Summer Summarization

Just one last post on my summer explorations and then I'll move on. I promise! (Though I've admittedly never been good at moving on.) Anyway...

Royalton Ravine

 

Just in case, the photo doesn't adequately convey the danger, this park is noted in the reviews I Googled before visiting for its phenomenal wooded hiking trails, including this main one with what I termed a tipsy, wooden-planked trampoline bridge. I bounced along it (twice!) without incident (take that, fear!) and skidded down rope-assisted slopes into maze-like woods you could easily get lost in (which I kinda did) if you don't follow the orange-dotted trees. If you can get past the bridge (by walking on it since there's no way around it), you're in for a serious hike, but a rewarding one. I emerged a few hours later, muddy, sweaty, exhausted, and thrilled by my adventure.

Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve

This park is a true refuge, in every sense of the word, for both humans and critters. It's loaded with beautiful trails, all of which are well-marked and maintained, and abundant natural beauties like the pond of pink water lilies pictured above. I spent about two extremely peaceful hours here, during which I saw an assortment of birds, chipmunks, and frogs in their natural habitat. Admission was free, but I gratefully stuffed a pair of twenties I'd previously found on a local park's trail (and didn't feel right about keeping) in a donation box in thankfulness for the gift of this local paradise.

Chestnut Ridge Park

Labor Day weekend is the traditional close of summer. Naturally, I wanted to cap off the most adventurous summer of my life by doing something noteworthy...like hiking this park's famous Eternal Flame trail. Typically, being as directionally-challenged as I am, if there's any chance of taking a wrong turn and getting lost, I will. So, it goes without saying that it took me forever (or, in this case, a couple hours and several miles) to find this trail, both by car and on foot. And when I did find the trail, I eagerly leaped out of my car without stowing the trail map I'd printed from the park's website into my backpack, which turned out to be a time-costly mistake. 

If I'd had the map, I would have known that the path to the Eternal Flame runs in a horseshoe pattern. Since I didn't have the map, I walked straight downhill into shallow pools of water, slipping on rocks, and wandering aimlessly for hours before I gradually realized that a number of trees were marked with flames leading to the Eternal Flame trail (I'm not always this dense, I swear). But instead of turning onto the half-mile trail, I'd walked for several miles in the opposite direction, as my exhaustion and panic rose (in equal measure). 

So when I finally found the mystical gas-powered flame within a waterfall, it was like my own personal holy grail, so I stayed for several minutes, out of both reverential meditation and necessity as I waited for other hikers to clear the way so I could grab some photos and a brief video of the flame. It was well worth the long, detour-laden trek to get there.

Stiglmeier Park

My late-September hike here was an unexpected bonus. I had the benefit of summer weather (70+ degrees and sunny) combined with the beauty of fall splendor (crunchy red and orange leaves under my feet) along the park's well-maintained and boardwalked hiking trails. The park is extremely well-marked and well-kept, so it's nearly impossible to get lost (which garners a huge thumbs-up from me) geographically but easy to get lost (in the figurative sense) from the rest of the world. I spent a very peaceful afternoon here, walking and reading, thankful to hide away from regular everyday life for a brief end-of-summer spell.

 

Beauty in My Backyard

After exploring the Southwest and visiting Florida during the first half of the summer, I set out to discover the beauty that resides closer to home, in most cases only an hour's drive (or less) away. Nearly every Saturday (my little part of the world was blessed with several consecutive warm, sunny weekends), I chose a new (to me) Googled hiking place to spend part of the day. 

I wasn't disappointed by any of them.

Akron Falls Park

I skipped my high-school reunion (can you blame me?) in favor of an afternoon hike here. The falls were easily accessible via a short (less than a mile) upward climb. The crazy thing was I saw people (young, reckless, foolish people) actually jumping from atop the rocks into the water despite posted warnings against doing so. I guess they just couldn't help themselves. The park itself had something for everyone, brave or not. I saw several parties and picnics in the pavilions, as well as campers and hikers throughout the park's many acres.

Beaver Meadow

Okay, so I didn't see any beavers here, but the good news was I didn't see any people while hiking either (minus three people in the visitor center). I chose the right Saturday to visit because it was like my own private paradise, undisturbed by human noise (if you're introverted like me, you know how glorious that is), alone with nature and its inhabitants. I spent several hours here, walking along the pond, hiking the trails, and reading in the arboretum This place offers so much for so little (free admission, though a donation is suggested).

Griffis Sculpture Park

Griffis was the most unique place I visited in N.Y. this summer, hands down. This is where cultured hikers roam, if they're willing to travel to what seems like the end of the world, in the approximate vicinity of the middle of nowhere. Anyway, the long drive was exhausting but worthwhile because this is basically an art gallery of sculptures (many nudes) set amid a field of hiking trails. This is a family-friendly place (despite the nudes), judging by the large number of children I saw scampering around the climbable tower and insect sculptures. This park can't be truly summed up with just one photo (there's so much variety, from busts (ha ha) to mushrooms) but I'm trying to keep this brief, so check it out for yourself!