Sorry to my loyal followers (grandma and grandpa!). As you know, life has been hectic. But I do miss sharing photos with you and am going to try my hardest to get back on track.
I may have also splurged on a little Black Friday laptop that's more conducive to writing blog posts... :)
My first post back begins with a hike I took on Saturday to New Jersey. South Mountain Reservation, to be precise. I Googled the night before, searching for hikes within walking distance of public transportation. South Mountain Reservation was perfect - 45 minutes from Penn Station, with the trailhead a 3 minute walk from the train.
I was skeptical, as it was Jers, but it turned out to beautiful and a perfect day hike. I totaled just under 7 miles in about 3 hours.
Beginning of the hike, sunrise over Jers.
Berries.
Following the yellow trail markers of Lenape Trail.
So many fallen trees! I assume from the last hurricane.
One tree still holding onto its autumn leaves.
Waterfall! Not too much water at this time of year.
Stream. Love the orange foliage.
View from lunch (sandwich and some M&M's).
This was my favorite part. Absolutely gorgeous hike through the brush. From this trail I saw red cardinals, blue jays, woodpeckers, squirrels and chipmunks! That's the most wildlife I've seen in quite a while.
End of the hike, near the parking lot. Lots of families and kids, hence the mini door.
Definitely a hike I'd return to! Moderate, low foot traffic and I can imagine quite gorgeous in the fall. This time of year was beautiful as well, with the consistent crunch-crunch of leaves underfoot.
Video to come - my new favorite toy, the Suunto watch (thanks, work!) tracked my coordinates, speed, elevation, and synced with my phone to create a neat little video of the whole hike.
