On Sunday afternoon, I had to make a trip out to Allendale, NJ, in order to drop some keys off to a colleague of mine. As I was coming back, I remembered a little area just off of route 202 in the Township of Mahwah.

I pulled off into the Ramapo Reservation because I would go there from time to time on my work breaks and go for a little walk. On a whim, I decided to just go for a run instead.

Prior to the run, I took a little time to walk around and get my blood flowing, as I walked around, I took my smartphone out and snapped some pictures. I wish I would’ve had my GoPro Hero 3 with me so I could have gathered some shots during my run. Seeing as how it was on a whim, I was unprepared.

When I was done taking pictures, I walked back towards my car and began to stretch. I got back onto the path and began Running. I didn’t stay on the path that I walked, instead, I ran for the hills.

When I tell you that I was suffering on that run, well it’s because I truly was! I thought that Running Uphill on a treadmill would at least help me out a little, but it doesn’t even come close to running up an actual hill.

I just kept going up the hill because people were walking all around me (we all know that small sense of embarrassment that we get when people see us stop on a run). Honestly, I took maybe two moments during the run to collect myself, the run was a lot harder than I hoped it would be.

As I continued the run, I saw a man running with his two dogs, but he was taking it very slow and these two kids from Ramapo College running back down the hill. The only thought that came to mind was that there is an end to this run.

Once I made it to the halfway point, the sight was absolutely breathtaking. Trees to my front and rear, and a large body of water which dripped down into a stream on both sides of me. People who were hiking took a minute to rest up there, as I was up there, I told myself I’ll be back to complete the full trail next time.

I began to run back down, and I have to say, the best part about running uphill, is going back downhill. The momentum makes you look so fast, but you have to be careful of rocks and rolling your ankles.

Another thing, seeing as how Ramapo Reservation is a place where many people come to walk their dog, you have to keep your eyes on the ground. There are many landmines around, and by landmines, I mean dog crap. Some people curb their dogs, but not everyone.

Ramapo Reservation is very clean, and it looks absolutely gorgeous even in the winter season. It is an excellent place to run, walk your dog, walk with a friend, and even fish. If you need a little place to escape, and you are in the Bergen County area of New Jersey, then please feel free to visit Ramapo Reservation in Mahwah, New Jersey. Relax and take a breather, we could all use an escape!

Below are a few of the images that I have taken during my time there: