Minnewaska

It was nearing ten o’clock when we got in last night. By the time we unpacked the car, put our things in some semblance of order, and showered it was coming on midnight. That meant I didn’t even get a full six hours of sleep before my alarm went off and G3 and I had to set out on a Boy Scout outing. We had to leave the house by 6:15 so we had time to grab breakfast before meeting up with the group. We then carpooled—I was not up for a long drive after little sleep—back up into New York where we planned to hike ten miles in Minnewaska State Park.

A group of scouts are working on the hiking merit badge and I signed up to be the merit badge counselor. I chose Minnewaska for this hike—but not the day; my choice was Sunday so I could have a day between our road trip and hiking but I was vetoed by the other adults—because it is my favorite state park within a reasonable driving distance. Kati introduced me to it more than twenty years ago when we were just friends. The scenery is gorgeous and the trails are well marked and maintained. Plus, Lake Awosting is one of my favorite places to swim. The water is cool and clear and the ground is rock not an icky mud. Of course when I planned the hike and mapped out a trail I made sure we’d be able to stop at the lake for a swim.

We started the hike on the Upper Awosting Carriage Way and then turned onto the Blueberry Run Trail which we took up to Castle Point. It’s a steep incline through a pine forest. We hiked over rock covered in pine needles, the heat and humidity making us sweat profusely. At the peak, Castle Paint, we took pictures and had lunch. By then we were famished so it was a good place to eat while resting and enjoying the scenery.

When we finished eating, we took the Castle Point Carriage way to the Scenic Trail, a part of Minnewaska I had never explored before. The trail was not as well maintained as the others. One of the dads commented that we should have brought a machete. The dense foliage, still wet from the over night rain did remind me of hiking in Central America. Along the way we passed a cave which me and the scouts wanted to explore further, but one of the dads told us to keep moving before it got too late.

We reached the lake around two o’clock, hot and sweaty and in desperate need of a swim. The scouts had fun rough housing with each other while I swam laps. The cool water felt so good on my skin.

The hike back to the car was an easy stroll along the Upper Awosting Carriage Way. It was also much cooler considering we were wet from the swim. Some of the views of the lake—enhanced by the fluffy white clouds reflected on the water—were beautiful. Everyone—scouts and dads—said it was the best hike they’d been on. I’m certain the swim helped shape their opinion, but I was just happy that the hike I planned was a success. And even though I was working on little sleep, I had a fabulous time.