I recently hiked a small portion of the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) with the SO, through Bowman Lake State Park in Oxford, New York to the Berry Hill Fire Tower in Norwich.
What a pleasant hike!
There are so many mushrooms in this forest! You know this patch of land is healthy not just by the lush greenery, but also by the mycelium network.
And then came the part where we had to walk the road for a short distance to reach the parking area for the Berry Hill Fire Tower, and then up the closed drive to the tower itself.
The closer we got to the fire tower, the more I realized just how windy it was..
And then the climb… it was nothing short of terrifying. The first big gust hit me as I was ascending to the second landing.
If you’ve never experienced it before, that first gust blows away ALL of the confidence you started the climb with, and then it’s a test of how ballsy [or insane] you are from there. It’s just you, the wind, and a 59-foot metal staircase taking you to the highest point in Chenango County.
My featherweight ass was hit with an even stronger gust as I neared the top, and I had to stop. I hit the panic point. I wasn’t going to make it.
I took a knee for a minute to gather myself, then climbed down [still panicking] to the landing below to get that final pan shot for the vlog (above). I did not get photos while up there.
And then slowly, one flight at a time, I worked my way down to the ground. Turns out that if you count the steps aloud as you take them, it helps calm the panic.
Do I regret it? NO!!! I’m glad I tried. It just wasn’t the day for it, and now we know to plan better next time.
Oh, Kae. 
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