Claudius Smith Den to Black Ash Mountain

Harriman State Park
Orange County,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail: Red blaze
Tuxedo-Mount Ivy Trail: Red blaze
Blue Disc Trail: Blue blaze
White Bar Trail: White blaze
Triangle Trail: Yellow blaze

Total Time: 3:00 hour
Estimated Distance: 6.75 miles
Level of Difficulty: Slightly Difficult
Level of Recommendation: Highly Recommended
Points Of Interest: Claudius Smith Den, Black Ash Swamp
Pros: Good climb, great views, rock formation, beutiful mountain laurel forest
Cons: Black Ash Mountain is high but lacks views, return part of hike is a bit boring.

Hiking Partner:
Eli Koegel

Google Map of Parking:

View 2013 Hiking Locations in a larger map

We parked at the parking area in Tuxedo on East Village Road, right by the Thruway highway underpass. We crossed under the highway, took the trail along the road, and then up the mountain. The first stop is Smith Rock, which affords a nice view of Tuxedo. We then continued along the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail to the Tuxedo-Mt Ivy Trail, which goes to the Claudius Smith Den. At the Claudius Smith Den we met up with Steve Fishman, a professional hiker well-known in the local mountains. Besides for the cool cave formation in the rocks, the Claudius Smith Den has an excellent view on its top, and is the confluence of several trails.

From the Claudius Smith Den, we took the Blue Disc Trail north, further climbing up to some other good views, and then headed down to the Black Ash Swamp outlet. The outlet has a really cool natural dam that acts as a waterfall. From here we met up with the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail again, and took it up the Black Ash Mountain. Upon the descent of the Black Ash Mountain there is a very pretty Mountain Laurel Forest, which was in full bloom with pink and white flowers. Upon meeting up the White Bar Trail, we took it for a short period of time until the Triangle Trail, and we took this long portion of the Triangle Trail back to the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail near the beginning of the hike, and then back to our car.

Map of the Route.
Harriman/Bear Mountain State Park Southern Map

View of Tuxedo from Smith Rock

Eli Inside the Claudius Smith Den Crevice

Eli Hanging  Out the Claudius Smith Den Crevice

Black Rat Snake at the Claudius Smith Den Trail Intersection Cairn

View Atop Claudius Smith Den. Facing South.

View from Claudius Smith Den, Facing Northwest.

Me Atop Claudius Smith Den

Ditto

With Steve Fishman, Whom I Bumped Into Atop Claudius Smith Den

View on the Blue Disc Trail before Descending to the Black Ash Swamp

Black Ash Swamp Natural Drainage Dam

Large Blueberry Patch Atop Black Ash Mountain on the R-D Trail

Beautiful Pink Mountain Laurels in Bloom on Black Ash Mnt

Schunemunk Mountain Summit And Megaliths

Schunemunk State Park
Orange County,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Sweet Clover Trail: White blaze
Dark Hollow Trail: Black blaze
Jessup Trail: Yellow blaze

Total Time: 4:30 hour
Estimated Distance: 6.75 miles
Level of Difficulty: Difficult
Level of Recommendation: Highly Recommended
Points Of Interest: Large grassy meadow, Megaliths
Pros: Good climb, amazing views, interesting rock formations, and varying terrain
Cons: Beginning part is too open and exposed on a hot day, not enough scrambles considering the elevation gain.

Hiking Partner:
Shimmy Rosenberg

Google Map of Parking:

View 2013 Hiking Locations in a larger map

Schunemunk Mountain is the tallest mountain in Orange County, and is also the tallest mountain in New York south of the Shawangunks, topping off at 1,664 feet. It is a long ridge with interesting topographical and geological features, though it does lack a dramatic summit. There are many trails up and around the mountain, and this trail is one of the most direct and popular routes to the summit and megaliths.

We parked at trailhead on Taylor Road, where the Sweet Clover and Jessup Trail start. Right at the beginning of the trail there was a massive gathering of 17-year cicadas, with thousands of them flying around the grassy meadow area and making a deafening whirring sound. The first mile or so of the hike is along the Sweet Clover Trail going through an empty grassy field, with the grass taller then us in some points. The grassy field is unique with a few random tress, and is unlike any other hiking experience in the area. It is important to check ticks after this hike, as both Shimmy and found ticks on ourselves, very likely from this grassy area.

