Kakiat Lower Lookout Loop

Kakiat County Park
Rockland County,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Old Mill Trail: Blue blaze
Kakiat Trail: White blaze
Mountain Trail: Orange blaze

Total Time: 0:45 hours
Estimated Distance: 1.5 miles
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Level of Recommendation: Highly Recommended
Points Of Interest: Nice view for a short hike
Pros: Good bushwack, excellent view
Cons: Bushwack part is more difficult since Hurricane Sandy

Google Map of Parking:

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My time has been very tight during the month of September this year, so I had to keep this hike close to home and short. I parked at the Kakiat Trailhead, and took the Old Mill Trail for a very short distance to the shortcut to the Kakiat Trail. Took the Kakiat Trail past the gas line and up the steep ascent, and then cut across on a bushwack to the south while still climbing. This area once provided a very easy bushwack to the Kakiat Lower Viewpoint. However, many downed trees since Hurricane Sandy have made it slightly more difficult to follow, though it is still a good bushwack. I bushwacked this route to the Lower Viewpoint, and then took the Mountain Trail back down to the trailhead.

Map of the Route

Rockface Climb on the Bushwack Part

Approaching the Viewpoint.
Looking South/Southeast to the Suffern School and Manhattan Skyline in Distance

Zoomed in View of Above Picture

View at the Kakiat Lower Viewpoint.
Facing South/Southeast toward Midtown and Downtown Manhattan

From the View Facing South

From the View Facing East Towards Rockland Community College

South Mountain

South Mountain County Park,
Mt. Ivy,
Rockland County,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Long Path: Green blaze

Total Time: 1:45 hours
Estimated Distance: 4.5 miles
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Level of Recommendation: Recommended
Points Of Interest: Good and mostly easy walk along ridge

Google Maps of Parking:

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This hike starts near the very end of the Palisades Sill, as it dips into the group and goes underground. The Palisades is a narrow diabase ridge along the western side of the Hudson River, and ridge bends west at Haverstraw going to Mt. Ivy where it abruptly ends. I parked in the small parking area off Route 45, right near the Palisades Parkway intersection, and took the Long Path up. Shortly after the small climb, a nice view north opens up above the sheer cliff of the quarry wall below.

I continued east along the Long Path, over the South Mountain summit, and then hit the next view which faces south in about a mile. Continued along the Long Path all the way to South Central Highway, which is a road that climbs the mountain as a busy and windy road. From here turned around and took the unmarked woods road, which runs parallel to the Long Path, all the way to the communications tower, and then back to the Long Path and the same way I came.

Map of the Route

Sheer Cliff Wall on the Quarry.
This is near the beginning of the hike.

View Above the Quarry Wall.
Facing North/Northeast Towards West Mountain and The Timp

View above the Quarry Wall facing Garnerville
and Cheescoate Mountain in the Distance. Facing North.

Another View Above the Quarry Wall.
Facing West Towards the Palisades and
File Factory Hollow in Harriman.

Another View of the Above, More Zoomed.

View Past the Summit, Facing South.

Another View, Facing Southeast.

Another View Facing South.

Sign at the Trailhead of Central Highway.

Cheescoate Pond

Cheesecoate Mountain Town Park,
Rockland County,
New York

Trails:
Long Path: Green blaze
Unmarked path around Cheescoate Pond

Total Time: 0:15 hr
Estimated Distance: 0.7 Miles
Level of Difficulty: Very Easy
Level of Recommendation: Recommended for a very short walk
Points Of Interest: Scenic and tranquil pond

Google Maps of Parking:

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This is another very short hike. It is more of a walk then a hike, as much of the path is a wide, double-lane path. Cheescoate Pond is a very serene and scenic pond with a path around the lake. The fall foliage was already starting so I made sure to get some good pictures. I parked on Cheescoate Lane, a short cul-de-sac in the new expensive housing development, where a path at the Cul de sac leads to the pond. The Long Path skirts along the south part of the pond. I took the path around the lake and then headed back to the car.

