New York IT Support Firm Hike Planned

March 6, 2011 - PRLog -- Sunday, March 27, 2011 – 9:30am

Location

Nyack Beach State Park
Just over the Tappan Zee Bridge

Highlights

Moderate hike.
4 to 5 hours plus 1 hour for lunch.
About 6 miles.
Should be back at parking lot by 4pm.

Our hike will start on the Long Path which runs along the escarpment above the Hudson River and continue up a moderately steep climb up Hook Mountain for some spectacular views of the Hudson River and Westchester.  We will then continue on the path with occasional views till we reach a fine river overlook near Rockland Lake.  There we will eat our gourmet kosher deli lunch and learn of the quarry which operated on this spot decades ago. High Tor, a 1936 play by Pulitzer award winning Maxwell Anderson, was written about this area.  This play initiated the current preservation efforts in this region. After lunch, we will proceed down a steep route to the abandoned town of Rockland Lake. There we will search for the wild Guinea Fowl, a tasty and interesting bird.  (We are not planning any barbecues).

Guinea Fowl is a bird related to the pheasant. It is native to Africa, but has been domesticated in the United States and other countries. The common guinea fowl is about the size of a small plump hen. Its naked head is topped by a bony ridge. The bird has slate-gray plumage dotted with round white spots. White and lavender varieties are also raised. The guinea fowl's flesh resembles the flesh of wild game in color and flavor. Guinea fowl were originally kept by farmers because their noisy cries warn other poultry of approaching danger.  We are also likely to see turkey vultures, deer and wild turkeys.

A short walk will take us to a forgotten cemetery and then on to Rockland Lake State Park where we will learn about the abandoned town of Rockland Lake. At the end of our diversions we will walk the flat shore path south along the Hudson River back to our cars.

After the hike, those who wish to join me, can travel as a group and visit the quaint shore village of Nyack with its eateries, bars and shops where we’ll enjoy some ice cream and a light snack at a local ice cream parlor.

About our Hiking Guide – Tom Parliament, PhD

For this hike, I have engaged the guide services of Tom Parliament, PhD to guide us along the trails and provide some background and history of this interesting area. I have hiked with Tom many times on various Appalachian Mountain Club hikes in Harriman State Park.  From my conversations with Tom, I can say he is a most engaging and experienced guide.

Hiking Related Background:

Tom is an avid hiker and has been hiking for over 30 years all over the Hudson Valley. His favorites are Harriman Park, the Ramapo Reservation and the Hudson Highlands. He has also led many hikes in Fahnstock, Storm King, Shawangunks, Catskills, and the Doodletown area. One of his hiking achievements is that he has hiked Mt. Washington in New Hampshire 6 times. He has lead formal hiking tours through Doodletown for 10 years and informal hikes to the ruined estates in Hudson Valley.

Professional Background:

Tom Parliment received a BS degree in Chemistry from Lehigh University and a Ph.D. in Food Science from the University of Massachusetts. In his career, he has studied the aromatic composition of numerous foods such as meat, coffee, baked goods, seafood, fruits, pet foods and he has 22 US patents and numerous publications in these and related analytical areas. The majority of his career was spent at the General Foods, Kraft-General Foods and Kraft Foods Research Laboratories. He is a member of a number of professional societies, including the American Chemical Society (ACS), Sigma XI and the New York Institute of Food Technology.

To learn more about the Stemp hike visit http://www.wisdomforawiredworld.com

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Stemp Systems is a New York IT Support specializing in Legal, Healthcare, Accounting and Construction firms. We provide full support for Microsoft solutions and we recently achieved silver status as a NY Microsoft Partner. Learn more about Stemp Systems at http://www.stempsystems.com.