kb.hikes

12/08/2024

Obsessed with spotting these auroras 💕 and thankful for a brief window of no clouds last night!

I sat on the front porch with my daughter and we watched a portion of the sky turn bright pink. She didn’t get to see them last time I saw the aurora from my house, but was amazed to watch it last night. Of course, the image was more defined once viewed through the camera, but it was still awesome to see. Right after the aurora faded we also got to watch a few minutes of the perseid meteor shower until the clouds rolled back in.

05/08/2024

Echo Cliffs overlooking Piseco Lake is one of my absolute favorite Adirondack hikes. It’s so short and sweet, but has interesting rock formations, an amazing view of the lake and layers of mountains beyond.

29/07/2024

28/07/2024

27/07/2024

I’ve been taking some much needed time for myself lately, and have gone on two solo hikes. The time spent in the forest and on mountains has been refreshing. This hike was up Potash Mountain in Lake Luzerne. July weather has been surprisingly good, though hot. I feel like the past two Julys have just been nothing but rain, so I’ll take the hot sun this year. Of course, it was cloudy while I was hiking in this photo, and cleared up once I got back to the car 🤷‍♀️

I really liked Potash Mountain. The trailhead is at the Harris Preserve which eventually turns into land managed by NYSDEC. The very peak of the mountain is covered in trees but there is a nice big lookout area a little ways before the peak. If you look really closely you can see a tiny Firetower on the top of Hadley Mountain in the distance. A great little mountain with a good view for the effort put in.

09/07/2024

Remembering some adventures I had over the years with a good friend who passed away this weekend. He was the sweetest man who made everyone around him feel special. He was always there to help when things got tough. He was goofy, and understanding. He loved hiking despite complaining about his legs hurting the entire way, but would offer his last sip of water without a second thought. I will miss him dearly. 💔💔

21/04/2024

📍 Crane Mountain, ADKs

It was COLD out there today!! I was expecting a bit of sun and about 10 degrees warmer but it’s spring in the Adirondacks so nobody should be surprised at this result 😅 It was still worth the drive as this hike has been on my list for a bit. It was definitely very difficult as there was quite a bit of climbing action! There were also a few ladders to climb which was really fun 🤩 Thanks for picking this one today!!

Did you get outside this weekend??

07/01/2024

Hello, Snow, so nice of you to show up ❄️

Wonder how long it will last here in Upstate NY? 🤔

Let’s make some bets….

📸: 1/2/24 @ Leonard Hill State Forest which had a dusting of snow that day

05/01/2024

Happy Friday! What are you up to this weekend?

We have a potential winter storm hitting my area this weekend so staying in and reading will likely be my thing!

02/01/2024

2023 Recap Part 2, June-December

1: Stonybrook State Park
2: Franklinton Vlaie Wildlife Management Area
3:
4:
5: Raquette River
6: Mount Arab Fire Tower
7: Coney Mountain
8: The Windham Path
9: Indian Head
10: New York City

31/12/2023

Choosing my 10 most favorite adventures in 2023 was basically impossible so here are a few of my favorites through May. Next up, June-December

1: Kaaterskill Falls
2: Catskill Mountain House Overlook
3: Moreau Lake State Park
4: Chimney Bluffs State Park
5: Niagara Falls, Cave of the Winds Lookout
6: Whirlpool State Park
7: Weedon Island Preserve, Florida
8-10: Clearwater Beach, Florida

#2023

22/12/2023

First sunrise after the longest night ☀️

Kicking off my first day of vacation with a short little hike after almost 3 months of doing everything except hiking. It was great to get back out. Plus, gotta love sunrises this time of year because you don’t have to wake up at 3am to make it on time!

06/10/2023

📍 Rainbow Falls
📸 October 2, 2023

03/10/2023

Who’s heading out to the ADK for foliage hiking this week? I’ve always wanted to see Indian Head Mountain in the fall 🥰 🍁 Yes, this was today! It was beautiful, perfect, and magical ❤️

📍 Indian Head Mountain
📸 October 2, 2023

30/09/2023

Adirondack High Peak Region, October 5th, 2022…..can’t wait to go back soooooon! 🍁

23/09/2023

Happy 1st Day of Fall!! 🍁

*Foliage Disclaimer: photo taken Oct 6, 2022

15/09/2023

📍 Raquette River guided canoe excursion photo dump! Despite the rain we had a great time!

03/09/2023

Crowds and I don’t mix, so I’m avoiding the hiking trails on this gorgeous holiday weekend. Here’s a photo from last summer…I’ll be hanging out at home getting some sunshine in my garden!

