Hiking Boots & Booze

Let’s join Shawangunk Hikers and The Hiking Group - CT & NY for a moderately challenging hike and enjoy a picnic afterward, hopefully in a pavilion but otherwise it will be in or near the parking area.

We’ll have two or three hikes planned, depending on the number of people, and you can decide which hike to go on once you arrive. You’re not locked into the group you sign up with.

I have a 5-mile route planned, which will include a brief, but challenging scramble, and we should be back at the parking area around 1:00.

As an FYI, alcohol is not allowed in the park, but when the rangers caught us one year, they said to just keep it out of sight. And to put our clothes back on.

It's likely we'll have use of the pavilion, which has a charcoal grill, but the day I posted this event Connecticut placed a ban on grilling in state parks due to the high fire risk, so unfortunately, we won't be grilling. Just in case we don’t have the pavilion, please bring a folding table if you have one, and camp chairs.

Bring food and drinks to share, and lawn games!

See you at Macedonia!

10:00 Burger Hill hike
11:00 Ferncliff Forest hike
12:00 Poets' Walk hike
1:00 Cookout at Poets' Walk

Let's welcome the next quarter century with a few brief and relatively easy hikes, followed by a cookout at Poets' Walk in Red Hook.

This is an a-la-carte event, meaning you can come and go as you like, although if you plan to join us for food at the end, please bring something to share. I'll have the grill fired up and ready to sear whatever you bring to toss on, but sides are very welcome.

I'll also have the requisite morning mimosas to replenish your electrolytes after (or before) each hike, but maybe you'll want to bring your own beverage. And a nip or two extra for the rest of us.

Since this is a winter hike, be prepared with micro spikes, and if there's snow (snow? What's that?) consider bringing snowshoes.

We'll first meet at Drayton Grant Park at Burger Hill, hike to the top, return to our cars, then drive 8 minutes to Ferncliff Forest. There we'll hike the fire tower loop, then drive 5 minutes to Poet's Walk for an easy 50 minute hike before breaking out the grub. Anyone wishing to linger longer in the area can check out Montgomery Place or other Bard College locations just up the road. Or, we can head into Rhinebeck for another cocktail at The Beckman Arms or Terrapin.

Cheers, and see you on the trail in 2025!

On this trip we will visit Redwood National and State Parks and walk among the tallest trees in the world, gaze out over the Pacific Ocean, and taste wine at the world-renown Napa and Sonoma Valleys.

We'll travel together from San Francisco to the redwoods before reversing course to Sonoma and Napa. I'll take full-charge of the driving, so you can sit back and enjoy the ride, although one or two others should standby as alternates. If we have more than 6 going, I'll reserve a high-capacity van, or we can split into smaller groups.

Our first full day in California will be spent mostly on the road between San Francisco and Crescent City, but we'll see plenty of redwoods along the way, and stop often. The next two days will be filled with redwood exploration, coastal views, and a fun diversion. On day four we'll say goodbye to the tall trees and hello to a cool buzz as we cruise into wine country and snag two tastings before settling into our lodgings in downtown Sonoma. The following day we'll visit Napa Valley wineries, and on our last day, Sonoma wineries. At least 10 in total.

COST

Approximately $3100 for single-occupancy, excluding flights and meals, $2000 for doubles. Both recommended flights are about $600. Ideally we should all arrive at SFO at the same time since we'll be shuttling from the airport to our hotel 16 miles away. See flights below.

TENTATIVE ITINERARY

Sat - Travel to San Francisco, shuttle to Fisherman's Wharf, evening on the Wharf, overnight at Hotel Zephyr

Sun - 8:00AM - Depart for Golden Gate Bridge, detour onto Avenue of the Giants, stretch our legs at Humboldt Redwoods State Park, overnight in Crescent City

Mon - 8:00AM - Grove of Titans, Stout Grove & Jedediah Smith River Trails, Crescent Beach, Trees of Mystery adventure, overnight in Crescent City

Tue - 8:00 - Tall Trees Grove, Lady Bird Johnson Grove, Elk Prairie, Trillium Falls, Fern Canyon, overnight in Eureka

Wed - 8:00 - Depart for Sonoma, visit 2-3 wineries, overnight in Sonoma

Thu - 9:00 - Sonoma wineries, overnight in Sonoma

Fri - 9:30 - Napa Valley wineries, overnight in Sonoma

Sat - 8:00 Depart for SFO airport

RESERVATIONS

I'M FULLY BOOKED AS FOLLOWS (must make your own reservations):

5/10 ALB to SFO 9:45am - 3:30pm, United flight 4889, United 2427
5/17 SFO to ALB 11:45am - 10:48pm, American 1623, American 530
Hotel Zephyr San Francisco 5/10 - 5/11 (one night)
Quality Inn & Suites Crescent City 5/11 - 5/13 (two nights)
Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Eureka 5/13 - 5/14 (one night)
Inn at Sonoma 5/14 - 5/17 (three nights) Book directly at innatsonoma.com

*Flight from JFK (gets to SFO same time as ALB flight)
5/10 JFK to SFO 11:30am - 3:21pm Delta flight 680 (non-stop)
5/17 SFO to JFK 11:00am - 10:27pm Alaska flight 835 and 18

If you can't get a room at the listed hotels, or prefer to stay elsewhere, I'm okay collecting people from one or two other nearby locations, except in San Francisco.

