Sterling Ridge & Lake



Sterling Ridge & Lake, Sterling Forest (10/16/2010)

This is a slightly shorter version of Western Hudson Hike #3 ("Ridge and Shore Loop") from the book Take a Hike: New York City (1st edition) which is also the Hike of the Week for 9/19/2002 as described on the NY-NJ Trail Conference website. The difference is that we skipped the visit to the fire tower, which we have visited several times in the past. So instead of continuing west on the Sterling Ridge trail when we intersected with the Bare Rock trail, we made a left on that trail and took that south to Sterling Lake.

After spending a week hiking in Virginia, which was just beginning to show autumn color, this was basically our first home fall foliage hike, and it was not disappointing. The colors in Sterling Forest varied from barely any, to quite high, as you can see in the photos. It was a gorgeous, windy fall day, so windy that I'm sure loads of leaves were blown from the trees before reaching peak color. In essence, this might have been our last chance to see really good fall foliage this year, though we're keeping our fingers crossed that this isn't the case.

Total distance traveled was 5.6 miles in approximately 3.5 hours.

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Northern start of Sterling Ridge trail


[photo by Laura]


Autumn yellows ...

... on the ridge

[photo by Laura]

Small cascade

 

[photo by Laura]

Nice climb here

Sun came out

Power line cut looking west
 


Power line cut east


Near an outcrop

 



One of many views east

Hills of Sterling Forest

 



Zoom view east


Mountain Laurel thicket
 




View of Sterling Lake from ridge

 


Explosion of yellow

Rebuilding a cairn

Ridge pine

To another vista
 


View of Sterling Lake



Fall foliage
 



[photo by Laura]

South on Bare Rock trail

Two-colored leaf
 


Leaf-topped water



[photo by Laura]
 


Lots of leaf drop

Creek

Descending on Bare Rock trail

 


Bridge across creek

The creek is nearly dry

The Sterling Lake trail

At lake level
 


Sterling Lake ...

... and fall foliage


 





 



Continuing on Lake trail

Dog goes fishing

At the NW tip of the lake
 


Taking a break

View south


Visitor Center across lake
 



[photo by Laura]

Resting in color

 


View south



Lake trail north
 


Colors on Sterling Valley trail

Cascades


Lots of leaf drop
 


Creek off S. Valley trail

Beautiful color

Shooting into the light

 


How did they know? [photo by Laura]

Color in power line cut

View west

Leaves in the path
 

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