DAVETREK ADVENTURES

6/20/10 BLUE MOUNTAIN RESERVATION HIKE

ANNUAL FREE EVENT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RSVP AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE ON THE FORM

RSVP DEADLINE, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16

 

Return to the main Davetrek Website

 

 I am pleased to announce a hike for Sunday, June 20. The hike is designed to be for beginners, who can easily walk 5 miles. The hike is located at the Blue Mountain Reservation, about 1 hr north of Manhattan. The hike is in a forested area, and passes some streams, swamps, and scenic viewpoints and near lakes. It does have 750 ft of elevation, as we climb to the top of two local mountains, which makes it harder than a simple ‘walk in the park’. It’s an easy to moderate hike for those who can walk 5 miles without trouble, and I would rate it as a 4 out of 10 in terms of difficulty.

 

The event is free. Each year, I try and have at least one free event and I will provide some snacks to those coming. However, there is an $8 per car fee to enter the park, so keep that in mind as a driver and if you take at least 3 passengers, you will have all of your driving, tolls and entrance fees paid for!

 

The hike is designed to finish in the early afternoon, leaving people time for father’s day activities.

 

 

Main Details

 

DATE: Sunday, June 20, 2010

 

MEETING TIME:  Meet at hike location no later than 10:30 AM. I plan to leave close to this time, so do not come late or you will miss us.

 

If driving, leave no later than 9:15 AM from any NY city location. See Directions, below for driving time and leaving time details.

 

END TIME: The hike should finish no later than 3 PM, possibly as early as 2 PM, depending on people’s pace and how long lunch takes. You can go home after the hike or hang around in the park with folks. If using public transportation, make sure to check the train times home!

 

COSTS: Free  for the hike.

 

If you get a ride, then pay your driver the suggested amount of $10 for transportation/park entrance fees,. There is also an $8 entrance fee to the park, which is covered as part of the ride fee for drivers who take at least 3 passengers.

 

RSVP - On the form at the bottom of this page. Please RSVP no later than Wednesday, June 17. Thanks!

 

DIRECTIONS AND DRIVING/ LEAVING TIMES:

 

Here is a google map link to the entrance to the park, approximately at the spot where there is a park toll booth. Just click on the ‘directions’ link on this page and enter you address and you will get a google map to the park.

 

Within the park, go past the toll booths ( pay the $8 fee) and then go to Parking Lot 3. We will meet past the Trail Lodge, in Parking Lot 3, where the hike begins.

 

For those who are taking public transportation (ie Metro North Train) to the hike, the walking directions from the station are contained in the link below, in the ‘Public Transport’ to the Hike’ Section.

 

DRIVING/LEAVING TIMES

 

Here are the suggested leaving times:

 

Monsey, New Rochelle - 45 Minutes, leave no later than 9:30 AM

 

Manhattan, Riverdale, Queens ( KGH, Forest Hills), Northern NJ (Teaneck, Passaic) - 1 Hr, leave no later than 9:15 AM

 

Brooklyn, Long Island, Central NJ - 1 hr 15 to 30 minutes, leave no later than 9 AM

 

WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING? (please read!)

 

Good hiking shoes, preferably hiking boots, hat, suntan lotion, bug spray, LUNCH, 2 liters of water minimum ( those who do not have 2 liters at the hike trail head will not be allowed to go on the hike, so bring extra water if you plan to drink some in the car!), windbreaker/extra top layer if its chilly, though right now weather looks to be in the low 80s!

 

Hike links & descriptions

 

 Description of the hike  - we will vary slightly from this, but its reasonably close to the one we are doing

 

Details of the park,  Hiking map of the park

 

HIKE RATING: 5 miles, a 4 on a scale of 10 - an easy to moderate hike, with over 750 feet of elevation - if you can walk 5 miles comfortably, consider coming even if its your first hike. The height variations do make it harder than a simple walk in the park though...

 

WEATHER

 

Any rain in the forecast will cause a cancellation.  Right now there is chance of rain, but its way to early to know what the weather will be for that. I will decide on Friday, June 18, based on forecasts. Also, make sure I have a number where you can be reached Saturday Night,  in case of any last minute cancellations. Fill out all of this information on the form below.

 

RIDES & DRIVERS

 

We will not be sorting rides for this hike. I will publish information in an online spreadsheet from DRIVERS offering to provide rides for people going to the event, and invite everyone to this spreadsheet. Everyone will then be able to contact drivers and then add yourself as a passenger to the ride, once the driver is in agreement. For those unable to find a ride this way, you can come by train. I have set the time based on when people can get there by train, including a 2 mile walk from the station -  see below for details. If you need a ride, it pays to RSVP sooner, because you will have access to the ride spreadsheet earlier and can sort this out before a driver fills up!

 

Public Transport to the Hike

 

This hike is accessible via a Metro North - Hudson Line train to the Peekskill station. The fare is $19 off peak round trip if bought online and  $20 if you buy it at the station. It’s a 1.5 mile walk to the park entrance, and we will be at the main parking lot in the park, which is another .5 of a mile into the park. So you will have to walk an extra 2 miles. Here is a google maps link, with directions from the Grand Central Station, and this includes walking directions from the Station to the Blue Mt Reservation. Once you enter the park, you walk about 1/2 of a mile, past the trail lodge. We will meet past the Trail Lodge, in Parking Lot 3.

 

 

You need to make an 8:47 AM train from Grand Central, which arrives at 9:42 AM and then you will have a 2 mile 30 to 40 minute walk to the hike location. arriving before 10:30, which is when we plan to meet at the park for the hike, which will begin just after 10:30. There is 1 train per hour going back to NY, at 3:22, 4:22, 4:35 and 5:27 if you choose to stay in the park after the hike.

 

RSVP AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE ON THE FORM

RSVP DEADLINE, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16

 

WE WILL LIKELY CAP THIS EVENT AT 50 PEOPLE.

WE MIGHT ALSO HAVE TWO GROUPS HIKING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS

AND MEET UP FOR LUNCH, DEPENDING ON PEOPLE’S HIKING LEVEL , SO RSVP ASAP.