Ides of March Hike: Tarrytown to Van Cortlandt Park

This past Sunday, I went on a group hike from Tarrytown, NY to Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. The hike more or less followed a segment of the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail.

It wound up being 18.5 miles (the hike leader had initially estimated 16).

It also should have been scheduled a month from now. The trail was in terrible condition - a sludgy mix of snow, ice, and mud that the hike leader hadn't anticipated (at least not to that extent). And I wore boots that were only casually waterproof; they'd keep your feet dry on a walk home from work in the snow, but not on a messy trail for miles, so my feet got soaked early on.

Had I wanted to (and it was very tempting!), I could have dropped off at a few points before the end. We passed through towns with Metro North train stations that can take you back to NYC. But every time I got to one of those towns, I thought, "I've come this far… so…" And admittedly, had I known the hike would be 2.5 miles longer with the same kind of nasty trail conditions to almost the very end, I maybe would have bailed out at the last drop-off (which was around mile 11). Ignorance can help courage along.

Week in Seven Words #240

clatter
A sculpture park pockmarked with construction - few differences between the art displayed and the machinery making room for new installations.

distances
Her long-legged stride represents how she's made her way through life.

huddling
Clouds roll in over the river. On the rocks, a sea gull, a soda can, and a bundle of clothes that may have someone in them.

oscillate
The conversation fans out to West Africa, Korean soap opera stars, karaoke, and the way people lock their thoughts into binaries during arguments - two solutions to every problem, two possible opinions in complete opposition.

smudges
Pigeons hold court in the shadows of the bridge.

stock
He barrels out of the convenience store with a shopping cart full of cupcakes and beer. No partying in half-measures.

twinging
Walking a long distance outdoors, especially on uneven ground, gets at muscles that remain dormant during a gym routine.

Fail better

"Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett

A site that lays out the spectacular failures of successful people.

And for reasons unclear to me, I think this piece fits - there's something wistful and regretful about it, but at the same time it's clear and beautiful, and becomes light-hearted sometimes.


The Finale of Haydn's Sonata No. 53 in E minor.