Try everything once. You never know– You might like it!

I think I’m addicted.

To hiking, that is. After just one taste, I want more.

The view from a lower summit on Jay Mountain Photo: Elizabeth Piseczny

Last weekend, joined by Shaun Kittle and Emma Vance, I hiked up a mountain for the first time. And despite a day of soreness afterward, the experience was well worth the effort. Since Emma and I had never gone hiking before, we weren’t sure what to expect, but the feeling of achievement, combined with just… amazement at the beautiful view, was such a reward.

We set off at 10 A.M. and drove about 45 minutes to Jay, New York, where we hiked a trail on Jay Mountain, to a lower summit on the mountain. While others may have chosen to hike another mile and a half to the actual summit, we were content with just viewing it from afar.

Shaun advised us to wear durable sneakers or hiking boots, sweat-wicking clothes (or at least not 100% cotton, he recommended), and to bring a long-sleeve shirt or windbreaker, a couple of liters of water, food, and a backpack to carry everything in. After the experience, I also recommend bug spray, sun block and, if you‘re like me and want to know what everything is, a guidebook about plants and animals in the area. Luckily, with an experienced hiker with us, Emma and I didn’t need to worry about anything else.

Shaun explains some characteristics of ferns to us. Photo: Elizabeth Piseczny

The hike up was a challenge, and I could feel my heart rate increase and my muscles burn as we tried to keep a steady pace. Along the way, we stopped and looked at a lot of things I’d never seen before, like Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora), different types of ferns, and several types of mushrooms, which caught my eye with their bright colors. The scenery was peaceful and beautiful, and we saw only a few other people while we were making our way. Besides being enjoyable just because of the environment, it was an educational experience, too.

There were several memorable moments, but one of my favorites was when we emerged from the trees only a few minutes from our destination. We stopped to rest and viewed what seemed like an extraordinary amount of dragonflies. They were everywhere, in colors of red, blue or yellow, but flew so quickly that I couldn’t catch a picture of them.

The people we met on our way, or while we stopped for lunch, were some of the friendliest people I have ever met. Possibly the best reward for all our hard work was discovering the delicious wild blueberries that covered the summit. I was surprised to find them there.

I really have only positive things to say about our experience. I can’t wait to see what I’ll find next time!