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| Hiking | 3.68 Miles |
349 AEG |
| | Hiking | 3.68 Miles | 4 Hrs 2 Mns | | 1.65 mph |
| 349 ft AEG | 1 Hour 48 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | I hiked the Teatown Lake area, up north of New York in Westchester, as my latest local adventure. Local, of course, as both my wife and I continue, out of prudence, our voluntary self-imposed no-fly, no-travel restriction. Teatown Lake and surrounding area then just represents the latest find from our ongoing scan of satellite maps and trail guides for local scenic delights.
My trip to Teatown started early, pre-dawn, with a plan to hike to the opposite side of the lake to watch (and photo) a sunrise over the water. Nice plan. The weather didn’t get the memo. Essentially complete overcast. But no mind. The weather did deliver absolutely calm conditions, creating an unrippled lake surface allowing magnificent reflections. Mirrorlike, stunning. And the trails around the lake bordered the water for the entire length, offering a continuous set of idyllic views. And even though I was visiting in late autumn and thus few leaves remained, the forest and lake still provided visual gems, featuring pleasant, subtle blends of brown, orange, gray and tan hues in rustic combinations.
As an added feature, a good number of trees on the lake shore had fallen into the water, with their shapes accentuated and reproduced in the lake surface. Quite dramatic. Not many rocks or boulders, but those that existed offered a contrast, especially a blue-toned set at the end of a walkway on the south side (see a picture in the photo set)
Teatown Lake provides the main attraction. Two other smaller lakes sit nearby. Same rustic hues, similar calm, reflective lake surface. And still quiet. Even as dawn progressed to early morning, no crowds, in fact essentially no one. So a refreshing hike in the quiet. The terrain itself presented no difficulties; the trails do not attempt to challenge, rather just traverse the forest. Maybe a couple hundred feet of elevation change. Some care is needed not to be walking and looking out at the lakes, as the roots of the trees in the ample forest have pushed roots across the trails all around. One could catch a foot and fall into the lake if one is excessively cavalier.
The sun did break for a bit, highlighting the colors to a bit more brilliance. But the sun at its low angle didn’t make the temperature uncomfortable, and the air remained moderate and cool. The sun did in the end bring out the crowds, around 10 am, so when I finished I found the parking lot, empty on my arrival in the dark, now full and overflowing. Nothing wrong there. It was a Saturday, and many might like to sleep in, or wake to a leisurely breakfast, and stroll out unhurriedly in mid-morning for a nice walk. I like the dawn or earlier, even to strap on a headlamp, and greet the day as it breaks from night to light, in the quiet of nature. |
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