Suggested relevant movie: Bottleshock

Join us in June for another long weekend at gorgeous Lake George - the Adirondack’s playground for kids of all ages!

Planned activities will include 2 hikes, an evening dinner cruise with live music, mini golf, wine tasting, and lakeside nightlife.

We’ll hike Buck Mountain, a challenging climb with sweeping views across Lake George to the Adirondack high peaks beyond, and Crane Mountain with its trout-stocked pond and spectacular backwoods scenery.

I’m booked at Lido Motel (looks comfy and is only $407 for three nights) but anyplace in town will do. Rooms are filling up fast so don’t wait long to reserve. Booking directly with your preferred hotel might be a better option than using Expedia or another booking service.

It’s too soon to book the dinner cruise, but I’ll send out a message and link once they’re taking reservations for 2025.

Here's our Tentative Itinerary:

Thursday - Check into hotels. Dinner at Boathouse Restaurant at 7:00

Friday - 9:00 - Carpool to Buck Mountain trailhead for a 6.5 mile hike lasting 4.5 hours
2:30 - Adirondack Pub & Brewery for grub & suds
4:30 - Tipsy mini golf
7:00 - Lake George Beach Club for bites, drinks, live music and dancing

Saturday - 9:30 - Carpool to Crane Mountain for a 3.2 mile loop hike lasting 4 hours
3:00 - Adirondack Winery
6:00 - Get on the Lac du Saint Sacrement for our 6:30 dinner cruise
9:00 - Nightlife!
Sunday - Depart (or rent a motor boat and enjoy the lake)

Look forward to seeing you at the lake!

THIS TRIP IS IN 2026 BUT WE'RE PLANNING AHEAD!

During this event you will:

- Tour America's 2nd and 3rd National Parks
- Spend a day exploring among the largest trees on Earth
- Experience unmatched views of the Sierra-Nevada Mountain Range
- Stand below (and above) the highest waterfall in North America
- Humbly revere El Capitan

This is a short trip with a gigantic payout! You will see all the major points of interest in both Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks. We'll spend a full day touring Sequoia N.P., home to the largest trees (by volume) in the world, then have nearly three days to hike, bike, and gape at the towering landscape and sky-high waterfalls of Yosemite National Park. Spring is the optimum time to see the falls so let's hope for a wet, snowy winter in the Sierra's beforehand.

We'll spend our first two nights in Fresno and the following three nights right in Yosemite Valley, hopefully.* I'll take up to four others with me in my car, but everyone can make their own rental and driving arrangements.

*Reservations

Rooms at Yosemite Valley Lodge fill up very quickly and you can't book further out than 367 days before arrival, so here's how we'll do it: In January 2025 I'll ask everyone planning to take charge of a room for a $400 commitment (what I'll need to reserve each room), then in February I'll call to get on a waitlist for the number of rooms we want. On May 9 I'll know if we secured the rooms, and if we didn't, I'll immediately look elsewhere for lodging. If we secure only a partial lot, the group may have to split up, but only for lodging.

A few other accommodations are available in the valley, including camping, and the upscale Awahnee ($$$$), but you're on your own for making those reservations. Regardless of where you stay in the valley, getting around and meeting up is easy with the park's free shuttle service running throughout the park about every 17 minutes from 7 AM to 10 PM.

Cost

Approximate cost of the trip for single-occupancy at the Lodge, excluding flight and meals, is $1900. Double-occupancy at the Lodge will be $1200. I strongly recommend doubling up, as this will help ensure you get a room.

A double Queen room at Fairfield Inn will likely cost $425 for two nights, and current flights from JFK, Newark, and ALB to Fresno are about $600, although it's too early to book so we'll do that once we've secured lodging.

In the end, double-occupancy people should expect to pay at least $2000 or more for all lodging and flights, and singles $2900 or more.

Accommodations

May 9 & 10 (Sat & Sun) - Fairfield Inn & Suites Fresno Yosemite International Airport (you book it, but not yet)

May 11 - 13 (Mon, Tue, Wed) - Yosemite Valley Lodge, hopefully! (I'll book it)

Tentative Itinerary

Sat - Travel to Fresno, overnight at Fairfield Inn
Sun - 7 AM - Depart for Sequoia N.P., overnight back at Fairfield in Fresno
Mon - 8 AM - Depart for Yosemite N.P., explore, overnight in Yosemite
Tue - Yosemite
Wed - Yosemite
Thu - 8:00 Depart for Fresno Airport

As you can see by the photo, I've done this trip before, although in less time, so our four-day itinerary will be enough to see all the good stuff. However, be aware that our day at Sequoia will be very active and we'll remain at the park until sunset.

If you have a hankering to hike Half-Dome, be aware it's a grueling 14-mile all-day affair requiring a permit. I won't be joining you!

Suggested relevant film: Free Solo