So I had one day off. What means one day full of opportunities. So I decided to make a short meeting with my host dad and he gave me grat tip – climb up the Nose! Maybe I should be more exact right here because this sounds a little bit strange.

In New York state, there is a mountain called Anthony’s Nose. No, it’s not called like that according to Tony Stark, I’m sorry Iron Man and Avengers lovers (just for your information, I was a little bit disappointed as well). It’s not one of the long hikes, but you can be sure to make up the distance with the elevation. Especially when you accidentally take a shortcut. But from the beginning.

I escaped the city using 9A and then followed signs to Bear Mountain. Of course, without GPS, because I’m just… Well, I’m just who I am and I wasn’t able to find the address or anything that I could put into the GPS so I just looked up the way on Google Maps day before and tried to memorize it.

Surprisingly, I found even the right place, where I was supposed to leave my car – even though it didn’t look like it at first. However, after few meters on the road, I finally found the place where I could climb up to the sign which I expected could show me where I actually was or where I should have gone. I forgot to tell you that I didn’t have any map or anything.

But the sign wasn’t really helpful – because there wasn’t anything but information about littering fines and an empty box for maps. Only one information was really important – this trail is a part of the Appalachian Trail – great! I wanted to hike at least some part of Appalachian Trail though so I could consider this like some kind of training! Full of enthusiasm I “hit the path” which mostly wasn’t a path at all and foud out that…

That I was lost after only a few meters. The path followed absolutely different direction than which I needed it to lead. Full of shame I went back and met a small group of hikers waiting for some their friends to “join the party”. I quietly asked  and the answer was: “But you were right, it turns back to the south after about half a mile!” So I had to walk (or, more like to climb) this infernal hill again.

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I’m gonna be one hundred percent honest and tell you that I wanted to give it up after only a few meters (sorry if I’m making this confusing with using the metric system as well, but I mostly really don’t understand these yards and feet and this all). I was dying, literally, my breath went short and I felt like if this has been my very first hiking experience in my whole life. I felt ashamed even in front of myself and thought I was gonna go back to my car and pretend nothing of this has happened. But there was the group of hikers somewhere on the same path and I couldn’t risk to humiliate myself in front of them as well so I just bit my tongue and continued climbing.

Finally, I saw a path leading to the right, which meant, going back to the south. Well, it was more like east but I expected it to curve even more. Wrong expectation. After (now literally) climbing up the most terrible hill of all the way of today’s, using path which wasn’t even visible and slipping on omnipresent leaves, I finally reached the right path. And was unpleasantly surprised.

I accidentally took some shortcut. So I climbed up the worst hill ever, while there was nice, visible, smooth path leading up to the top. After some breathing exercises to calm myself down and make my lungs not to leave my body I was able to continue on my way.

I have to say here, that I always have some first aid kit or at least some band-aids and sterile gauze or bandage or whatever it’s called because I’m one walking disaster and something happens to me all the times. This particular day some miracle had to happen because for the very first time it wasn’t me who needed my band-aids. I met some family with a crying child. Well, crying is not so an exact word. The child was roaring, screaming, yelling – I had that feeling like if it was an open fracture at least what has happened to him. No, calm down, friends, nothing so adrenalin. I couldn’t even practice my medical course, not even first aid course. This child had a literally invisible cut on his palm. I offered a band-aid to his exhausted-looking parents and they were happy that after they put this magical thing on their descendant, he finally stopped screaming.

Sooner than I expected, I was on the top of the Nose. Now, I would love to say that food wasn’t so big part of my motivation, but the fact that I could have my lunch up here was really helpful.

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The view was amazing. I can’t find any more appropriate word. It was breathtaking and I thought I was gonna spend the rest of my life up there. After taking photos of some women, who offered to take a photo of me in change, I sat down right on the edge and enjoyed these few moments of victory feelings.

On my way back, it shouldn’t be surprising for you, that I almost killed myself. Twice. Of course, maybe it would be helpful if I didn’t try to make a vlog about this adventure. The leaves were terribly slippery and what more, you didn’t see what was under them so it was easy to step on a loose rock or be awfully surprised by an invisible hole (great way how to twist your ankle).

Next thing which shouldn’t be surprising for you (and wasn’t for me either) – I wasn’t able to find my car! After about two miles walking along the road (because I used different path to get down from the Nose) I saw the line of cars and wasn’t able to find my one (of course, I could just use my key and press “unlock” button and I would see it, but I wasn’t in this condition)!

Home, sweet home – I took a shower to feel like a human being again and started to edit the video. See you next time!

You can watch the video blog HERE.

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And have a beautiful day! 🙂