Issue link: https://bluemagazine.uberflip.com/i/25233
urban access:: WINTER ADVENTURE IN':' AROUND NYC TEXT: TASHA EICHENSEHER HOUR RADIUS EXPLORE THE WINTER PARKS OF NY STATE The Taconic region of New York, just north of the City and east of the Hudson River, is home to stately mansions, scenic vistas, woodland trails and 11 state parks-all good wintertime day trips. At least four parks have ponds that are skate able in winter: Clarence Fahnestock SP in Carmel (845-225-7207); Franklin D. Roosevelt SP in Yorktown Heights (914-245-4434); Lake Taghkanic SP in Ancram (518-851-3631); and Taconic SP's Rudd Pond Area in Millerton (518-789- 3059). Fahnestock has a designated winter park with ice fishing, cross-country skiing and snow- shoeing trails, and sledding; Roosevelt and Lake Taghkanic have cross-country skiing and ice fishing. The New York State Park system (with 163 parks) is extensive and worth exploring. For more information visit the New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation website at nysparks.state.ny.us, or call 518-474-0456. BIRD IN THE BRONX Pelham Bay Park in the northeast corner of the Bronx is New York City's largest park and notori- ous to birdwatchers for the owls that roost there in the winter. Most owl activity can be found in the quiet pine and spruce stands on Hunter Island-near the shore in the northeastern most sec- t ion of the park. It is not uncommon to look up to the lower branches in these evergreens and see, not more than 30 feet away, Great Horned Owls (in the mature trees) and Northern Saw- whet Owls (in the younger trees). This remarkably "wild" city park is comprised of more than 2,700 acres has a wide variety of environments and habitats. It is home to woodlands, scrub- lands, meadows, salt marshes, freshwater ponds, and 13 miles of sandy and rocky shoreline. Get a permit from New York City/Parks & Recreation to kayak in Eastchester Bay, the Long Island Sound or the Lagoon between Hunter Island and the mainland. For more information call the Bronx Urban Parks Rangers (718-430-1832), the Pelham Bay Nature Center (718-885-3467) or New York City Audubon (212-691-7483). HUNT FOR HIDDEN TREASURE IN THE CITY Stashed in the nooks and crannies of New York City are tiny treasures waiting to be found by you and your Global Positioning System (GPS) unit. The stashes are part of a game called Geocaching. Clues and coordinates are posted on www.geocaching.com. All you need to do is read them and then step out into the real world with a GPS and a sense of adventure. When you find treasure, make sure to sign the log and leave something behind for the next person. Geocaching came to life in May of 2000 when President Clinton ended Selective Availability for public GPS units, giving everyone access to the accuracy only the military had previously had. With this new precision, a technogeek in Oregon hid some booty and posted the coordinates of its hiding place on the web. A year and a half later, there are caches in 62 countries. 76 HOUR RADIUS SKI + SNOWBOARD CAR-FREE They may not be the biggest, but they are the most accessible ski areas near New York City. Both Thunder Ridge in Patterson and Hunter Mountain in Hunter are accessible by mass transit. From December through March, Metro North (www.mnr.orgor800.METRO.INFO) will partner with Thunder Ridge (www.thunderridgeskLcom or 845.878.4100), just a 75 minute train ride away, to offer a discounted train/lift ticket package for $34.75, plus discounts on rentals. Thunder Ridge is little more than a bump in the landscape but right after a storm it's well worth your time. The resort has 100 acres, five lifts, a half pipe, 30 trails, adequate snow-making capabilities and tree runs. Hunter Mountain (www.huntermtn.com. 888.HUNTER.MTN) is more than twice the size of Thunder Ridge, with 240 acres, 53 trails, ulifts, 1,600 verti- cal feet of skiing/snowboarding, phenomenal snowmaking abilities and a snowboard park. Take the Blades Board and Skate bus for $60 including lift ticket (Westside, 212-787-3911, or in the Village, 212-477-7350). For all New York snow conditions, go to www.wxusa.com/ski_NY. ICE BOAT THE WATERS OF NEW YORK Ice boating began in the middle eighteenth century in the Netherlands when sloops were fitted with runners so they could be used all year round . When the Dutch settled what is now New York City, the Hudson River Valley became a hub of ice boating activity-and the sport is not dead in New York. At lake Ronkonkoma on Long Island, you'll glimpse everything from old timers sailing up to 75 mph on thousand-dollar boats to begin- ners who've fixed a large kite to a sled, or are trying out a windsurfing rig on skates. Start on Long Island at the Weeks Yacht Yard in Patchogue (631-475-1675). For a listing of other nearby ice boating sites in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey, visit the New England Ice Yacht Association (www.cris.com/-Dn4762!) or find out more about the Hudson River Ice Yacht Club (www.ulster.net/-mriceboatl). For reports on conditions, go to the New England Ice Yacht Assoc. site. The ice boating season is generally from Dec. to March.