Stony Brook Chipmunk Mountain Loop

Harriman State Park,
Rockland Co.,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Pine Meadow Trail: Red blaze
Stony Brook Trail: Yellow blaze
Hillburn-Torne-Sebago (HTS) Trail: Orange blaze
Seven Hills Trail: Blue Blaze
Connector Trail: Unblazed

Total Time: 1:55 hour
Estimated Distance: 3.6 Miles

Pros: Scenic area along brook, excellent views
Cons: None
Hike Type: 8 Loop hike
Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Google Maps of Parking:
https://goo.gl/maps/27U9tBKeKFdJQp3a9

This hike was after the season's first snowfall, which was quite significant with about 10 inches of snow. This is a normally very busy area, with many hikers, but now with the fresh snow it was very empty.

I parked at the Reeves Meadow parking area, and took the Pine Meadow Trail along the overflowing brook, and continued along the trail past the Stony Brook Trail intersection. I continued until the HTS Trail, which I took south to the top of Chipmunk Mountain. This mountain features a very good vista, with a view of many miles.

I then took the Seven Hills Trail down the mountain, down to the valley floor at the Pine Meadow Trail. I took the Pine Meadow Trail back down the mountain, and then took the Connector Trail down to the Stony Brook Trail. I observed the bridge at the end of the Connector Trail was still not built. I continued along the Stony Brook Trail down to the Pine Meadow Trail and then back to the trailhead.

Map of the Route

The End of Reeves Brook on the Pine Meadow Trail

Snowy Bridge Over Reeves Brook

A Snowy Reeves Brook from the Bridge

Stony Brook by the Large Boulder in the Brook

Ice-Surrounded Rock in the Stony Brook

Beautiful Scenery along the Stony Brook

Snow and Ice in the Stony Brook

Stony Brook and Pine Meadow Trail Intersection

Evergreen Mountain Laurel Forest on the HTS Trail

Great View Atop Chipmunk Mountain

Chipumk Mountain Facing West

Chipmunk Mountain Facing Northwest

Me on Chipmunk Mountain

Me at Chipmunk Mountain, To the North with Diamond Mountain Behind Me

Diamond Mountain from Chipmunk Mountain, Facing North

Another View of Diamond Mountain, Facing North

Snow Covered Trail at the Top of Chipmunk Mountain

Beautiful View

Another View Facing East

Zoomed in to the Northwest

Another View Facing North

Ramapo Torne Powerlines to Ramapo Torne Pt 2

Harriman State Park,
Rockland Co.,
New York

Hiking Trails:
White Trail: White blaze
Yellow Trail: Yellow blaze
Red Trail: Red blaze
Hillburn Torne Sebago (HTS) Trail: Orange blaze
Blue Trail: Blue/white blaze

Total Time: 2:30 hour
Estimated Distance: 3.8 Miles

Pros: Good climbing with excellent views
Cons: Powerlines mar the tranquility

Prior to my overseas trip, I had hike in this area, taking the trails from the Powerlines rock climbing area in Harriman to Ramapo Torne. I noticed many marked trails in the area that are used as rock climbing access points, and did not have enough time to check all of them out. I also wanted to cut across to Ramapo Torne from the brook, a bit further out than the last time.

I parked my car at Tone Valley Road, and took the White Trail white along trail to where it goes under the power lines, with the rock cliff to my right. I then took a Yellow Trail back to the White Trail, which I took to the Red Trail which goes to the northern end of the climbing area. I then bushwacked and met up with an old path that runs parallel to the stream, and passed a short waterfall before connecting to the HTS Trail. I took the HTS Trail up Ramapo Torne, which is a strenuous and sheer climb, and took some pictures at the top. (I had left my hiking poles at the top of this mountain two weeks prior, and hoped to retrieve them, but they were gone.)

I then turned around and went back down the scramble part on the HTS Trail, and cut across what is known as the Whightman Plateau (the flatter area above the Powerlines climbing area), and then met up with the Red Trail, which I took to the Blue Trail, back to the White Trail, and then back to my car.

