Whenever High Mountain Park Preserve is featured in a hike book, the hike usually involves the summit of High Mountain. This is understandable, given
the amazing views of Manhattan from the top. We saw those views (though it was a bit hazy) in
July, 2005. But recently I discovered a map of the preserve on the
NYNJTC site, and decided it was about time to hike the lesser-travelled
parts of the preserve. So on this Thanksgiving morning we parked at the trail head on Chicopee Drive and hiked the entire Pancake Hollow trail. We then
hiked to the beautiful waterfall on the Orange loop just off the Yellow trail. While not labelled on the map, one must take a White-blazed trail to
get from the Pancake Hollow trail to the the Yellow trail. The most interesting parts of this hike are on that relatively short White trail and the
Yellow trail, where the rock formations present a geologist's dream.
Total distance travelled was 4.5 miles in about 3.5 hours, counting lunch at a beautiful waterfall off the yellow trail.
|
Swashbuckler Laura at the trail head |
All the leaves are off the trees |
|
"Wizard of Oz" tree |
|
Water tower on hill |
|
Wet fork on Pancake Hollow trail |
|
Mourning dove |
|
Doe |
Buck |
|
|
|
Dan taking ... [photo by Laura] |
... this photo |
|
View of Franklin Lake |
|
House off Cherokee Lane |
Franklin Lake |
Basalt on Pancake Hollow trail |
Hawk feather? |
|
On the White trail |
|
Look at all those rocks! |
Dan amidst huge boulders [photo by Laura] |
On Yellow trail |
Orange trail to ... |
... beautiful waterfall |
[photo by Laura] |
|
|
Our lunch spot |
Waterfall from above |
Climbing back down |
Verdant patch where Yellow & Orange meet |
Mini Palisades on Yellow trail |
|
Awesome volcanic formation |
Another view |
Back on White trail |
Basalt overhang on White trail |
|
Bright green lichen |
Photographs and content copyright © Dan Balogh Web design by Dan Balogh |