Sterling Forest State Park, NY - Eagle Lake Loop

ABOUT THE PARK:
Sterling Forest State Park, NY - New York State Parks

 

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.15207, -74.23736

P19 parking at Eagle Lake.  There were cars parked everywhere but I have no idea why because we ran into nobody else on the trail.

TRAIL MAP:

Sterling Forest Trails Map 100 - NY/NJ Trail Conference

HIKE DISTANCE: .5 mile

This was hiked after the Hogback Mountain Trail - 4.6 miles (about a 10 minute drive away) 

THE HIKE: 

I had driven past this trail many times over the years and always meant to stop and check it out.  It's only half a mile around but it was worth stopping for.

The yellow-blazed Eagle Loop Trail goes right through the parking lot.  We went clockwise ...

... starting with a short stretch along Eagle Valley Road.

Eagle Lake

The trail leaves Eagle Valley Road.

I had absolutely no idea when I took this picture that there was a great blue heron in the tree on the left.  I first saw it when I uploaded the picture to my PC.

Sometimes the trail is paved, sometimes it is dirt.

Two swans in the lake ...

... nesting!

Some ring-necked ducks hanging out with the swans.

Very busy putting that nest in order.

Finishing the loop back at the parking lot.

Sterling Forest State Park, NY - Hogback Mountain

ABOUT THE PARK:
Sterling Forest State Park, NY - New York State Parks

 

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.23480, -74.23787

P7 parking at the end of Ironwood Drive.  There is also P6 parking at the Hogback Mountain trail head but I wanted to add some mileage so I chose this parking area. 

TRAIL MAP:

Sterling Forest Trails Map 100 - NY/NJ Trail Conference

HIKE DISTANCE:  4.6  miles

Hiked together with the Eagle Lake Loop - .5 mile (about a 10 minute drive away)

 

THE HIKE: 

This was my first real hike almost 4 months after hip replacement surgery.  Sterling Forest is hilly and even though this hike was mostly woods roads, it was as hilly as expected.  Lynn from Agile Trekker, who is recovering from both ankle and meniscus surgeries, hiked this the week prior and it looked like a good intro back to hiking for me also so thanks for the idea, Lynn.

Walking back out Ironwood  Drive.  From the parking area to the apartments is the yellow-blazed Sterling Valley Loop.

Just after the apartments yellow leaves to the right and the green triangle Hogback Connector follows Ironwood Road.

Spring migration in progress overhead.

The Hogback Mountain Trail starts on the left.

Hunting is over so we were good to go.

My first post-surgery obstacle.  The surgeon had said there is one position I should never put my leg in and at this blow down I realized that is exactly the position I would have used to get the surgical leg over so I had to be mindful of that and change how I went over.

Some lingering snow.

At this sign the trail goes downhill steeply to the left.  I was curious about the woods road straight ahead continuing on the other side of that downed tree.

I knew there was a pipeline up ahead and thought maybe that would connect to this woods road.

For now, left down the steep hill.

This comes out in parking P4 which probably isn't a parking option at all since the gate up ahead was locked.  This is probably only used as hunter parking in season and it did not look like there was any room to park without blocking the gate on the other side.

Looks like a path up into that pipeline cut.

The end of the Hogback Mountain Trail at the gate.

Heading up the pipeline cut.

There it is, the other end of that woods road.

But first I wanted to go up the next rise as there appeared to be a pond on the map.

Yes, there is the pond but it was way too steep to get down there so ...

... we took a break instead before heading back to that woods road.

On the woods road which was very clear.

And here we are coming up on the other side of that downed tree.

Now continuing straight to retrace.  That yellow steep hill sign is on the right.

When Dan and Laura Balogh did this hike they turned right on this woods road in search of Tiger Mountain but they did not make it since the woods road fizzled out.

A little farther along another woods road splits off to the left and it looked like a short bushwhack to connect to another woods road that would lead back to the Hogback Mountain Trail.  What the heck, we gave it a shot.

There is a no mountain bike sign.

We were on track (we are the blue dot) but this woods road fizzled out also.   But I have Brodie who is developing quite a sense of keeping on a trail even though there is none so seeing as he was staying on track, I just let him lead the way.

He led me straight to balloon #3 of the year.

Here we are at the bushwhack part trying to connect from one woods road to the other.

By golly, Brodie got us there.

And here we are joining back up with the Hogback Mountain Trail.

Sitting on a log in the middle of the woods in total peace and quite was amazing.  I hadn't realized just how much I missed that.

Coming back up on Ironwood Road.

The end of the Hogback Mountain connector trail ...

... back onto the Sterling Valley Loop trail.

There were a few more cars at the end but they must have been on the Sterling Valley Loop because there was nobody else on the Hogback Mountain Trail.