New York - A Walk on the Wild Side: Detlef Palm

There was this sudden buzz. Like a thousand crickets prompted by an invisible conductor. I stopped and scanned the thicket. Nothing. Turning my gaze to the ground, I saw him. Twenty centimeters from my left ankle, the rattlesnake sat curled up, neck leaning back, rattling and ready to strike.

New York Wilderness

Most colleagues associate New York with skyscrapers, crowded subways, overpriced apartments, streets full of neurotic nerds and endless meetings about nothing. They experience city stress and urban overload; even if they don't work for a UN bureaucracy, they are 20 percent more likely to suffer from anxiety and 40 percent more likely to suffer from mood disorders than their small town buddies.

However, New York offers the perfect antidote. The Adirondack Park is the largest publicly protected area in the contiguous United States. It is the largest National Historic Landmark in the USA, covering an area larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, and the Great Smokies National Parks combined. 

For a taste of the wild, you don't have to travel as far as the Adirondacks. The wilderness starts right in the backyard of New York City. The encounter with our first rattlesnake occurred in Ringwood State Park, near the New Jersey-New York border, about 30 miles from Manhattan.

Rattlesnakes

I removed my foot and called Gabi so she could admire the beast before it would disappear into the woods. Three minutes later, it was gone. 

The Timber Rattlesnake (crotalus horridus) has a very toxic bite. It is one of North America's most dangerous snakes, due to its long fangs, impressive size, and high venom yield. This is offset to some extent by its relatively mild disposition - though I wasn't quite sure about its temper when it started rattling. Timber Rattlesnakes are protected - you are not allowed to collect and keep them in your living room - and are said to be rarely seen.

Tongue Mountain at Lake George in Upstate New York is an area where a sighting of a rattlesnake is almost guaranteed. We went there and - sure enough - found this fellow:

You can see the rattle at the end of its tail on the left 

(click or tap on any picture to enlarge).

Primeval broth with proper snake food.

Lake George, seen from Tongue Mountain. Lake George is a popular destination for New Yorkers.

Seasons

We spent eight years in New York, and enjoyed the outdoors in all seasons. We liked autumn best.

The 'Gunks' (short for  Shawangunk Mountains) are famous among rock climbers. Some UNICEF retirees may reminiscence about 'Mohonk'; I definitely recommend to explore the environs, as we did in the  photo above.

When the crowds are gone, the foliage changes colour.

Indian Summer in Upstate New York

Pharaoh Lake Wilderness

The Pharaoh Lake Wilderness is no secret any more. The secret is, when to go. The lakes can only be reached on foot. It is worth bringing some gear for staying a night or two.

Pharaoh Lake Wilderness seen from Pharaoh Mountain

During week days, the lakes are perfect for a quiet outing.

Bring your own accomodation

Swimming with the snakes.

A visit at the campsite, from a curious but harmless Northern Water Snake.

The Great Range

The Adirondack Mountains are renowned for their rugged hiking trails and ultimate outdoor experience. We made a point to spend time in the Adirondacks at least once every year.

Toby in the Adirondacks

Early morning at Lake Colden

At the end of our Tour of Duty in New York, Gabi and I treated ourselves to a hike across the Great Range, seen above from its highest summit. According to the guidebook of the Adirondack Mountain Club, this trail is "perhaps the most spectacular of any in the Adirondacks". Variations are possible, but we can confirm: it is an epic four-day backpacking trip. 

Into the Wild

We took a tent, but also made use of the so-called Adirondack lean-tos. The Adirondack shelters are three-sided log structures, open on one side. 

The Adirondacks are bear-country. Hikers must carry bear-canisters, which can be rented. Before bedding down in your sleeping bag, you stuff all food, toothpaste and trash into the canister. The locked canister is placed 30 meters away from the shelter or tent. A hungry bear may thus amuse himself with the canister, instead of harassing any hiker. It worked!

The trails are rough in the Adirondacks

Mud on the boots

The weather in fall adds to the experience

In Europe, guidebooks rate the difficulty of a trail based on numbers. In the USA,  a hike tends to be more subjectively described as: "awesome", "crazy steep", "very hard with a backpack", "intense", "mad scramble" or "hopefully you have some help". Gabi on a slightly awesome scramble, without much help.

A kind soul has placed a ladder

We did not have much sun. It didn't matter.

Breathtaking wilderness

Back from the wild: Manhattan, with the George Washington Bridge spanning the Hudson River. 

*****

Other photo-stories by Detlef:

• Lunae Montes - a journey to the source of the Nile, in 1980
• Operation Lifeline Sudan, the first years in pictures
• The Somalia Experience
• Into the Midnight Sun (Journey to the North Cape)
• The Door to Hell and the Path to Health (Turkmenistan)
• Magic South (Southern Africa)
• Azhdahak (from Germany to Armenia, by road)
• Top of Mexico
• At the edge of the bog - where we live
• Rudaki, a Wedding and Proto-Urban Sarazm (Tajikistan)

Detlef can be contacted via detlefpalm55@gmail.com .