North-South Lake Hike - Newman's Ledge and the Catskill Mountain House Site

It was the last day of the Catskills getaway and I had one more hike in mind before packing up the Tiny Home and the dogs to tour through a few Hudson Valley towns before heading home.  This particular hike was close to where we were staying, featured a pretty lake, scenic views of the Hudson Valley and history on one of the Northeast's many Mountain Houses.  

Saturday was an easy hike at Kaaterskill Falls and the plan for Sunday was to be up early, pack the car and head to North-South Lake campground (about 25-minutes away) in Haines Falls, New York.  While both of our dogs are up to date on all their shots, I had read that proof of rabies (written proof, like the actual form, the tag is not good enough) was required and I forgot to mention this important detail to Adam.  However, it was early March and the campground was closed so I was really banking on sneaking through, sans paperwork.  And yes, we did. 

Kaaterskill Falls (winter) Hike - Catskills, New York

It was a crisp Saturday morning in South Cairo, New York at the Tiny House Resort.  As I opened the shade of "The Mocha" with a full day open for hiking and adventures in the Catskills, I saw a fresh coating of snow covering the ground.  Just an inch or two down at the resort but I knew the mountains would have a thicker coating of snow at higher elevations. So early Saturday morning after making coffee and walking around the resort with the dogs, we packed our bags for a morning hike.  I wasn't sure how much snow there was in the mountains so I decided an easy trip up to one of New York's most famous waterfalls would be the perfect way to start the weekend.

Frozen blue ice at the base of the falls

Kaaterskill Falls is one of the Catskills most famous and frequented destinations.  It is just a mile(ish) hike off of Route 23A making it an easy trip to one of the highest waterfalls in New York.  A three-mile hike will take you from the parking lot, to the base of the falls, up to a viewing platform above the falls and back.  A trek to this two-stage waterfall which cascades 260 feet is referred to as one of America's "oldest tourist attractions" and standing at the base of the falls or on the platform above it's easy to see why. 

A Tiny House Resort - Catskills, New York

Life is really simple but we insist on making it complicated.  

Isn't that the truth?  

I am always reminding myself of the beauty of simplicity, of being happy with less, of clearing the clutter and keeping things simple.  You know the old adage, less is more.  Well, this wanderer fully believes in that philosophy.

Spring is starting to slowly show up here in New England and with the longer days and melting snow, I was staring at my hiking boots with that lusty longing look that hikers get as the winter starts to fade.  I had a taste of the Catskills when Rob and I hiked Overlook Mountain and stopped at a few breweries, drinking our way back home.  I don't know if it was the perfect summer day, the good company or the abundance of beer but I left smitten with this new-to-me part of New York and vowed to be back soon.  

Ski Colorado - Beaver Creek and Vail

I'd like to say that the next few blog posts will be a rave review of all the different ski resorts in Colorado.  The original loosely formed plan was to ski the Epic Resorts (Beaver Creek, Vail and Breckenridge) maybe sprinkle in a little Copper Mountain or ski a bit of A-Basin.  

But the truth?  

The truth is 2 hours into day 2 while making my way to the lift a few hundred feet away I somehow twisted a ski and went full yard sale (poles, skis, gone, tumble, dive).  Like collecting my shit and spent some serious time digging myself out of a snow bank while people watched with a sharp pain in my right leg thinking "what hurts - what did I damage",  it was that kind of yard sale.   So a "ski all the resorts trip" turned into 1.5 days of skiing, a whole lot more reading, a good amount of drinking at the base lodge, and a hefty dose of relaxing.  Of course I was bummed about the lack of skiing, a little down-in-the-(ski)dumps about the season pass I paid for and would not be able to use for the rest of the trip.  But I reminded myself of a few things:  

        I am in beautiful Colorado

        I could use a slow relaxing trip

        Damn did I miss and love these mountain views, and most importantly

        The point was to spend some much needed time with gal pals - on or off the mountain.  

I kept reminding myself of that silly romantic quote "we were together, I forgot the rest".  A little different when you are with two girls in Colorado but - you get my drift. 

Girls Go Colorado - Why We Loved Frisco, Colorado

As time goes by and the years roll on, it can be harder and harder to get together.  Weddings and babies, careers and hobbies... these ongoing life events start to demand more of our time, money, and energy.  With all of these commitments, it can be hard to devout some quality time to the people who have loved and supported you along the way.  It isn't as easy to plan a getaway with the girls, to go on that ski trip or to visit those cool cities.  However, you have probably heard me preach that friendships are like any other relationship and they require commitment, time and attention.  And don't even get me started on the importance of quality friendships in your life.  So after a strange and stressful year reorganizing my life and relationships, I was happy and eager to invest more of my time with the people I owe a lot of my happiness to.   When Liz (a childhood and constant best friend and important person in my life) suggested a girl's ski trip to Colorado, I responded with an instant and no second thought "Hell Fucking Yes".