It is beginning to feel like fall again in New York City. Every few days or so, Max and I take a stroll through our favorite local park, Carl Schurz Park by East River. Sometimes we frequent it on a weekend morning, after picking up the freshest chocolate croissants at Miss Madeleine on E 82nd, just off 1st Avenue (where there’s almost always a line). Other times, we walk there just before sunset to get some fresh air and to watch the dogs play and the boats travel up and down East River. Recently, we have noticed changes in the color of leaves and more leaves on the ground—one of the earliest signs of summer inching towards autumn (that and, of course, the cooler temperatures). This fall, we are making plans to view the fall foliage before it’s too late.
Last fall, in early November, Max and I made a trip to Breakneck Ridge along the Hudson River per recommendation of my friend Simon at Locasaur. We were beginning to feel a bit burned out from our respective training/education programs and needed to get away. We thought a hiking trip would be a good idea for a change of scenery and a different pace of moving. So, we took an early train out from Grand Central Station, where we grabbed a quick breakfast in the food hall (I’m hoping it’s still open amidst coronavirus times). It was Sunday morning and so we purchased two off-peak tickets for the Hudson Line (green) of the Metro-North Railroad. To avoid the ticket machine lines, I used my app to purchase our one-way tickets at regular price; it ended up costing $60 for both of us, round-trip. The train took a path along the Hudson River and the scenery was absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to secure a window seat because we boarded the train too late (people usually wait on the platform 20 mins ahead of departure time). Even so, the view from my aisle seat was still gorgeous.
The first stop was Harlem-125th street, a station that might be more convenient for those living around the Teachers College, Columbia University area. From there, the train ran for a good 30 minutes without stopping until we reached Tarrytown. The next few stops were at local towns along the Hudson River, including Ossining, Croton-Harmon, Cortlandt, Peekskill, Manitou, Garrison, Cold Spring, and finally Breakneck Ridge: our stop. The whole trip lasted about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
NOTE: As of writing this post in September 2020, it appears that the Breakneck Ridge station is temporarily closed, so if you are interested in hiking, it would be good to get off at the Cold Spring station and make your way north and then back; however, beware that this is quite a trek so choose your trail wisely!
When we arrived at Breakneck Ridge, just about the entire train of people got off. The train stop did not look like a station at all. There was no elevated platform; it was all wilderness. We got off, following the movement of the crowd. Some park ranger passed out brochures. I forget exactly what was detailed within, but I do remember a line about hiking at your own risk and staying off the train tracks. That seemed like common sense, I thought.
Near the “entrance” to the trails, there was a map, of which we took a photo. That was an excellent idea and I would recommend doing the same, because at times the trails are not well marked and it can feel like you are wandering in the woods.
Max and I came prepared for our hiking trip wearing multiple layers. I think I wore a long-sleeved shirt, followed by a vest, then a waterproof waxed jacket, and a warm scarf as a final layer. Max brought with him an empty backpack (to stuff our layers when we got warm) and a bottle of water for both of us. In hindsight, we should have packed more water. It was a chilly morning so it felt good to keep moving. The beginning of the trail was fairly easy to navigate; we were mostly moving horizontally with a slight incline.
The light diffracting through the pigmented leaves was absolutely stunning. By the time we made the trip to Breakneck Ridge, most of the leaves had already turned yellow or orange or fallen to the ground. I could only imagine how beautiful it must have been a few weeks earlier.
I forget exactly how long our hike lasted (there are several paths you can take and we took a “medium” length one since Max and I aren’t frequent hikers and not particularly fit), but I feel it took us between two to three hours to make our way to Cold Spring (the town south of Breakneck Ridge). The first hour was not bad at all, but the middle portion was tough as we kept ascending, and whenever it felt like we had reached the summit, there was another summit ahead. I remember my legs aching from the series of vertical movement. There were also very few people before us to pave the way, so at one point, I thought we had ventured off course until we came across signs like these to assure us that we were going somewhere. There are color markings on trees along the way, but they were spaced further and further apart (or so it felt).
Here are some of my favorite captures from the trip. In the photo below, you can spot Max, way ahead of me because I was too distracted by the light and the leaves and the whole atmosphere. At this point, we were descending and my legs were rejoicing.
Once we reached ground-level again, it took another 20-30 minutes to walk towards the town of Cold Spring—a charming little town with quiet streets lined with colorful shops and restaurants. If it were up to me, I would have spent some time in the local coffee shops, but it was lunch time and Max did not feel like drinking coffee. We needed a real meal.
These pictures were taken last year (2019) and we haven’t returned to Cold Spring ever since, so I am not sure what’s open and closed in this time of COVID-19. Last fall, restaurants were already offering outdoor seating, so I imagine that is still the case this fall.
In a subsequent blog post, I will share more photos from the town of Cold Spring.
I waited until later that evening to check my steps. I was so pleased to learn that I had taken nearly 20,000 steps as part of this hike and ascended 112 floors.
Still today, this trip to Breakneck Ridge and Cold Spring remains one of the most memorable. It was a true getaway from city life—one that we both desperately needed.
I can’t wait to return again this fall, probably early October to catch more of nature’s transformations.