mountains

Grout Pond

Original Dunn Bridge

From the east, probably the best way to get to Grout Pond is via Kelley Stand Road, a twisty one lane dirt road that heads east out of East Arlington in Vermont. Pay careful attention to this map, it’s easy to get lost in East Arlington or East Kansas. I know I ended up at Covered Bridge in Chiselville the first time I got there.

June 24, 2015 at 9 PM. Enjoy long evenings while they last

Grout pond isn’t the biggest in the world. If you want lots of open water, check out the Somerset Reservoir. This area, however offers either backpack-in camping along the east shore, or 25 drive-in campsites, in a primitive campground nearby. There is no charge to use this National Recreation Area. Other roadside campsites along Kelly Strand Road, FR 71, and FR 70. Forest Road 70’s campsites are particularly nice, and it’s a 1/4 mile portage down to Branch Pond (bring wheels).

New York State and New England Media Markets

Paddling Across Grout Pond

Stratton Mountain

Marshy End of Grout Pond

The lake is very shallow and marshy in one. Supposedly good fishing if you have a Vermont State Fishing License.

Tree Along Pond

Truck Camping On Leonard Hill

Up by the Leonard Hill Fire Tower, there is a clearing cut into the hillside, and an area where there is a little fire place, and some grass that never grows that tall. It’s obvious that people camp up here from time to time, to enjoy the beautiful sunset, and myself I’ve been itching to watch a sunset from here for some time.

Watching the Rain Come In

While on June 5th, the weather was somewhat cloudy, as thunderstorm after thunderstorm came rolling through the valleys and mountains alike, it actually turned out to be a remarkably beautiful evening. with a beautiful sunset into the clouds. The views from Leonard Hill where as spectacular as always.

The Truck

Looking at my camping set up.

Looking at the Campsite

The rain lead to some beautiful misty sky scapes, especially as the sun was lowering in the sky. Here is Rossman Hill, where I had camped deep in the valley the previous night.

Rossman Hills in the Fog

And here Blenheim Mountain with the Blenheim Upper Power Project Reservoir above it.

Blenhium Mountain

It was windy up there, but the little White Gas Coleman Stove did just find boiling the water for the pasta I was cooking up for dinner. I did stick it behind this little rock to provide a little more shelter from the wind, but regardless cooked it quickly.

Cooking Dinner

With the wind racing up the hill with coming front, I kept the fire very small and a lot of water nearby. It had been raining throughout the day, so things weren’t particularly flammable, but with the winds being so strong, it was a bit frightening.

Sitting at a Campfire

I watched the sunset into the valley while the very small campfire roared away with the winds whipping away. It wasn’t particularly cool, but by 8 PM, I did feel it neccessary to put on a long-sleeved shirt.

Rays of Sun Through the Trees

The sun setting through the trees.

Sunsets Through the Trees

With the clouds starting to over take the sun.

 Sun in the Clouds

And eventually a front comes through, making the sun set before it normally would, quite far to the north, over Rossman Hill.

Front Covers the Sunset

The view after sunset. You can just barely make out the mountains, from Utsayathana to the left, to Blenheim and the Reservoir in the center, to Burnt-Rossman Hills on the right.

After Sunset

The truck truck and camping gear after dark.

Camping on Leonard Hill

Awaking in the morning to pounding rain, which fortunately let up into a relatively thick fog by the time I got up in the morning. Here is a view out the back window of the truck cap.

First View This Morning

My “night stand” in the truck. Books, radio, flashlight, even fan. I’m as well prepared as I would be at home for sure. That light has only a 9-watt florescent bulb in it, although if I ever needed more light, I have two other lead-lamps with 26-watt florescent in them to illuminate the night.

Under the Cap

Packing up my gear on the foggy morning.

Getting Up and Packing Up Gear

The rain and fog pretty much obstructed the view by morning.

Rain Looking Off Leonard Hill

The farther I got down the mountain, the worst the weather got on the truck trail. A little farther down the mountain, the fog was so bad, I had to drive really slow with my truck.

 Driving Down Truck Trail in Heavy Fog

Here is a map of where I camped on top of Leonard Hill.

Severence Hill in April

One month after my first hike up Severence Hill, I decided to do another “cool” down hike up this mountain. In only a month, the look off the mountain had changed quite dramatically.

Here is Paradox Lake on March 7, 2010.

Paradox Lake Area

Here it is on April 11, 2010.

 Paradox Lake

With the Adirondack Snow having melted in the past month, things looked a lot different for sure. Things where already starting to show some signs of spring, and life, even if the Adirondack Winter still had another month to go before casting off it’s winter.

 Schroon Lake

I must have spent an hour staring down at Schroon Lake, just pondering the Adirondacks and possibly moving out west. It was such delightful weather out there, and while I was tired from a day hiking, there was so much beauty with the setting sun. I had no reason at all to rush back to Albany, having no commitments when I got back home, except to get ready for the next day at work.

Steep Bay

This hike, while short has so much beauty. Looking down at Steep Bay (part of Pharoah Mountain Wilderness) on Schroon Lake.

Hatchhack and Allered Hills

Then one last look at Hatchhack and Allered Hills to the south, silhouetted by the setting sun, as I descended the mountain, and headed back to Albany.


