Feb 23, 2014 - MINNEWASKA STATE PARK in the Shawangunks west of New Paltz. $6pp to ski. Out on the groomed Awosting Lake Carriage Road, a hint of iciness in the morning with temp in upper 30s. View of Rainbow Falls. To the ungroomed Lake Shore Carriage Rd & around Awosting Lake. Side-trip to Spruce Glen for lunch. Back to LA then under the overhanging cliffs of Battlement Terrace up to Castle Point (el 2,193') - wide-ranging views incl. High Point in NJ. Generally downhill on Castle Point Carriage Rd on soft surface with temp in 40s, lots of viewpoints along the way. Love the rocky scenery in the Gunks. Good skiing on ~2' of snow, mostly novice, some steeper hills near Lake Minnewaska. Most other skiers were on skinny skis & stayed on the groomed carriage roads. 11+ miles, 5.2 hours.
June 9, 2013 - MINNEWASKA STATE PARK hike. From Awosting parking area. Mossy Glen trail - bridge out over the Peter's Kill, water level high due to recent rains so bushwhacked upstream then out to the carriage road. After crossing Fly Stream took L on orange trail (used to be the Long Path) climbing up rock slabs revealing a view of the Catskills. Dropped steeply into Huntington Ravine to the foot of pretty Rainbow Falls. Continued up out of the ravine eventually reaching Litchfield Ledge where there are wonderful views of Lake Awosting, the Catskills, The Badlands, Rondout Reservoir & more - long break for lunch. Moved on to Battlement Terrace & Castle Point with views to the Hudson Valley & NJ. Looped back on the Blueberry Path, fittingly named, & good bridge over the Peter's Kill. Finished on the carriage road. Mountain laurel flowers (mostly pink, some white) plentiful but mostly not open yet, saw some sheep laurel flowering. 5' long black rat snake, small water snake; a few blackflies at the falls & on carriage road. 9+ miles, ~1,000 gross elevation, 6.2 hours.
June 3, 2013 - PETER'S KILL AREA hike. Shawangunks, from park office Minnewaska State Park - get map here, some new trails in the area. $8 parking fee. High Peter's Kill Footpath over notch in Dickie Barre (from W side: view of cliffs across the PK clove & N to the Catskills; from E side: view across Coxsing Kill clove to Trapps & Mohonk's Sky Top Tower), Red Loop, Bullwheel Trail - lots of steep ups & downs. Off-trail upstream (rock-hopped & waded across the stream to get to a waterfall with initial 6' drop followed by 20' drop) & downstream: cascades & falls on the PK. Pitch pine, scrub oak, blueberry, huckleberry, mountain laurel (starting to bloom). Turkey vultures, chipping sparrows. A few disinterested blackflies - not a problem. I love the 'gunks! 4.5 hours.
Oct 22, 2012 - BONTICOU CRAG hike. Gotta love that name! Leaf-peeping in the Gunks. Camped at a primitive camping area at the foot of The Trapps on Rt.299 - nice spot except steep downhill to campsites from parking area & too close to road. 3 bears (mother & cubs) passed near to campsite during my morning coffee. $12pp trail fee at Mohonk Preserve. Had to use hands, feet & knees to climb the near vertical 150' cliff face of the Crag - quite the experience. Follow the yellow blazes of the Bonticou Ascent Path. Great views - spent 1.5 hours enjoying the top. Returned the easy but longer way thru pitch pines, oaks & mountain laurel heading N on the Northeast Trail (good views of the Catskills), L on Clearwater Rd then L on Table Rocks Trail. Garter & black rat snakes. 5 miles, 4+ hours.
Pics from a variety of trips in the Gunks:
Nov 14, 2010 - RAINBOW FALLS & LITCHFIELD LEDGE hike. Ya gotta love rock... Shawangunks. Minnewaska State Park W of New Paltz - there was a line of cars waiting to get into the main parking area (charge for parking). Long Path from Jenny Lane (free parking, room for 6 vehicles) - rough & rocky for a couple of miles until reaching smooth rock up on the ridge. No snakes. Mostly carriageways on the return. 5.2 hours.
