Catskill Forest Preserve, NY - Warner Creek Trail

ABOUT THE PARK:
Phoenicia - Mt. Tobias Wild Forest - NY DEC

DIRECTIONS:
This was a shuttle hike done with Lynn, Glen and their dog, Trek, from Agile Trekker.

GPS Coordinates 42.076141, -74.227498 - We met at the Willow, NY post office (yes, that IS the post office) where we left my car and shuttled in Lynn and Glen's car to ...

GPS Coordinates 42.138938, -74.211270 - Pull out parking on Notch Inn Road.  You can't park in any further than this point.

TRAIL MAP:
Northeastern Catskill Trails Map 141 - New York New Jersey Trail Conference

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HIKE DISTANCE:  9 miles

THE HIKE:
This was an exhausting hike.  It alternates between 2 miles at a time of sustained, fairly steep uphill followed by sustained, fairly steep downhill with not much of a break in between. 

Shuttling to the start point in Lynn and Glen's car.

From the pull out parking spot, continue up Notch Inn Road ...

... to where it turns right.  At this point, turn left on to the trail.  There is no sign.

A short distance in, the yellow blazes begin.

It's all uphill, sometimes on loose rocks ...

... other times on smoother trail surface.

Half a mile in at the end of yellow, time for ...

... a break.

Now continuing uphill to the right on the blue-blazed Warner Creek Trail/aqua-blazed Long Path.  This is the only Long Path marker, it will be only blue markers from here on out.

Lynn, Glen and Trek went on ahead of us.  I stop too much to take pictures so it's just easier to split up and meet back up at the end.

Still going up.

This hike has almost nothing in the way of views, just a few glimpses here and there trough the trees.

I had told Lynn at the end of the hike that I got a bird but couldn't tell what it was until I could download it to my computer and was hoping it was something I had never seen before.  Indeed, it turned out to be my first ever Black-throated Blue Warbler!

A rocky climb up ...

... before things level out for a bit ...

... to the summit of Silver Hollow Mountain.  After just under 2 miles, already 1,186 feet of elevation gain.

Then it's downhill for the next 2.5 miles for a drop of about 1550 feet.  And you just know the entire time you are going to have to eventually climb back up again.

After crossing a rocky wet area ...

... with a nice log to sit on while soaking one's aching feet in a few inches of ice cold water flowing underneath ...

... a rock hop over Warner Creek.

Brodie actually walked right through the water.

Warner Creek

The trail continues along Warner Creek ...

... then switchbacks up in the other direction.

This is the uphill I knew was inevitable.

The trail switchbacks up through an old bluestone quarry.

Tool marks from the quarrying days.

We took LOTS of breaks on the way up.  I was afraid we might be hours behind Glen and Lynn but turns out they were taking just as many breaks and we were only 10 minutes behind them.

At last, our left turn on the Willow Trail, all downhill ...

... for the last 2.7 miles to the Willow post office.

There's stinging nettle in there.  Trust me, I know this firsthand.  Ouch.

A view ...

... of Overlook Mountain with the communications and fire towers.

Coming up on ...

... Jessup Road.

It starts out as a gravel road ...

... then becomes paved.

Just up ahead ...

... our car at the Willow post office ...

... and Lynn, Glen and Trek waiting for us.

The highlight of the hike was when we were shuttling back in my car and I had to hit the brakes as a bear crossed right in front of us.  He disappeared on the other side of the road somewhere in the red circle.  I was a nanosecond too late with grabbing the camera and missed getting him in the picture.

Tired hikers shuttling back.

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