Being a kid from India, the three seasons of the year that I have experienced in the past are summer, winter and monsoon. And each of these correspond to hot weather, bearably hot weather and rainy weather. So when I joined grad school and about a month in, we had a Fall break, I figured it was just another excuse to get a holiday. New York City didn’t seem to have changed much but all my friends from around the area kept drumming it in that Fall was the best time of the year to go hiking. So after about six months of inactivity I finally got to dust off my hiking boots and head out to the Hudson Valley to see what the fuss was all about.

The Hudson Valley is a New York State region that stretches along the Hudson River from Westchester County to Albany, upstate from Manhattan and it has over 70 different hiking trails that you could follow that range across all levels of difficulty. After some quick searching, mostly on this site, I decided on Breakneck Ridge as the one for me. They say you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover but honestly as soon as I heard that name I knew that that was the one for me. What immediately comes to mind is jaw dropping cliffs where a single wrong step could send you tumbling to the depths below.

To get there you need to take the Hudson line from Grand Central station headed towards Poughkeepsie and get off at the Breakneck Ridge stop. You should probably check the timings beforehand though because not all trains stop there. The train ride itself is a joy to behold as you can see the slow transition away from the high rising concrete jungle of Manhattan and the Bronx slowly melt away before you’re zooming through the picturesque valley along the river with mountains on both sides.

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The stop comes after about 80 minutes on board and you can immediately see that it’s basically hikers getting off at this point, no one else. The station is modest, with just a raised platform leading directly into the road, but any stop directly here saves you the cab fare from Cold Spring. After a short walk on the highway you see the entrance to the trail and we’re off on a gradual incline through the forest. Fifteen minutes in you reach the point where the trail curves back into the mountain and there’s a huge overhanging rock that affords you the first view of the river and valley below.

After staying in the city for the best part of two months, I’ll be honest, it took my breath away. Vast expanses of forest in all directions and the mammoth river splitting the mountains in two. It was here that I first noticed the trees. Rather than the thick tropical green canopy that I was used to at the Western Ghats, each tree is a slightly different colour. And it’s one of those things which after you notice it the first time, you can’t help but notice it every time. Filled with a sense of excitement to get to the top, I burst through the next bit of the track and in my head, I was already on top.

So what does nature throw at you to stop that? This.

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A massive one mile stretch of sheer 60 degree climb. What I was used to was the slow easing of the forest into the mountain. Nope, nothing like that here. This is what Breakneck Ridge is famous for. Straight up you go. It’s almost like you could hear the mountain laughing in the background at my earlier optimism to scale it.

But on we go. On all fours at times with little rest in between unless you stopped by one of the rocks and hope that you didn’t hinder anyone else in their paths. It was also at this point where you start to see the lofty cliffs that I was expecting too. Not for the faint hearted. (Yes mom. I was careful and watched my back and front and left and right at every step. 🙄)

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This was hard grafting but there’s a certain joy in it. To put your body and mind to the test and see how you fare against mother nature. I’m sure I can’t do justice to it putting it on paper. Unlike running or hitting the gym where you are testing your limits in a controlled environment, I feel that trekking brings out the wild side in you. Being out there against the elements, it brings out an almost primal sense of accomplishment as you overcome every cliff. No one can help you out there, it’s just you against the mountain and you have no choice but to overcome what it throws at you, no two ways about it. There’s honestly very few things as satisfying out there.

After grafting for a little over two hours, you reach the second view point. With the flagpole on top and a trail leading back down the mountain you may think you are at the top already but the big mass that is Breakneck Ridge still looms behind. Still, you get filled with a sense of accomplishment as you stand there, level with the clouds and looking out at all the different colours as far as the eye can see.

The final ascent begins which isn’t as tough as the first part but it’s still challenging nonetheless. By now you’re in the zone though, you can see the summit and set about this with laser focus. Another hour in and you’re up past the ridge to carry on to the next bit of the trek.

Here is where it sort of diverges from what I’ve experienced in the Western Ghats. Normally once you’re on top you basically just have to track back the way you came but here you could do that or you could follow a separate trail that cycles on top of the ridge before coming back down the other side and back to the station. Naturally took this path and followed the trail deeper into the wood.

The feels you get here is similar to a magical yet slightly eerie wood, if this was a fantasy movie I’d bet that this was where you’d meet the wise old owl or the crazy old monk. The mist, clouds and fallen leaves transport you to another world almost from the one of tightrope walking through cliffs that you just encountered.

It’s pretty easy to get lost here but credit to the rangers that have gone ahead and marked the trees and added directions so that you always know which colour coded trail you are on. And there’s always someone within a shouting distance so you’re probably not going to get lost on the way. Once you cover the ridge you automatically feel the altitude dropping and foliage thinning out.

The last stretch is almost a leisurely walk down the mountainside as you walk around marvelling at the spectacular colours all around you. A small brook shows you the way for a while before it gushes down as a minor waterfall. The trail leads you all the way back to the station and soon enough you’re zooming back home, back to your ordinary life in the city, but back with some aches and pains to be proud of.

So it turns out these New Yorkers know what they’re talking about. If Holi is the festival of colours, Fall makes a good case for being the Season of Colours.

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Points to note:

Make sure you have a map. They’re easily available and really helpful to help you keep your bearings.

Carry water and food but try to travel light. It’s just a day trip and you’ve to do some steep climbing

Check the timings to and fro before you leave because trains that stop at Breakneck Ridge are slightly infrequent.