To the Editor:

I saw a guy walking along Altamont’s Main Street wearing a large backpack and carrying hiking poles and thought he must be a Long Path hiker! I introduced myself and found I was right!

Avraham Bernstein, from Brooklyn, started in Manhattan on Nov. 2 to through-hike the 358-mile Long Path end-to-end, finishing at our new kiosk in Altamont on Monday, Dec. 1. He made perfect timing to complete his close to a month-long trek just before an 8-inch snowstorm hit the next day.

Avraham has already completed several other trails, including the 138-mile Northville-Placid Trail, the 272-mile Long Trail across Vermont, the 300-mile Superior Hiking Trail in Minnesota, the 72-mile High Sierra Trail, and the 486-mile Colorado Trail.

On his Long Path through-hike, Avraham’s mileage ranged from a 40-mile day in Orange County to 15 miles a day on more difficult terrain. After an icy climb over the Slide, Cornell, and Wittenberg mountains in the Catskills, he took a day off the trail to retrieve spikes and winter hiking boots.

Sleeping in a tent and lean-tos, Avraham had appropriate gear to stay warm during the 20-degree nights. Multiple battery charges and a Garmin that pinged his whereabouts every 20 minutes gave him added safety.

Avraham highlighted the Long Path by describing it as “dynamic,” attributing the variety of terrains and atmospheres from busy New York City traffic, the George Washington Bridge, the columnar Palisades, duck-watching along the Bashakill wetlands, climbing the diverse mountains of Schunemuck, the Shawangunks, the Catskills, fields, forests, towns, and pastures. He found it ever-changing.

How exciting to see these hikers come into our village and celebrate their achievement at the new Altamont Long Path Kiosk, then go visit Joe Burke and warm up in the cozy Altamont Free Library.

Deb Barnes Breitenbach

Altamont