Another Barefoot Adventure in the Catskills

September 27, 2015December 1, 2015 Barefoot KenAvenza PDF maps, Long path, LUNA sandals, Plateau Mountain, Rusk Mountain, Trail Conference Map App, West Kill Mountain2 Comments

Behind me the sky had colored with the rising sun, while to the front the southern escarpment of the Catskill Mountains was silhouetted in mauve and cerise.

Odie and I were headed north for a minimalist adventure, the objective to climb three mountains, of which one would be a bushwhack. The protocol for me would be climbing barefoot and descending in LUNA sandals; Odie is always barefoot. Emboldened by slow but successful ascents of Peekamoose, Hunter, and Southwest Hunter, I had developed the peculiar ambition to climb all 35 peaks in the Catskills barefoot, and today’s activities would hopefully get me to number 6.

To make this expedition appropriately minimalist, I was carrying a small safety kit, but no food or water.

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SRT 2015 — Race Director’s Report

September 25, 2015October 2, 2016 Barefoot KenHigh Point State Park, Minimalist Format, Minnewaska State Park Preserve, Mohonk Preserve, New Jersey Search and Rescue, NY NJ Trail Conference, Rosendale, Sam's Point Search and Rescue, Shawangunk Ridge Trail, SRT, Wurtsboro5 Comments

The 2nd edition of the SRT Run/Hike took place along the Shawangunk Ridge Trail (SRT) in New York’s Hudson Valley commencing Friday, September 18 at 6:35 PM and ending Saturday September 19, 2015 at 11:30 PM. The event attracted participants from New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Missouri, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, and California. 82 racers started out in four divisions ranging from 20 to 74 miles, ready to experience the beauty, ruggedness, and diversity of the Shawangunk Mountains. 73 made it to the finish line for an overall completion rate of 89%. A new record of 22 hours 2 minutes was set for the full 74-mile SRT. There were no reported injuries.

For the organizers, the event started many months ago. For 2015 we changed the format, increasing the number of divisions from three to four and holding them all on the same day. We also moved the last five miles of the course off paved roads and onto an unmaintained trail in the Mohonk Preserve. We spent the months leading up to the event obtaining six different permits, developing detailed safety plans, recruiting volunteers, and hoping people would sign up for an event that provides adventure but not support.

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Peekamoose Mountain — Barefoot

September 7, 2015September 3, 2016 Barefoot KenHobblebush, Odie, Peekamoose, Peekamoose Blue Hole, Rondout Creek, Shining club moss5 Comments

Emboldened by success climbing to the Piz Boe Alpine Lodge barefoot, I resolved to tackle a mountain in the Catskills, despite the notoriously steep, rugged terrain and rocky trails. Hesitant to take on this adventure alone, I recruited another barefoot runner to join me, namely Odie the Labradoodle.

Our destination would be the summit of Peekamoose Mountain, a 3,843-foot peak, which stands like a sentinel along the Catskills’ southern ramparts. We left bright and early, having heard stories of congestion in the area. One of America’s “best swimming holes” is situated on the Rondout Creek, whose source lies on the mountain’s shoulder. This was once a local secret, but the word’s gotten out, and now on nice weekends crowds of visitors converge on the narrow road that leads to the Peekamoose trailhead.

We arrived around 8:30 AM and secured a parking spot, just a few seconds ahead of three carloads of visitors who were evidently bound for the swimming hole. We didn’t hang around, but immediately headed up the steep trail, stepping over a couple bags of trash that hadn’t made it into a dumpster stationed nearby. But after a few yards, all signs of civilization were left behind.

And now it was time for the sandals to come off — and for me to discover whether climbing a rocky mountain trail barefoot was really such a great idea.

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Lost in the Elfin Woodlands

September 6, 2015December 1, 2015 Barefoot KenAvenza Map App, Boiling Lake, Cloud Forest, Dominica, Elfin Woodlands, Morne Diablotins, Morne Trois Pitons National Park, SPOT GPS Messenger, SUUNTO4 Comments

This post describes a hiking adventure on Dominica from December 2014. Dominica was recently hit by tropical storm Erika, resulting in significant damage and loss of life. If you’d like to contribute to recovery efforts, please click here:

“Where’s your guide!”

I looked about sheepishly. The tourist book has strongly encouraged hiring a guide, but we did not have one.

“If you get lost in the woods,” the man continued, his face accusatory, “you’ll be in deep trouble.”

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Running in the Dolomites — Piz da Lech

August 28, 2015December 1, 2015 Barefoot KenAlps, Dolomites, Franz Kostner Hut, Leche Boe, Piz Boe, Piz Boe Alpine Lodge, Piz da Lech1 Comment

On the second day of our trip to the Italian Dolomites, I decided to head off in a different direction and see how far I could make it toward Piz Boe, at 3,152 meters (10,341 feet), one of the tallest peaks in the region.

