Category Archives: News

News about Harriman Hikers – A New York / New Jersey Singles Hiking Club and its members

Sunday-After-Thanksgiving Hike 2008

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Harriman Hikers’ Annual Thanksgiving Hike, Sunday November 30th, 2008 Announcement

Harriman Hikers Sunday-After-Thanksgiving Hike is always one of the highlight events of year!

Every year as far back as any of us can remember, on the Sunday following Thanksgiving, Harriman Hikers has held an easy hike with the intention sharing leftovers (as well as specially prepared dishes) and the spirit of the holiday with other hiking friends and family.

Traditionally, as if by magic, old hiking friends materialize to join us for this special day. Turnouts of 50-60 people are not unusual.

Just follow this easy recipe:

  • Regular Meeting time 11:30 am. No fee is charged for this hike.
  • Expect a mild 3-5 mile hike to a wilderness shelter for several hours of feasting and socializing.
  • Bring Thanksgiving leftovers to share. Dishes prepared especially for the hike are welcome as well!
  • Bring beverages of your choice to share.
  • Family members, including children old enough to handle a 3-5 mile round trip hike are welcome.

    • MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

    …

    Harriman Hikers
    A New York – New Jersey singles hiking club, established 1974
    www.harrimanhikers.org
    …

    Autumn in Harriman State Park, NY

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    Lately, Fall has been in its full splendor in Harriman State Park, NY, Harriman Hikers’ “back yard”, so to speak. Everyone will probably agree this Autumn has been an exceptional leaf-peeping season, with mild, sunny weather on weekends and few windy storms that can and have caused early blow-down in other years.

    L1040109-view-from-the-timp-HSPNY

  • The header photo on the Harriman Hikers home page was made this Fall from the Timp Torne, a well-known scenic overlook in the northeast section of Harriman State Park, NY. Please visit the Harriman Hikers Photo Gallery for photos from Harriman Hikers’ recent Hike to the Timp as well as many, many other photos from other Harriman Hikers Hikes, during all different times of the year.
  • In addition to Harriman State Park, NY, Harriman Hikers hikes many other local parks and wilderness areas during the year. Be sure and check out our photo set Norvin Green State Forest Hike 10-26-2008 for other recent photos of this season’s spectacular Fall foliage.


    • No way the fun stops now… ;)

  • Be sure and read about our upcoming Annual Sunday-After-Thanksgiving Hike!
  • As Autumn turns into Winter, our Hike Leaders are busy planning many new, diverse hikes and trail routes appropriate to the season. Never hiked in the Winter? You don’t know what you have been missing. Please visit our Harriman Hikers Guide To Winter Hiking to help you get “ready-to-go”.

    • …

    As a reminder, Harriman Hikers is a New York – New Jersey singles hiking club, open for participation by single adults of all ages. Harriman Hikers hikes every Sunday, year-round, rain or shine and has been active since 1974, making Harriman Hikers one the longest-existing outdoor singles organizations in the lower Hudson Valley / greater New York City area.

    Please ALSO note, Harriman Hikers Hikes are generally considered “intermediate-level hikes” – hikers should be in good physical condition and under prevailing weather conditions, capable of hiking 7-8 miles over hilly and rocky wilderness terrain where some hills can be steep. Please visit our home page for complete details about Harriman Hikers.
    …

    Harriman Hikers
    A New York – New Jersey singles hiking club, established 1974
    www.harrimanhikers.org
    …

    Sunday, Nov 2, 2008 Standard Daylight Time is in Effect

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    Please set your clocks BACK one hour before you go to bed this Saturday night, November 1st. Standard Daylight time will be in effect this Sunday, November 2nd.

    The following from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) FAQS Page:

    When does Daylight Saving Time/Standard Time begin?

    Daylight Saving Time begins each year at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday of March. Move clocks ahead one hour at the start of Daylight Saving Time.

    Standard Time begins each year at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of November. Move your clocks back one hour at the resumption of Standard Time. Daylight Saving time and Time zones are regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation, not by NIST.

