Kakiat Park

This time up: Kakiat Park! This one was a new one for me. It is located in Montebello, New York. It boasts 376 acres with a great dog park, 2 scenic lookouts, an old mill, a neat log cabin, and three specifically marked trails, one of which leads to Harriman State Park. Usually, when I go to a park that involves hiking trails I vaguely glance at the map, see if there is anything worth making sure I see and remember the color of the trail. That's about it. No carrying along trail maps or compasses or any of that jazz. If I end up on another trail accidentally, so be it. (So long as I don't get too lost.)

I had two goals for this hike. The first was to see the log cabin. The second was to reach the first "scenic lookout." Anyone in the area of Rockland County this past weekend could tell you it was foggy. Of course, this makes going to a scenic lookout pretty pointless, but I didn't really care. I just love climbing mountains.

I set off down a trail after briefly checking out the really cool metal gate that was made by a local artisan and the map.

I thought I knew where I was going. Famous last words. All I had to do was find the red trail. No big deal. 15 minutes later I was still looking for the red trail, but I happened to pass a really nice meadow. I think the average person probably finds winter to be a rather disgusting part of the year-- especially when it is not actually snowing. I know I did for a long time. Dirty black snow accumulates on the side of the road. The trees are bare. No flowers, no color, little life. But there is something about grasses and meadows in the winter that is really phenomenal. The reds and yellows (sometimes purples) stand out against the brown-black trunks of trees and the perpetually grey sky.

Passing by some old stacked stone "fences," got me really excited. I felt I had to be going somewhere. The fences are a remnant from the park's past. The land was owned by the Blauvelt family many moons ago. They're a big name in the area with roads and buildings named after them. Frankly, I don't know any Blauvelts personally. Maybe one day I will. Anyway, the Blauvelts used the land for over two hundred years to grow peaches, apples, and cherries. Some apple trees remain hidden in the landscape.
Eventually I ended up on the trail and it was easy going at first. If I thought it was going to remain that was I was sorely mistaken. I'm in a shape somewhere between fit and not at all fit. Probably pretty average. Lately, (as in the past 3 weeks) I've been jogging or exercising at least 4 times a week. I felt ready for any challenge the mountain would throw at me. Within 10 minutes I felt like Stephen Katz from "A Walk in the Woods"-- panting, cursing softly under my breath, and coming up with any excuse to stop for a few moments.

After stopping a grand total of four or five times, I made it to a summit. I pretended it was the summit, because there was no way in hell I could go up any of that shit again. I took my jacket off to cool down, caught my breath and took a few pictures. That was really it and then I started heading down. I kind of wish I had those moments described in books and movies where the lead character as a moment of reflection on life and the similarity to cresting a mountain and conquering life's challenges. Generally I am just like "Hey, this is pretty cool..." and then I'm on my way.

Going down was a hell of a lot easier. I also managed to follow the right trail this time. And happened to be greeted by a pleasant little sign that I should have seen if I had taken the right trail in the first place.

Rattlesnakes and copperheads. Fantastic. At least I didn't see any. I probably would have done something reckless like try to get close and take a picture while saying something like "there's no way this little guy could be venomous!!"

After the mountain, I took a stroll along the blue trail that followed the Mahwah river. The trail meandered through a really nice pine forest, past many types of poo (all types of dog and horse poo), and up to the foundation of the mill. It was pretty sweet. If you google Kakiat park, you're bound to see a bunch of pictures of the mill.

There is something to be said for ruins or remnants of decades and centuries long gone. Frankly, I always find that to be the most exciting part of any park (or area) I visit. There's something about the mystery of old lifestyles and the ever-present battle between man and nature. It is a beautiful thing, the way old structures fight to remain, while nature creeps up onto it. Sometimes, secretly, I wish society would crumble and we would have to revert back to "the old ways." Of course, that would be a lot scarier in reality and chances are I would die of cholera or dysentery or something. That wouldn't be so neat. But a girl can dream.

Needless to say, that was pretty much the end of the adventure. I made my way back through the woods, content with the park and the adventures of the day. I thought it was great and I would totally like to go back. Maybe I could actually find the log cabin (which is actually incredibly easy to find if I had actually examined the map) or make it to the scenic lookouts (on a clear day). The only critique I have of the park was the amount of dog poo. I understand that the county's budget got slashed so they can no longer afford to stock parks with those little baggies, but I'm sure they could afford to make a baggie vending machine. A quarter for a plastic bag or something.

More information on the park here