Way back in the spring, a younger couple stopped by our market stand one weekend. We got to chatting and they shared with us a couple of cool places near by to go hiking. I tucked them away in my brain for “someday I want to do that.” However, as nearly 5 months passed I kinda forgot the finer details…like how to get there. Last week Jason mentioned wanting to go for a hike. My clouded memory churned up a place nearby that the couple told us about…something like a left at the red barn, then another right then left…or was it the other way around? I couldn’t remember, but wanted to try to find this place. They mentioned something about rocks and a ledge. Welllll, we drove around looking for this place (that is about 20 minutes down the road from our house) for about an hour. Sigh. Little people wanted out of the car and how disappointing it would be if we didn’t get to go for a hike at all! One road we went down had a little farm at the end of it, and someone happened to be out riding their horse on the road. We stopped and asked if there were any hiking trails nearby. They led us in the right direction and eventually we would up at a trail head. Yay! At the start of the hike we didn’t have any set goals…other than to just go take a walk in the woods together. However, about 1/3 of the way into what turned out to be our hike, I sat down to take a nursing break. Some other folks were making their way down the mountain and we asked about the hike…how far, etc. They said, if you made it this far…keep going; the view is amazing. So, that fueled my fire. I wanted to see what was up there. Our kids are super hikers. They will just go and go and go. Of course Lake needs to be carried for some of a long hike (which reminds me that I should have the Ergo packed in the car for impromptu excursions like this one!), but over all it’s just one giant adventure for them. Up, up, up we went…and when we got to the top, I believe we found one of my new favorite~ist places nearby, definitely a place I want to go back to again and again. The place is called Jensen’s Ledges and it’s off the Bouchoux Trail, a part of the scenic Upper Delaware River Area. I’m thinking we may need to do all the hikes and get ourselves a National Park patch!
Breathtaking pictures! Thanks for sharing it with us.
Wow! Cool place! ♥
You live in such a beautiful place. I’m glad you were all able to get out and take it all in.
Gorgeous photos – especially love the ‘nursing in nature’ one! How lucky to live near a place of such beauty
S.
Lovely view and sculptures! I really enjoyed seeing the “gear” your family had on for their hike. It reminded me to go with the flow when my young people just want to get out and go.
Oh yes, kinda silly. My oldest forgot her jacket and it gets kinda cold once the sun goes down. Luckily there was an extra blanket in the van. And she found a pin to hold it together. Being prepared takes a whole new level with kids!
Lisa,
Gorgeous views, and that rock sculpture is very cool. It looks like the work of Andy Goldsworthy, and I wonder if it really is one of his, or maybe someone created it in his style. Check out the link below.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.textsandpretexts.com/bucket/egg.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.textsandpretexts.com/archives/2007/09/la_sentinelle.html&h=270&w=450&sz=35&tbnid=Imic7AIQj0ky3M:&tbnh=72&tbnw=120&zoom=1&usg=__1aGOpU8KOw_PQPRuNhvGM0SBPEU=&docid=HamC-5IizvnCiM&sa=X&ei=mDJrUPKtBuL00gGhs4CQBA&ved=0CCUQ9QEwAA&dur=144
Wow! That looks identical! Now I think I’m going to have to find out if it is one of Goldsworthy’s sculptures!
I think you’d really like his work. He uses natural materials in their environment, and his work is mostly all impermanent. It’s pretty cool. I love his stuff. Here’s a link to a great documentary about him and his work.
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/andy-goldsworthys-rivers-tides/
What gorgeous views…I hope you made it down before nightfall!
We barely did, but we did thank goodness. There was no lagging behind allowed that’s for sure. Luckily it was all downhill, but steep and rocky, which made for some (still) sore feet for me.