Conifer Pass-Bamboo Brook Loop



Conifer Pass-Bamboo Brook Loop, Kay Environmental Center (11/23/2014)

Over five years ago we hiked this 5 mile-loop as part of a nearly 9-mile lollipop beginning at the Cooper gristmill on Route 24 in Chester. Today we returned to do just the loop, this time starting at the Kay Environmental Center off Pottersville Road.

Using this map, we headed west on the red-blazed Conifer Pass trail to Green, which we took all the way down to the dam on the Black River across from Kay's Cottage. Back in 2009, we hiked the woods road to the cottage on the western side of the river and took many beautiful photos from that side. But being inside the cottage it was hard to see the cottage. Today, from the eastern bank, we got some spectacular views. Finding a short-cut directly back to Red, we took that and continued on the Conifer Pass trail. At one point we continued on a path to where the Black River crosses Hacklebarney Road to find a beautiful mill building still well preserved (not on the map). Continuing all the way on Red, we crossed Pottersville Road, then took the blue-blazed Bamboo Brook trail north, again crossing Pottersville Road and turning into the driveway for Kay's. But instead of following Blue all the way back, we meandered in the mowed paths south of the center before eventually heading back to the car.

Total distance hiked today was 5.5 miles in 3 hours with quite a bit of climbing.

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