Hello and Help!

“Hi everyone! I'm new to hiking...only doing day hikes right now, but I'm planning on getting a pack soon to do some weekend trips. I'm in NYC, looking for suggestions on interesting trails in the area. Any tips?!”

“Matt our beloved webmaster has a page of links to some good ones in all 50 states. If you could be more specific as to how long and the terrain Im sure someone will be happy to tell you where to go.”

“Mandy, the Long Trail in Vermont has some nice hikes. When you gain some more experience, I hear the White Mtn's are a sweet hike as well.

Ask Pedxing and SirPetofTheMillwork, they know the scoop out there.”

“Mandy, I live in Dumont, NJ.. about 10 minutes from NYC. Harriman State park in nearby Rockland County is fantastic for dayhikes, and only about 30-60 minutes from Manhattan, depending on what part of the 50,000 acre park you go to. Lot's of good wildlife there to, there are bears (though I've yet to see one there), deer, fox, raccoons, bobcats, ect..

Ramapo National Forest in Mahwah, NJ is also very nice. The main parking lot off 202 (or is it 208?) brings in lots of crowds, but they are mostly people who just go for a casual stroll around the lake.. after going about 20 minutes up the mountains, you'll hardly see anybody.

Breakneck Ridge up Rt. 9 in Coldspring, NY, near the Westchester/Putnam county border is a great dayhike, and very strenous. Great views of West Point and the Hudson River from the top though. GREAT workout, not for the weak. About as steep as you can get without needing climbing gear, but still very doable.

For overnighters, I recommend the Catskills. If this is your first overnighter, or at least the first one in a while, I'd recommend the hike up to Echo Lake from Meads Mountain Road just to the north of Woodstock. It's not too difficult, and Echo Lake is a beautiful place to camp. The Catskills are filled with great hikes, I'd recommend getting trail maps and scan them over and find something nice. Another really neat hike is the Wittenburg-Cornell-Slide loop, which goes over three peaks the loop is named after. Slide Mountain is the tallest in the Catskills at 4180 feet. It's a pretty steep hike, and I wouldn't recommend it for a first trip unless you're in excellent shape and feel confident.. or if you're going with somebody more experienced.

Hope that helps. Click on my name, and you'll see my e-mail address listed. Drop me a line and I'll be happy to give you more specifics if you'd like. Best of luck! :-)”

“All great suggestions from Artex. You might enjoy going a little further west into the Delaware Water Gap area off Rt 80 at the NJ/PA border where there is an extensive network of trails. Anywhere between that and High Point State Park in NJ is nice.

Try the New York - New Jersey Trail Conference for more.”

“Thanks for all of the great suggestions, everyone! dirtyoldman asked about the difficulity level - right now I'm starting out easy. I've recently quit smoking, so my main goal is rebuilding some lungs without killing myself! But I think something a little more challenging is due, soon.

Violin, the Delaware Water Gap is actually next on my list. Have you been out there?

Artex, I'll drop you an email about the places you mentioned...sounds like enough to keep me busy for the summer! I'm probably pretty close to you since I actually live in Weehawken, NJ - on the Hudson across from Manhatten. Have you been to the Palisades? I think that's pretty close to me, will probably go there next.

Thanks again everyone!”

“Mark your calendar for the first Saturday in Decmber Mandy, and come down to TC2.”

“Mandy, yep you're only about 20 minutes from me (with light traffic.. ha!). Haven't explored the Palisades too much, have written it off since it seem so accessible. If it's cool, lemme know! I'll keep an eye out for your e-mail, I'm more than happy to share what I know.”

“Sure I've been to the Water Gap, Mandy. I've done the Appalachian Trail through there, probably 90% of the side trails and explored several areas off trail. I've canoed the Delaware through there. Try the Nat. Park Service link or this clickable map. Anything else you want to know, I'll do my best to answer.”

“Artex, about the Wittenburg-Cornell-Slide loop... is there good camping on that trail? I've never camped in the Catskills (only the 'dacks) and have no idea how many campsites there are, where they're located, ect. Any info would be appreciated (I started a new thread asking for info in the nyc area).thanks!”

“down in Batsto NJ. It is a great trail through the heart of the Pine Barrens of NJ. Past cranberry bogs. In the winter you can pack ice skates in and go skating on the bogs. Very cool stuff. The trail is FLAT and sandy, very comfortable hiking in Teva's. there is no elevation, and no vista's, but the serenity and scenery is great. You can acces the northern point from Ong's Hat, on Rt 70 (or 73...I forget which). Lots of great camping and canoing on the Batsto River. A cedar creek that is just unreal.”

