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Watkins Glen

Andy | June 29, 2009

I happened to be driving through Watkins Glen on my trip from the Finger Lakes National Forest to Sugar Hill State Horse camp, so I figured I would take a walk up the trail once again. I’ve been there before, but I figured this would be a chance to get photos when the light was better.

The last time I was there it was early in the morning. This proved to be a problem for photograhpy, without a tripod, because it was so dark in there. It was much lighter in the middle of the day, abit much more crowded. It also was a very humid day out there.

In several sections of Watkins Glen the trail cuts through caves to get around mountain faces, then emereges out to the most beautifully lit green areas.

The trail follows the edge of the Glen, crossing it several times on beautiful stone bridges.

The trail is beautifully designed and a pleasure to walk, although on a humid day like today, it was pretty hot, despite being largely in the shade.

The trail goes under several waterfalls, and after the week’s rainy days, it was pretty wet in spots.

And almost magical scene in Watkins Glen. This whole area somewhat spirtual feeling, especially on the backdrop of such rich greens.

When you reach the top of the glen, the waterfalls become farther appart and less steep and the creek is relatively flat.

At the top of the Glen is this old railroad bridge. It appears the line is actively used; it would be neat to capture a train going over the Glen. Maybe someday.

Here is a map of the trail I walked in Watkins Glen.

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Here are maps of Watkins Glen.

Vromans Nose

Andy | June 7, 2009

After spending the night at Burnt Rossman I decided to go up Vromans Nose for a short hike, where I could sit out and watch over the Schoharie Valley and take some pictures. I’ve been up Vromans Nose a dozen of times before, but it’s always nice to go up for another visit.

The old roadbed up the mountain.

The edge of the mountain.

With thunderstorms coming in the sky was the most interesting of colors.

I spent about an hour up there before coming down.

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Mount Tremper

Andy | June 6, 2009

Last Saturday I went hiking up Mount Tremper in the Catskills. This is one of five remaining fire towers in the Catskills, and I was excited to do my fifth tower in the Catskills.

It was a nice day out, warm, but not to warm. It also was quite clear which I discovered when I reached the top of the mountain. The trail is 2.5 miles to the top, but it’s elevation increases are moderate, following an old woods road to the tower the entire way. Parts of the old woods road are eroded away, but it’s still an easy hike, as long as your patient.

As I often go hiking along, one technique I use on such a trail like this is to bring my Mp3 player and listen to podcasts as I hike on up. I knew it would be about a two hour hike up, so I put two hour long programs on the player, and the time passed quickly.

About 2/3rds the way up the mountain there is a lean to, the Baldwin Shelter once can stay in. There also is another lean-to adopt the mountain.

Once you reach the top, there are no views except a few between the trees. The only views you can see from this mountain are from the fire tower, which are quite spectaular, however you must go all the way up into the tower’s cabin before your above the tree level.

The views from the tower are amazing. This is out toward Hurley and the Ashoken Reservior.

Here’s Devils Clove. Some reflections are noticeable from trying to shoot through the windows of the Fire Tower cabin.

Slide Mountain through the windows of the tower. It was hot up there, and the bugs and glass made it hard to get pictures. I tried to open a window in the tower, but the latch wouldn’t budge.

Descending the tower.

I walked a ways onto the blue trail beyond the tower, searching for other views, however there are no views except on the tower on Mount Tremeper. A nice hike for sure, but I would have preferred some views where I could sit down, have my lunch, and enjoy the edge of the mountain.

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Five Mile Mountain

Andy | May 30, 2009

I got up at 5 AM on Saturday and headed off to the Tongue Mountain Range. I arrived there around 8 AM, because I made several stops on the way up, and didn’t really get in my truck until 6:30 after getting ready and having breakfast.

I wanted to hike up Fifth Peak and French Mountain, famous for their views of Lake George, but I ended up hiking up Five Mile Mountain, as I parked at the wrong area based on my faulty memory of where the trail head was, based on a brief drive by some three years ago back in college.

The markers on the trail where old, but it was well marked with these 1967-era trail markers and carins.

Lake George can be seen off one view from Brown Mountain. It was raining as I hiked up there.

I was fortunate enough to make it up to the Five Mile Leanto before the sky just opened up and started to pour.

Sitting in the lean to watching as the rain rapidly approached me. This lean-to was not well thought out as it faces due west. But it must have good views of the sunset. Maybe some night I should stay up here.

