Day 3- A Hiking We Will Go

Day 3 started out with what was becoming our usual trip to Starbucks.  Got to have coffee to fuel my first ever hiking trip.

Here I am with my Iced Caramel Macchiato, so good.

Well we were well dressed in many layers I will tell you that.  I had on my Northface fitness shirt and my double layered coat.  On the bottom I had my awesome find of $14 snow pants and cuddl dudds.  So after Starbucks and the bagel store we headed to 79th and Lexington to wait for the van.  We met Cam while waiting for the van, she had not been hiking for awhile.  Igor from Dynamic Outdoors pulled up in the van a little after 8am and we were on our way to Lake Minnewaska, NY.

We stopped at one rest stop on the way there and arrived at the park around 10am.

Well as soon as we stepped out of the van I was in for a shocker.  The hike was going to be 8 miles.  What!!! 8 miles! I can't tell you the last time I walked 8 miles straight.  We got started and it was just how I thought it was going to be, hard.  The ground was snowy in some places and icy in others.  Some places the snow was covered with ice, oh boy!  We started at the base of Lake Minnewaska.

Right before we got going we took a quick group picture.  One of the girls was even from Lake Geneva, WI originally.

Photo by Dynamic Outdoors

Our guides were Igor and Elena.  Once we started the hike I quickly realized the whole first half would be my enemy as it was all up hill.  Elena let me know I apparently wore too many clothes and had to take off my jacket liner, gloves, and hat.

Photo by Andrea

After hiking a bit further I noticed I was still burning up.  So I had to take off my snow pants to take off the cuddl dudds below.  Nothing like standing in the middle of the woods in 40 degree weather in your underwear.  Too bad no one snapped a picture of that one!  Here are some shots I took on the way up the mountain.

Lake Minnewaska

Elena was so nice and stuck by me as I struggled up the mountain.  Once we got to the top we stopped for a snack.  I had a very good bagel thin and Andrea had some butternut squash soup.

Taking a break

The other lake the experienced group went to

Panoramic shot

 The group broke in two teams and Igor took the experienced hikers to another lake and Cam, Andrea, and I stayed with Elena.  We were half way there with 3.75 miles left to go.  On our way we say some cool ice in the trees.  We took pics and then Cam decided to shake the tree.  It was funny because some of the ice retaliated and when down her shirt.  She had fun so it was worth it!

Elena taking pictures

Cam on the hike

Ice

Ice on the pines

Cam versus the tree

On the way down the hike was so much easier as it was mostly down hill.  Andrea also picked up a hiking stick for me which helped.  I named him Herman.

Bye Herman, hopefully someone else picked you up.

  I also discovered the joy of protein and Cliff bars this weekend and enjoyed an apricot Cliff bar on my hike.  Towards the end we saw this neat house where people used to live at the park.  Unfortunately the park owns it now and it is empty.

The house

With the house in the background

Andrea and I with our walking sticks

Once the hike was over we headed to the van to wait for the other group.  We stopped at one more rest stop on the way back.  I was so excited I never had to pee in the woods!!! Woohoo!!

There was an Uno's pizza at the rest stop

Gas in NJ and it was not full service.

When we got back to the city, Igor was so nice and dropped us all off close to where we lived.  I was so tired and burned out, but I am glad I did it.  Will I hike again?  Not in the snow, in the winter.  I might hike again but would love to try snowshoeing or tubing with Dynamic Outdoors again.