Appalachian Trail, NY - Buchanan Mountain to Mombasha High Point

ABOUT THE PARK: 

Appalachian Trail in New York - Appalachian Trail Conservancy

NY Sterling Forest State Park - New York State Parks

DIRECTIONS: 

GPS Coordinates 41.26623, -74.19398

Two parking spots where the AT crosses East Mombasha Road.  There is additional parking on the other side of East Mombasha Road a little to the south.

TRAIL MAP: 

Sterling Forest Trails - New York New Jersey Trail Conference

Sterling Forest Trails - Avenza Maps - New York New Jersey Trail Conferece (I relied heavily on this version of the map to navigate unmarked woods road as the Gaia app does not show them.)

HIKE DISTANCE:  9.6 miles

THE HIKE: 

While Brodie is still benched from hiking (he is doing much better and is about 90% back to normal from his bout with old dog vestibular disease) I wanted to get this hike in on a very rugged part of the Appalachian Trail.  The "rugged" part did not disappoint.  In fact, the first half of a mile was so steep and rugged I decided right then and there that I was road walking back to avoid doing that part a second time.  It was no joke.  At the end of the hike, as I was almost at my car walking on East Mombasha Road, I saw a man coming off of the AT and walking towards me on the road.  I asked him about that part and he said no way was he going back that way, he was road walking back to his car which was on West Mombasha Road.  So it wasn't just me!

Heading south on the Appalachian Trail.

It immediately starts with a steep climb up.

Just when you think you are at the top ...

... the trail climbs again.

A little bit of a reprieve at the top, then ...

... down ...

... down and more down.  It was made even more difficult by water that had frozen overnight covering surfaces with ice.  There were many times I had to sit and scoot down.

Looking back up a part I had just descended but it's steeper than it looks.

It just keeps going down steeply.

I had to throw my trekking poles and backpack down so I could lower myself.

Looking back up.

Looking back at the wall I had just descended.  Going back up on the return route?  No thank you.  At this point I had only gone .3 miles in 45 minutes.

Down some more ...

... then four easy enough rock hop creek crossings before the trail ascends again ...

... to an overlook.

Then trail then follows along a ledge with a steep drop to the left.

I would end up down there but not this way, thank goodness.

It would be this way ...

... which is very mild in comparison.  There would be no more sections as difficult as that first part.

Of course it would not be the AT without a rocky section thrown in.

Winter views of Mombasha Lake.

Note how the last section to West Mombasha road is solid rocks when there are no rocks to either side of the trail.

Crossing West Mombasha Road I looked to the left to see if there was enough space to road walk and there was so this would be where my road walk part would start on the way back..

After crossing the road, there are puncheons and ...

... a bench to sit on to change into sneakers later on.  Cool!  I had brought sneakers in case the unmarked woods road part I had planned was not doable resulting in a road walk back.  Glad I had them with me since it would be road walk regardless.

The puncheons continue for a long time although the ground underneath was dry.  Maybe it was not at some point.

Passing a small pond.

Just before the trail starts to ascend up to Mombasha Point, the woods road I would be coming back on crosses over.  I looked to the left to see how clear it looked and was pleasantly surprised to see that it looked completely clear.  I would just have to check out the other end when I got there.

Trust me, the climb up to Mombasha Point was a piece of cake after that first part.

Looking back down at Mombasha Lake.

Coming up on ...

... what used to be views at Mombasha High Point, now overgrown.  In the summer there would be nothing to see at all.

Packed out a sealed beer can that only had a little bit of beer in it. It was ice cold but I can't stand beer.  Were it a sealed can of wine, well, that is a whole other story.

At the trail register, the AT turns right joining the Highlands Trail.  I kept straight on the blue Allis Trail/Highlands Trail which leaves the Appalachian Scenic National Trail corridor and enters Sterling Forest State Park.

Left on the DD Trail.

After this creek crossing ...

... entering Doris Duke Wildlife Sanctuary part of Sterling Forest and ...

... leaving Sterling Forest State Park.  Something to be aware of if hiking here during hunting season.

The DD Trail descends pretty smoothly.

Here is the other end of that woods road I wanted to take.  It looks clear but I wanted to keep right on the DD trail down to the lake first.  I would be keeping an eye out to see if bushwhacking over to that woods road would be doable instead of coming all the way back to this intersection.

I went to the overlook at the lake ...

... and snapped a picture and left because a loud hiking group had just sat down at the overlook to have lunch.  Seriously?  Fortunately it was the only time, other than a hiker or two, when I ran into other people.

On the way to the lake I had noticed a woods road not on the map straight ahead in this direction at lake level, where I had come down from the left before.  Seems like this might be a direct route to that woods road I wanted to take?

Nice and clear!

And indeed, it led straight to where I wanted to be.  There was just one problem.

To stay on that woods road, you would need to swim over the inlet of the lake.

Nice view of the lake from the inlet. I decided to head to the left to see if I could find a way over.

After crossing a small stream with logs over it ...

... there was actually a footpath to a more narrow part of the inlet.

Easy crossing!

A path leads back to the woods road so others have done this.  Looking back at the wide water crossing where I was before.

This woods road goes along the back side of the lake.

Many, many old stone boundary walls all around.

The woods road was surprisingly clear throughout but the Avenza map is needed when coming to intersections, at least for my horrible sense of direction.

I would not have known which way to go here without the map.

Crossing at a higher level of that inlet the other side of a swamp makes for some wet areas.

Well, now, if this wasn't a pleasant surprise.  

And another one!

At the top of this hill ...

... the Appalachian Trial crosses over.  Turning right to retrace.

Balloon #2 of the year.

Changing into sneakers at that bench.

Right on West Mombasha Road.

Kloibers Pond on the left.

Left on Bramertown Road at the stop sign.

The road walking was not so bad, not a whole lot of traffic.  The road walk portion comes to 2.15 miles where the AT from West Mombasha Road to East Mombasha Road is 1.5 miles.

Parking for Sterling Forest State Park on the shoulder.

Left on East Mombasha Drive.

No traffic at all here.

I would like to know how one could even launch a boat here?

Back at the beginning.