2019-04-06 - Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail Traverse
Well, the original plan was to rock climb on Saturday but it had rained the night before and I hadn't received my climbing helmet in the mail yet. So, I decided to try the famous Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail in Harriman State Park. It is the oldest blazed trail in the park and quite popular. I had never done it before and wanted to try. What could go wrong?
I woke up at 3:30 AM to drive my parents to Newark International Airport. With them out of the way, no one could stop me from attempting the utterly crazy plan of following this hardest hike so far this year with the longest hike so far this year the next day. Muahahaha.
I met up with Gloria, Jim, and the host Micheal in Tuxedo, New York. From there, we car pooled in Jim's car to the eastern start of the trail, leaving a water drop a little past midway. The hike started with a sustained climb as Jim and Gloria eventually pulled ahead. At times we regrouped before continuing. The trail was lovely, especially the views of a fog-laden valley that looked like a sea of mist. An interplay of rocks, mud, grass and leaves danced beneath our feet.
I woke up at 3:30 AM to drive my parents to Newark International Airport. With them out of the way, no one could stop me from attempting the utterly crazy plan of following this hardest hike so far this year with the longest hike so far this year the next day. Muahahaha.
I met up with Gloria, Jim, and the host Micheal in Tuxedo, New York. From there, we car pooled in Jim's car to the eastern start of the trail, leaving a water drop a little past midway. The hike started with a sustained climb as Jim and Gloria eventually pulled ahead. At times we regrouped before continuing. The trail was lovely, especially the views of a fog-laden valley that looked like a sea of mist. An interplay of rocks, mud, grass and leaves danced beneath our feet.
We endured the tiring climbs, rocky descents, and road crossings including running across the parkway. And later on, we walked past many other hikers, some who were out hiking with their dogs. The sight of one of these dogs even led as astray as we missed the turn and had to backtrack 0.2 miles. Micheal was surprised to see us behind him. Eventually, Jim and Gloria became too far ahead for Micheal and me to see them anymore.
Micheal and I were relatively close together during the second half of the hike. We took a brief break at the water stop before continuing on. I was really struggling towards the very end, the last 4 miles or so. The cumulative elevation gain got to me and my knees. I fell behind of Micheal and took several breaks. I ate the rest of my food and whined a bit before pushing on. If there was a cab nearby, I would have taken it.
The end of the trail was a mile of descent on trail and streets. Although I had given up on seeing Micheal again, there he was, a few hundred feet ahead of me on the street! I ran up to him and we finished the hike together. My watch tracked 23.5+ miles and 6500+ feet elevation gain. It was a beautiful trail and other than the exhausting last few miles, a fantastic experience. The question, however, was would I be willing to attempt the 40-mile walk I had planned for the following day?
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