A clockwise loop hike on October 9, 2022 through Rusk, East Rusk, Hunter, and Southwest Hunter via herd paths and marked trails. Conditions were mostly dry with two muddy spots on the Devil's Path; the spring below John Robb lean-to was flowing heavily.
Evergreen trail guide describing Jay Mountain as a scenic undulating out-and-back hike with multiple lookouts, wooded terrain until the summit, and views of Hurricane Mountain and Lake Champlain. The route features excellent fall foliage conditions and is popular with visitors.
A two-peak hike in May climbing Table Top and Phelps via the Van Hoevenberg Trail. Weather was mild with minimal bugs, rain, or snow; hikers noted some snow still visible on distant peaks and generally good trail conditions with no significant obstacles.
Three hikers completed the Rider Hollow Loop for Balsam on a sunny day after 8–10" of fresh snow, breaking trail above the junction and enjoying plunge-stepping and glissading on the descent through wind-packed drifts and deeper powder.
Two hikers traversed Big Indian and Fir via Biscuit Brook on a cold winter day with rock-hard icy trail conditions and light powder at higher elevations. They used microspikes throughout and carried snowshoes and skis that went unused, navigating a herd path between summits.
Moxham Mountain is an easy out-and-back hike in the Adirondacks featuring scenic views, open rocky summit with spectacular valley views, and well-maintained trail through deciduous woods and spruce. The hike involves moderate difficulty with ledge viewpoints and is suitable for less experienced hikers seeking a rewarding introduction to mountain hiking.
Trip report of a hike to Waumbek in New Hampshire on October 11, 2021, with excellent fall foliage, clear weather, and good views of the Presidential Range (mostly cloud-covered summits). The hike was straightforward with no significant hazards and included a memorable encounter with Gray Jays.
Big Crow Mountain is a short, easy Adirondack hike featuring multiple open rock slab lookouts with excellent High Peaks views. The rocky sections are extremely slippery when wet but bone dry in good weather; the trail includes a few steep short sections but can be completed in about 90 minutes round-trip.
The Ashokan Rail Trail is an 11.5-mile wide, level rail-converted path in the Catskills alongside the Ashokan Reservoir, open year-round from sunrise to sunset with multiple parking areas. In winter, snowshoes are required after heavy snowfall as the trail is not plowed. The trail offers seasonal scenery through woodlands and wetlands, with the western section offering more dramatic views including the Burroughs Range.
A popular short hike to a scenic waterfall in the Adirondacks with views of the High Peaks. The lower falls section is very easy with dipping pools, while the upper falls route requires more care and involves some stream-bed scrambling. Parking is extremely limited and competition for spaces is intense in peak season.
Two hikers started from Barnum Road at 5:45 PM on a Friday evening to climb Thomas Cole and Black Dome for a sunset hike. They reached Black Dome in time for sunset but chose to skip Blackhead and returned to their car at 11:05 PM after spending an hour on the ledge.
A sunrise hike to Windham High Peak in mid-June via the Route 23/Cross Road trailhead. The author arrived before dawn to photograph the solar eclipse and reported clear skies with excellent visibility of the Milky Way and sun pillars before sunrise.
Shaupeneak Ridge is a 936-acre recreation area with nearly 10 miles of well-blazed interconnected trails suitable for walking, hiking, and trail running. The area features easy terrain with minimal elevation gain on most trails, pleasant boardwalks, and overlooks with views of the Hudson River, Taconics, and Catskills. Some blowdown is present on the red trail.
First-time backcountry solo campout at Echo Lake in late September, with a hike in from Platte Clove and bushwhack ascent of Plattekill on the way out. Reporter encountered coyote activity, bear hang requirements, and noted beautiful fall conditions with mostly level terrain and excellent views from the Plattekill lookout.
A detailed evergreen trail guide describing the Slide-Cornell-Wittenberg traverse, a challenging multi-peak route with technical scrambles, rocky ledges, and narrow exposed sections requiring mountaineering skills; the author reports dry conditions during one summer hike and notes that seasonal variations (especially winter snow and ice) significantly alter difficulty and hazard profiles.
A challenging out-and-back day hike to Panther Peak via the steep Santanoni Ridge herd path, featuring remote terrain with muddy sections, rock scrambles, and significant elevation gain. Conditions were excellent for summer hiking with good views from the summit and surrounding ridge.
Red Hill is a short, well-maintained Catskill hike featuring a 60-foot fire tower with volunteer staffing on weekends (Memorial Day through Columbus Day). The trail is straightforward, lush, and mostly easy with ferns and water features including an active spring.
This is an evergreen trail guide for the Windham High Peak hike via Peck Road, describing it as a short, easy, and beautiful out-and-back route suitable for beginners. The guide notes that the yellow trail has been rerouted away from a wet woods road that ices up in winter due to a spring near the trailhead. Multiple scenic lookouts offer views of the Blackhead range and distant mountains including the southern Adirondacks and Green Mountains of Vermont.
Onteora Lake offers three interconnected loop trails (yellow, red, and blue) near Kingston and Woodstock featuring lake and pond views, streams, old quarries, and hemlock forests. Recent trail improvements include regrading muddy sections and rerouting around a wet ledge. The area is generally easy terrain with some boulders and occasional cliffs.
This is an evergreen trail guide describing the Dutcher Notch Trail approach to Arizona Mountain from Stork's Nest Road, featuring steep terrain, dramatic boulder formations, and scenic views of the Devil's Path peaks. Comments from hikers include reports of bone-dry conditions in October 2021, ankle-deep wet leaf cover on steep sections in October 2020, and variable weather with clearing skies.
Rochester Hollow offers three stacked trail options (3.5–6.1 miles) with mostly flat, ADA-compliant lower sections on an old road, followed by moderate terrain through historically significant farmland with stone fences and ruins. The area is underused and features hemlock, birch, and maple forests with abundant wildlife.</summary>
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Solo completion of the Northeast 115 peakbagging challenge on Mount Moosilauke via the Gorge Trail, staying at Moosilauke Ravine Lodge. The hiker encountered initially cloudy conditions with views socked in until the afternoon when clouds lifted, revealing views of Washington, the Franconia Ridge, and Vermont peaks.
A woodsy, quiet out-and-back route over Ashland Pinnacle and Huntersfield in the northern Catskills featuring deciduous and coniferous forest with minimal elevation gain. The starting area was wet and muddy in July, but the rest of the route was dry.