Mountains to Climb, Ships to Save

October came, and with it came restlessness. I love New York City, but once fall sets in, my feet itch to climb dirt and rocks, my nose twitches to sniff country air, and my taste buds crave farm-fresh apples that I can dip in crunchy peanut butter.

I managed to fit in a couple of hikes in October, both at a stone's throw from the city.

Breakneck Ridge 

 

Rising between the towns of Cold Spring and Beacon in the Hudson Valley, Breakneck Ridge has many summits. The highest one peaks at 1,260 feet. A 3.7 mile hike scrambling up and down rocks offers breathtaking views of Storm King Mountain, Bannerman's Castle and the Hudson river.

Take the Poughkeepsie-bound Metro North train from Grand Central Station to Cold Spring and walk on Rt 9D towards the Breakneck Ridge trailhead. I went on a weekend, when the train also stops at the "flag stop" station of Breakneck Ridge. Be sure to sit in the first car and let the conductor know that you're getting off at Breakneck Ridge.

Just before the tunnel on Route 9D, you’ll find the marked trailhead on the right, next to an overflow parking lot. You can grab a trail map from the box at the trailhead or print this trail map from the NYS Parks Department. We followed the white trail to the red, and on to the yellow that loops back to Rt 9D.

With a name like Breakneck, and reviews that varied about the strenuousness of the hike, I wasn't sure what to expect. I went with a group through REI. What I got was a brilliant day with blue skies and warm sun, and loads of fun scrambling up rocks. The scrambling starts right at the beginning of the trail, and it goes on until the yellow trail gradually descends through the woods. You don't need climbing gear, but good hiking boots with ankle support will save the day, and if you have a friend who can give you a hand or a push if needed, that would be awesome.

The consensus in our group was that it qualified as a moderate/intermediate hike. It was supposed to take 6 hours with breaks, but it took us about 5 to complete the loop. I would have easily stretched it to 8 because I like to nap when I get to the top of a mountain.

Minnewaska State Park 

 

While Breakneck Ridge satisfied my craving for dirt and rocks, Minnewaska came with winding country roads, farm fresh apples, the kitschy village of New Paltz, and spectacular colors on a misty day. The drive takes one and a half hours, one way, without traffic delays. There a couple of easy, short hikes you can do, or you can combine them with a longer trail.  

The Minnewaska Lake loop is beautiful and an easy 3-mile loop, hugging the lake and framed by pine trees and sassafras. The glassy lake set in white conglomerate cliffs mirrors the sky and fall colors, and the the carriage road trails offer many overlooks with views of the mountains, cliffs and the lake. A short walk from the parking lot and across the Peters Kill Stream, is the Awosting Falls.  Have a little lunch by the falls, dip your toes, throw some sticks into the water for your four-legged companion if you have one, and then continue on for a longer hike.

It's hard to go wrong with any trail in Minnewaska. I wanted to take the Gertrude's Nose Loop/Millbrook Mountain Trail, but a persistent drizzle made things slippery, so we chose a wooded trail with more shade and less climbing. The yellow blazed Mossy Glen Trail to the left of the parking lot takes you through Hemlock and Mountain Laurel. The footbridge across Peters Kill was washed away. We watched April navigate the shallow stream effortlessly as we tried to find the best route that wouldn't involve wading through water. Unless the stream is flooding, you can cross it fairly easily.

The trail stays close to the river for quite some time until it meets with the blue-blazed Blueberry Run Trail, which climbs steadily through mountain laurel and blueberries. We were a bit late for the blueberry season. It made me miss the summer hikes in New Hampshire and Alaska where we would snack on fists-full of wild blueberries on our hikes. I made a mental note to come back during blueberry season next year.

The Blueberry Run Trail will gain in elevation and lead to panoramic views at  Castle Point. I believe you can get a peek at the cliffs of Getrude's Nose. We didn't complete the loop as it was getting chilly under the steady drizzle and dusk was setting in. To get a complete description of this trail, click here.

We headed to the village of New Paltz, in search of warmth and food. We had a little detour at an old record shop and the local chocolatier. Our search for a warm place with good food first took us to Rock da Pasta. With high hopes we sat at the bar on high chairs that had guitar-shaped backs. We waited for fifteen minutes at the bar, without being asked about a drink, much less food. We watched a flustered waitress take meals out and a chef who looked quite unhappy. So we took photos of ourselves on the chairs with guitar-shaped backs and headed over to the no-frills burger joint a few doors up. 

