May 29, 2014

7 mile round trip to Hamilton Falls..Jamaica St Park, VT 5.26.14

I’ve been trying to get in shape for a hike with my sister in VA.  We plan to stop on our way home….so my son, Dan, took us to the Jamaica State Park.

Dan, Dave, their friend Roger, his girl friend and I went. Jim’s not a hiker so stayed home to take care of Raisin.

The first 2 miles of the hike were on a fairly easy stretch.

102_3370cs

You could walk…talk and look at the beautiful scenery…

102_3368

I felt I did fairly well…..then came the 1 mile uphill…

102_3375cs

They may have been visiting but I had all I could do to catch my breath….Dan wanted to make a side trip to the dam but I wanted to be sure I made it to the falls first…

Checking on Mom….making sure I haven’t passed out on the trail..

102_3376cs

Another catch my breath stop….Dave on the L, Roger, Dan on R. I took lots of pictures…gave me a chance to stop for a few seconds.

102_3378cs

It is really beautiful here….and not really that steep…but a continual up grade for a mile.

102_3381cs

I MADE IT!!!!!     That’s Dave at the base of the falls.

102_3387cs

3 of us stayed at the bottom of the falls…Dan and Roger hiked to the top. In the center of the picture on the Right..you can just see Dan sitting on a rock.

102_3390cs 102_3392cs

Here’s a closer look. That’s Roger in the white shirt.

102_3400cs

102_3405cs

102_3409cs

This is a popular spot…2 other couples showed up a few minutes after we got here.

102_3410cs

Here’s a short video. Well worth the hike in.

 

There is a short steep hike out of the falls area.

102_3417cs

But by then…I had caught my breath and had half an hour or so to recoup.

102_3418cs

Dan is a mountain biker, a hiker and a road biker….(the ones you have to pedal) not to mention having done 2 Tough Mudders and is doing one again this coming Sunday….so he scampered up and down these hills like he was running on flat ground.

102_3420cs

From here on it’s all down hill….Dave has his own business building or remodeling houses or anything you need done…so he’s climbing ladders and lugging stuff…hike didn’t bother him a bit either.

102_3421cs

I had a little head start but they caught me….here they come…and Dan was on the jog…

102_3423cs

Once we were off the hill and I was still in walking shape we crossed the bridge and did the 1/2 mile hike to the dam.

 

102_3426

102_3428

This is where the spillway at the base is. A favorite fishing spot. The boys say there are some big trout here.

102_3430

Dan and Dave posed for a photo op by the Hamilton Falls sign. At the top of the falls where Dan and Rodger were…there is a pool and people have gone swimming there and ended up going over the falls.

102_3434cs

Turned out to be a 7 mile hike…probably the most I’ve walked at one time in my life….but I survived and the kids didn’t have to carry me home.

Here is a look at the trail on their brochure.

102_3438cs

Consider yourself in good shape?  Give The Tough Mudder a shot…  www.toughmudder.com  Check out the website….They support the Wounded Warrior Project… my favorite! What a great cause.

No comments: