Mohonk Preserve: Duck Pond and Eagle Cliff

Definitely not the worst approach to a trailhead

Mohonk tower from Duck Pond

No snakes on this day!

Summer house at top of Duck Pond Trail

Mohonk Lake

Winter!

The tower rising above the lake

The Mohonk Lake and Hotel from Eagle Cliff

A lovely chalet!

Below the tower and to the right you can make out the crevasse  that the  Lemon Squeeze goes through

A good spot to just chill

Vouchsafed?  But, I'll agree anyway

Eagle Cliff afforded views of the lake, hotel and tower

It got a bit windy up there

The Central Catskills definitely have snow

Looking towards Gertrude's Nose

Passed some fields on the way down

Lots of options at Mohonk: carriage trails, trails and scrambles

Sunshot

More lovely fields on the way down

Mohonk not only records precipitation, it monitors earthquakes

Duck Pond

Getting some ideas from 50 Hikes in the Hudson Valley, I ventured to the Mohonk Preserve to check out Duck Pond and a rock scramble to the tower.  Unfortunately the rock scramble would be out of the question since the trail is closed for the season.  I still was able to head to Duck Pond and went to Eagle Hill instead.

Mohonk is truly a special place.  I plan to finally become a member to avoid the $12 daily pass.  The views are stunning.  Plenty of great views of the tower from Duck Pond and Eagle Hill.  The previous day I saw no snow.  What a difference 500 feet elevation and 50 miles north makes.  Plenty of ice to contend with, but Stabilicers were unnecessary.  Mohonk Lake was frozen solid despite the thaw.  It was pretty cool seeing the reflections off the lake.  I'd love to walk across the lake under a full moon.

Rockefeller State Park Preserve

The big, bad Tapp

Many carriageways are line with rocks, called Rockefeller's teeth

Gory Brook, site of a Revolutionary War battle

Well marked trails!

Beautiful stone arch bridge

Pocantico River

Another stone arch bridge

A field under a blue sky

A typical carriageway

The name Rockefeller is synonymous with old money and conservation.  Here an old estate has been converted to a state park just 30 miles from NYC.  Having just come from Blue Mountain in Peekskill, I think how lucky New Yorkers are with the beautiful landscapes that have been set aside.  How many massive cities have this?

Rockefeller State Park Preserve is somewhere in between Harriman and Central Park (closer to Central Park).    Not much solitude here.  Lots of runners.  More running shoes than hiking boots.  Down State New York traffic was never far.  Regardless, I'm glad I came.

Lovely carriageways made its way through some beautiful fields and along Pocantico River and Gory Brook.  There is Eagle Hill with views of the Hudson and the soon to be replaced Tappan Zee (we'll see about that).  The highlight of the park are its stone arched bridges.  Nice spots to stop and have lunch and imagine horse drawn carriages making there way over.
      

Blue Mountain Reservation

 

From the summit of Blue Mt

A walk through a lovely hardwood forest

Looking south from Spitzenberg

Nature reclaiming

Unnamed Pond.  Still frozen after this week's thaw

In high school I can recall remembering Blue Mountain being a site for cross country meets for some of the local schools.  I never ran there.  I recently came across this in a book and thought I should check this place out.  Despite hearing shots fired from a nearby firing range, the park did not disappoint.

Armed with a book and no maps, I did have some difficulty finding my way.  Not a very large park, it did have quite few trails.  It had a blue trail that turned mysteriously white.  It had an orange/yellow trail and a green/yellow trail.  There was red and purple.  There was red, then purple.

Still very enjoyable.  The walk was through a hardwood forest with some nice marshes mixed in.  One of the trails followed a boggy brook.  Come spring, I'm certain this place is hopping.  Since I was heading for the high point of the park, I instinctively took the trail that was going up.  Eventually I figured out where I was on the low grade map in my book.  The views from Blue Mountain and Spitzenberg Mountain were a little obstructed but outstanding.  Dunderberg and Bear Mountain rose up from the Hudson to the west.  The reactors of Indian Point were also in view.


On the way out, I met a group of hikers.  One of them said, "Can you help me? Do you know where we are?  I'm disoriented."  I knew exactly how he felt.  I didn't know exactly where I was at the time.  But I at least could point them in the right direction.  Hopefully, they are still not walking around in circles up there.  

Ferncliff Forest

The Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge and the mighty Hudson

Cool cloud formation and an almost rainbow

Looking north

The view south toward downtown Kingston and Port Ewen

The wonderful fire tower

For much of the day it had been rainy and windy.  While driving over the bridge I noticed the sky clearing, with swift-moving, low-lying clouds.  What a sight!  I figured it'd be a good time to head to the fire tower in Ferncliff Forest.  

Every once in a while I encounter a douche while hiking.  As I'm walking up the trail, I spot a guy just standing in the middle of the trail, talking on his cell phone.  Then his dog comes charging at me.  He does not even acknowledge this.  

Once at the tower, I had it to myself.  I spent almost an hour up there, despite the wind.  I tried waiting out the rainbow, but it never did fully develop.  Mostly, I enjoyed the cool looking cloud cover.  The clouds hummed right on by as if they blew out of a smokestack.  Some of the clouds appeared fire-like.  Damn, I love having this place so close by! 

                                                                                                                                                                          

                                                                                   

Schunnemunk Mountain

A foto of the one of the few guys who has walked the entire  Long Path

A funny start near an old railroad bridge

I like this, "No danger.  Trespassing."

I felt like I was in Stand By Me

The view from High Knob.  The Thruway down below.

Kind of gunk-like

Hudson River Valley with Mt Beacon and Storm King

Storm King (the arts) in foreground.  Storm King (the mountain) in background to right.

Looking north to Stewart Airport

The Maniac Clown having some lunch

Hudson River and Newburgh-Beacon Bridge

Megaliths

On the summit

Long Path and the Maniac

The Maniac contemplating

Again, the Maniac contemplating

Another of my sunshots

                                                                                                                                                                                                              

The first time I had the pleasure of hiking with the Maniac Clown was on Schunnemunk about five years ago.  I recall there was some snow up high.  The Maniac envisioned having his snowboard and boarding down some of the different slopes we walked by.  On this day the Maniac envisioned having his oown mountain, putting lights up and having his own ski track around the mountain.  Yes, this would be another classic walk.  

We started off route 32 just north of Highland Mills.  We immediately picked up the Long Path, familiar territory for the MC.  The walk started out along the railroad.  I couldn't help but think of Stand By Me.  But on this day we would not be searching for a body.  At least we hoped not.  

The trail then climbed to over 1,000 feet to High Knob.  Great  views from High Knob.  The views north were somewhat obstructed by the McMansions down below.  I often bitch about that shit, but I am quite grateful I can hike on Schunnemunk.  Many of the views from Schunnemunk afford views of suburbia.  Regardless, Schunnemunk is a worthwhile destination.  The views of the Thruway (which I happen to travel quite often) were pretty freakin cool.  Great views to the east of the ridge from Mt Beacon to Breakneck could be made out.  The sculptures of the Storm King Art Center and Storm King Mountain could also be viewed.  

In between all the missed turns I made (it's been a long while since I have lost trail as much as I did today and that includes herd paths) the MC and I discussed why we thought Schunnemunk was kind of like the Gunks.  Is it because it rhymes?  Probably.  Schunnemunk is more like other Lower Hudson Valley hikes I've been on.  But that won't keep the MC and I from thinking we were hiking at Gunks-lite. 

Here some video: here and here.