Map of the Route

Cheescoate Pond from the South Shore, near the inlet

Cheescoate Pond from the North Shore, at the outlet

Same view as above zoomed in.
Note the foliage colors beginning to display.

Rockhouse Mountainand Lake Welch

Harriman State Park,
Rockland County,
New York

Trails:
Took unmarked trails and bushwacks

Total Time: 0:20 hr
Estimated Distance: 0.6 Miles
Level of Difficulty: Difficult but very short
Level of Recommendation: Recommended
Points Of Interest: Highest Point in Rockland County, Nice View

Google Maps of Parking:

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My time has been very short this time of the year and I lacked the time to take lengthy hikes. So I will post several shorter hikes for the next several weeks. Before hiking up Rockhouse Mountain I stopped at Lake Welch right after the Causeway on Route 106 for views of the Lake. The trees have just slightly started changing color and this could officially count as the first fall foliage hike.

Rockhouse Mountain is officially the highest point in Rockland County at 1,283 feet tall. There is no trail going up this mountain. There is somewhat of an overgrown path, but the hike is pretty much a bushwack. I had hiked this area for the first time in early April of this year. I decided to explore a bit more with the green on the trees, and also needed a very short hike, which this afforded. Although I didn't hit the actual summit, which is further east/northeast, I came close and made the view.

I parked on Lake Kanawauke Rd (County Route 106) after it winds along the side of Rockhouse Mountain on a side pull-off near the Long Path trail, and climbed the mountain on its western flank, which is full of rocky boulders. Climbed to the view and summit, went a little more along the ridge, and then bushwacked down the steep slope back to the road slightly before the bend and then hiked back along the side of the road.

Map of the Route

Lake Welch from the Causeway. Facing Southwest.

Lake Welch from the Causeway. Facing Northeast.

Lake Welch from the Causeway. Facing Southwest.

Talus, Rocks. and Boulders Ascending Rockhouse Mountain

View From Atop Rockhouse. Facing Southwest.

View From Atop Rockhouse. Facing Southwest towards the Swamp.

Lake Kanawauke Rd (Route 106) with early fall foliage.
Facing Lake Welch Parkway overpass in the Green Swamp.

Long Path near Rockhouse Mountain

Harriman State Park,
Rockland and Orange Counties,
New York

Estimated Length: 3 Miles
Estimated Time: 1:15 Hours


I took a quick morning hike before coming into work - trying to get in as much as I can before the end of the summer. My goal was to do a hike that is short and not strenuous. I parked at the parking area at Lake Skanatati off 7 Lakes Drive, and took some good photos of both Lake Skanatati and Lake Askoti (I wish I had my good camera which I had sent in to be repaired). Took the Long Path south up and past Gate Hill Road, and then to Beech Trail. Turned east on the Beech Trail to Gate Hill Road, and walked back towards the Long Path along the side of the road.

I had always wondered what the "Rock House" was on the map, so went off the road to a short unmarked path off the road near the location on the Trail Conference Map describing the location of the "Rock House". It seems that it is a large rock face along the edge of a cliff with a cave-like hole in it. I took some photos and continued back to the Long Path and back to the car.

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Map of the route.

Lake Skanatati. At the trailhead.

Lake Askoti.
Taken from cell phone camera.
Imagine this shot from a real camera!


The Long Path.


Beginning of the Beech Trail at the Long Path.


The "Rock House".

File Factory Hollow/ Limekiln Mountain

Harriman State Park,
Rockland County,
New York

Hiking Partners:
Shimmy Rosenberg
Reuven Abraham

Length:
3 Miles

Parked at the trailhead of the Tuxedo-Mount Ivy (TMI) Trail on Diltz Road. Took the TMI Trail and veered off the trail where the TMI climbs the mountain. Continued on the Power Line path to the File Factory Hollow, and then took the File Factory Hollow west up through the notch and into the mountain (in-between Limekiln and Horse Chock Mountains)

We had lost the File Factory Hollow somewhere towards the top, and ended up bushwacking off a spur to the summit of Limekiln Mountain. Near the summit we found a grove of blueberry bushes which had sweet ripe blueberrys and we all had our fill. After hitting a viewpoing and losing my bearings, I needed to check my GPS to get our exact position, and I noticed we were above the summit of Limekiln Mountain. So we bushwacked down and hit the TMI Trail and took the TMI trail back to the trailhead.

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The Route. (Click to expand.)
Blue dot is starting point.
Blue line is the ascending route
X is the summit
Red line is the descending route.

Waterfall in File Factory Hollow

Freaky Deer Skull and Beer Bottle
along the File Factory Hollow

Orange Salamander. There were tons of these
due to all the recent rains.

Shimmy in front of talus near the summit.

Reuven with his Blueberry crop

Me picking the Blueberries and bottling them.

At the Summit.
Facing south towards Eagle Rock
and Panther Mountain.

Looking Southeast from the Summit
Eagle Rock and RCC in the Distance.

The Timp

Harriman State Park,
Rockland County,
New York

Hiking Partners:
Zev Feder

Length:
About 5 Miles

The Timp is a prominent landmark of the Hudson Highlands. Its western end just drops flat down and its summit and the notch in between it and West Mountain can be seen from miles away. There are no roads or trailheads nearby and the closest approach is several miles away. I have done this trail before and remember the time when they rerouted the trail going up to the mountain due to its steep incline over eroded terrain. I had gotten very confused but now am familiar with all the reroutes and the original trail up which still exists (but should be excercised with extreme caution).

There is no parking at the official trailhead, and the closest place to park is several thousand feet down at the corner of Bulsontown and Mott Farm Roads in Stony Point. We parked there and walked up Bulsontown Road to the 1779 trailhead. We then veered right immediately on the woods road at the split at the trailhead, and then shortly thereafter took an overgrown woods road north towards the Red Cross Trail. Took the Red Cross Trail north and uphill towards the Timp Pass, which is a deep notch in between West Mountain and The Timp.

The Timp Pass marks the end of the Red Cross Trail. It ends by the Ramapo Dunderberg (R-D) Trail. Made a right on the R-D trail towards the foot of The Timp. The mountain just bulges up at this point to a sheer cliff.

The R-D Trail used to join with the Timp-Torne (T-T) Trail up a rocky and steep scramble to the summit of the Timp. Due to danger and erosion, it has been re-routed into 2 separate and safer trails. However, I always prefer the more challenging original routes, so we took the old scramble up the mountain to the top of The Timp. One part of this trail over a steep cliff is almost entirely collapsed to erosion, making it very challenging to skirt around.

At the summit lies one of the best views in lower New York - one can see clear to almost all directions. There is a great view of the Hudson River and the Palisades the south (as well as the Manhattan skyline in the faint distance), West Mountain to the west, and Bear Mountain and the Highlands to the north.

From the summit, we headed down the T-T trail back towards the Timp Pass, and headed back the same way, with a slight detour continuing on the Red Cross Trail a bit more toward another woods road and back to the trailhead.

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The Route. (Click to expand.)
Blue dot is starting point.
Blue line is the ascending route
X is the summit
Red line is the descending route.

Zev at the plaque at the 1779 Revolutionary Trail

The timp towering above thru the trees

Heavy erosion on the closed trail up The Timp.
The trail once went on this mudslide.

Looking south while ascending The Timp

Me on the ascent

View ascending The Timp.
Facing south towards Haverstraw and the Palisades.

Zev near the ascent

The Manhattan skyline in the far distance.
Artificially zoomed with a telescopic lens.

Zev almost at the summit

Zev and I at the summit

West Mountain from the Summit
looking across the Timp Pass

Looking north to the edge of West Mountain
and Bear Mountain

View while descending the T-T trail.
Facing north towards the Hudson and Anthony's Nose.
Bear Mnt Bridge can be seen crossing the river.

Better zoom of the Hudson River, Anthonys Nose,
and the Bear Mountain Bridge.