    In 2008, Daylight Saving Time begins on March 9 and ends on Nov. 2.


    …read more…

  • Official U.S. Time

    • …

    As always, Harriman Hikers meets up for hiking EVERY SUNDAY at 11:30 am in the South Parking Lots, Field B-1, of the Ramapo College of New Jersey on Route 202 in Mahwah, NJ.



    Harriman Hikers
    A New York – New Jersey Singles Hiking Club
    Established 1974
    www.harrimanhikers.org

    …

    Early Fall Color – Ramapo Reservation, NJ

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    It’s late September and the leaves are just starting to change here in north New Jersey and the lower Hudson Valley in New York State. Fall officially began on Monday, September 22, 2008, at 11:44:16 EDT (15:44:16 UCT) and in a matter of weeks going forward, the foliage in our part of the country will peak to its show of brilliant Autumn colors everywhere, before the Winter fallow period begins shortly afterward. A little like people on Saturday night! ;)

    Notice how the bright Fall colors are still mixed with the remaining lush Summer greenery. Interesting time of year, no?

    This post also serves to highlight the fact that while Harriman Hikers most frequently hikes its namesake, Harriman State Park, NY, we also hike in other wilderness parks and reserves / preserves in the area, such as Ramapo Reservation, a Bergen County Park, located a short distance from our weekly meetup at Ramapo College of New Jersey in Mahwah, NJ.

    ···

    ···

    L1030825b-early-fall-color-RRMNJ
    Early Fall color at Ramapo Reservation, Mahwah, NJ

    The photo above (and the cropped version, used for our website header) were made at Ramapo Reservation.

    ···




    Harriman Hikers
    A New York – New Jersey Singles Hiking Club, Established 1974
    www.harrimanhikers.org
    ···

    Harriman Hikers Group Photos Gallery

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    Look on the Harriman Hikers Home Page, near the bottom (under “About Our Members“) there is a photo thumbnail gallery of many group photos from Harriman Hikers Hikes. Click on any thumbnail to enlarge it.

    Be sure and visit Harriman Hikers Photo Gallery as well!

    Harriman Hikers
    A New York / New Jersey singles hiking club, established 1974
    www.harrimanhikers.org

    Wild Blueberries in Harriman State Park, NY

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    It’s a sure sign that summer is here when the blueberries are ripe! Ask any Harriman Hiker and they will tell you the joys of many July / August summer hikes include wild blueberries! Right now, end of July 2008, seems to be peak season this year.

    wild blueberries in Harriman State Park, NY
    Click the image for a better view :-)

    Blueberries / Wikipedia

    “Blueberries are flowering plants in the genus Vaccinium, section Cyanococcus. The species are native only to North America. They are shrubs varying in size from 10 cm tall to 4 m tall; the smaller species are known as “lowbush blueberries”, and the larger species as “highbush blueberries”. The leaves can be either deciduous or evergreen, ovate to lanceolate, and from 1–8 cm long and 0.5–3.5 cm broad. The flowers are bell-shaped, white, pale pink or red, sometimes tinged greenish.”

    …read more…

    The image above has been featured on the Harriman Hikers Home Page Header. Go here for other Home Page Header posts.

    Harriman Hikers
    A New York – New Jersey Singles Hiking Club
    Established 1974
    www.harrimanhikers.org

    Turkey Hill Pond in Harriman State Park, NY

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    Turkey Hill Pond is a 58 acre, man-made “pond” in the far-northern section of Harriman State Park, NY.

    Many Harriman Hikers refer to this body of water simply as “Turkey Lake” and it has been both a destination and way point for many different hike routes Harriman Hikers have used over the years.

    The view of the lake used on our website header features late Spring foliage and a view from the northeastern end of the pond looking south – the peak in the far distance is Summer Hill. Out of sight above and to the right of the photo is Torrey Memorial, where we had just come from to arrive at the location where this photo was made.