21/08/2023

Happy Monday, friends! Anyone else still trying to wake up from the weekend? 🙋🏼‍♀️

21/07/2023

Forever impressed by the resilience of trees 🌳 ❤️

09/07/2023

Kayaking last weekend with the fam amid smoky skies

23/06/2023

This place was pretty cool 😎 Have you ever checked out Whirlpool State Park near Niagara Falls?

20/06/2023

Transitioning into summer mode ☀️

19/06/2023

Spending some time amongst the trees 🌳

This weekend my dad got out his tree rappelling gear and so we set out into the woods to learn the ropes and practice rappelling down the trees!

18/06/2023

When you convince your family to go hiking with you so you can get this awesome photo of your dad looking out at the waterfall ✨

26/05/2023

Forest Appreciation Friday: Mangroves - Florida's Coastal Defenders

🌊Florida's mangrove forests are a vital part of the state's ecosystem. They provide habitat for a variety of marine life, help to protect coastal communities from storms and erosion, and filter pollutants from the water.

🍃Mangroves are trees that can grow in saltwater. They have special adaptations that allow them to survive in these harsh conditions, such as salt-secreting glands and roots that can trap sediment. There are over 50 different varieties of mangrove species around the world. The most common native to Florida are the red mangrove, the black mangrove, and the white mangrove.

🐠Mangrove forests provide a home for a variety of marine life, including fish, shrimp, crabs, and birds. They also help to protect coastal communities from storms and erosion.

🌊 Mangrove roots help to break up waves and slow down the flow of water, which can help to prevent flooding and erosion.

🐚In addition, mangroves help to filter pollutants from the water. They can remove sediment, nutrients, and other pollutants from the water, which helps to improve water quality.

25/05/2023

I can’t begin to describe the incredible time I had exploring Florida last week. Florida doesn’t seem to get a lot of love here on social media, and honestly, before my trip, the word Florida tended to conjure images of theme parks, big box stores, chain restaurants, and trashy strip malls. Sorry, Florida, but of the many times I’ve traveled there, that is what I experienced.

However, my worldview has now opened up. This time I opted to be more intentional with my travels. My goal was to explore the outdoors and more natural aspects of The Sunshine State. I am so happy I did. The plant and animal biodiversity was incredible. The landscapes and habitats were so different and unique. It was a great reminder that there is beauty everywhere if you take the time to look for it.

Enjoy this small photo dump while I continue to go through all my photos, and stay tuned for some more posts about specific Florida experiences and locations to check out!

25/05/2023

📍Weedon Island Preserve
Weedon Island Preserve is located in St. Petersburg Florida along the western side of Tampa Bay. This 3100+ acre preserve is a coastal aquatic and upland ecosystem that is home to tons of native plants and animals, especially birds and fish. There is an educational center, fishing pier, tons of boardwalks and trails to explore, including large wooden lookout towers, and a boat launch area.

We explored the Tower Boardwalk Trail which loops just under a mile around in a mangrove forest and leads to a wooden observation tower that overlooks the Riviera Bay. The trail was super easy and flat, and the boardwalk made for easy hiking for our group. We kept the hike short, but there are miles upon miles of different trails to explore in this preserve.

Afterwards, we headed over to located right at the preserve, to rent kayaks to explore the mangrove tunnels from below in the water. This part was even more fun - kayaking through the tunnels was a really unique experience, and we had the opportunity to see a ton of fish! It was salt water, so no alligators, but we did see a couple of big things moving around in the water and wondered what they may be!

Have you ever kayaked through mangrove tunnels?

05/05/2023

It’s Forest Appreciation Friday! 🌳🌲

🌲Did you know that forests help to protect and provide habitat for wildlife?

🌳Forests provide food and shelter for wildlife. Trees, shrubs, and other plants provide food for animals, while the trees themselves provide shelter from predators and the elements.

🌳They also provide breeding and nesting sites for wildlife. Trees provide cavities for birds to nest in, while the dense understory of a forest provides cover for animals to give birth and raise their young.

🌲Third, forests provide corridors for wildlife to travel between different areas. Forests are connected by a network of trails and waterways that allow animals to move from one area to another. This is important because if animals can’t travel easily from place to place due to human built environments, they may not be able to meet their basic needs and they won’t survive!

28/04/2023

Happy Forest Appreciation Friday! 🌲🌳 I love forests so much that I decided to start building my own. I don’t have a fun fact today because I was busy planting over 200 trees in my yard this week. Only about a third of my property is currently wooded. It’s been my goal for the last couple of years to eventually reforest much of the grassy fields. I’m not sure how well it will work due to the rocky soil, but I am planting different types of trees and shrubs that will work in the soil, and that will hopefully start to positively affect wildlife and biodiversity. I fully expect this project to take several years to complete, but I hope that it will provide positive benefits in the future for years to come!