Fortunately the rain passed relatively quickly.

But it left the trail fairly swampy in parts.

The trail from Five Mile Mountain has some limited views to the east over Lake George. It was still cloudy when reached this point around 10 AM but was starting to clear out.

You descend down Five Mile Mountain come to the intersection of the trail to Fifth Peak and French Mountain.

After you get on the trail to descend down to Five Mile Point, you go past a long and skinny portion of creek dammed up by beavers.

Descended down to Five Mile Point and had lunch along Lake George. It’s a relatively steep and long descend down to Five Mile Point, and it continues to be steep until you get down to the shore. Not a perfect place for a picnic, but still pretty.

Here’s a boater passing by an island on the other side of Lake George.

The trail back up from Five Mile Point was an old-wagon road, probably abandoned for 100 years now. It’s a steep climb back up it.

The views back atop of Five Mile Mountain where amazing, once it cleared out with just a few clouds remaining.

It cleared out by the time I was back up on Five Mile Mountain. There is Lake George, Bear Mountain on the other side, and the Green Mountains and Vermont in the distance.

Hiking along the trail…

The view from the lean-to when the weather is a bit nicer.

Near where the trail splits off to go over to Deer Point (which I did not visit), there was a serious forest fire in 1985. It was one hell of a fire, as witnessed from the damage from almost 25 years ago.

I arrived back at my truck around 5:30 PM, a bit tired and sore. But the views where great!

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Bennett Hill in Spring

Andy | May 2, 2009

On Saturday I went for a Day Hike up Bennett Hill in Clarksville. It was a beautiful day out, and signs of spring where all over. We first did some trail work, then hiked up Bennett Hill via. the Green Entrance Trail to Yellow Hilltop Loop to the Red descending trail.

It was nice seeing all of the green out this spring. It was not super warm out, but just right temperature wise. It was a short hike, but an enjoyable one for sure. All of the scouts enjoyed it, despite having just moderate hiking experience.

Here is map of Bennett Hill along with description of the hike:

See the Bennett Hill Photos from this past hike plus an earlier one this spring snowshoeing.

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Beebe Hill Firetower

Andy | April 19, 2009

On Sunday I went hiking out in Columbia County. It was a warm but quite nice morning out. First I parked up by Barrett Pond and hiked up to Beebe Hill. The trail is about a mile long, and then you come up to the Fire Tower after a moderate 300 foot elevation climb.

It was a nice clearing spring day. Excellent views to the west, including Canaan and Chatam from the Fire Tower. Some of the hamlets where blocked by the hills, and the fact that some where not much lower then Beebe Hill. You never are particularly high on the tower, but it’s such a quick walk from the parking lot. The fire tower only tops about just a little ways above the tree line, indeed that’s why they allow you to enter the cabin of fire tower.

Nearby the fire tower there is a lean-to. This would be great to stay at one summer night, probably not on a weekend whne it might be croweded/you have to share it. I can imagine photographing it at sunset/sunrise, and looking out at the stars over the Chatam into the darkness at night. It would be so awesome.

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Hadley Mountain Firetower

Andy | April 17, 2009

This is my first hike of the year in the Adirondacks. I normally don’t go to the Adirondacks due to the length of the drive from Albany, however I wanted a break from the Catskills. Hadley Mountain has a fire tower on it, and it was a beautiful day out for the hike.

I arrived at the trail head at around 9:30 after a two hour drive from Albany, via. the Bachelorville Bridge and several Saratoga County Roads. It would have been faster to take Route 9N and the Northway, however I wanted to see some of the nearby country.

It was a relatively short hike up the mountain, with a distance of a mile and a half, and an elevation increase of 1,500 feet. Most of the trail was eroded sloping rock face. Admittedly, it was a lot more difficult on the ankles coming down then going up.

Once you arrive up top there is the Fire Tower, some open face worn down to rocks, from use, and a ranger’s cabin. The views are spectacularsome of the best from any Fire Tower around. It would be awesome to visit in the summer when everything is all green and purty.

Spent about an two hour up there, snapping photos and watching the light change. I got a pretty bad sun burn, but it was so nice and sunny out there. It was fun. I returned back to the truck around 3:30 PM.

See more photos from this hike in the Hadley Mountain Photos Series.

Hikers – Trail Head
Blue Line – Hadley Mountain Trail
Flag – Hadley Mountain Fire Tower

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