TalesFromTheTrails.com

Ward Pound Ridge Reservation & Leatherman's Cave

2010-03-21T23:59:00.001-04:00

What a beautiful day in CT. I wasn't planning on hitting the trails but I ended up on a last minute local excursion to good old Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. Waayy back in the High School days we used to get a bunch of people and go camping up here. It was great times. Today I decided to actually explore it and see what the woods had to offer. I would not really call it hiking, more like a ramble in the woods. However, there were some interesting sights (and sounds) along the way. I don't want to give it all away but in this video you will find creatures, musical numbers, mystery, suspense, and assorted animal poo. Intrigued? I do want to mention Leatherman's Cave though. First of all calling it a cave is really a stretch. However the Leatherman does have an interesting story. To learn more click here. OK enough typing, enjoy the vid, it's a little longer than some of my others but hang in there, I think you will enjoy.

New Site Look

2010-03-12T12:27:00.001-05:00

What up Ramblers? Spring is right around the corner in Connecticut. Last weekend was in the mid 50's and I was able to enjoy one of my other pleasures, motorcycle riding. I took out my FaZ1 (2006 Yamaha FZ1) for a nice ride. This year I plan on some longer rides and will start posting them up here as well. Who said tales from the trails only took place in the woods? This weekend is a washout so I decided to clean up the blog a bit. Besides the new colors, it's no longer narrow so I think it has a cleaner look. Finally it would not be a blog post unless I added a video. Here are some tales from the ice, my introduction to the word of Curling. Enjoy!

Kent Falls, CT Winter Wonderland

2010-02-07T17:46:00.019-05:00

Surprise, Surprise. Bet you didn't think you were going to hear from me for another month or so. Well I missed you guys so much I decided to drive to upstate CT, freeze my ass off, and send you some assorted pics n' vids. Well kinda sorta. Actually me and my girl went to Kent, Ct for a little Bed & Breakfast getaway at the Fife n' Drum Inn. When we woke up we found out that no one was around until 11:30am to check out so we decided to drive up the road a bit to visit Kent Falls. I have been there a few times when it was warm out, but never in the dead of winter and needless to say it was FREEZING! However it was also beautiful and worth getting a slight case of frost bite on my fingers (OK it wasn't that cold). We were able to walk to the top, the path was in pretty good shape actually, snow but no ice. We drove around a little more and saw some of the usual sites, Bulls Bridge, Cornwall Covered Bridge, and of course it wouldn't be a complete trip without a wild turkey sighting. Back to the Fife n' Drum for a minute. Really nice place for a quick weekend getaway. We ate at their restaurant which had good eats and friendly peeps.
As usual I have pics n' vids to share. I didn't know what music I was going to use for the pics, but as I was editing everything the perfect song started to play on Pandora. Let me know if you agree. Seems like Youtube is not very pleased when I add music tracks to my pictures. They keep blocking the sound due to copyright issues. I have a work around but as you can see the pictures are much smaller and quality is lower. If you want the real experience I have a simple solution. Get you ass out on the trails so you can come home with your own tales!
Enjoy and see you again in a month or so!

Video Diary:

Picture Slideshow:

Anthony's Nose & The Camp Smith Trail

2009-12-01T12:50:00.007-05:00

Happy Holidays fellow Ramblers. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving and are ready for some more winter festivities.
Last time I was out in the woods I was exploring the underworld. This past weekend I kept it above ground and headed up to Peekskill, NY where we did some hiking across the river from Bear Mountain. Very casual this time, just wanted to take advantage of the warm fall weather.
The trail we were on was called the Camp Smith Trail which, surprise, surprise, goes along the outer perimeter of Camp Smith which is a unit of the National Guard. As you can see from the pictures, the National Guard does not want you to stray too far off the trail. This blue blazed trail also links up with the AT at the top of Anthony's Nose. Why the hell is this mountain called Anthony's Nose? Well instead of just copying and pasting the answer you can find more info here.
This was a good day hike, it's also good for beginners. Total elevation is about 900 feet and there are some steep parts, but nothing too crazy. There were all ages of peeps roaming around. Full disclosure, I did wipe out a little going downhill because of all the leaves on the rocks. In regards to creatures, we did not see many, except for the Viper/Anaconda/Python which you can see in the slideshow. OK so maybe I exaggerated a bit and zoomed in a little with my camera.
Other than not too much to report. This whole area of the Hudson Highlands is great for hiking and there are so many options up here to keep coming back to. Check it out!
Well enjoy your winter people, I probably won't be back for a while unless there is a spontaneous snow hike I decide to go on. Enjoy the pictures, the Wandering Poet is OUT!

