It’s cold out there right now. But we all know that spring is just around the corner. What better time to start planning a little weekend excusion away from Manhattan?I found an excellent article about hiking upstate New York and the Hudson Weekend Backpacker: New York – Escape the Big Apple by Tim Nolan. Being from upstate New York myself, and having hiked a bit around Bear Mountain, I can tell you the views are breathtaking, and the hiking challenging. You’ll also get to touch the Appalachian Trail, that famous route running from Georgia in the south, all the way to Northern Maine.