Breakneck Ridge

On Wednesday, I realized I wasn't going to be able to go to the officers' retreat this weekend. (Medical appointment in Manhattan at 7 AM Saturday, and some prep the night before that would really be easier at home.) So I had a weekend stretching before me with nothing to do, when I got a last-minute invitation to hike Breakneck Ridge. Yippee!! The first hike of the season, and a much-needed warm-up for my NINE-DAY hike in September. Yes, I will need to work on my overall physical fitness between now and then. And also buy plane tickets, but that's another story.

So after my medical appointment, I grabbed some breakfast and coffee at a local diner, then met up with my friends to drive up to Cold Spring. I've been to the town a number of times, but always did the Mount Taurus hike.

The day was a bit overcast.

After some steep ascents (complete with hard-to-reach handholds, with a bit of wind at times), we got some nice views. It rained a bit while we had lunch, but that wasn't so bad. The ground remained relatively dry.

This is one of my all-time favorite cairns (perhaps #2 after the sculpture "Rising Cairn" at the Portland Museum of Art):

Look closely, and you'll see that someone has taken the trouble to wedge in a stick into the main body of the cairn and create a mini-cairn on top. So cute!!!

We all admired this unusually shaped dead tree atop Sugarloaf:

I liked the trail of the boat here, much like the jet trail of an airplane:

We did just a 3-mile loop, but it felt like more because it was pretty steep at the beginning. (Steep ascents are a mixed bag for me. I absolutely love scrambling up the rocks on all fours. But I dread walking up steep inclines and find it very challenging. So clearly I need to work up my stamina for the Cleveland Way.)

Afterward, we went to a diner for a light dinner. SeungYeon and Jonathan got just an appetizer - nachos - but it was huge. They finished it ALL with very little help from the rest of us though. There was talk of going for ice cream, but the two people who most wanted to get ice cream were essentially advised that they did not need any ice cream (ooh - cold!). Luckily, I'd had a mini ice cream sandwich before we set off, so I was all set.

On the way back into the city, we went through Spanish Harlem and encountered people who were excited about the forthcoming Puerto Rican Day parade.

I had my friends drop me off near the Delacorte Theatre and - amazingly - ran into a friend of mine who was waiting for tickets. She and her friend got in to Merchant of Venice. Luckily, I did not. I could not have stayed awake for the performance. And I had to get up early Sunday anyway for another 7AM midtown adventure. But that's another story for another time.