Peter Reiner, Chris Connolly, Aaron Schoenberg, and Suzan Gordon are avid hikers and leaders of the Adirondack Mountain Club Ramapo Chapter. Their presentation, “The Joys of Hiking” features an in-depth discussion about how to get started in hiking and the trails in the lower Hudson valley and northern New Jersey areas. They will describe hiking trails in such parks as Sterling Forest Park, Harriman Park, Bear Mountain Park, Black Rock Forest, and the Ramapo Preserve. They will bring along their hiking equipment to show and discuss the ins and outs of back packs, hiking boots, hiking poles, ice crampons, snow shoes and appropriate outdoor clothing.

The presentation will cover details about a typical hike, how hikes are rated in terms of length and difficulty, what to bring along and how to use New York-New Jersey Trail Conference hiking maps. They will discuss the use of GPS devices to locate your position and how to relate these coordinates to the trail maps. The discussion will highlight the beauty of the woods and the tranquility that day hiking offers to those of us who lead busy lives.

The presentation will also include a photo show of some of the beautiful mountain peaks in the area, the rivers and valleys and views from all four seasons of hiking. Following the presentation, there will be a question and answer session. Overall, this will be a lively, interesting topic to get you thinking about spring hiking and enjoying the wonderful woods that surround our area.

2009 Presentation Schedule:

Monday, April 6, 7 PM Suffern Public Library
 
Thursday, April 16, 7 PM Ramsey Public Library
 
Tuesday, June 2, 7 PM Middletown Thrall Library
 
Tuesday, June 9, 7 PM Paramus Public Library
 
Tuesday, June 23, 7 PM Washingtonville Public Library