We took the Sweet Clover Trail across the railroad tracks, to the Otterkill Trail across the brook by the waterfalls (this was a challenge crossing due to the recent heavy rains), and then took the the Dark Hollow Trail up the mountain in its entirety. This is a very serious ascent with a good elevation gain, but unfortunately lacks solid scrambles. When we hit the Jessup Trail we took this south. The Jessup Trail is fascinating with the huge bare puddingstone rocks and the dwarf pines. We took the short spur to the Megaliths, where we took a break for lunch. The megaliths are rock formations of giant boulders that presumably cracked off the host rock sitting atop the mountain. They are rounded from glacial activity and are composed of conglomerate puddingstone.

After the megaliths we returned to the Jessup Trail up the short trek from here to the summit. The summit doesn't really have a view, and there is a remnant of a fire tower with a blaze on the rock stating where the fire tower was. From here we went north on the Jessup Trail along the smooth rocky ridge, until the Sweet Clover Trail. We took the sweet Clover Trail down the mountain, to the Otterkill Trail along the side of the railroad tracks, and the picked up the Jessup Trail again and went back through a different part of the grassy field, and back to the trailhead.

Map of the Route.
West Hudson Highlands Map

17-Year Cicadas on an Oak Tree at the Trailhead

Trailhead on Taylor Road

Shimmy Walking Through the Grassy Meadow

A Great Perspective of the Grassy Meadow

Waterfall at the end of the Dark Hollow Brook's
Descent Down the Mountain

The First View on the Dark Hollow Trail. Looking Northeast.

Holes in the Ground Where the17-Year Cicada's Emerged From

Excellent View Up On the Dark Hollow Trail.
Facing East-Northeast towards the Hudson River and Beacon Mountain

At the Same View Looking  South

Me at the View with the Hudson River in the Distance

Typical Scenery of Exposed Puddingstone Rock with Dwarf Pines
Along the Ridgeline on the Jessup Trail

At the Intersection of the Megaliths Path and the Jessup Trail

Me on a Megalith

Me on a Megalith

Me Looking Toward the Megaliths

Shimmy on the Megaliths

Megaliths

Another View of the Megaliths

Panoramic 360 Degree View at the Megaliths

Schunnemunk Mountain Summit, with an Elevation Marker

View Along the  Jessup Trail, Prior to the Sweet Clover Trail

Waterfall in the Dark Hollow Brook from the Sweet Clover Trail

More Cicadas - near the end of the Hike.
There were Thousands of these Everywhere

A Close Up View of a 17-Year Cicada

Video of the 17 Year Cicadas Making A Loud Whirring Noise:



Video of a black rat snake eating a bird. We saw this at the trailhead where
our car was parked on the return.

Catamount Mountain LoopHarriman State Park

Rockland County,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Pine Meadow Trail: Red blaze
Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail: Yellow blaze
Sherwood Path: Unblazed

Total Time: 2:00 hour
Estimated Distance: 4.2 miles
Level of Difficulty: Slightly difficult
Level of Recommendation: Recommended
Points Of Interest: Catamount Mountain View
Pros: Quiet area of the park, good climb, good view
Cons: Power line and gas line detract from natural setting

Google Map of Parking:

View 2013 Hiking Locations in a larger map

The weather on this hike was quite a contrast to last week. It was in the 90's and oppresingly humid, though I figured I would be in the shade for the most part and there would be a breeze. I parked at the Horse Stables at Ramapo Equestrian Center off Route 202, and took the Pine Meadow Trail as it climbs the mountain through a notch with a stream. At the junction with the Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail I took a right and headed on the joint Pine Meadow and Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail. From there I split off to the Suffern-Bear Mountain trail to the excellent view here. Note that this view is missing from the NY/NJ Trail conference maps). I then headed towards the Sherwood Path, which is an unmarked trail road, and I took this trail back down the mountain. From there I followed the trail of the Gas Line back to my car.

Map of the Route

The Pine Meadow Trail near the beginning, near the Power Line

Small Cascade along the edge of the Pine Meadow Trail

Ant Eating a Caterpillar.

Pittsbollow Hollow Brook.
This is where the yellow trail and red trail split.

View from the viewpoint. Facing east.

Another view from viewpoint. Facing South

Another view shot, facing south.

Facing south towards Cobus Mountain

At the view, facing northwest

Shelter at Sherwood Path  and SBM Trail.