A southbound Appalachian Trail thru-hiker logged nearly 20 miles through the Hudson Highlands in late October, and the day reads like a field guide to why autumn might be the best season to be out there — and what it costs you.
The day started around 40 degrees outside a tent near the Morgan Stewart Shelter in New York, with the hiker lingering in their quilt until almost 9am before packing up. A fellow camper had left well before dawn, better armed with a beanie, down jacket and layers. The lesson repeated itself all day: once you start moving, cool autumn air is genuinely pleasant. The trail smelled of decaying leaves, the air was dry, and the miles ticked by through rolling terrain past Mount Egbert, over Hosner Mountain, and across Interstate 84 toward Clarence Fahnestock State Park.
Autumn hiking does come with its own quirk — a carpet of fallen leaves slicking the footing, especially around flooded junctions. The hiker strolled right past a planned turn onto the Fahnestock Trail while tiptoeing around a mud puddle, and took a well-graded alternate along Sunken Mine Road south of Canopus Lake to soften the final miles back to Dennytown Road.
Two realities of the season stood out. First, the shortening days: by 2pm the shadows looked like midsummer's 7pm, which threw off the hiker's sense of time and daylight. Second, the fuel bill. After eight straight days of backpacking, legs were heavy by mile 15 and the daily ~3,000 calories of oatmeal and peanuts were no longer cutting it — the day ended with a supply run to a grocery store in Fishkill to refill before another night sleeping in the van.
For travellers, this is a nice window into section-hiking the AT in the lower Hudson Valley. The stretch through Fahnestock State Park offers real mountain hiking within reach of New York City, with the bonus of peak fall colour and far thinner crowds than summer. You don't need thru-hiker legs to sample it: the park has its own trail network and lakeside scenery around Canopus Lake, and the nearby towns of Fishkill and Cold Spring make good bases for food and lodging. Just pack layers, expect leaves to hide the muddy patches, and budget for extra snacks — autumn miles burn through calories faster than you'd think.