    L1010772 - Turkey Lake / Harriman State Park NY
    Click the photo for a better view :-)

    Other photos in this set depict lake and trail views as we hiked our way south around Turkey Lake’s eastern shore and then much later in the day after we came back to the lake on its southern end and hiked our way up Turkey Lake’s western side. From the west, looking east one can observe the actual Turkey Hill, for which the pond is named (and we hiked over ;-)

    For many, many more adventures – adventures you can call your own – as well as opportunities to meet great single folks and make new friends – join us for hiking!

    Harriman Hikers meets each and every Sunday, come rain / shine / snow / sleet, year-round, 11:30am at the South Parking Lots, Field B-1, of the Ramapo College of New Jersey on Route 202 in Mahwah, NJ.

    See complete details on our home page.

    The photo above has been featured on our home page. Chk this page for other photos featured in the Harriman Hikers website home page header.

    Harriman Hikers
    A New York – New Jersey Singles Hiking Club
    Established 1974

    Springtime at Pine Meadow Lake

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    The Harriman Hikers were recently at Pine Meadow Lake in Harriman State Park, NY on one of our Sunday Hikes on a glorious Spring day!

    080504PineMeadow

    Photo by Greg Paret

    Click the photo for a better view :-)

    A different photo of Pine Meadow Lake during Summer (won’t be long now ;-) was featured on the Harriman Hikers website – here is the accompanying article.

    The photo above has been featured on our home page. Chk this page for other photos featured in the Harriman Hikers website home page header.

    Harriman Hikers
    A New York – New Jersey Singles Hiking Club, established 1974

    High Point State Park Closing

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    Harriman Hikers has received information indicating intention by New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine to close High Point State Park (as well as a number of other NJ State Parks) as part of 2008 NJ State budget cuts.

    High Point State Park is remarkable in many ways including (from NJ DEP High Point State Park page):

    • There are 11 named and marked trails in High Point State Park, in addition to a stretch of the Appalachian Trail which transects the area.
    • Winter months find cross-country skiers on the 15 km of groomed trails in the park. Half of the trails are covered by artificial snow. Cross-country skis and other winter sports equipment are available for rent. A blazing fire, hot soup and other hearty food greet visitors at the center on Lake Marcia.
    • High Point Monument – The monument was built through the generosity of the Kusers, in honor of all war veterans. Construction was started in 1928 and completed in 1930. At the top of the 220-foot structure, observers have a breathtaking view of the ridges of the Pocono Mountains toward the west, the Catskill Mountains to the north and the Wallkill River Valley in the southeast.
    • Swimming – The spring-fed waters of the 20-acre Lake Marcia are cool and refreshing for swimmers. The beach is protected by lifeguards and there is a bathhouse and food concession adjacent to the beach.
    • …read the rest…

    The information about the intended closing(s) comes from a number of sources, including the following:

    From NJ Division of Parks and Forestry Proposed Budget Summary:

    “…The staffing budget would be reduced by approximately $4 million as follows:
    Full elimination of services and/or closure would occur at the following areas:
    Monmouth Battlefield State Park; Stephens State Park (administered under Hopatcong State Park, which will remain open); High Point State Park; Brendan T. Byrne State Forest (including Indian King Tavern); Round Valley Recreation Area; Parvin State Park; Jenny Jump State Forest; Worthington State Forest; and Fort Mott State Park (including Hancock House).
    Partial elimination of services and/or closures would occur at Ringwood State Park (including reduced hours at Ringwood Manor, closure of swimming at Shepherd Lake Recreation Area & Steuben House), D&R Canal State Park (including reduced interpretive services and closure of Bulls Island Recreation
    Area) and Washington Crossing State Park (40 percent reduction in interpretive staff – resulting in reduced hours of operation at Clarke House, Johnson Ferry House and the museum)…”

    …read the rest…

    If you wish for High Point State Park and other State Park facilities as mentioned above to remain open for public use, you are encouraged to contact the New Jersey Governor’s Office to let your voice be heard as well as seek and become involved in related advocacy organizations.

    -HH