Yes, I had those books. Still do I think. I'd go hiking every weekend with Appalachian Mt. Club and others when I lived in Manhattan... Did Schunemunk and many many other hikes in the books...
Edgar On Apr 1, 2013, at 2:05 PM, Joe wrote: > Edgar, > > Slide! Mountain, that is. I climbed it three times. Doing the circular trail > over Slide, Wittenberg, and Cornell mountain. I love that area. And I love > that hike. About 26 miles, I think, over the three peaks. I did the walks in > different directions over a six-year time or so, every few years coming back. > As to approaches to Slide, I remember one dir. was very steep, and difficult, > and one was gradual. One of them was called "the Jeep trail". > > We don't have GREEN like that in S. Arizona. My eyes ache for it. > > But when I am back there -- or elsewhere -- and see such green again, my eyes > then ache from THAT. It's like suddenly landing in IRELAND. Too, too green, > after decades of desert. Just too impressive on the system. But not all as > hard to take as I make it out to be. ;-) > > I never did do Mt. Marcy 'way up in the Adirondaks, highest point in NY > State. Just over a mile high, i think. My transportation was via bus from > Port Authority at 42nd St., and I usually didn't travel as far as the > Adirondacks, nor could spend so much more time out, away on "school" > (college) vacation -- and then work -- during all those hiking years. For > Slide Mt., I'd get off the bus on the highway at Phoenicia, and scramble to > find the trail-head. Driver would open the luggage compartment outside for > me, I'd take out my pack, and off I'd go. To hail the bus on the highway five > days later. I carried the bus sched. in my pocket; and wore a watch, in those > days. > > THE NEW YORK WALK BOOK is still a favorite tome. It's the book, too, that > stimulated me to take up outdoor sketching and drawing, which I always did up > in the hills and out on the trails. If you own the book, you'll recall the > many drawings. I think there's also a NEW JERSEY WALK BOOK, nowadays. > > Closer to the City, do may remember "Schunemunk"?, around West Point and > Harrimann. Fascinating conglomerate rock underfoot. Big quartz cobbles in a > brown shale matrix. Quite beautiful. We had to cross a farmer's posted land > to get to the trail, but I think he provided a narrow easement. Memory fades, > there. > > --Joe > > > Edgar Owen <edgarowen@...> wrote: > > > > Mike, > > > > Great story! Reminds me of the day I climbed the highest mountain in the > > Catskills for the view. At the top we couldn't see more than 10 feet in any > > direction for the fog! > > > > Also reminds me of the day I climbed Mt. Fuji illegally in November way out > > of season. Started walking up the road from the bottom mid afternoon. By > > the time it was dark a heavy snow was falling. The road was closed and > > there was not a single car on it, only the mountain and the trees and the > > snow and mile after mile of steadily rising totally empty road and me > > totally alone. Total magical silence in the night. A wonderful many hour > > walking meditation on the light within! Finally reached base camp where the > > road ends in the middle of the night. Only a single custodian there who > > gave me a bunk in the otherwise completely empty inn. Unfortunately was > > unable to finish the climb to the top as the snow was much too deep toward > > the summit.... > > > >