Southbounders Movie Review

2009-10-14T16:00:00.004-04:00

Thought I would switch it up today a bit with a little movie review action. Last night on Netflix I watched an independent movie called Southbounders. It's your basic tale of a girl (Olivia) at the crossroads of life, please her daddy and go to college and be a doctor, or put that on hold to confront her fears and self confidence issues by hitting the trails for a 2,100 mile on the famous Appalachian Trail which goes from Maine to Georgia.
It's not a fast moving movie but the scenery is great and I really liked the soundtrack's vibe of hippie, mellow guitar rock. Perfect campfire music. You get to see and understand someone of the challenges one would have on such a long journey in the woods. Blisters, crappy weather, creatures going through your backpack, lack of hygiene, etc. Olivia also meets some characters along the way but there are two she ends up hiking with. Slackpack, the overweight funny guy who talks to much, and Rollin, who she starts to cozy up with.
I wish there would of been a little more action in this flix, I am sure they could of thought of a few things based on the subject matter of hiking over 2,000 miles in the woods. But this mostly a story about a girl with some inner issues she needs to figure out and the romance she starts up with Rollin. Hey I am not going to lie, this is normally not a movie for me, but since it was one of the few movies that co-starred the AT and I just came off a great hike over the weekend it was totally in my wheel house.
So if you love hiking, then yes this is a must see movie. If you are looking for a date movie or chick flix I would pass on this one and rent something like Love Actually (Widescreen Edition).
Wandering Poet review for Southbounders: 2 1/2 Blazes out of 4.
www.southbounders.com

Housatonic Range Trail

2009-10-13T14:43:00.002-04:00

This is the final post about this past Sunday's hike. Let's call it the ABOVE ground chapter. After exploring the cave we hiked the southern portion of the Housatonic Range Trail. It was only about a 2.5 mile hike to the summit of Candlewood Mountain (902 feet) but since there were so many different rock formations that had a ton of moss on them it made the trek a little sketchy at some points. Especially Kelly's Slide (not in video) which is a huge slanted slab of rock. There was a large tree down going across it and that was the only thing stopping you from sliding down over a cliff. VERY SKETCHY! Pic of it can be seen here.
Enjoy the vid!

Spelunking at Tory's Cave New Milford, CT

2009-10-12T20:15:00.006-04:00

Here is a brief video of us checking out the caves. From what I was told we only did a portion of it, there were another 3-4 rooms to explore. Will save that for next time. Enjoy!

Tory's Cave & Housatonic Range Trail

2009-10-11T21:51:00.007-04:00

Oh what a day! Perfect fall weather and not a cloud in the sky. It's trail time! My sister and I went up to Tory's Cave and Housatonic Range Trail near New Milford, CT. Neither of us had any idea what we were getting ourselves in to (literally). When we got to the opening of the cave we both said no way in hell were we going to go down there. But then a few other spelunkers showed up and we couldn't look like skirts so down we went. The caves were very cool and the hike up to Candlewood Mountain was great too. Not many views but a ton of rock structures that were great to climb. We hiked 3 miles of the trail which is about a total of 6 miles. Next time up there we will finish it off (and hit the caves one more time). Today I have a photo slide show but over the next few days I will put all the video clips together so you can really understand what went down and where we went. I am happy to report that there were no bat sightings!
Enjoy the entertainment. Click on the HQ button (should be red) for better quality playback.

Fall Hiking Season in full effect!!

2009-09-21T17:48:00.009-04:00

What up Ramblers?? The Wandering Poet is back from the dead. Had a great summer, no complaints there, but the weather has gotten a bit cooler and its time to get back in the woods damn it!!!

So this past weekend was PERFECT hiking weather, 70 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. A great time for a warm up hike at good old Bear Mountain State Park in NY. I brought my girl Dianis with me, she's a little new to the woods and at first it was a bit touch and go but she got a second wind and we made it to the top without a problem. This season I am going to be focusing on new trails in NY so stay tuned. I have my new super zoom HD camera ready to shoot as many creatures I can possibly come across. So get your ass out there this fall, that's what DVR's are for. Enjoy the quick vid of the trip.

Sleeping Giant Video Diary

2009-05-26T19:36:00.003-04:00

What does doo-wop, classic cars, nuns, and mountains have in common? Normally nothing unless you hike Sleeping Giant on Memorial Day. Check out the video diary to see what I mean.

Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden CT

2009-05-25T16:32:00.008-04:00

Hope you enjoyed your Memorial Day. Weather was perfect in Connecticut so me and my sis decided to hit the trails. Didn't go to crazy today. We headed up to Sleeping Giant in Hamden, CT right across the street from Quinnipiac College where there was a Classic Car show taking place. So between the crowds on the trails and the booming doo-wop music from below the wilderness factor was at an all time low. It's a pretty challenging hike though, especially the begininig when you hike up very steep trap rock next to a huge quarry. The Tower at the 740 foot summit offers amazing views. I didn't take too many videos but I will still post them tomorrow. In the meantime enjoy the picture slide show. The music selection and product placement is purely coincidental......

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What's in my pack? Day Hike Essentials

2009-05-24T19:22:00.004-04:00

Happy Memorial Day fellow Ramblers. It the Wandering Poet Frankie Faz with a behind the scenes webisode of TalesFromTheTrails. As promised here is the "What's in my pack" segment I mentioned a few weeks ago. Check out the items you should bring along when you venture out in the woods. On a side note I apologize in advance for the lens cap that makes numerous appearances in the video. I upgraded my camera and am still getting used to recording with it. The old one didn't have a lens cap to get in the way. I bought a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H20 10 MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Zoom and Super Steady Shot Image Stabilization
I have much more zoom and the ability to record HD video. So now I can get you guys up close and personal with creatures without having to actually get up close and personal with creatures.

Well enjoy the vid. Next hike will be Sleeping Giant in Hamden CT. I have hiked this one a few times but never had the chance to record it for the blog. Have a great rest of the weekend, and get your ass outside!

Mystery Solved-Black Rat Snake, NOT a Rattler!

2009-05-11T18:00:00.001-04:00

"OK he is hidden in the grass but you get the idea. Jumped right in front of me and was at least 6 feet long. When he was hiding in the grass his rattler was rattlin' real loud! I decided it was then time to move along. Click on the pic for a high resolution view where you really will be able to see him. If you are getting this post via email or RSS feed click HERE to go to the site."

So the above text is what I wrote in the heat of the moment. Some days have gone by, I have now calmed down, and have had some time to research what kind of snake I saw. The answer my friend is the Black Rat Snake. After reading about it I have learned a few things.
A: NOT venomous (whew!). NY has three venomous snakes, timber rattlesnake, the massasauga, and the copperhead. The good news is that they are all very rare.
B: I did not exaggerate when I estimated the size was 6 feet. These guys can grow up to 8 feet!
C. I also wasn't lying when I said it's tail was rattling because these snakes do vibrate their tails to mimic the sound of the rattle snake. Congrats Mr. Snake, your tail vibrating did it's job and scared the crap out of me!
OK so I feel a little safer going in the woods knowing most of these guys are not venomous. So lets make a pact creatures of the woods, don't mess with me & I won't mess with you. This includes all you wild chickens and turkeys out there too!

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Fishkill Ridge Conservation Area Slide Show

2009-05-11T13:00:00.003-04:00

Fun with Creed and movie transitions to make a short slide show. Oh and PS, next post is going to be a high resolution pic of the mack daddy snake I saw. You guys probably think I exaggerated but if you take a good look in the grass you will see that this was a big ssssssssssssssssssssucker!
If you are getting this message via email or RSS feed click HERE to get to site.

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Fishkill Ridge Conservation Area Video Diaries

2009-05-10T19:44:00.010-04:00

Real tough hike today. 5 miles, 3 1/2 hours, 1,700 foot vertical rise. This sucker was steep, buggy, and, well that's all I am gonna say. The video diaries will give the you the dirty details. I would NOT recommend this hike if you are bringing kids. Actually I am not sure I would recommend this hike at all, because it is VERY strenuous and I didn't feel the views on tops were worth all the effort (and dangers) in getting there. One thing for sure, it was not a boring hike. Well enough yapping about it, check out the vid to see what I mean. I took about 16 minutes of footage so I had to break it into two sections. If you received this post via email or RSS feed CLICK HERE TO ENJOY!!!

Ten Mile River to Bull's Bridge Photo Slideshow

2009-04-19T17:34:00.008-04:00

If you can't see the slideshow click HERE

Ten Mile River to Bulls Bridge Video Diary

2009-04-19T16:42:00.003-04:00

Click HERE if video does not show.

