katietrekks

[katietrekks]

September 16, 2023

Macomb, South Dix, and Grace from Elk Lodge- Dix Range, Adirondacks North Hudson, New York 12.82 miles 3,638 ft. Elevation Gain

The Adirondacks get me every time. The only hike with decent Elevation I did this year was the AT out of Port Clinton SOBO. Shot out to my friend Sean who didn't warn me this was the muddiest trail known to man. I was also supposed to summit Hough and Dix as well but after having Bronchitis this past week, I had to call it quiets after Macomb, South Dix, and East Dix/Grace Peak. Macomb slide took everything out of me, and I took another way down just to avoid it. So I guess I am 4/46 so far done in the Dacks. Crazy hiking for some crazy views.

[katietrekks]

September 7, 2023

Fire Island Lighthouse, Fire Island National Seashore New York 2.45 miles 13 ft. Elevation Gain

Unfortunately, due to a storm that was headed up to the area, I had to cut my trip a day early. I got back to my car on the mainland from the island in the morning and headed towards the lighthouse area of the island which I was able to take my car into. I walked around the area a bit, but it was already starting to get cloudy. A good amount of people were still trying to make the most of their day at the beach though! Also the lighthouse was being worked on so the giant crane next to the lighthouse didn't make for good pictures! Definitely will be coming back here to finish up the little bits I didn't get to explore!

[katietrekks]

September 5, 2023

Sailors Haven to Fire Island Pines, Fire Island National Seashore Sayville, New York 7.20 miles 73 ft. Elevation Gain

So technically most of the pictures are from the night before when I was supposed to camp on the beach but my plans changed for the better. The next night I got the ferry into Sailors Haven and had a great time hiking into Fire Island Pines during the night. I was pretty tipsy for most of it but I got to swim under the moonlight which is something you can't get away with in NJ. It felt magical! Walking through Fire Island Pines and Cherry Grove there are no roads to get to the houses there, it's all boardwalk which is neat. Didn't get as much hiking done as I wanted to, again, but it was well worth it for who I got to meet and the night I had.

[katietrekks]

September 3, 2023

Smiths Point Fire Island National Seashore Shirley, NY 4.76 miles 427 ft. Elevation Gain

Woke up a little later than I wanted to since I had a late night walking around the beach and hanging with some people at the campground I was staying at. Went as far as I could go without eating too much time since I had some other things to do before I drove to catch the ferry to another part of the Island where I couldn't drive my car to. Unfortunately, I did not find any cool sand dollars this time, just a bunch of seagulls chasing me around.

[katietrekks]

September 2, 2023

Otis Pike Wilderness, Fire Island National Seashore Shirley, NY 3.74 miles 264 ft. Elevation Gain

First night on Fire Island and I was already in love. I know I already live 10 minutes from a beach in New Jersey but Fire Island seemed so much different. I wanted to go all the way to the north end but I was running out of daylight and I was super tired from driving. The coolest thing about this beach hike was I found this whole sand dollar which is not rare, but it's not a common thing to find especially fully in tact and not broken. I did some research and found out the sand dollar symbolizes rebirth, renewal, and transformation. I hope this means something good!

[katietrekks]

September 1, 2023

William Floyd Estate, Fire Island National Seashore Mastic Beach, NY 1.68 miles 7 ft. Elevation Gain

Check out that Elevation Gain huh?! It was a tough, just kidding! Since I got to the area late I couldn't do the whole hike which was 4 miles. The place was pretty quiet, some of the workers were moving the lawn and such. It was nice the stretch my legs after driving through the city and to see the last bit of trees before I hit the sandy beaches.

[katietrekks]

August 22, 2023

Appalachian Trail from Eagles Nest Shelter to PA-183 Pennsylvania 6.40 miles 393 ft. Elevation Gain

I was of course the last person to wake up in camp considering I got no sleep the night before because of the storms in the distance. It rained a lot through the night, but I packed up and headed down the trail. I didn't hit any really good lookout spots, I was mainly just trying to get to a good place to stop and get back to my car since this was my last day out. By the time 1pm hit a major storm was on its way so I figured now was a good time to get off at the next road crossing which was PA-183. I got a shuttle back to Cabelas just as it started down pouring. A pretty uneventful second day. Hoping to get back up there to do another two day solo section.

