Taking newbies to the lighthouse

I've been to the Little Red Lighthouse many times, but K had never been. So we took a walk up there last weekend.

Hiking the Bridle Trail and "Hiker's Choice"

I went up to VCP yesterday to finish removing wineberry from my trail section* and also to get in one, let's say two, more trails in.

The Bridle Trail is a trail I've been on many times; a few years ago, we did quite a bit of work at the north end, removing mugwort and other invasives and planting trees. But it's another trail that I rarely walk the length of, particularly the lower section connecting to the Parade Ground.

Like it says on the tin, it's a wide, flat trail, suitable for horses. One of the neater features is this roadcut. However, if you're going to paint over graffiti, use paint that matches the rock. Otherwise, you might as well leave the graffiti.

The 21 in 21 Challenge also requires you to hike at least 1.4 miles of your choice of trail, so I decided to use yesterday's walk on the John Muir and my loop as my "hiker's choice."

* Yes, I realize you can't eradicate it in one season. Also, I'm working near the trail, and therefore possibly missing thickets elsewhere. But let's say that any wineberry visible from the trail has been pulled up, for now. 

Hiking John Kieran at VCP

Last weekend, I headed up to Van Cortlandt to take care of my trail section - finally getting to rooting out wineberry - I also tacked on the John Kieran Trail. At .8 miles, it's not long, and it is in a heavily trafficked section of the park, connecting the Putnam Trail and the Parade Ground. Sadly, the old birdwatching bridge over Tibbetts Brook was removed a few years back, and so the trail has a gap in it.

Two more trails at Van Cortlandt

I had to head up to Van Cortlandt Park for a walk-through of my trail section with folks from the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance, so I took the opportunity to cross off two more trails towards the challenge. 

I've walked the entire Old Croton Aqueduct, but I almost never walk the portion of it in the southeast corner of the park. In fact, I almost never enter that part of the park at all. It's a little neglected by others, too, as it needs some upkeep. The bright side of that is that it felt like visiting a whole new trail.

The northern sections I am much more familiar with. After the detour occasioned by Robert Moses, the Aqueduct begins to take on its characteristic feel, of a flat, very straight trail.

On my return journey, I detoured to do the Jerome Wetland Walk, a .3-mile interpretive trail.