Popolopen Torne



Popolopen Torne, Harriman State Park (10/23/2010)

This is the hike of the week for 6/1/2004 as described on the NYNJTC site. But instead of starting at the usually-crowded Fort Monmouth (just off Route 9W), we started at lovely Brooks Lake and encountered no crowds ... until we got to Fort Monmouth near the end of the hike and ate lunch overlooking the Bear Mountain bridge and the Hudson River. The fall foliage was near peak today and the weather was beautiful once again. This is one of my very favorite hikes in the entire area, with sweeping views in every direction, and wonderful rock scrambles up and down the mountain.

As a side-note, we did this hike back in May, 2006 and at that time the monument to our fallen troops at the peak of Popolopen was shorter than Laura. Now it towers over both of us and has expanded in every way. It's a touching tribute, every rock having been carried from the very bottom to this very high peak overlooking West Point Academy.

Total distance hiked today was 5.9 miles in just over 4 hours, with lots of climbing!

(Click on the thumbnail to bring up a bigger image in a pop-up window)


Swan on Brooks Lake

Is that comfortable?


Abandoned structure off trail


View from inside

Yellow color on Timp-Torne


 

Climbing a hump of the T-T

A rocky descent

T-T is woods road here

Sturdy road foundation
 


Old bottle on trail

From Morristown

Beautiful lone sycamore

Lots of leaf drop
 


Joggers heading into West Point

Climb of Popolopen begins

Steady uphill

House on a hill
 


Route 9W bridge over viaduct

Bear Mountain Bridge (BMB) and Hudson River


View west into West Point
 


Up a whaleback

[Photo by Laura]

Walking on bare rock

Autumn red
 


Continuing to peak

View west


View SW
 


Laura looking to West Point

View NE of Hudson

View SE of Hudson

 


Giant remembrance cairn

[Photo by Laura]

It grew since 2006!

Snapping close-ups
 


[Photo by Laura]

View directly west into West Point

Fall foliage west

 


Sweeping view east from here

Laura with the BMB and Hudson

Hudson looking SE

BMB with Anthony's Nose behind
 


Palisades Interstate Parkway



Heading down
 


Very steep descent

PIP in rear

Slope of Bear Mountain

View east
 


BMB and Anthony's Nose

Clambering down

Lovely fall colors

Tricky descent
 


Butt shuffling required

Taking a breather

Back on level ground!

 


Sturdy bridge over Popolopen Creek

Enjoying the view

Creek looking east

Creek looking west
 


Opening on Popolopen Gorge trail

Lots of boulders


Reflections in Roe Pond
 


Reflections in Roe Pond

Laura at pond

Route 9W bridge

Bear Mountain Bridge
 


Popolopen Torne towers above

Walking north on Route 9W

Display at Fort Montgomery

Trail passes under 9W
 


[Photo by Laura]

Route 9W bridge from trail

Lunch at Fort Montgomery

Colorful path to pedestrian bridge
 


Gorgeous fall colors

BMB from Fort Montgomery

Colors at Brooks Lake

Color overhead
 

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