[katietrekks]

August 22, 2023

Appalachian Trail from Windsor Furnace Shelter to Eagles Nest Shelter Pennsylvania 16.37 miles 2,917 ft. Elevation Gain

So a few weeks ago I went back to the AT to continue to SOBO section I'm slowly putting together. Last time I got off was at the Hamburg Reservoir which is right near the Windsor Furnace shelter so I parked my car at Cabelas overnight and got a ride to the parking lot of the Reservoir and walked the half mile to the shelter. The next morning I headed south towards Port Clinton. I got into town and got a drink of Dr. Pepper (of course <3) at the candy shop and a quarter pound of fudge. I took my time eating my lunch to procrastinate the fact I had to now hike up out of town which I already knew was going to be hell.

It was so humid that day there wasn't even air to break the stickiness. It took me way longer than I wanted to get up that mountain, I guess I can't do it like I used to. I hiked along trying to get to the Eagles Nest Shelter at a decent time. I also almost stepped on a giant snake that I am pretty sure was venomous. I didn't end up getting into camp until almost sundown and there was like a TON of people at the shelter but I made friends with two awesome girls who let me hang my bag on their bear hang. To top the day off, it thunderstorms so the anxiety of getting struck in the middle of the night was high.

[katietrekks]

August 2, 2023

Central Park Perimeter Manhattan, NYC 7.14 miles 180 ft. Elevation Gain

I know this is a very different kind of hike from what I usually post on my Instagram, but I feel like city hiking can be a notable addition to outdoor recreation. I went to NYC a few weeks ago to visit a friend who came in from Chicago, and after parting ways for her to catch her plane, I still had a whole afternoon and knew exactly what I wanted to do. I have wanted to walk the perimeter of Central Park for a while now and figured now was a great time to do it!

I started at the north west corner (cathedral parkway) and went south from there. There west side was pretty quiet but I did pass the Museum of Natural History, and Trump Hotel. Then I turned onto 59th Street at the southwest end (Columbus Circle) where it was probably the most busy. Went past a lot of the super expensive hotels like the Ritz-Carlton and The Plaza.

When I got to the south east corner (Grand Army Plaza) I took a detour onto 58th street to get a bagel at Liberty Bagels! I then say in Pulitzer Plaza out the Plaza hotel and watched all the limos and nice cars drop people off. I then headed up the famous 5th Ave where I went past a ton of nice apartments, of course the MET (Metropolitan Museum of Art) and the Guggenheim Museum. I finally got to the north east corner (Fawley Circle) and turned left to complete the perimeter.

People think that just because you live in the city you don't get to put yourself in nature, which is crazy, because Central Park is so big that even laying out a blanket and sitting in the sun is enough to call it outdoor recreation. So whenever you live, there is always a spot you can find to take on any type of outdoor activity. Next time I do a challenge in the city I think I might walk from the top of Manhattan to the bottom.

[katietrekks]

July 27, 2023

Narrows Road Trail Belleplain Stat Forest 2.81 miles 33 ft. Elevation Gain

Quick walk through Belleplain again this evening!

[katietrekks]

July 25, 2023

Yellow Trail Franklin Parker Preserve 6.50 miles 26 ft. Elevation Gain

Took a day a few months ago to do another trail at the preserve with my mom! This isn't the most popular trail but it really should be with the stunning views of the lakes and bogs. Nice views but standing still for more than 2 seconds you had ticks jumping all over your legs. Typical summer occurrence in the Pine Barrens

[katietrekks]

July 15, 2023

Belleplain Loop Belleplain State Forest, NJ 6.50 miles 26 ft. Elevation Gain

So if you haven't noticed I am super backed logged on my hikes.

This random loop I decided to do one day at Belleplain was nice! Of course walking by the lake is always picturesque. Belleplain is weird because of the trails that are on the park map aren't even there, like some of them have flooded out, some of them are so overgrown its impossible tp pass, etc. But I still manage to have a nice time when I do go.

