Mt Taurus

View from the train:

Here's the Cornish Estate, renowned these days for its excellent ventilation and green construction:

The greenhouse comes pre-stocked with plants:

A river runs through it:

Light filters through the yellow leaves:

We stopped for lunch at the farmhouse (the farmer wasn't in):

X marks the spot:
A small patch of blue shows in the reflection:

Hiker's log: "Day 1, hour 1. People are starting to argue over the map. We may not hold together much longer."

This is what happens when picnickers forget to use coasters:

A glimmer of sunshine:

E and I signed up for the "challenging route" right away, while the rest of the gang deliberated just how much challenge everyone was up for. Result? 100% of our intrepid gang chose the challenge!

As a result, 100% of the gang made it to the summit!! The views were totally worth it.

More photogenic hikers:

The way down was tricky in places, with some scrambles and loose rocks (a lot of people take the hike in the other direction for just that reason). But again, we were rewarded with many lovely views. A forest pond:

We saw two hawks circling around one scenic overlook, sometimes above us, and sometimes (thrillingly!) below us. But in a photo, it's easier to see them against the sky:

A view down to the Hudson - almost there!

A wonderful pre-birthday hike!