“http://www.hikercentral.com/regions/us/newyork.html

sorry still cant do the link thing”

“http://www.catskillguide.com/hiking.htm

i did a nice 3 day trip. as soon as i get home ill look up on the map and post more info tom.”

“ok so just copy and then paste
then click go”

“Olivepit - yes there are several designated campsites along that trail. I usually park at the Woodland Valley campsite and hike up Wittenburg first. Halfway up Wittenburg you can take a side trail which goes to a lean-to at Terrace Mt. There are also about half a dozen designated camp areas in the col between Cornell and Slide, and are GREAT places to camp. I also remember seeing one a few miles before the parking lot, between where the trail ducks back into the woods from the road after Slide. Hope that helps!”

“Ok so I still haven't done the Palisades or the Delaware Water Gap - but yesterday I did a little day hike in Shark River Park in Monmouth county. It was easy, I probably did about 10 miles if the little trail map is accurate. It had just rained the night before, so I got lots of pictures of curious turtles! My plan is to go up to NW Jersey on the 12th for another day trip listed in a book that I have. I've been doing these easy little trips and loading up my backpack more and more, trying to build up to better hiking shape.

TownDawg - what is TC2? I just moved to this part of the country - don't know the lingo!

Thanks again, everyone!”

“Your on your way, Mandy! That's how I got into backpacking. I started doing dayhikes more regulary, then began extending my trips to overnighters and multi-day trips.

The great thing about where we live is though NYC is huge, it's relatively built up, and not out. One dosen't have to go far to find fantastic hiking spots. Having said that, I can't wait to move out of the NYC area and to someplace more rural, preferably Maine or Vermont!”

“TC@ is Trail Cooking Challange II in the Fiery Gizzard, TN. It is a long haul for you, but is a smashing good time. Last year there were about 30 TT'rs there. Some people even smuggled beer in.:)”

“Hi Mandy, sorry that I didn't spot this thread sooner. I'm in Jersey as well, about 35 minutes from the Water Gap. I have hiked a little bit in the AT area here, but mostly I hike and backpack in eastern and central PA. There is a group of us that occasionally do 2-3 day backpack trips that are not too strenuous, since I am trying to build up strength just like you.

Artex, having met you I really think that you have a split personality. I say this because I just clicked on your website.”

“My sense of humor is either very subtle or pedal to the metal. I only feel comfortable showing the latter when I get to know somebody better... or when I'm making webpages on gameshows, and perhaps dancing with dead boars.”

“'...dancing with dead boars.'
Artex

Wow, you've had dates like that, too!”

“lmao arty! funny $h!t man!”

“Heck Mandy, jump in with both feet. Get yourself air dropped into a no-rescue wilderness with a jack knife, parachute cord, and a snickers bar. Find your way out.”

“Buddha Bear - I'm originally from TN, south of Knoxville. Can't say that I've ever heard of Fiery Gizzard, though! Where is that? I might just have to check it out, just to keep you naughty beer-drinking packpackers in line if nothing else! ;-)

Ldhiker - a jack knife, a parachute cord, and a snickers bar. Hrm...can I trade the snickers bar for a compass? I'd just live on wild blackberries and unsuspecting grasshoppers...”

“Artex - you mentioned Maine. Do you happen to know anything about the state, and places to go? I'll be in Portland for a couple of days later this month. I was just about to look up and see if there's anything in that immediate area worth exploring.”

“Mandy, I've visited Maine on a handful occasions, and LOVE it there. I eventually want to relocate up there, I'm just getting rid of some debt first. I'm sure there are several here with more knowledge than me, but I don't think there's too much immediately around Portland. I may be wrong though. At the risk of sounding negative, I don't think Portland's all that great, in my humble opinion. Too big of a city, and not as "Maine-like" as the rest of the state. But the rest of the state is just fantastic.”

“hay mandy,
check out the thread about delaware water gap july 27-28. it might be what your looking for. e-mail me with any questions if you need to .”

“wow im not sure how i missed your webpage. but the trip should be very interesting anyway!! hehe”

“Ha ha ha! Yep, I look forward to it! :-)”

“hay you should come up with a game for all of us to play. and i promise not to throw you (off the mountain) oh i mean out of the game!! lol”

“Hmmm, a game. We could play charades where you have to guess the trailtalke. Since we mostly know eachother through typing, it could make it very interesting.

For example: somebody could mimick a hurt pinky toe... (Violin) That would be an easy one.”