Lake Minnewaska: Introducing first time hikers to the experience

[Halite]

My wife and I had the pleasure of introducing friends and their three young boys to hiking this past Sunday. Thanks to Mark Schaefer and Matt (MCorsar) for their hiking suggestions. Based on their input, we opted for the Millbrook Mountain Loop. This proved to be a perfect introduction to hiking for our crew: a lot of rewards without too much commitment to remote, rugged trails or extensive climbing.

Much of the route is on carriage paths, making for easy footing and sociable hiking. The Millbrook trail gave our crew an introduction to rocky footing and precipitous drop-offs. Blueberries were abundant, providing a nice trail surprise for the kids. Swimming in Lake Minnewaska at the end, even if it was crowded, made for a great hook to keep the kids trudging the last couple miles.

It wasn't an epic adventure, but the experience left our friends asking for more. So all in all a successful introduction to this hiking thing we all love.

 

[MattC]

Carrieways, rocky foot trails, dramatic cliffs, blueberries and a refreshing dip in a sky lake. Classic Shawangunks. Glad you all had a nice time Harry. Who knows what seed may have been planted in those kids' minds.

Matt