Need some New Year inspiration? Local Rockland native Nicole Solomon made it her mission in 2021 to complete 52 hikes in 52 weeks. She quickly surpassed that goal and went on to finish her 77th on December 26th, and made some wonderful memories along the way. Joining her for many of her hikes was her adorable Bernese Mountain Dog, Magnus, who has his very own Instagram page, @mountainswithmagnus. Nicole is the owner of a Graphic Design studio and is also a Certified Health Coach who offers advice and inspiration on her page, @solomonstronghealth.
Tell me about a bit yourself, and why you started loving the outdoors?
Growing up in Sloatsburg, NY meant that I had the very fortunate experience of having Harriman State Park as my backyard playground. In the third grade, my teacher took our class up the road to the Reeves Meadow hiking trail for a field trip. We hiked a few miles to Pine Meadow Lake, had lunch and hiked back. It was winter, icy and the first adventure that had me hooked. I begged my dad to buy me hiking boots and the rest is history. For years, I hiked, mountain biked, camped and explored my “backyard”. Even when I went away to college, I would come back and race to my favorite trails to soak it all back in.
Besides hiking, how else do you like to enjoy being outside?
In an attempt to experience the outdoors in as many ways and seasons as possible, my interests also include kayaking, snow shoeing, skiing, white water rafting, fishing, mountain biking, camping and much more. I’ve traveled all over the world and have been able to experience these adventures in so many new places, but honestly, I feel so fortunate that I can do most of them pretty close to home as well!
How have you gotten your family involved in your adventures?
When I got married to my husband who is also an outdoor lover, we bought a house in Northern NJ who’s property paralleled the Appalachian Trail. Once again, another backyard playground to explore. After moving back to Rockland 7 years later, we landed in the beautiful village of Montebello where trees are abundant and Harriman is once again directly across the street and in walking distance. Many people don’t realize how massive this park is. It’s 44,000 acres and NY’s second largest park. I’ve hiked here my whole life and still haven’t done so many of the trails. We are truly living in an outdoor enthusiasts paradise here!
Having three children who are all scouts and who have all grown up in the outdoors, our family loves to find as many fun ways to get outside as possible. Last year we got our first Bernese Mountain Dog, Magnus and boy has he been fun! He loves the outdoors and especially the cold. This working Swiss breed lives for hiking and climbing so naturally he was a perfect fit for our family!
Getting to experience our local trails with him has been a completely new adventure! I usually do a trial run on each hike I plan to take him on if I think there will be big cliffs or rock climbing. He’s pushing 100 pounds and I don’t want to get into a situation where I would have to lift him up or down a rock area! When he was a puppy we started off with short, easy local hikes and slowly built up over time. He can now carry his own gear and has hiked up to 8 miles on the trails. He is a great partner and we have worked very hard as building the trust needed to safely hike in remote places alone together.
2021 was quite the year! Did hiking offer a reprieve from the craziness of the pandemic?
It absolutely did. In 2021 alone, I completed 77 hikes, and my dog was on almost all of them with me. I chose each days hike by figuring out how much time we have, and the weather conditions. On the days we are short on time, I will generally do a quick hike on our old favorites such as Kakiat Park, Reeves Meadow or Ramapo Reservation. All of these locations offer many options to control the length or difficulty of the hike. I can easily do one mile or 5 at all of these places, no GPS needed and get back quick.
On days we have more time, I love to explore new trails. Some of our favorites are Claudius Smith Den in Tuxedo, Sterling Forest trails, Campgaw Mountain, Lake Sebago trails, Powerlines in Hillburn, Bear Mountain/Doodletown, Long Path, Wayayanda, and Skylands/Shepphards Lake in Ridgewood, NJ.
We’ve also headed east across the Bear Mountain Bridge to Breakneck Ridge and Storm King Mountain for some more challenging climbs. Also, north to places like New Paltz and Minnewaska for some serious hiking adventures. And, with the Catskills only an hour or two north of us, the possibilities are truly endless!
Since the pandemic, some of my favorite spots have become very popular for weekend hikers. I generally now will only head to these places on a quiet weekday and save the more remote and less popular trails for the weekends. With the NY/NJ Trail Council headquartered right in Mahwah, we are very fortunate to have such a wonderful local resource. They can help with maps, planning info and general trail questions. You can even inquire about the many volunteer opportunities there. We have partnered with them to do trail maintenance and building work and it’s been a pleasure to give back and help maintain the trails we use so frequently.
Thinking of this area in general, what are some other reasons why you love living here?
I love that you can come off the trail and walk right into your favorite barbecue joint like Finks BBQ in Suffern, or grab a quick bite at The Village Blend in Sloatsburg. Grabbing a burger and a beer at The Mason Jar in Mahwah or fresh baked bread with hot soup at Dottie Audrey’s in Tuxedo are all well earned rewards for a long day on the trail.
