Today was slated to be a busy day, with a full day at work, as well as a birthday party that I am supposed to take my son to for one of his classmates.
That said, it was important for me to make a point of going for a hike, and since I was up and about already early on, the decision was made to go for a short hike, before the responsiblities of the day would have to be met.
My first stop was to the usual, Silas Condict. I obviously know the trail, and can do it within an hour, and figured it would be the most logical choice - until I saw that the gate blocked the way. Not sure why they keep it closed so late (it was almost 8am by that point, and this was not the first time such an instance happened), but once I saw that was not going to happen, it seemed logical to drive the five or ten minutes down to Kicaid, and get my relatively early morning hike in there.
This is supposed to be a beautiful day, where the temperatures are climbing up and up, and it is supposed to reach in the eighties later on. Summer is definitely on it's way, now.
Before the hike even started, I heard the sound of a rooster by a nearby home, presumably with a farm (although I can not say for sure, since I have not yet actually seen it. But it was a very pleasant start to the morning hike.
This morning was cool and refreshing. Sunny, but not overpowering or blinding, and the woods obviously offered shade and even further respite from a sun that was growing more powerful with each moment. It was considerably cooler still in the woods, and that just felt very refreshing. It was one of those early morning hikes where you feel chilly initially, and tempted to wear more clothing to stay warm. But fortunately, I resisted. It does not take long for your body temperature to rise while hiking, and the morning grew warmer and warmer as the hike went on. The cool morning felt very nice, and my mostly bare arms were pleasantly chilly.
The woods here are not very steep, and so they do not really offer the most amazing vantage points for scenic overlooks. Yet, it is very pleasant to feel completely surrounded by the woods, and for whatever reason, it reminded me of the movie Avatar. Not sure why, but it did. The lush and healthy feel of the imaginary world of woods and wilderness in that movie represent what we once had in our own world, and little pathes of woods like these are diminishing over time. Yet, when you find yourself submerged in the woods, and for once, having to worry about possible concerns like bears, it's a very different change of pace and scenery from the drudgery of modern existence. This was also the first time that I personally went to Kincaid on my own, without anyone else.
Unfortunately, it had to be a shorter hike than would have been desirable, since there was only a narrow window before my busy day was slated to start. Still, it's hard to imagine a better way to start a very pleasant morning, at least. As I walked back to the little parking lot off of Kinnelon Road, I heard the sound from the rooster that had kicked off the hike in the first place. It's crowing gradually grew louder, clearer, and more pronounced the closer I got to the end of the hike. It was a great way to start the hike, as well as a great way to end it!
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