Oct 31, 2005 - SKY TOP - MOHONK MOUNTAIN HOUSE & PRESERVE hike. West Trapps section of Shawangunks west of New Paltz. Rocks, cliffs & wonderful fall foliage. Carriage roads are wide smooth crushed shale, trails can be rocky & rough. Preserve charges day use fee of $8 per hiker (no camping). From West Trapps parking area on Rtes.44/55 started out on Overcliff Carriage Rd with views across Rondout Valley to the Catskills. Barely squeezed myself thru "The Crevice" - had to take my pack off to do it - ladders help get up thru it & to the tower (there are easier ways of getting to the tower). Super 360 view - Mountain House is a huge hotel on Lake Mohonk below. Gazebo-like "summerhouses" dot the route - good places to rest & enjoy the views. Dropped to the lake then thru a maze of talus, caves, crevices thru Giant's ... Returned via Undercliff Carriage Rd below 300' cliffs & views E across Wallkill & Hudson Valleys. White-tailed deer, turkey vultures. 500', 10 miles, 4.2 hrs.
June 6, 2005 - GERTRUDE'S NOSE hike in Minnewaska State Park Preserve (parking $6), in the northern Shawangunks (or "Gunks") W of New Paltz. Started down E side of Lake Minnewaska, a small clear lake ringed with woods & white quartzose cliffs. Then Millbrook Mtn Carriageway to Gertrude's Nose Path which is often near cliff edge. Super view altho hazy with today's humidity. Rumblings of thunder hastened my return on W side of the lake. Pitch pines, oaks, blueberry & mountain laurel (just starting to blossom - should be in full bloom in a week). Bugs minimal - some blackflies in parking lot. 6.5 miles, 4.25 hrs. Storm came thru 15 min. after I was done. Hunkered down at The Gilded Otter in New Paltz - $3 special pint of Oatmeal Stout - good food, too.
Oct 31, 2004 - SAM'S POINT PRESERVE hike, near Ellenville. W side of the northern Gunks. Trail (an old paved road past oaks & mountain laurel) goes 0.6 mi. to a lookout at top of cliffs - other trails branch & lead to Ice Caves, Verkeederkill Falls, Minnewaska SP & more. Area above cliffs is ridgetop dwarf pine barrens with stunted pitch pine, blueberry, sheep laurel & huckleberry. Could see Hudson Highlands, the Basher Kill in the distance & High Point Monument, the highest point in New Jersey beyond. Saw several snow buntings, down from their Arctic summer breeding grounds. Red sunset & out.
Oct. 22, 2000 - Minnewaska State Park, The Shawangunks (the "Gunks" for short) hike. As one drives west of New Paltz, one sees the cliffs of the Trapps, a popular rock climbing area. At 10am, many of the parking areas were already full, so get an early start. We passed the main Minnewaska S.P. access & paid our $5 to park at the Awosting lot (ask for a map here - it's not too good but may help). Area has some trails & many carriage roads (basic, relatively smooth, dirt roads) popular with bikers, horses & walkers. Just past the gate we head left onto the recently-constructed Mossy Glen Trail (not found on most maps - marked with yellow paint blazes) & soon cross a bridge over the Peters Kill. The trail follows the scenic Peters Kill for about 1.5 mi. - lots of mountain laurel & some rhododendron along the way. We take a right on the Bluberry Run trail crossing the stream & join the carriage road for a while before taking a left on the Long Path (turquoise paint blazes). Uphill across open rock, views of the Catskills. Sharply down into Huntington Ravine & Rainbow Falls for lunch. With back to the sun one could see rainbows in the falls; tempting to linger here longer. Uphill again, crossing Awosting Lake Carriage Rd. & over to Litchfield Ledge, a cliff-top with superb views of Awosting Lake, Sam's Point & Catskills. Following close to cliff trail joins Castle Point Carriage Rd. past Battlement Terrace to popular Castle Point (el. 2,200') & its views of the Hudson Valley, Gertrude's Nose & the southern Gunks. Picked up the Bluberry Run trail & returned to the Mossy Glen trail to complete the circuit. Saw 4 deer; lots of blueberry bushes, pitch pine (stunted 5' ones at higher altitude could be over 100 years old), oaks, mountain laurel; some hemlock, white pine, red maple (colors definitely past peak), sassafras; lots of rocky cliffs. Roundtrip about 10 mi., 600' el. change, 7 hours. The carriage roads are great for biking; the trails for hiking & getting away from the crowds.
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