Long Pond Ironworks State Park /
Tranquility Ridge County Park,
Passaic Co.,
New Jersey

Hiking Trails:
Sterling Ridge Trail: Blue Blaze
Hasenclever Iron Trail: Yellow Blaze

Total Time: 1:30 hour
Estimated Distance: 2.9 Miles

Pros: Scenic Frozen Lake, Historic District
Cons: Confusing Trail Marker at north end of Monksville Reservoir
Hike Type: Loop
Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Google Maps of Parking:
https://goo.gl/maps/E7Am9F3K2FMZgJSs8

The past week had been very cold. I had checked the Harriman office if the lakes there were listed as safe to walk on, but non were open. I drove towards Wawayanda, and noticed that the northern part of the Monksville Reservoir had many people on it, mostly ice fisherman but also a group of people playing hockey.

It was frozen without any snow, making conditions very slippery. I had ice crampons, otherwise this walk on the lake would have been nearly impossible. I parked at the parking area/boat launch area on Beech Road, and walked across the lake to the Long Pond Ironworks main area, passing many of the abandoned historical houses along the way. I visited the iron furnaces, and then crossed the new bridge, taking the Hasenclever Iron Trail up the ridge and then back down to the reservoir. I hiked around the northern end of the Monksville Reservoir, and then took Beech Road back to my car.

Map of the Route. Note the map is prior to the Reservoir.

Hockey Team on the Frozen Lake

Hook Mountain to Rockland Lake Deep Fog

Hook Mountain State Park /
Rockland Lake State Park,
Rockland Co.,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Yellow Trail: Yellow Blaze
Upper Nyack Trail: White Blaze
Yellow Trail: Yellow Blaze

Total Time: 1:15 hour
Estimated Distance: 2.0 Miles

Pros: Scenic area (though views were missing)
Cons: Slippery when wet
Hike Type: 2 Car Hike
Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Google Maps of Parking:
Car 1: https://goo.gl/maps/ynGdAVxkfbwvNF7A9
Car 2: https://goo.gl/maps/wtgnZvBfAsbgnftP9

Hiking Partners:
Yehuda Koblick

This was a very foggy day, with a dense fog and a light misty rain towards the end. We parked our first car at Rockland Lake, at the southern parking lot, and then took the other car to the roadside parking on Route 9W on the notch on the ridge at Hook Mountain. We took the Yellow Trail up the mountain to the summit of Hook Mountain. No view was visible due to the deep fog. We then continued down and then at the next view above the Plateau, we caught a glimpse of the view below.

We then took the Yellow Trail down towards Rockland Lake, and then went to Rockland Lake and then back to our car.  

Map of the Route

Hooke Mountain Summit

Large Cactus Grove on Hook Mountain

Looking Down to the Plateau

Rockland Lake