It was a perfect day in New York this Saturday, not too hot, not too humid—utterly uncharacteristic of the typical August swelter. Some friends and I went out to Sterling Forest State Park, near the NY/NJ border in Tuxedo, for an easy day-long hike. First we climbed up to the old fire tower and snapped pictures of the view. Then we picnicked at a lookout spot a little further along the trail.

Later on, we crossed paths with an enormous rattlesnake—a timber rattler, endangered in this area—slithering calmly across the path and paying us no mind. It must have been at least 4-5 feet long, but we couldn’t manage to take any good pictures since the surrounding brush was so dense. I’ve never seen such a large snake outside of a zoo.

We also saw a flock of wild turkeys closer to the mountains’ base. They, too, were unalarmed by our presence, clucking happily along a couple yards away.

All in all, it was quite the adventure for a bunch of city dwellers! More photos after the jump… Continue reading »