Map of the Route

Large Cliff Wall Behind the Powerlines

Frozen Water Flow on Cliff Wall

View from the First Cliff Wall by the Powerlines

Large Cliff Wall Behind the Powerlines 

Large Rock Faces

Another Rock Wall Behind the Beginning of the Red Trail

Partially Frozen Waterfall

Another View of the Waterfall

Frozen Part of the Waterfall

Frozen Icicles by the Waterfall

Strange Cryptic Wording Behind the Waterfall

Fellow Hikers Climbing the HTS Trail on Ramapo Torne

View on the Top of the Scramble on the HTS Trail

Another View Ascending Ramapo Torne

Ramapo Torne Summit in the Distance

HTS Rock Scramble

View on top of Ramapo Torne Summit

Another View at the Summit

Me at the Ramapo Torne Summit

Another View of me at the Summit

Hikers at the Ramapo Torne Summit

Another View Past the Large Rock at the Summit Area

Ramapo Torne Powerlines to Ramapo Torne

Harriman State Park,
Rockland Co.,
New York

Hiking Trails:
White Trail: White blaze
Orange Trail: Orange blaze
Hillburn Torne Sebago Trail: Orange blaze
7 Hills Trail: Blue blaze
Reeves Brook Trail: White blaze

Total Time: 2:40 hour
Estimated Distance: 3.9 Miles

Pros: Good climbing with excellent views
Cons: Powerlines mar the tranquility

Hiking Partners:
Shimmy Rosenberg
Yehudah Koblick

In 2013, an area in Harriman State Park near Torne Valley Road had opened up to rock climbing. This was due to positive efforts by the Torne Valley Climbers' Coalition to get the state to allow climbing in this rugged area of Harriman with steep cliffs and rock walls. This area, known as the "Powerlinez" is now a popular area  for small-scale rock climbing that is very close by.

I had never been hear before, and only heard about the area, and decided to check it out. It was very quiet when were there, with no one in sight in the area. None of the rock climbing trails and routes are in the Trail Conference maps. I made due leading the way on the trail blazes, as well as using GPS.

We did this as a two car hike. We parked one car at Tone Valley Road, and the other at the Reeves Meadow area off 7 Lakes Drive. We started at the Torne Valley area, taking the White Trail white has its terminus here. We continued along trail to where it goes under the power lines, and we observed the many rock walls for climbing. We took the White Trail to the Orange Trail, which abruptly ends supposedly at the end of the area where climbing is allow. At this point we bushwacked from this area to the Hillburn Torne Sebago (HTS) Trail. After meeting up with he HTS Trail, we climbed to the top of Ramapo Torne, where there is an exceptional view. We continued along the HTS Trail, to its intersection with the 7 Hills Trail, which we took down the mountain. We continued along the 7 Hills Trail to the unmarked connector trail to the Reeves Brook Trail, which we took to the trailhead where the second car was parked.

Map of the Route

Beginning of the Rock Climbing Trail 

Signs and Warnings at the Entrance

Yehudah and Shimmy Going up the Powerlinez Trail

Large Rock Wall at the Powerlinez

Ascending the Powerlinez Area

Large Rock Wall

View from the Top of the Powerlinez Area

Rock Tunnel Formation Right before the HTS Trail

Ascending Ramapo Torne on the HTS Trail

Beautiful View Facing West

Yehudah Ascending the Mountain

View Facing Northwest

Shimmy Ascending the Last Leg of the Mountain

Large Rock atop Ramapo Torne

View from Ramapo Torne Facing South, with the Landfill Below

View of the Thruway Facing South from Ramapo Torne

View from Summit Facing West 

Me at the Summit Rock

Me on the Summit Rock, Facing Souh

Manhattan Skyline in the Distance

Upper West Side and George Washington Bridge

Me at the View