If you walk so many Columbia County Conservation Areas, you can win a prize. There are ten conservation areas in the county in New York. You must complete at least five. However, Abby Girl is competitive and we had to do all ten. In fact, we did all ten in one weekend. Seven in one afternoon. We added an extra level to the challenge. Each place, we had to walk at least a mile and experience something. There had to be a takeaway. So instead of a High Five Challenge, it was the Super Duper High Five Challenge for us.

FRIDAY and the start of the Conservation areas …

Friday was hot. But, we wanted to get in a decent hike. So the dog, Abby Girl, and mom, piled in the car and headed to our first stop.

Overmountain

This area consists of three different areas to pick from. We had already completed Round Ball earlier in the season. So this time we tackled Kite Hill. Besides being super hot, I also had novocaine face which you can see in the video. Kind of hilarious. We made a giant loop starting straight at the kiosk up the field hill to another awesome view. Then hiked and hiked and hiked. Some parts were wooded.

Eventually, it became all wooded and the trails became more moderate. Some even were slightly overgrown and narrow. A lot of up and down meandering through the woods. On the road, our Alltrails Map told us to go to the other side of the road and complete that hill. However, the dog was dragging, so we just followed the road up to an access road on the right and then made a left finding our car. So there is a way to make the loop shorter!

Takeaway- listen to everyone around you including the dog and their needs. Sometimes it’s alright to cut the trip shorter than planned.

NOVACAIN, HEAT AND CHUBBY DOGGY VIDEO (the Friday and Sunday Hikes)

 

SATURDAY! The Big Push at Conservation areas-

High Falls

We hiked to the right and then slid down a steep offshoot connecting trail. Then followed the path along the river until it deadends at the falls. The falls are beautiful even though they were fairly dry from lack of rain this season and time of year. We then retraced our steps back to the car.

Takeaway-Take the upper trail next time for a really good view of the falls from high up.

Siegel Kline-Kill

Another field and forest walk. We went left and eventually up a hill to the “summit.” We took in some nice views before walking down the hill and following the loop. It dodged into the woods where we ran into a family who also had an Abby. Then following the loop until we made it back to the car. Besides the one hill, very flat for walking.

Takeaway- There are other Abby’s but only one Abby Girl? No seriously. The takeaway here was learning about the area and we stopped and had some lessons with the leaves. 

Borden’s Pond

We took the Green Trail to the Red Trail. Though it’s called Borden’s Pond, there is no actual pond. The red trail is moderate and has a good incline and decline. Mostly a walk through the woods and some wetlands. 

Takeaway-Once the trees are bare, there will be a super nice view of the Catskills from the top of the red trail

Hand Hollow

Another swampy area that also traverses through the woods. We took the trail to the left until we found the story walk. Then completed the loop through the woods (twice because we went backward the first time.) Then walked back to our car. The swamp was really dry. 

Takeaway- This was our first story walk ever. It really engages the children and makes the hike that extra something special. 

What is the story walk?

Story Walk is a seasonal activity that takes part at many of the conservation areas in Columbia County. They pick awesome books that keep children engaged. As you walk a path, pages of a book are presented one by one along the side of the trail. Just don’t go backward as we did twice! They are now taking suggestions for stories for the next summer season!

Ooms

Ooms is the favorite one to say. I kind of feel like I’m meditating. Oom. Oom. We parked where GPS dumped us at a small lot on the side of the road. If this lot is full, there are a couple more small lots down the road. We followed the trail around the pond. It then takes you up through the fields and to a cool structure to take a rest.

Afterward, we proceeded along the ridge to the left and took in some absolutely amazing views. Then just kept following the trail back to our car where we started.

Take Away- The views. The amazing views. Take a moment to just take it all in. Another takeaway is we learned all about the pond and how they keep all the life in the pond healthy thanks to educational signs at the edge of the trail. 

Schor

Home of John’s Pond.  We walked down the trail and then made a loop around the pond. The pond is really nice and so is the swing by the pond. We heard there is a summit here too. However, that’s for another day. We cannot do all the trails in one weekend. Need to save some for another day.

Takeaway-Use common sense when hiking. We were about to lose our daylight. When a couple of hikers suggested we go to the summit, Abby Girl told them it would be dark soon and that was not a good idea. Props to an almost five-year-old for having more sense than the grownups!

THE BIG SEVEN VIDEO!

Harris

This was our final stop on Saturday. You are not supposed to hike after dusk at these locations and by the time we appeared from the woods, it was dusk. It’s an all woods walk. There is a small pond. I can’t even explain which trails we used. It’s a blur because we hiked fast after a weird experience here. We also are both known for barefoot hiking and just our luck was barefoot for this one. I got to a spot in the woods where there was a group of trees to my right off in the distance. I saw a big hairy creature walk strides from tree to tree and disappear. My child decided to add to the scary factor by telling repeatedly that she was seeing Big Foot.

At the end of our hike, she had some loud words for what we saw, and then banging on the trees started. It was probably just a bear, right? We had our bear bells on too which are super annoying. I was told later that if a bear is sickly, it can look almost human in form from a distance.

Take away-Always be prepared. We had a headlamp which was a comfort as it was getting dark. However, you should have backup methods in case the battery goes out on your lamp. Flint and steel wool are good to have on hand too. Always, make sure you let people know where you are hiking and a rough ETA.

Sunday and the final two-

Greenport-

Mostly fields with some woods the way we went. There is a cute story walk here too. Mostly flat with some hills. We took the main trail to the kiosk and veered off to the right. Eventually, we came to an offshoot trail to the left. We followed that down and turned left at the bottom. Then turned right up the hill and retraced our steps back to the car. Lots of wildflowers. It’s a very peaceful place. Parking was tight. 

Takeaway- Should have walked straight from the kiosk to the bottom and then gone right so you can do the story walk. We went backward.

 Drowned Land’s Swamp

We hiked the trail to the left to start. There is a story walk to keep the kids entertained. Fairly flat walking. There are a couple of offshoot trails that you can take to a summit. However, the chubby puppy only made it halfway. We also found a lovely spot for a homeschool lesson because Abby likes to hike with about ten pounds of books.

Takeaway-Sometimes you don’t always make it to your goal (AKA the summit)

Final Thoughts-

Once you complete five or ten locations, fill out the form on the website for your nifty prize. Mom will be busy sewing patches on Abby’s pack in the very near future. Altogether, we clocked in at about fourteen miles for all the trails averaging a mile for each spot with some obviously being longer. GPS is spotty and therefore, sometimes the GPS glitched. It could have been longer. The best way to gauge true mileage is by looking at how long each trail is on the map at the kiosk.

HEY WANT SOME TIPS ON HIKING IN FALL?