“So, today the average temperature would be around 18°C,” I murmured to myself as I decided if a hoodie would be warm enough. Yes, I haven’t switched to Fahrenheit yet. I’m still not used to Fahrenheit, miles, pounds, or even ounces, but I’ll get there someday. Checking the temperature every morning is now a part of my routine, and the Weather app has become my new best friend. Worrying about the weather is not something I normally do back home in Mauritius. I have to say that the weather here in upstate New York has been the biggest change for me.
As I put on my hoodie, I could hear a knock on the door. It was my friend Salma. She got a text from Robin, her host-mother, that the hike might be canceled due to the inclement weather. But we still wanted to go off campus, so we decided to go to Old Forge, hiking or no hiking. Old Forge is about a one-hour drive from Clinton. The further north we went, the more colorful the trees became. They had leaves of different shades of red, orange, and yellow.
This was my first time experiencing the fall season and witnessing the burning colors of the leaves. Staring at the flamboyant trees warmed my heart despite the cold weather outside. Somehow, the warm shades of the leaves instilled a sense of serenity. Traveling on Route 28, we saw that we were approaching a little town. I was amazed by how nice and cozy the small town was despite its secluded location. I was surprised to see that they also have a water park in Old Forge, Enchanted Forest Water Safari. In the end, the weather was not as bad as predicted and we decided to go with the initial plan. We parked on the main road near the starting point of the mile-long hike. We signed the visitor book and took a photo in front of the Bald Mountain sign before starting the hike.
I could feel the adrenaline building up. The last time I went hiking was about four months ago, before leaving for the United States. It felt like home except that the trees at Old Forge were more magical. The hike started with a relatively easy walk into the woods, but as we went further up, the hike became steeper, almost 500 feet. Some areas were harder to hike than others and we had to hold onto the trees and help each other out. The muddy path made it slightly harder but still manageable. At some point we had to walk over a huge bedrock which was slanted and created small valleys on both sides. It was as if we were walking across a narrow bridge. People could only walk in one direction at a time, and they had to walk in a queue. This part was slightly more dangerous, as there was a risk of slipping down on the sides. Along the way, we stopped a few times to take photos. We stopped to admire the stunning panoramic view of the Adirondacks. We could see the Fulton Chain of Lakes from where we were. At the summit was the Rondaxe Fire Tower, which Salma and I were enthusiastic to climb. Since it can only support a maximum of 10 people, we had to wait for other hikers to get down. It was chilly at the top, and the wind was piercing cold. However, we still enjoyed the view and took more photos before going down. We were planning to have lunch at the summit, but it suddenly started raining. Robin and Daniel suggested that we go back before the rain got worse. The way down was faster but more difficult, especially because the rain made the path more slippery. It took us around 30 minutes to get down the mountain.
We parked near Old Forge Pond and ate lunch in the car while waiting for the rain to stop. It did not take long, and we decided to take a walk around Old Forge. Robin and Daniel were telling us about the creatures in the Adirondacks and identified the different species of birds around the area. We saw a flicker, a loon, and a turkey vulture. Salma, who is a bird enthusiast, was ecstatic about seeing the birds, and she recorded all the names of the birds she saw. Old Forge also has several gift shops, and there is one in particular that reminded me of Indonesia. They had shirts from Bali, plus bracelets and jewelry. For a moment, I felt like I was spending the holidays in Bali. Before heading back, our last stop was at the mini golf. It was exciting, as I had never played mini golf before. One thing I learned about mini golf is that it is harder than it looks. For one course, it took me more than nine shots to score. I was the worst player, but it was fun nonetheless.
By the end of the day, I was feeling tired, and I could not help dozing off in the car. It was a wonderful day, and I was glad that we spent a whole day off-campus. I got to explore new places and try new things. It has been nearly four months since I came to the United States, but I am not really feeling homesick yet. Maybe it is because I have found home here. Hamilton has become my second home (or third), and I am looking forward to going on new adventures during my next four years here.
