This is the hike of the week for 5/20/2010 as described on the NYNJTC site.
It's a wonderful hike that covers much of an area once occupied by the Livingston family. Their beautiful mansion is still intact, and now the headquarters for the organization
Outward Bound. The mansion, by the way, is for sale. According to a local we talked with it's listed for $12 million. Now if I can only negotiate that down to about $100,000 I might
be able to afford it. The views of the Hudson are wonderful; a good part of the blue trail skirks the banks with constant views. One of the more fascinating features of
this preserve are the amazing cairns. The vast majority (near all of them, in fact) are completely unnecessary because the paths are blazed so well (though on part of the
yellow trail past storm damage have knocked over many blazed trees). There are more cairns here than in any area I've ever hiked, and they're beautiful! It's obvious that
someone with a lot of skill spent a lot of time working on them.
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White trailhead |
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Gorgeous ferns |
We surprised a turkey vulture |
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Stream crossing |
One of many awesome cairns here |
Plant protectors |
Looking down one |
Millipede |
Manitou Marsh |
Red-winged blackbird |
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Gate at Manitou Station Road |
Woods road along marsh |
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Muskrat dragging a plant |
Amtrack train across marsh |
Abandoned building |
Its roof is gone |
RR with Sugarloaf looming in the rear |
Wider view |
RR with Bear Mountain bridge |
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The Livinngston mansion |
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Bench with Hudson River view |
Hudson River |
Buoy |
Blue trailhead |
Narrow path warning |
West Point |
Mountain laurel looking south |
Mansion across the Hudson |
Steep drop in spots |
Climbing |
Sugarloaf Mountain & Amtrak |
Another great cairn |
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Huh? |
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Someone had lots of time! |
View north |
Boat on the Hudson |
Boats under Bear Mountain bridge |
Bridge with Bear Mountain in rear |
Polopen Torne looms over river |
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View south |
View west |
Further inland |
The RR tracks directly below |
The dock of the mansion |
Mooring hook |
On the dock steps [Photo by Laura] |
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Decrepit barn on woods road |
Giant sycamore |
Steep climb on Yellow trail |
Stream |
Moth on a blaze |
Waterfall at ice house |
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Path parallels entrance road |
Photographs and content copyright © Dan Balogh Web design by Dan Balogh |