katietrekks

[katietrekks]

October 23, 2023

Appalachian Trail from 501 Shelter to Swataras Gap Jonestown, PA 13.96 miles 1,308 ft. Elevation Gain

Woke up to a bright and amazing sunny morning! Packed up and left the shelter and right off PA 501 there is Kimmel Lookout! The ridge was not rocky whatsoever so I was making great time. I got to the William Penn Shelter right for lunch which was a pretty snazzy shelter. After I thought the super annoying rocks were gone for the day, I was wrong. I feel like it's really a game, which rock is going to be steady and which is going to make me feel like I am going to break my ankle. I kept pushing on, the ridge was still an awesome place to hike. Another couple good view spots that I grabbed pictures of. The climb down into Swataras Gap wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The little bridge that goes over the creek is so nice! Got into Swataras State Park portion where everyone says is really beautiful, but I got an awesome shuttle ride from PA-443 back to my car to head back home

I met a lot of awesome people this weekend. I am always reminded on just how magical this trail is and the amazing culture around it is. There is no other trail like it.

[katietrekks]

October 22, 2023

Appalachian Trail from PA 183 to 501 Shelter Pine Grove, PA 9.98 miles 1,241 ft. Elevation Gain

Basically spent the whole week at my sisters with anticipation of spending another weekend SOBO on the AT. I picked up from where I had left off at the parking lot off of PA-183. The foliage was at PEAK it was like a dream. I passed the Hertlein Reservoir where the rope swing is, but obviously it being October it isn't time for a dip. Devils Graveyard, the boulder field was right around the corner. Round Head lookout was the last highlight before I got to the famous 501 shelter. Of course I had to order pizza and cheese fries. Shot out to "Seeker, "Kodi", and "Dipper" for a real nice night at the shelter that I thought I was going to be alone at.

[katietrekks]

October 18, 2023

Back Mountain Trail Luzerne, PA 6.83 miles 414 ft. Elevation Gain

I was going to do another hike near Ricketts Glen, but I found this hidden gem! It's an out and back trail, with a casual gain and the trail is maintained so nicely! There was a really nice waterfall about a mile in, and towards the end before you have to turn around and head back. The end, again before turning around does have some road walking but it's not super confusing, there are a couple of signs indicating which way it goes. Really soaking up the scenery but we go from all the colors to blankets of snow, which is still pretty, but autumn just has that better hold on me.

[katietrekks]

October 14, 2023

Falls Trail from PA-118 Ricketts Glenn State Park, PA 6.95 miles 1,076 ft. Elevation Gain

I always heard so many great things about Ricketts Glenn, and since I was up there visiting my sister I had to take the opportunity to visit and hike for myself. I did the loop starting from PA-118, not from the campground. The hike was pretty moderate if you're and experienced hiker. All the typical rocky stairs around the falls, and plenty of benches and spots to sit. There is a legit waterfall every half mile and with it being it mid-october, the scenery was very picturesque. Since this is an extremely popular trail there were a couple times I got stuck behind the train of people walking up, but I took my time and people were wanting to talk around me. I even bumped into a woman I met at an overnight at the Pinnacle back in the winter! Small World! 10/10 views for this hike, the foliage was almost at peak!

[katietrekks]

October 8, 2023

Mount Tammany Trail -> Pahaquarry Trail -> Dunnfield Creek Trail -> Holly Springs Trail -> Appalachian Trail Worthington State Forest, NJ 6.63 miles 1,678 ft. Elevation Gain

I mainly just wanted to do a Dunnfield Creek loop, but I wanted some elevation. So for the 18th time, I summited Tammany. That immediate climb kills me every time. Mount Tammany is also one of the most popular trails, so even for a Thursday, it was pretty crowded. I'm not much for the crowded hikes obviously, so once I got to the Dunnfield Creek Trail it got less crowded, all you can hear is the rushing of water. Holly Springs Trail connects the Dunnfield Creek Trail to the AT, so I took that and headed south to get me back to the start of the loop. It was 80 degrees out and I can't believe I was wearing a tank top and shorts in October, but the leaves are starting to change!

[katietrekks]

Mullica River Trail -> Beaver Pond Quaker Bridge Trail -> Wilderness Camp Connector Trail Wharton State Forest, NJ 10.10 miles 33 ft. Elevation Gain

Not only has it been a while that I went on a hike since I got a really bad case of pneumonia after getting back from the Adirondacks, it's also been a while since I went on a Pine Barrens hike! I was going to start this hike from the south end near Batsto but then decided last minute that I should do it from the north end in Atsion. The Mullica River Trail run adjacent to the Mullica river which is obvious and has a ton of spots to stop and take pictures. It runs a little over 9 miles from Atsion to Batsto one way but for this hike I wanted to make it a shorter loop since 18 miles round trip was too much since my lungs are like yea, no. So I took the Beaver Pond Quaker Bridge Trail that then took me to Quaker Bridge along the Batsto River near the Batona Trail where I stopped for lunch. I then took the Wilderness connector Trail back to the Mullica River Trail and headed back up towards Atsion for a little over 10 mile semi-loop. Mountains are amazing, but living here in the Pine Barrens is a magical feeling.

[katietrekks]

Kaaterskill Falls Trail Haines Falls, New York 2.06 miles 488 ft. Elevation Gain

Took a day to concentrate on work after my big hike and wanted to do a short hike on my way down to the Fire Island Area. Got a tip to do this hike. Shout out once again to my friend, Sean, who just knows all the hidden gems in that area. This short 2 miler did not disappoint! The whole time driving to this trailhead was raining but the rain let up for me as soon as I got there. Every angle of this falls from every viewpoint was amazing. It is an easy hike if you hike a lot, but if you don't hike often it could be a little bit of a challenge, it's a lot of ups and downs and it's quite slippery so don't be an idiot like the one lady I saw wearing flip flops because you're asking to break an ankle. Super scenic, highly recommended!

[katietrekks]

This is the second year I participated in this. I heard of 46 Climbs on a podcast and immediately wanted to take part. Last year I climbed Marcy and I made it an achievement to do a couple more Adirondack High Peaks. As a individual who has been at that at the point of what seems like no other option which I don't talk about a lot because I've come so far from that dark cloud in my life, this event means so much to me. So this year I summed Macomb, South Dix, and East Dix/Grace Peaks. Climbing mountains reminds me every time that in life good views and good times don't come without people and work. Find your tribe and let them lift you high even when you think you don't deserve it because you're human and you deserve life just like everyone else.

If you or someone close to you are suicidal please call the new suicide hotline 9-8-8.

Spread love where you roam <3

[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.