The mushroom burger impressed Eduardo and Laura (they swore it was one of the best they'd had), the sweet potato fries were perfect, and my cheesy chili fries earned me back any and all calories I might have shed on the hike. April was fast asleep on the way back - the sign of a contented dog. It was the perfect end to a fall weekend.

 

Meantime, in the Arctic...

October didn't go as well for 28 environmental activists from Greenpeace, a freelance photographer and a freelance videographer, who had staged a peaceful protest against the Gazprom Arctic drilling platform Prirazlomnaya on September 18th. Two of the activists tried to climb the side of the platform to hang a banner. Within a day, Russian security services swooped down from the sky, on to the deck of the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise, and seized the ship and its crew at gunpoint. It's nearing two months now, and the entire crew of the Arctic Sunrise - the #Arctic30 - are detained in Russian prison. They all face "hooliganism" charges. 

Hooliganism charge? What does that mean?

The charge carries a maximum 7-year jail sentence. Previously, the activists were charged with piracy, which carried a maximum of 15 years in prison. But then Putin announced that he didn't think they were pirates... but apparently, they are hooligans, under Russian law. Hooliganism under Russian law is defined as: "A gross violation of the public order which expresses patent contempt for society, attended by violence against private persons or by the threat of its use, and likewise by the destruction or damage of other people's property." (Article 213 under Russian criminal code.)

According to Russia, the activists committed a crime under international law by trying to "seize" an oil platform. 

Let's deconstruct that. 

• Did the activists commit a gross violation of public order? Which one? 
• Did they express contempt for society? (I fail to see how peacefully protesting against drilling for oil in the Arctic, which will undoubtedly impact marine health and contribute towards climate change, is a contempt for anything other than unsustainable greed for oil.)
• We know for a fact that they did not use violence or threat of violence.
• They did not commit or threaten to commit damage or destruction of property. (I also fail to understand how 2 unarmed activists trying to hang a banner can "seize", damage or destroy an oil platform).
• As for a "crime under international law," for the hooliganism charge to apply, the alleged offense must happen on Russian territory. Greenpeace argues that the Arctic Sunrise was in the Exclusive Economic Zone. Also, under international law, countries have no right to seize each others' ships or people in international waters based on hooliganism charges. (See more here.)

So what the hell is happening? Why are 30 peaceful activists still detained? 

 I was looking for legal clarity, and this article provided some insights: http://ow.ly/qGeun.

It says that according to the "Protocol for Combating Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms on the Continental Shelf" the activists can be charged for trying to capture or establish control over the oil platform, or for intimidating the people on it. It also states that the incidence happened in waters under Russian territory and Russian law enforcement authorities had the legal right to extend jurisdiction over the "offenders" under statute on "Violating the Laws of the Russian Federation on the Continental Shelf and Exclusive Economic Zone of the Russian Federation."

Aside from the fact that under the 1999 International Convention on Arrest of Ships, the Arctic Sunrise (and its crew) should be released immediately if it provides enough security (aka, money, like a bail), let's take a moment here and think about what Russia is alleging. Even if it is invoking existing laws, it is arguing, in essence - 4 inflated boats that left the Greenpeace ship towards the Gazprom platform, 2 unarmed activists that tried to crawl up a oil platform to hang a banner protesting against drilling, and the remaining crew of the Arctic Sunrise who stayed in their ship - intimidated, threatened, or captured the oil platform. (Dramatic pause)

I could go on and on about this. I could dig up more legal facts and argue this case right in this blog. But, this is a blog. Blogs must be short. People don't have time and patience to read too much these days. Understandably, not everyone gets deliriously excited about international law. Furthermore, others who know more than me have done an excellent job of chronicling the entire saga. So... I will leave you with some ideas about what you can do to help and links that you can visit, if you want to know more.

Whatever you do, please do not turn your face away from what's happening with the Arctic 30. Russia must know that an entire civilization of peaceful activists are behind the Arctic 30 and we are not going to stop asking for their release.

What can you do?

Send a message to the local Russian Embassy right now.
Send a message to the Russian Ambassador
Take a climate action. Honor the Arctic 30.
Follow Greenpeace International and their ED Kumi Naidoo on Facebook for regular updates.

Learn more:

Recent interview with the lawyer representing the activists.
Timeline of events that led to the imprisonment of the #Arctic30
Latest updates from Greenpeace, including footage of their capture by Russian authorities
Updates and messages from the 30 activists currently detained by Russia about what they are going through.
Meet the Arctic 30