Cupsaw Mountain



Cupsaw Mountain, Ringwood State Park (11/23/2012)

Last weekend we hiked a loop in this beautiful park which was west of Sloatsburg Road. Today we returned to hike a loop of some trails we haven't yet hiked that are east of the road. We parked at the trail head for the red Ringwood-Ramapo trail and took it east, crossing Sloatsburg Road and then climbed Cupsaw Mountain, steeply in parts. We then headed north on the yellow Cooper Union trail before heading east on the blue Cupsaw Brook trail, which skirts the eastern base of Cupsaw Mountain. We next headed east on the red Ringwood-Ramapo all the way to our lunch spot, Shepherd Lake, which was deserted. After lunch we headed back west along a woods road south of the R-R before reaching the R-R which we took NW climbing steeply once again, past a Boy Scout shelter and then returned to the car on the R-R lollipop stick. It's a nice hike for those short of time, and it's no walk in the woods: there is a lot of climbing.

Total distance hiked today was 3.5 miles in under 2.5 hours.

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Parking at the R-R trail head

Crossing the Ringwood River

Ringwood River looking south

Second bridge



Ringwood River looking south

Crossing Sloatsburg Road

Climbing on R-R

 

A breather

R-R continues steeply

Deer in the distance

Sandy blow-down
 


More Sandy damage


Zoom to shelter

Gorgeous leaf carpet
 


Sign for Boy Scout Troop 36

Their blaze on the Cupsaw Brook trail

On the Cupsaw Brook trail

 


Inviting path



Bridge over Cupsaw Brook
 



Remaining autumn color

Cascades in brook

Damned kids
 


Leaving forest

Thunder Mountain Trap & Skeet Range entrance

Our lunch spot ...

... on Shepherd Lake
 


The lake ...

... was deserted

St. Luke's Chapel

Remains of ...
 


... a tractor?

On woods road


[Photo by Laura]
 


It got a bit wet

Cupsaw Brook ...

... from woods road

 


Cupsaw Brook

Boy Scout Shelter on R-R


Harvest Long Trail Ale
 


Room to sleep at top

[Photo by Laura]

Shelter from behind

 


Steep descent on R-R

Bicyclists go on this steep R-R?

Crossing Ringwood River

Picnic benches
 

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