View Severance Hill Hike in a larger map

Conservative Politics and Moving Out West

One of the reason I want to move out west is to move into a political environment that is more comfortable and agreeable. Living in New York and being involved in City of Albany politics, I frequently run into people that are extremely liberal and whose views are much farther to the left then I could ever accept. At least for some city political activists, I’ve been characterized as downright conservative, even if I’m generally pro-union, pro-worker rights, and pro-strong environmental protections.

Black Angus

I find it particularly painful to be categorized as a conservative outsider. I support many progressive positions, and for people to just label me as a conservative who is against progress just bothers me. I want to have a clean healthy environment, I want to have a high minimum wage, and allow people to make their own private lifestyle choices.

PA 155 Frame 4

In a more conservative area, many of core beliefs, particularly on rural issues, will be norm for the society. I may face an uphill battle in rural areas on more progressive issues like the minimum wage or clean air from big corporate polluters, but wherever one goes there still is a core progressive group that I can join up with that shares my progressive beliefs. I find it much easier to fight for a liberal cause, then against a liberal cause I disagree passionately with.

Sandy Plains

One the things I loved best about attending college in North Country of New York State was I could find like minded Democrats in the region. Many of the progressives of the North Country shared the same beliefs that I hold dear, but also where strong progressives on the major issues. Rural progressives generally where not proponents of gun control or hostile to rural issues but still cared strongly about labor rights and strong environmental protections against some of the worst abuses across our country.

3500 Feet Markers

When you climb above 3,500 feet elevation in the Catskill High Peaks, a special set of regulations is in effect that prohibits camping except in the winter, and bans open fires throughout the year. This is because the eco-systems above this elevation on the 35-high peak mountains are viewed by the Environmental Conservation Department as ecologically sensitive.

I didn’t take the 3,500 feet signs on every mountain I climbed, most notably skipping over the sign on Hunter Mountain, Windham High Peak, and Black Dome.

Balsam Mountain.

Hiking up to the Balsam Fire Tower, about a 1/4 mile or maybe 200 feet below the tower.

3500 Feet

Indian Head Mountain.

Climbing up the east face of the Indian Head Mountain, this sign is maybe 3/4 of the the westerly face of the mountain.

At 3500 Feet

Panther Mountain.

You see Panther Mountain‘s 3500 feet sign about a 1/4 mile and 200 feet more of climbing before you reach the final ascent.

3500 Feet on Panther

Plateau Mountain.

The sign on Plateau Mountain is about a half mile from the top, although the last portion is relatively flat.

Plateau Mountain at 3500 FT

Slide Mountain.

Slide Mountain, the tallest mountain in the Catskills at over 4,200 feet. The sign is probably a mile away from the final ascent.

Reaching 3500 Feet

Twin Mountain.

The sign is the second of two signs on the way up to the top of Twin Mountain on Devil’s Path.

3500 Feet Elevation Marker

Growing Up in the Shadow of Mountains

There are relatively few people who can say that they grew up in the shadow of the mountains. The mountains loomed large over the town I grew up, showing their large footprint as the rose out of the land just south of the town where I went to Elementary and High School.

Mountains

While I lived most of my first 25-years of my life on my parents eight-acres, playing in the woods and in the creek, I went to school in Greenville, which is about 15 miles from the northern-most range of the Catskills. Those mountains loom large over the town as one proceeds south on the two-lane NY Route 32. At times, they look as though they must almost reach up to the sky, as high exists in the world.

They are an impressive feature. A routine feature to anybody who lives out by Greenville and sees them everyday, but still one that leaves a lasting impression on oneself. When I was younger I might have hiked the mountains a few times, but I never spent an extended period up there. I certainly could not have identified every peak from memory or been able to look up and know what it look likes on down. Today I can.

Catskills from Route 2

When I was younger I probably should have asked more questions and respected those mountains more. I should have paid more attention, and spent more time hiking them. Yet I didn’t. Regardless, those mountains, constantly hanging over the Greenville skyline had a persist ant impact on my life.

Harvey Mountain

I hiked about 6 miles west to Harvey Mountain from Beebe Hill, a hill top with nice southerly views. The trail was well marked, but the section between Osmer Road (CR 5) and NY Route 22 had some serious blow down and was less traveled. Also the section of blue trail from Route 22 to where it met the red trail had extensive blow down from last year’s ice storm, which made for slow hiking.

Arriving at Harvey Mountain, the southernly views where good, and there where minimal north-western views. I was underwhelmed by Harvey Mountain, although it’s not untypical for what you see in the Taconics. The hot glaring sun made it difficult to get good pictures, and I was hot.

I hiked out to the Massachusetts state line marker, which you get to about a 1/8 of a mile from the top of Harvey Mountain on an unmarked trail.

I lost my cellphone on the way out there, and did not find it on the way back. Another hiker did find it and mailed it back. I didn’t get back to my truck until 5:45 PM, in a large part because the 6 miles of trail each way where a lot of climbing over downed brush, which slowed me down.

See more photos from this hike in the Taconics Photos Series.

Hikers – Bartlet Pond Parking Area
Blue Trail – Beebe Hill to Harvey Mountain Trail
Tent – Beebe Hill Leanto
Flag – Beebe Hill Fire Tower
Bubble – Harvey Mountain; State Line