George Petty hiker-poet
Hiked the Ryker Lake Loop April 3. For a couple of years, at the north end where a beaver dam drowned the Rock Lodge Road ford, it has been impossible for the average hiker to cross the brook to complete the loop. But now, someone or something has moved some large boulders from the pile on the northeast end of the dam, and distributed them on the downstream side. It is now possible in moderately high water to hop, lean, or scramble over those boulders to the other side of the brook without getting your feet wet. This crossing is more fun than a formal expensive bridge, and the beavers have so far ignored it.
MUT - Peekskill Hollow to Stillwater
Between Peekskill Hollow Rd and Pudding there are numerous large trees down across the trail. Also the area before and after the stone building at the top of the ridge is a flooded mess from thaw and runoff.
On the other side of Pudding, there are also a few down trees block the path.
North and South Redoubts
The trail from Snake Hill acrossing from the Hoving Home is block in 5 or 6 places. The trail from the fork to the South Redoubt only has a couple of tress down.
Sunken Mine
I took the non blazed path between the creek and hidden lake next to the old mine area. Once it forks from blue to yellow the yellow is impassable along the lake (could be beaver dams or just flooded from all the Mar. rain. I continued on Blue and then the AT to 301. This was fine.
Bull Hill - Wasburn to Notch to Brook to Cornish
All good except one large tree across Notch before the left turn to Brook.. Also they closed the bridge over the brook and bypassed it over rocks. Otherwise all clean.
Happy Hiking!
Last Saturday, a group of us ascended Kaaterskill High Peak from the south trailhead on Platte Clove Road. Trail was in good shape, though just before the turnoff for the snowmobile trail on the north side, it was very muddy. Wild rmps everywhere.
I am going to the Buffalo area for the next few days and wonder if anyone knows of a loop hike (half day) up there. I have a half day before the flight home. Thank you
Jeff,
Thanks for the info regarding the Highland Lakes section. I'll look into this further. Additionally, if the blazes are no longer marked, I wonder if there is a trail maintainer for the section that needs help re-marking the section.
Webmaster, if this is the case or there is no maintainer, please let me know. I would be willing to help to re-mark the trail in either situation.
Jeff, it's great you have made it to the Catskills. My brother & I are now at Nyack and looking to hike the next section to Long Clove. From Piermont to Nyack was disappointing. Nothing to memorable in this section. Phil
Greetings tree188,
I've been doing the same south to north for about 2 years now. Up to north of Minnewaska, NY. The only issue I had was in Highland Lakes State Park. It's an "undeveloped" park. Not that that should prevent the blazes from being properly marked. Unfortunetly they weren't. Got really turned around and lost in there. The Long Path book even warns of it. Otherwise most of the trail is in pretty good shape. I suggest when you get to the road walk sections in Orange County that you Google Earth the roads first following the Long Path book. There have been some changes since the book was written also. You may even want to drive it first although that tends to take the adventure out of it.
As far as Greenbrook goes their mission is to be purely a nature sanctuary. Hence no food, etc. to be brought in. They seek to utilize it as a living experimental area.
I can't wait to start on the Catskills, good hiking, Jeff
The 7 Hills Trail has lots of little scrambles, and some spectacular views. If you have the Harriman-Bear Mountain map set, send me an email, and i'll give you some specific recommendations.
I did something similar a couple of weeks ago, but i started in Cold Spring. Took the Washburn Trail to the Notch Trail, and picked up the Breakneck Ridge Trail from there. It's a perfect hike if you use Metro North, but the walk from the end of the Casino Trail to the train station in Beacon is pretty long. The scrambling before you get to the fire tower, and the tower area itself are two of my favorite spots in NY.
Me and my wife have been on overnight trips in the Harrimans a few times now (all when snow was still knee deep on the mountains) and have never come across any signs of bears, nor any signs ABOUT bears! Any inexperience hiker won't even know that they are in bear country and should be practicing bear precautions, or even what kind of precautions they are. Initially I thought maybe that's because there're no bears in Harriman-Bear region, now I realize there are bears. I just can't understand why there isn't a single warning sign about it.
I too have seen half consumed fruits and used tissues (assuming they were used to after food) discarded along the trial and once a half bag of chips in the shelter. You're abusolutely right about it's time to step up the effort to better inform and educate hikers/campers before bears in Harriman get bolder and begin to "enjoy" people's left-over, and god forbid, eventually people.
I'm just really glad to know that bears in the park are still afraid of human and hope that our fellow humans are intelligent enough to know that we should keep it that way...
Thx a lot for the info Michael K7!
Me and my wife have been on overnight trips in the Harrimans a few times now (all when snow was still knee deep on the mountains) and have never come across any signs of bears, nor any signs ABOUT bears! Any inexperience hiker won't even know that they are in bear country and should be practicing bear precautions, or even what kind of precautions they are. Initially I thought maybe that's because there're no bears in Harriman-Bear region, now I realize there are bears. I just can't understand why there isn't a single warning sign about it.
I too have seen half consumed fruits and used tissues (assuming they were used to after food) discarded along the trial and once a half bag of chips in the shelter. You're abusolutely right about it's time to step up the effort to better inform and educate hikers/campers before bears in Harriman get bolder and begin to "enjoy" people's left-over, and god forbid, eventually people.
I'm just really glad to know that bears in the park are still afraid of human and hope that our fellow humans are intelligent enough to know that we should keep it that way...