet Cong held the jungles, and he spent time with them there in his youth, so fear of dark spaces with trees is not altogether crazy in his case.)

Anyway, the loud arguing as we tried to find our way was not exactly a relaxing nor meditative experience. So we don't go as a family. And I long for it.

I am too chicken and worried about my inexperience to go alone on my own, though. Would I know which tree to turn at to stay on the trail? Which snake to avoid? How to defend myself against a bear or wolf or other predator? Resounding no!

Happily, I have friends who hike, and they invited me along a few weekends ago.

It was supposed to be an easy hike. One of my college classmates was in charge of planning. His easy and my easy (and other friends' easy) are not the same. I should have guessed; Planner Friend goes biking on mountains for fun.

Eastern eyed click beetle

On the plus side, it was mountain laurel season - just lovely. 

Dottie Audrey's Bakery Kitchen

It was hot, though. Thank goodness there was a lake. At least Planner Friend got that part right.

And, afterward, at the end of the six hour "easy" hike, the rest of us (Planner Friend had to leave for a commitment) stopped into a wonderful bakery and cafe recommended by Planner Friend. He got that part right, too.

Scratched the hiking itch.

[Text was added within 24 hours of the publishing time. I don't think I will be noting that anymore. This isn't journalism; just for me. I oftentimes post right before the midnight "deadline," meaning I oftentimes need a bit more time to flesh out a post fully. I will try to stick to a short finishing window. But that round out should just be assumed as par for my course. I think going forward I will only notate if there was an out of ordinary revision.]