Long Island hiking. Greenbelt Trail or Paumanok Path 2011?

[HHaase]

I'm looking to get back into backpacking and backpack camping. However, I'd like to start off easy before going nutty and doing the AT (yeah, pipe dream for sure about doing THAT one.)

For this summer or late spring, I'm thinking of one of the longer local trails here on Long Island, if anybody is interested.

Choice one is the Long Island Greenbelt trail, which is 32 miles.
From Heckshire State Park at the south end, to Sunken Meadow State Park at the north end.

Choice two is the Paumanok Path. Or part of it anyway, not the whole thing, as it's 125 miles from Montauk Point to Rocky Point (Where I grew up).

Both are around my usual stomping grounds, not far from Suburbia in any direction. I'm thinking along the lines of just a weekend or a three day weekend.

-Hans

[laditek]

thelIght and I have been talking about doing more hiking/backpacking this summer and would be up for it.

[HHaase]

Now that it's starting to warm up a bit, and I can take my Daughter out in her stroller, I need a bit of "back in shape" time before I go for a two or three day hike. So I'll be looking into some smaller stuff first. 10 miles or less.

I did find some good info on the Paumanok Path, might be fun to do this one in sections and try to knock the whole thing off over the course of this summer.... maybe over two years at the worst.

Oh, and there is ONE wilderness area on the Island, with proper wilderness camping. Fire Island, just west of Smiths Point. Not many people allowed at once though.

-Hans

[Lishark015]

I'd be up for that. My GF and I are looking to broaden our horizons, and hiking is the next item on our list. Camping and SCUBA are being taken care of next month (for her).