Appalachian Trail-Ten Mile River to Bull's Bridge

2009-04-19T16:00:00.002-04:00

Finally Finally Finally got in the woods this weekend. Weather was beautiful for the first hike of the season. Brought my sister, daughter, and her friend along for a nice 4 mile hike on the AT.
We started off on the NY/CT border and made it up to Kent, CT right by the historic Bull's Bridge. Bet ya didn't know but George Washington walked across that bridge a few times during the Revolutionary War. As usual I have a photo and video diary of the excursion.
We had a few issues with the 'yutes on the way up the hill (and one wipe out on the way down), but overall it was a success.
This is great day hike that takes about two hours. The town center of Kent is right up the road from Bull's Bridge where you can grab a late lunch before your drive home. Although the views at the top of Ten Mile Hill were not the greatest, the walk next to Ten Mile River makes up for it. OK so 3.9 miles down and 49.8 left until I finish my goal of hiking the entire Connecticut portion of the AT. Click HERE to see photo slideshow and HERE for the Video Diary.
Oh and we also made up Trail Names for everyone. Danger, Wind Runner, Trip, and Peace Jester, I will let you try to figure out who is who!
One last note. I would like to welcome the newest site sponsor, Jerky.com. Stock up on beef jerky before your hikes at Jerky.com!

2009-04-18T13:20:00.001-04:00

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10 mile hill

2009-04-18T13:04:00.001-04:00

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Very Cool New Feature!

2009-04-15T19:48:00.001-04:00

I discovered a very cool new application for blogging today so I am going to give it a shot. It's from a company called Apture and it lets you easily add all kinds of multimedia to your blog. So here we go, tell me what you think! Want to learn more about the Appalachian Trail? Then click it!!!
Also first hike planned for this weekend. 10 Mile River on CT/NY Border to Bull's Bridge. This is a short one, only 4 miles, but who cares, I just want to get in the damn woods! I am setting up mobile blogging too so if I see any creatures in the woods you will know as soon as I do!!

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New name for the Blog!

2009-04-13T10:35:00.000-04:00

Thought I would let everyone know that I have decided to change the name of the blog to TalesFromTheTrails. So going forward bookmark www.talesfromthetrails.com. The new name better simplifies what the blog is all about. www.onerambleatatime.com will still get you to the blog for the next few months. If you subscribe via a feed, that will still show up as one ramble at a time. It was too difficult to change that over at this time. If this site every really takes off I will fix it. You may have noticed the blog was down for the past few days, that's because I had to transfer the domain over to go daddy because it was not working with my other service which shall remain nameless for now. Hopefully my next post is going to be about my first hike of 2009. The quest to hike the entire AT in Connecticut is just about to begin!!!

Shenandoah Trip Part 2

2009-02-28T07:33:00.003-05:00

Last day of February!!! There is finally light at the end of the ramble. It's almost time to buy some new gear and hit the trails. This is the last, and I mean last, video of past hiking trips. Going forward will be new treks. Nothing too exciting today, just still shots from the Shenandoah Trip.

Shenandoah National Park

2009-02-19T20:23:00.003-05:00

What up Ramblers? Been a while since I posted because....I don't have anything to post! I'm just about done with all my old hikes, and I am itching to post some new ones. However I did have one final hike I had to mention. In my short hiking career this was the biggest and the best. Last spring I was in a total funk and just had to "get the hell out of town". So I said screw it and booked a trip to Shenandoah National Park. Solo road trip in full effect down to Virginia. Only problem was that I booked it 3 months after I was in my funk and by the time the trip came around I was feeling better and really didn't want to go away on my own. I almost cancelled but decided to stick to my adventure...and man it was worth it. As you can see though I did have some challenges. The weather was out of control at the start of the trip. Torrential rain storms knocked out power and almost dropped trees on my car. I also came across some creatures you don't find in the woods too much in CT. During some of my hikes I didn't come by another person for 3-4 hours. I was deep in the woods, lost half the time, and man I loved it! I hiked parts of the AT I probably will never hit again so that was another added bonus. So check out my video diary. Next week I will post some pics as well.

Chauncey Peak and Mount Lamentation

2009-02-01T12:27:00.007-05:00

Happy Super Bowl Sunday my fellow Ramblers. The big game is only a few hours away, and even though my boys the NY Giants are not in it this year I am still going to try to get into this match up. I'm hoping Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals can shock da world.
OK back to the trails. Chauncey Peak & Mount Lamentation is a nice day hike in Connecticut. I did this one a few years back so I don't remember too many details except that there was a lot of traprock, a big ass quarry, and one really weird thing that you don't find in the middle of the woods too often. Check out the end of the video to see what I am talking about. That's the great thing about these hikes, besides the amazing views when you hit the summits, there are always some strange and curious sites along the way.

The good news, January is OVER. One more really cold month then spring is right around the corner. I only have a few more old hikes to post, and then I can finally focus on the AT and try to gobble up as much of the CT/NY section of it as possible this year.