[katietrekks]

July 14, 2023

Mount Rodgers via Appalachian Trail Grayson Highlands State Park 11.41 miles 1,935 ft. Elevation Gain

A month and a half ago while I was at Trail Days I figured since Mount Rodgers was right in that area, I would cross another High Point off my list! Obviously, for those who have been, Grayson Highlands is an absolute gem. Everything from the landscapes to the wild ponies, it's one of the best highlights of the AT. I parked at the visitor center and headed up the trail. The hole is a gradual uphill so it wasn't too bad. I didn't see many ponies on my way up but I saw a whole bunch on my way down. The summit of Mount Rodgers isn't anything but a medallion in a rock surrounded by the moss covered trees that make you feel like you're in a dream. I kind likes it. Besides not every summit needs to be scenic, sometimes the journey along the way is what makes it worth it! This is my 11th state high point (NC, WV, MD, DE, PA, NJ, CT, RI, VT, NY and now VA) 39 more to go!

[katietrekks]

June 9, 2023

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail Day 14 Pigmans Ferry (mi 169.1) to Cumberland (mi 184.5) Maryland 16.46 miles 68 ft. Elevation Gain

My last day on trail was back to rain that didn't stop all day until I got into Cumberland. I went past more farms and a ton of Railroad bridges. The last 4 miles of the trail were winding through neighborhoods and despite the weather people were still getting out and spending time on the trail. The last mile of the trail was the hardest mile, I was wet, cold, tired, and my feet hurt with every step. When I got to the end I cried, I was so happy! I took some pictures underneath the C&O Canal sign in town near the visitor center and ran over to my hotel room for the night. 14 days, 186.5 miles, the C&O Canal Towpath is another trail done!

[katietrekks]

June 3, 2023

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail Day 13 Sorrel Ridge (mi 154.1) to Pigmans Ferry (mi 169.1) Maryland 18.84 miles 547 ft. Elevation Gain

So with the Paw Paw Tunnel still closed, which was a bummer because I was really looking forward to seeing it, I took the detour over the mountain. It was pretty much switchbacks all the way up and down since the trail has to accommodate to majority of the people on trail which are bikers, but was extremely muddy. Nothing I couldn't handle at this point though! The views going over was pretty sweet. I even met some bikers who I chatted with along the detour which was awesome! I stopped at the Dollar General in Paw Paw for the last tiny supply of just bandaids where I saw the group of bikers I took the detour with. They did a little trail magic and bought me a drink, snack, and my bandaids. I realized that this was the last full day on trail and I would be getting into Cumberland the next day so I quickly made some calls and booked my hotel for the next night. Getting into camp there were do many people already set up it was getting dark fast. I actually never camped this trip with this many people except the 2 nights prior but they was maybe like 3 other tents. This was like 9-12 tents set up and lo and behold who was amongst them was the group of trail magic bikers! They said they were going to press on but decided to stay the night here because the camp was in a really nice spot. It was a nice little surprise for my last night on trail.

[katietrekks]

May 30, 2023

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail Day 12 Indigo Neck (mi 139.2) to Sorrel Ridge (mi 154.1) Maryland 15.90 miles 80 ft. Elevation Gain

Today was the first day in 10 days where it didn't rain a drop. It was beautiful. I stopped to eat at this bar and grill in Little New Oreleans where I got a drink and food to eat there, but also got a soft pretzel to go which was the best part. I also went past the biggest danger noodle I saw on the trail, more train bridges, cool cliffs, and rocks.

[katietrekks]

May 28, 2023

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail Day 11 Hancock (124.5) to Indigo Neck (139.2) Maryland 16.11 miles 91 ft. Elevation Gain

After an awesome night sleeping in "the coop" I was excited to start my day. I made it a pact to myself that I needed to do at least 15 miles a day to finish my thru hike. It started off beautiful this day but eventually it rained on and off in the evening. I started getting to the really remote part of the trail. Went past a lot of abandoned buildings which was super neat. Here's to another day on trail!