Eli, 11 (front) and his older brother Able, 14, went on without their parents to summit two more Adirondack peaks. ( Photo by Raheli Harper) The year our kids outhiked us When I began writing this column 10 years ago, I was carrying around babies on my back while trying to get out into the woods,... Day Tripper 25 Nov 2025 | 09:53
The view from Peekamoose Mountain, where the writer contemplated a big question: whether to pocket the pen she’d used to register. ( Pamela Chergotis) Where obsessions intersect New York’s trail registers haven’t changed in generations: hunter-green metal boxes on cement posts. Hinged covers that drop... Day Tripper 21 Nov 2025 | 10:31
Henry gets a lift from the writer. He rarely used to need one, but routinely does now, usually after lunch. The long walk home Henry’s getting old. Our seven-pounder has pounded many trails, but he’s feeling his age. We all are. Every morning we shake... Day Tripper 19 Sep 2025 | 01:58
Many states have monuments that mark their highest points, but New Jersey’s obelisk, built in 1930, is the grandest. Getting there is going to chew up your boots, though. ( Pamela Chergotis) Local hikes, global gear So glad I already have all the outdoor gear I need! I’ve been looking more closely into our global hiking supply chain. My... Day Tripper 09 May 2025 | 11:55
The ridgetop known as Jensen’s Ledges is crowned by a series of sculptures created by stacking bluestone slabs. ( Pamela Chergotis) Upriver energy Along the Upper Delaware River, way upriver, is a teensy place called Lordville, where you’ll find a trail to the top of... Day Tripper 18 Mar 2025 | 11:30
An Angel on Mahackamack Trail in Watershed Park, Port Jervis, N.Y. ( Pamela Chergotis) Art, unexpected Out of a sense of obligation, Tom and I visited the Rijksmuseum on a trip to Amsterdam about ten years ago. I realize now... Day Tripper 07 Dec 2020 | 12:31
Temporary friends We dreaded what we might find at the Smiley Carriageway. The last time we attempted to hike it, this once-familiar trail... Home 07 Oct 2019 | 12:25