Storm King!

I can now shout – “The last official training mountain is done!!!”. That brings a whole series of mixed emotions about the upcoming climb but that is for another post… 

Saturday’s climb was Storm King right next to West Point (hello boys!). 

I had to add in the snapshot of the trail we took – see the P on the right by Cornwall Landing? We started there, took the Highlands Trail up to the Bluebird Trail to the Yellow to the white to the Orange. It was quite the loop!! 

The beginning felt like the “Dead Cicada Trail” – I felt a bit bad for them. They wait 17 years, come out and do their thing and then a month later are dead and scattered all over the place.

“Time for a cognac!” moment – HUGE rat snake slithers in front of me (hues as in 5 feet long). I scream and jump up on a rock (like that will help). Snake slithers away from my screaming and Crocodile Dundee tears after it, grabs it by the tail and after a series of twists, PICKS UP the pissed off snake. 

*cue me fainting* (yes, there is exaggeration here but she picked it up and I was freaked out) 

There was a great view of Cold Spring and Bannerman Island from the top of Storm King. I think that every hike should have ruins – it adds to the adventure! And makes for great pix!! 

Amazing Feeling/Breeze moment – standing on top of Butter Mountain a very welcome breeze swirled around us. It was such a relief since the humidity was intense! 

Random Side note – I almost lost my purple cammo bandana that my brother gave me but was very happy to find it a short way back up the trail.