20150823_051416 — A very steep slope leads up to the Piz Boe Alpine Lodge. Town of Corvara visible 2,100 feet below on the left.

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The Path to Piz Boe Alpine Lounge – Barefoot

August 25, 2015December 7, 2015 Barefoot Kenbarefoot, Corvara, Dolomites, heel strike, LUNA sandals, Piz Boe2 Comments

The last morning of our stay in Corvara (in Italy’s Dolomite Alps), I had time for a short adventure, 2-3 hours max, before we’d need to pack and leave for the long trip home.

I decided to climb up and then run down the 2,100-foot slope from town to the Piz Boe Alpine Lounge and ski lift, which I had enjoyed two days ago, but with a twist: I’d hike up barefoot, and run down in LUNA sandals.

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Running in the Dolomites – Col di Seif

August 24, 2015December 7, 2015 Barefoot Kencol alt, col di lana, col di seif, Corvara, Dolomites, sassongher1 Comment

I had been to the Swiss Alps once before, as a child during a family vacation, but that was almost 40 years ago. This summer it was finally time to repeat the experience, and together with wife and son, we headed to the Dolomites of northern Italy.

20150822_110154 — Sassongher Mountain overshadows the small town of Corvara in Italy’s Dolomites

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Race Report: I’ll never be your Beast of Burden

August 16, 2015December 7, 2015 Barefoot Ken100-mile Ultramarathon, Beast of Burden, Erie Canal, Piriformis, Rolling Stones, SWCC, Team Red White and Blue3 Comments

I didn’t feel quite right warming up, and by mile 35, I was really struggling.

But as I pulled into Lockport, New York, I didn’t know this was going to happen. I was here to take on Beast of Burden, a 100-mile race held along a section of the Erie Canal a few miles east of Buffalo and Niagara Falls. The event is held twice per year, and in January, I had finished in 19 hours 23 minutes, setting a personal record for the distance and placing third overall. Now here it was in August, a time of year that could be hot and humid, but the forecast was calling for temperatures in the 70s with a light cloud cover. In other words, perfect conditions. I was in an optimistic state of mind and looking to run the race even faster than before.

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A Catskills Afternoon, Complete with Flies, Thorns, Stinging Nettles, and Gunfire

August 15, 2015December 7, 2015 Barefoot KenAnti-Rent, Balsam Mountain, Bearpen, Calico Indians, John Burroughs, Map App, Osman Steele, Shandaken Tunnel, vly, Walter Scudder, West Kill1 Comment

As I dragged myself out of bed, the main topic on my mind was breakfast — not another bushwhacking adventure in the Catskills.

The day before, my friend Todd Jennings and I had put on the inaugural Ellenville Mountain Running Festival. Organizing the race and ensuring everything went smoothly had taken a lot of effort. That night I went to bed tired and didn’t bother to set the alarm. But once I was finally awake and suitably nourished, there were no other pressing tasks at hand, and in due course I found myself motoring down the Thruway in search of Bearpen Mountain.

Todd and I had designed the Ellenville Mountain Running Festival as a “minimalist format” event, meaning that the course wasn’t marked and runners had to carry maps. Many of the racers missed turns and ran extra miles, and a small number gave up and returned to the start. It was only fitting, therefore, that on the way to Bearpen I would get lost. And this despite having both Google Maps and NY-NJ Trail Conference maps on my phone. It was high noon before I pulled into the parking area, almost two hours later than expected. As they say, Karma’s a bitch.

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Ellenville Mountain Running Festival — Race Director’s Report

August 7, 2015July 26, 2017 Barefoot KenAroma Thyme Bistro, Ellenville Fire District, Ellenville Mountain Running Festival, Fell Running, Goosetown Communications, Gunks Greenway, High Point, Minnewaska State Park Preserve, NY NJ Trail Conference, Open Space Institute, Sam's Point Preserve, Sam's Point Search and Rescue, Shoprite, Stony Kill, Ulster County Sheriff's Office, volunteers3 Comments

(Please note, the format for the 2017 event is different from the 2015 event as reported here)

What was remarkable: for all the challenges of racing through the mountains unsupported, there was a 95% completion rate. That speaks volumes about the runners’ skills and attitude.

Ellenville Mountain Running Festival was conceived as an event that would introduce runners to some of the most beautiful but less-used sections of Minnewaska State Park Preserve and Sam’s Point Preserve, which together comprise the largest preserved parcel in New York’s Shawangunk Mountains.

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The Long Brown Path

Peak-bagging, running, barefooting, exploring, and other minimalist adventures in nature

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