I’ve always wanted to drive across country, that is, across the United States from west to east. In my mind, it was always a leisurely road-trip wandering from state to state, exploring the national parks, historic sites, and cultural touchstones along the way. So, I was pleased when a series of duties and events aligned, finally allowing me the opportunity to drive from California to New Hampshire. The schedule did not allow me to wander leisurely about the landscape – let alone to explore any place in depth, or to pause for serious photography – but the trip nonetheless presented a smorgasbord of scenery, a cross-section of roadside dining outlets, and brief glimpses of Americana.
High-level map of our route, excluding some small side trips; ignore the time labels, which are Apple Maps’ estimate of non-stop drive time. We drove 4,096 miles (6,592 kilometers)!Continue reading “Cross-country USA”
Today I happened to be passing through my hometown of Oneonta, New York, so I took the opportunity to make it the location of my weekend hike. In addition to my travels down memory lane, I took two short hikes: around a hilltop on the west side of town, and then around a wooded park in my old neighborhood on the east side of town.
Along the trails of Table Rock, above Oneonta NY.
For my first hike, I visited Table Rock – a set of hilltop trails above Hartwick College, where I enjoyed a two-mile loop through the forest, past their solar farm, and culminating with a cliff-top view at the western edge of Oneonta, looking back along the interstate highway. It was a nice opportunity to spend some time in the woods, with few other people on the trails.
View from Table Rock, above Oneonta NY.
Later, after driving past my childhood home on the other side of town, I parked at the edge of Wilber Park and walked a quick loop through the upper section, down across the creek, and back along the lower section.
Wilber ParkOur old creek in Oneonta NY.
I then clambored down to the creek itself, and followed it upstream to the location where my brother and I had spent many hours building dams and other projects when we were young boys. It has changed a lot, as the creek meanders and periodic floods rearrange the streambed. Although the creek today was somewhat low on water, it is nonetheless full of memories.
Hike stats:44th consecutive weekend hike Distance: about 4 miles Time: a couple of hours Gain: 354 feet at Table Rock; negligible in Wilber Park
map of my Table Rock hike, starting/ending at lower right
A quick trip to NYC, including a Broadway show, a fine dinner, and a special event at the Museum of Natural History.
We just returned from a quick trip to NYC, which included a lovely drive south through Vermont, Massachussetts, and Connecticut during the emerging fall foliage season. It was time for us to visit the big city! Such a change from our small-town life. Read on!
I’ve been hiking in the Adirondacks for well over forty years – or so I like to think. Actually, I can count on one hand the number of Adirondack peaks I have summited in the past quarter century – all but one of which are small viewpoints outside the classic canon of the ADK 46, the elite group of peaks over four-thousand feet in elevation. (A historical curiosity, three of the peaks on the list of 46 have since been re-surveyed and found to be shy of 4000′ elevation, but remain on the list for ol’ times sake.) I spent the summers of the 1970s hiking these peaks with my family, and the winters of the 1980s exploring the snowy backcountry with my high-school and college buddies. My last backpacking trip here was in 1990. Recently, I found myself drawn back to these ancient peaks – for they are far older than the Appalachians, and reside deeper in my own past – with an eye toward notching off the final dozen peaks on my own list of 46. I set aside three days on my calendar and struck out at dawn on Friday, with three specific summits in mind, and was rewarded with breathtaking scenery, fond memories of trips long past, a rekindled appreciation for this beautiful wilderness, and lovely photos. More after the break.
David Kotz 