Holy crap! Has it really been three weeks since the last time I wrote an update?  I guess it’s because I’ve been pretty busy around the Suburban Steader Homestead.    With that in mind, let’s just right in and see what happened over the last few weeks!

This Week’s Milestones

Local Hiking

Long Island is far from a bastion of hiking.  That being said, we do have some pretty cool state and county parks as well as other outdoor areas.  In addition, there are a few good trails.  The biggest trail on Long Island is the Long Island Greenbelt Trail.

This trail runs from the Long Island Sound on the north shore of Long Island (in Sunken Meadow State Park) to the Atlantic Ocean on the south shore of Long Island (Heckscher State Park).  Its total length is 32 miles.

I’m lucky enough to live near the northern terminus of this trail and have hiked on it many times.  This summer, however, I have decided that I will thru-hike it in sections.  I’d love to actually do a straight through thru-hike of it (camping along the way) but the lovely State Parks on Long Island don’t allow us to camp in them unless on designated camping spots.  Oh, and none of the camping spots are in areas of the parks that are on the trail.  Lovely.  Thanks, Long Island.

Anyway, I was able to get out on Memorial Day weekend and hike the first 10 miles of the trail.  It was a great hike with awesome weather.  I really knocked out the mileage and enjoyed myself.  It was good training for what was to come!

Not So Local Hiking

I’m infatuated with the Appalachian Trail (AT).  The idea that you can hike from Georgia all the way to Maine by foot is completely awe inspiring to me.  I’ve had my fair share of chances to “touch” the trail and I even climbed its northern terminus (Mt. Katahdin) when I was in Boy Scouts, but I’ve never spent any time on it.  That was until last weekend.

Friday night, I headed to northwest Connecticut and put in at the Undermountain Trailhead.  This entrance point allowed me to hit the AT in just over an hour.  I set up camp and spent the next day hiking up and over Connecticut’s highest peak (Bear Mountain – 2,323 feet) and then pass into Massachusetts and summit Mt. Race (2,365 feet).

Nothing like the big guys in the Whites, but fun and challenging all the same.  I slept on the AT both nights in two different campsites.  And I did the whole trip solo.  So much fun!

Garden Is Growing

I got a lot accomplished in the garden over the last few weeks.  First, my visitors seem to have gone on to greener pastures.

If you remember, these little guys nested in my straw which I used to overwinter my garden beds.  Well, I have not seen them for the last few weeks.  Let me rephrase that – I have not seen much of them for the last few weeks.  There’s a constant rabbit presence in my yard (and in my neighborhood in general) but they have taken up permanent residence somewhere other than my garden.  And that’s just fine with me.

The garden itself is growing in leaps and bounds.  We’ve been peppered with rainy days and hot, sunny days so that’s really helped the plants grow.  Even my peppers – where I thought all was lost – seem to have rebounded and may even be back on the mend.

I also got everything planted that I needed to.  Cucumbers, cilantro, basil, sage – it all has made its way into the garden.  Now it’s just a little TLC here and there and some patience.

Back On The Road Again

I’ve been slacking on my physical fitness lately.  But I’ve recently recommitted myself to running.  I hate running to be clear.  But, as I joked with my friend the other day, I hate turkey necks more!  So I’ve started up on the Couch To 5K (C25K) program and have gotten about two weeks done.  I’m feeling well and I think I’m even looking a little better.  Probably too soon for the latter though!

Next Week’s Goals

Gardening

Not much to do here but keep an eye on things and provide some weeding when necessary.  I also will fertilize the garden boxes with some watered down liquid from my worm bin.  The garden seems to love this stuff and it’s easy enough to spread with a pump sprayer from a big box store.

Workshop

There’s still a litany of projects in the workshop that can be worked on.  I haven’t moved on the toolbox yet and I still have to make those knives for my girls like I mentioned previously.  It seems that the desk project is on hold indefinitely.  There’s lot to do here and, honestly, it’s getting a little too hot and humid to be doing work in the shop.  I think shop work will be relegated to rainy weekend days at this point.

Get Outside!

I intend to continue hiking and running as much as possible.  The weather is just too darn nice outside to not partake.  I will continue the section hikes with the goal of completing the entire trail by the end of September.  I’m also hoping to get a canoe trip and/or another backpacking trip in this summer!  Lots to do!

That’s it folks – Week 24 is in the books!  How was your week?

Thanks for reading!

Dan

Founder/Owner at Suburban Steader

I am a middle-age guy with a wife, two young kids and a crazy dog. We live on Long Island, NY and had an interesting experience with Hurricane Sandy. That experience led me towards the self-sufficiency movement and eventually led to the founding of SuburbanSteader.com. I aim to provide suburbanites with the confidence and know-how to become more self-reliant by providing content on topics such as gardening, personal health, financial responsibility, cooking, self-preparedness and self-protection.