The weather heating up here in New York signals that spring is officially here and along with it, hiking season. There’s no more perfect hike setting than a warm day, surrounded by fellow hikers, plantlife in bloom and vast scenic outlooks as far as the eye can see.

That being said, there’s something unique about hiking the winter that can be just as enjoyable. There’s a bit more prep work that needs to go in to a trek in the coldest months, as the elements are a bigger factor in winter, but the calming peace that can be found on the trails as some of the only explorers braving the cold is a completely unique experience that the warmer months simply can’t provide.

Such was the experience I had with my friends Caleb and Julia in December 2016. I was set to begin my first full-time job once the calendar flipped to the new year, a new uncertainty that brought with it a lot of question marks and nerves. That, paired along with all the reflection that comes with the start of a new year, made me in desperate need for a day to just clear my head. And what better place to do that than scaling a giant mountain in the dead of winter with a pair of your closest friends?

Spanning across three towns, Schunemunk has the distinction of the highest mountain in Orange County, a fact the three of us became awfully familiar with awfully quickly. The number of times we had thought we had reached the summit only to inexplicably find ourselves continuing to climb higher and higher quickly became a joke that led us questioning just how many peaks we would reach before finally getting to the apex.

Despite the questioning of if there actually was an end in sight to this journey and navigating patches of snow and ice throughout, the climb was surrounded by vast sightlines in every direction. Looking out one way gave view to the Hudson River and Storm King Mountain, while turning around oriented you towards Bear Mountain. Eventually we arrived at what we probably deemed the seventh or eighth summit of the day, the perfect time to break out a celebratory Gummi Worm snack and a panorama shot.

 

The most unique part of the Schunemunk experience is just how many different types of treks blend into one. Yes, the giant neverending mountain is the focal point and rightfully so, but before you can even begin climbing the first of the multiple, multiple summits, you have to cross through a vast field upon leaving the parking area:

I’ve seen photos of this area when everything is in bloom (some of which can of course be seen over at Hike the Hudson Valley) that have made we want to revisit in the warmer seasons, but the three of us walking through the field as seemingly the only people around was quite the surreal feeling.

After navigating the field, there’s a set of train tracks you have to cross in order to continue the journey:

I’m not entirely sure why, but this “landmark” was my favorite part of the hike, so much so that I still use a photo I took of the tracks as my phone’s lock screen more than two years later. Perhaps it was the Stand By Me vibes that added to the journey of three friends out exploring, minus the whole dodging-an-oncoming-train part. Perhaps it was the unique feeling of being so close to train tracks without being on a platform waiting for one to arrive. Or perhaps it was the fact that in a period of uncertainty and unfamiliarity in my life that it gave my the opportunity to make the wise yet punny observation that I was starting to get my life on track.

The parking area for the Schunemunk Mountain trailhead can be found off of Taylor Road in New Windsor, New York. Once again, I heavily recommend Hike the Hudson Valley’s trailguide for navigating the mountain and for a different visual perspective of the hike in a warmer season.