Monday, May 13, 2013

Harriman State Park, NY - Dunderberg Mountain


ABOUT THE PARK:
Dunderberg Spiral Railway - Joseph Brennan

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.281136, -73.962908

View Larger Map
Parking lot along 9W/202

TRAIL MAP:  NY/NJ Trail Conference Northern Harriman Bear Mountain Trails Map 119

DISTANCE:
7 miles
This is the same hike as described here.

THE HIKE:
The trail head is a short distance south on 9W/202. 
There are also some paths directly from the parking lot - the path I took came to a T-intersection and turning left brought me to the blue/red-dot-on-white trail where I turned right.
The climbing begins and there is a lot of climbing on this hike!
A Dunderberg Spiral Railway tunnel, part of the incomplete railway built in 1890.
We were being watched ...
... from way up high.
A nice flat section on the blue-blazed Timp-Torne Trail.
DSR tunnel.
Some payoff for all of that climbing - looking south down the Hudson River.
View to the east.
A very short stretch on the 1777 Trail.
More climbing on the red-dot-on-white Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail.
View west into Harriman State Park from Bald Mountain.
Heading to the other side of Bald Mountain for more views.
Looking north up the Hudson River.
Bear Mountain
Perkins Tower on Bear Mountain
Bear Mountain Bridge
Anthony's Nose
On to the next view - and there are many more to come!
Lots of partial views along the way.
A partial view of the New York City skyline,
View east.
A train ....
... crossing at the eastern side of the Hudson.
Dragonfly
On the way down, more remnants of the never completed Dunderberg Spiral Railway.
Loose rocks on the grade on the way down.
Meeting back up with the combined Ramapo-Dunderberg/Timp-Torne Trails and a steep descent.
Hand crafted 123 years ago.
Dogwood and a dog.
The end of the trail at 9W/202.
A short walk back to the parking lot.

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  Either walk south on 9W/202 to the trail head or take a footpath from the parking lot, turn left at the T-intersection, then right on blue/red-dot-on-white
[  0.30]  Turn left on blue when red-dot-on-white goes right
[  1.20]  Cross creek with small waterfalls then unmarked Jones Road
[  1.60]  Cross creek
[  2.60]  At large cairn, turn right on 1777
[  2.65]  Turn right on red-dot-on-white
[  3.00]  Rock hop creek where trail joins woods road
[  3.80]  Right on red-dot-on-white when blue goes left
[  6.00]  Short white-blazed side trail on right to views
[  6.75]  Left on red-dot-on-white when blue joins in from the right
[  6.95]  Trails end, turn left on 9W/202
[  7.00]  Back at parking lot

Monday, May 6, 2013

High Mountain Park Preserve, NJ - Eastern Section


ABOUT THE PARK:
High Mountain Park Preserve - The Nature Conservancy
High Mountain Park Preserve - Township of Wayne
High Mountain Park Preserve Offers Escape Into Nature - NorthJersey.com

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.952038, -74.200523

View Larger Map
Nice hiker lot on College Road across the street from William Patterson University.  (Parking used to be in the university lot.)

TRAIL MAP:
High Mountain Trail Map - Township of Wayne
Jersey Highland Trails Map 125 - New York New Jersey Trail Conference

HIKE DISTANCE:  8 miles

THE HIKE:
The red trail starts at the kiosk in the parking lot.
Intersection with the white trail.
The white trail along the golf course.
A little pond off to the left ...
... with some very angry geese, most likely guarding a nest.
An archway of blowdowns.
This blowdown, with it's entire root ball exposed, is in full bloom.
A lot of blowdowns in the white trail/yellow trail intersection area but they have all been sawed through and the trail is clear.
Continuing on yellow to the western views.
Left at the fork around the huge mound for the views.  (The yellow rail continues right downhill.)
View of Point View Reservoir and mountains to the west.
Retrace back on the yellow trail all the way to a residential street.
Turn right and walk a short distance to about half way around the cul-de-sac, then continue on yellow to the right into the woods.
Approaching the view on High Mountain.
Unfortunately, it was pretty hazy on the horizon so it wasn't the best day the New York City view.
Some more views while descending on the yellow trail.
Heading back on red ...
... to the parking lot.

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  Take the red trail at the kiosk
[  0.70]  Straight on red when yellow starts to the right
[  0.75]  Left on white when red continues to the right
[  1.75]  Short side trail on left to pond
[  2.65]  White curves around section of blowdowns and ends at yellow (no blazes at intersection)
[  3.10]  Left at unmarked fork, yellow blazes resume
[  3.55]  Right at fork to view when yellow turns right downhill;  retrace
[  4.05]  Keep right on yellow when a trail goes left
[  4.55]  Straight on yellow when white goes right at unmarked intersection in blowdowns
[  4.70]  Turn right on residential road to half way around cul-de-sac, turn right into woods on trail
[  5.45]  Keep straight on yellow when red crosses over
[  6.40]  View on High Mountain
[  7.40]  Yellow ends, turn left on red
[  8.00]  Back at parking lot