• Basic on Breakneck Ridge: Did this hike in the morning (solo). Trail guide was totally on par, thanks Mike! During the ascent there were a few moments where it was hard to find footing, upper body strength maybe a necessity for some. As others have warned and noted, this is a steep hike and…
  • Benjamin Smith on Frequently Asked Questions: Thank you! I've been using this site for several years now, on almost every trip I take upstate from the city. This site should be national. I have never encountered a more thorough and comprehensive hiking guide. Nothing against books, but why am I still flipping through books to find…
  • Diane G on Frequently Asked Questions: I am a coordinator for a Westchester Meetup group and am always looking for new activities. We’re not a hiking group, so the difficulty ratings are very helpful as are the scenery ratings. I don’t want to be shunned by the group if they don’t think the hike was worth…
  • Diane Granville on Frequently Asked Questions: I am a coordinator for a Westchester Meetup group and am always looking for new activities. We’re not a hiking group, so the difficulty ratings are very helpful as are the scenery ratings. I don’t want to be shunned by the group if they don’t think the hike was worth…
  • Mike on Snakes on a trail: So glad to hear it, Will - thanks for the follow-up!
  • Will on Snakes on a trail: Sorry for the delayed (very late) response here! This was incredibly helpful! I think that the suggestion to hike in slightly colder weather is a great one. Additionally, it is reassuring to know that rattlesnake bites are few and far between in the Hudson Valley. I also agree that it…
  • Mike on Hiking Tips: These are great tips -- thank you for sharing them, Wendy!
  • Mike on Hiking Tips: Thanks, Corinne, and those are some excellent additions to the list, too!
  • Jeff Kent on Frequently Asked Questions: Yeah I get it, it's a difficult balance to maintain. I hike to get away from people and that's why I've been avoiding places like Breakneck Ridge. I much prefer to hit the adjacent Bull Hill early on a Monday morning when no one is there. I'm lucky in that…
  • MARVIN on Brace Mountain II (South Taconic trailhead): Did this hike today. Icy around the waterfalls area but doable once past it. Trail markers are updated. Starts out as yellow from the parking lot branching to white to get to summit. Even the signage is now new. Some of the trail markers located on the boulders were hard…
  • JL on Frequently Asked Questions: Jason, I completely understand that this site is very useful to a lot of people. As I mentioned in another comment above.. garbage is just one aspect of things, one symptom of overcrowding. Hiking has drastically gained in popularity in the recent years. I would say the increase is significant…
  • JL on Frequently Asked Questions: I'm not as much "blaming" him (I apologize if I sounded that way) as I am trying to say that there is another darker side to all of this. I have absolutely no doubt that Mike has the best of intentions, but I also think we live in a different…
  • Nancy A on Storm King Mountain: What a great hike and a great guide! The map that opened up in google was extremely helpful and helped us get back on track at one point when we had taken the wrong fork. Thanks so much for this, and we can’t wait to try out some other hikes…
  • Jason on Frequently Asked Questions: I felt like I needed to reply. I have lived here for 10 years and have not known the beauty of what was around me until I stumbled upon this site. I am overweight and out of shape and have been looking for something to motivate me to get out…
  • Mike on Frequently Asked Questions: JL, I appreciate you stopping by to voice your concerns here and in the Stony Kill Falls trail guide, and understand and empathize with the points you raise. I think this topic deserves a thoughtful response, and will spend some time on it in the coming week or two. (And…
  • Jeff Kent on Frequently Asked Questions: JL you certainly have some valid points and I feel your pain. But blaming Mike and his site isn't fair. He strongly advocates for people to pick up trash and to leave trails cleaner than you found them. Hiking in general has been suffering from this fate recently. It happens…
  • JL on Frequently Asked Questions: I realize this is not something you want to hear, but perhaps it will give you some thought.. You may feel like you are doing a good thing for people and from many people's point of view you are, but there is another side to all of this. I live…