Sunday, December 15, 2013

Halfway Mountain Snowstorm

Harriman State Park
Rockland Co.,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Pine Meadow Trail: Red blaze
Stony Brook Trail: Yellow blaze
Kakiat Trail: White blaze
Hillburn-Torne-Sebago (HTS) Trail: Orange blaze

Total Time: 1:50
Estimated Distance: 2.7 miles
Level of Difficulty: Difficult in snow conditions
Level of Recommendation: Recommended
Points Of Interest: Stony Brook and Halfway Mountain
Pros: Good hike for a fresh snowstorm
Cons: Been here many times

Google Map of Parking:

View 2013 Hiking Locations in a larger map

It had just snowed about 8 inches on Saturday/Saturday night, so there was a fresh layer of new snow. When I headed out some of the roads were still covered with snow, and I ended up driving through Harriman first only to see that there was no parking at many of the trailheads since they weren't plowed yet. I ended up driving to the Reeves Meadow area, which is the busiest trailhead in Harriman, and I knew it would be plowed there.

It was still surprisingly quiet along the hike, with only few cars in the usually busy parking lot. Once I had gotten to the Stony Brook Trail there was only one  pair of footsteps ahead of me, and when I took the HTS Trail I was the first one to take it since the snow. I turned around at the HTS views and went back down, and my plan was to cross the brook and go down via the Pine Meadow Trail. However, it was very hard to cross the show and ice-covered brook with all the new water and no bridge. Once I crossed I headed back down via the Pine Meadow Trail.

Map of the Route.
Harriman/.Bear Mountain Trails Southern Map

Snowy Bridge Near the Beginning of the Hike

Snow and Ice Covered Stony Brook

Thy Sky Starting to Clear at the Gas Line Crossing.

The Stony Brook in the Scenic Narrow Area After the Gas Line

Bridge Crossing the Pine Meadow Brook

Climbing Up Halfway Mountain on the HTS Trail,
Making the First Footsteps up the Mountain

View from Halfway Mountain, Looking Over the
Pine Meadow Brook Valley to Chipmunk Mnt

View from Halway Mountain, Looking West.

View From Halfway Mountain Looking West, Zoomed.

Evergreen Mountain Laurels Along the Pine Meadow Trail

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