On my first Saturday in Albany I decided to go and check out some local hikes! The All Trails app has been super helpful for me to find local outdoor hikes. Pictured above is from hiking around Peebles Island. Its a really nice trail and a little over 2 miles. I tried to find another place to hike, but unfortunately it started to get too dark and I had to turn around.
Father's Day was the next day and I couldn't imagine spending the day without my dad knowing he is only a little over 2 hours away! Early on Sunday morning, he took the train into Albany and we set out for a Father's Day hike at Plotter Kill Nature Preserve near Schenectady.
After hiking over 6 miles, we checked out a few breweries near by! Both of the breweries had board games and corn hole which was really fun. We came back to the apartment, cooked up dinner, and bought some ice cream to end the night!
The next day we went to Skyline Diner for breakfast. Then we went to the Corning City Preserve which is a nice park for running, walking, and biking along the river. They also have bikes you can rent and a trail to take you around most of the city! My dad and I decided to walk most of it and somewhere along the way we missed a turn, but we still enjoyed the little adventure.
A few days after that I decided to take a trip to Taconic State Park. It is about 45 minutes east of Albany and it looked like a great hike! For some reason the entire night before I was really worried about doing this hike. My dad and boyfriend said, "Just go, you've went by yourself so many times, you'll be fine!".
At the trail head, there was no one there. This has happened before, not to mention it was the middle of the week when everyone else is working. I set out on the trail with my hiking bag and listened to all the chipmunks running around, but for some reason I felt unsteady about being there.
About a quarter of a mile into the trail, there is this wonderful view. I kept on hiking after that and about a mile in I heard something a little louder than a chipmunk...and saw a big black thing running away about 5 feet in front of me.
Yes, a bear.
It stopped 20 feet away and we, the bear and I, stood there for awhile. I blinked a few times and kept thinking it wasn't real and how if this is where I die, all my friends and family would have said "I told you so!".
Eventually the bear ran away and I thankfully was able to call my dad. His response was, "Are you sure it was a bear?". While on the phone with him I noticed a large area of grass that was pushed down next to the trail and I said, "Well it looks like he was maybe a taking a nap here". I headed back to the truck and went to Cohoes Falls that is in a public area in hopes I wouldn't run into that issue again!
A few days later I took a little trip home since I had a few days off and was not ready to hike by myself again! It was great to spend a little time at home and do one of my favorite things, kayak with my dad.
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