In late October of last year, my friends and I had the amazing opportunity to take a tour during one of the most breath-taking times of the season. The weekend before Halloween, we were led by Chase of Xcelerated Adventures through the hills and forests of Breakneck Ridge. This part of upstate is located right next to Beacon in upstate New York and it is only a short 1 to 1 1/2 hour drive outside the city. We had booked the tour in advance and were confirmed for pick-up around the Bryant Park area at 9am on a Saturday morning (I managed to run 20 minutes late, despite the German-ness in my genes). It was one of the most perfect weekends for this trip, as fall foliage tends to come around earlier in upstate New York than it does down here in the city. Indeed, as soon as we hopped out of the van, we were surrounded by some of the most beautiful colors ever seen.
We started our adventure by hiking up a steep hill, thinking this must have been the worst part of the hike. Little did we know how much lied ahead of us… We ended up overlooking a bit of a panorama and I could see why everyone around us was eager to climb to the top. From then on it was mostly rock-scrambling. And I am not talking about a bit of rock-climbing and hiking. No, it was literally hanging onto rocks to get from one point to another.
Chase also made us jump from one rock to another so that we had a better view on the other side. Although scary at first, it was absolutely worth it in the end. At one point, we made it to the very top and were able to have a lunch break up there. There were several routes to get to our destination and we certainly did not take the easy one, as my friend is pointing out in this picture. Nope, not until our tour guide ran out across every obstacle you could imagine. Eventually we did make it to a more relaxed second part of this adventure.
Downhill we walked, through a beautiful forest area. I had a hard time following the group, as I was collecting one colorful leaf after another. When I turned around, I saw two girls do the same thing. I guess it was serious business that day – the leaf collecting thing. Between that and just standing in complete awe of the gorgeous colors of upstate New York – I didn’t know how stunning this time of year looked up there.
And there I stood, in one of the most gorgeous and barely imaginable settings. Leaves were silently flying to the ground. I was surrounded by so much golden yellows, I could barely see anything else. The air was filled with such solemnity, as if this one small part wanted to hold onto time forever. Eventually I was released from the magic. It was hard. We passed by an old mill. We passed by leaf-colored paths. We passed by tempting sceneries.
At some point me and three other people managed to separate ourselves from the group and we got lost. Not in a bad way. But we were hoping to get out of the forest by the time darkness hit. Somehow we found a paved road. And this magical setting. Whoever lives here is a very lucky soul during fall season. Look at all those different, bright colors. I’d say it was fall wonderland all over again.
We ended the day in a small town nearby and had some hot dinner at a local joint. I guess we were all pretty exhausted from the day and I couldn’t think much about anything I would like to say or talk about. Sleeping for ten hours straight until the next day proved how exhausted I must have been.
German-American Abroad 
[…] hiking Breakneck Ridge last year, I made a trip to Bear Mountain less than two weeks ago. It was peek fall season, which means the […]
Those are some really pretty pictures! Ive gone to a lot of places in upstate new york to hike! Check out my blog if you’re looking for some places to visit! https://hikingtrailsadvice.wordpress.com/blog/