What to take with you
Consider throwing the following in your pack: a compass and local topographic maps, plenty of water (don’t forget to drink it!) and snacks such as trail mix or energy bars, a flashlight or headlamp and batteries, matches in a watertight container, pocket knife, sunscreen and lip protection, water treatment like a filter or tablets, wipes or hand sanitizer, a whistle, a bear-proof canister for food, and first-aid supplies such as analgesics, moleskin for blisters, Band-Aids, antiseptic cream and allergy medicine if you need it. Consider extra clothing — shirt, pants, socks, jacket and/or hat — in case the temperature drops or you take an unplanned dip in a waterway. Don’t forget the shades and sturdy, broken-in footwear.
Look up poison ivy so you can recognize it on sight and steer clear. Peak tick season is May, June and July. Wear light-colored clothes you can see tiny ticks on, tuck pant legs into socks and spray yourself generously with repellent. Bears attack rarely, usually only if they feel threatened. Make noise in the woods — talking, whistling, humming or singing — and don’t tempt them with food, make eye contact or run from them. Be aware of potential hazards like bug stings, sunburn, heat exhaustion and heatstroke, hypothermia, frostbite, sunburn and sprains. You can get disoriented and lost. Tell someone where you’re going and bring the above items in case you’re out longer than planned.
Check with your doctor if you are out of shape or have heart issues or high blood pressure. And ease into to it: no 20-mile mountain trails the first time out!
The American Hiking Society (AHS) offers info on the U.S.’s over 170,000 miles of trails at www.AmericanHiking.org or 1-800-607-5509. The Appalachian Trails site at https://www.appalachiantrail.org offers lots of safety tips and much more useful information for hikers. A smart phone app called Trailhead helps plan nearby hikes, and the Mid-Hudson branch of the Adirondack Mountain Club offers frequent local group hikes. E-mail database manager Eli Cohen at [email protected] to be added to a mailing list.
Meetup.com offers many hiking groups. Some are a bit of a schlep from our part of the valley or are geared toward advanced hikers, but the following groups schedule regular outings: Ulster County Outdoors, Hudson Valley Hikers, NY Outdoor & More, The Hiking Group — CT & NY, Tri-State Outdoors Group, Hike Putnam and Beyond and Hudson River Valley ADK (the Adirondack Mountain Club mentioned above).
Hike for the endorphins, for the meditative relaxed feeling it bestows. Do it for the Vitamin D and calorie-burning. But mostly do it for the joy of it. Put one foot in front of the other and go.
