Day Trips

Breakneck Ridge

Day Hiking Destinations

Most of our hikes are day trips within 100 miles or so of New York City, and travel time is usually one to two hours each way. Frequent destinations include Bear Mountain and Breakneck Ridge in the Hudson Highlands, the Delaware Water Gap area, Mohonk and Minnewaska Preserves. Occasionally we'll travel as far as the Catskills for a day hike.

Meeting Location and Transportation

Unless otherwise noted in the hike description, all day hikes leave promptly at 8AM from 116th and Amsterdam. Transportation is usually by 12-passenger van, but occasionally we'll take a train or other transportation.

Difficulty

The hikes are of varying difficulty, from easy 4-5 mile, flat walks to 12+ mile hikes with a couple thousand feet of elevation gain. You should read the color-coded hike key below (also posted on the signup page), realistically evaluate your abilities, and choose hikes that are appropriate for you.

Hikes are rated using the following difficulty levels:

	Easy 4-5 miles, 100-800 ft elevation gain. Everyone should be able to go on this.
	Moderate 5-8 miles, 800-2000 ft elevation gain. A reasonably fit person can go on this.
	Rigorous 8-12 miles per day, 2000-4000 ft elevation gain. You need to be very fit.
	Hard 12-15 miles per day, 4000-6000 ft elevation gain. You need to be in excellent shape, be able to go all day and have experience climbing more than 4000 ft. in a day before.

Training and Gear

Some of our hikes include short rock scrambles, but there is never any technical climbing. No specialized training is required, and the only gear you need is a pair of hiking boots and a basic backpack.

Food

Each person is responsible for their own food for the trip. Be sure to bring 2 liters of water and a good lunch with snacks. When you arrive at the trip trip's meeting place, make sure you already have your food and water ready to go, so the group does not have to make a special stop for you to buy food.

Suggested Gear List:

Hiking boots are highly advisable. Although some of the easier routes can be hiked in athletic sneakers, boots give you support and comfort that other shoes will not.
Rain gear: If the weather looks questionable, bring a raincoat and rain pants (if you have them) that can be stuffed into your daypack.
2 liters of water (at least)
Warm layers, particularly in the cooler monthes, its better to have a fleece (or two) and a pair of pants so that you can adjust to the temperature. Remember that it is cooler in many of the place that we hike than it is the city! In the winter and even in the fall you should bring a hat, gloves, and a scarf. Also, if you can avoid cotton that is preferable.
Pair of extra socks (especially if the weather is rainy)
Lunch: a bag lunch that you can eat along the trail is all you need. Snacks for shorter breaks or the car ride are great too!
Backpack: daypacks of any kind are fine, nothing fancy is necesary so long as you can fit everything inside.