Happy Birthday…Now put on your hiking shoes!

In our most recent Newsletter, we talk about ways to enjoy the incredible natural surroundings of our region.  One of those suggestions is to take a day hike to really experience the beauty of late summer and early fall.  We feature 3 of our favorite hiking destinations — Stissing Mountain & Thompson Pond in Pine Plains (shown left); Ferncliff Forest in Rhinebeck; and Monument Mountain in Gt. Barrington. 

This past Sunday we took our own advice and celebrated Joan’s birthday by inviting her on a morning hike up Stissing Mountain… what she didn’t know was that there were 8 more friends waiting to surprise her at the base of the trail (including a few with fur).

Joan’s son, Gregg and his girlfriend, Brooke, planned the hike which included a trail map with landmarks for 5 year old niece, Lillie, to look for; water for the dogs and for us … champagne & orange juice for mimosas at the summit!  A picnic basket filled with fresh biscuits, cheese, strawberries and cantelope made for a great spread at the bottom of the fire tower.

This is really a wonderful hike — the New York Times ran a feature story on Stissing Mountain/Thompson Pond Nature Preserve back in 1991 (Sunday Outing) and again this past July (Five Hikes in Search of Hudson Valley Views).

Just a few tips before you go.  Finding the base of the trail can be a little confusing.  Starting at the only stoplight in Pine Plains (the intersection of Rt. 199 & 82): go south on Rt. 82 for .4 miles to Lake Road; stay on Lake Road for 1.7 miles (you will go PAST two entrances to Thompson Pond).  Stissing Mountain is part of the Thompson Pond Nature Preserve so when you’re looking for the entrance to the Stissing Mt. trailhead, look for the sign (pictured here), on your left.  There is a small parking area on your right.

After reaching the restored Fire Tower, do go up the tower as far as you feel comfortable … at least above the treeline.  The pay-off is an extraordinary view so remember to bring your camera!

ALSO, make sure you come down the mountain the same way you went up.  Leave a few “bread crumbs” on your ascent — a ribbon around a tree or some other identifying item at various forks in the trail will do.  If you go the wrong way at a fork you might not end up near the parking area.