Manitou Point Preserve
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


Gorgeous ferns

We surprised a turkey vulture



Stream crossing

One of many awesome cairns here

Plant protectors

 

Looking down one

Millipede

Manitou Marsh

Red-winged blackbird
 



Gate at Manitou Station Road

Woods road along marsh

 


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

 


The Livinngston mansion


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


Huh?
 



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

 


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]

 


Decrepit barn on woods road

Giant sycamore

Steep climb on Yellow trail

Stream
 


Moth on a blaze

Waterfall at ice house


Path parallels entrance road
 

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