The Outdoor Scene in NYC

NPR had a segment this morning about urban foragers in the LA area.

For those who don't know about the relatively new (sections are very old) Empire State trail:

empiretrail.ny.gov/

Also I've been trying my best not to comment on some NYC hikers who are terribly pious about what "nature" is and how to enjoy it.

My wife and I have bike toured from Albany W to Syracuse, and from Poughkeepsie to Whitehall at the base of Champlain. We're doing a section for NY's eve , camping along the Champlain Canal. Eventually, we hope to take the train to Buffalo and finish the W portion eastbound. Above Whitehall it's all road riding, some of it sketchy. Southbound from Poughkeepsie gets a little too road oriented and very geared to motels and/ or really long rides. It is a really wonderful addition to NY's recreational opportunities. We live close to a good stretch and ride sections of it often.
For years, Harriman and Bear Mt. parks have been accessible by train, and we've shared shelters and sites with many urban people there when we made an effort to walk all the trails there in winter. It's a common sight to see headlamps bouncing up the trail from the direction of the Tuxedo Station after the last train empties out on a Friday Night. I haven't been back since Covid and we did complete our mission. An excellent mountaineer and filmmaker friend cut his teeth growing up in Queens, working part time at Paragon Sports, and hiking and scrambling around Harriman/Bear Mt. It led to a Brooks Range traverse and climbs like Denali and Aconcagua. Another friend has invited me to stay at his apartment that annexes Fort Tryon Park, a weird little enclave of greenness in the shadow of the GW bridge. He believes strongly in the Druid concept of Nemeton, groves of sacred trees; that's his space of spiritual guidance. He finds sylvan grace in the middle of what to me is utter chaos. I spent a lot of time in Central Park when I was a teenager, but it was a different type of wild life I was seeking...