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)
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Swan on Brooks Lake |
Is that comfortable? |
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Abandoned structure off trail |
View from inside |
Yellow color on Timp-Torne |
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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 |
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View west into West Point |
Up a whaleback |
[Photo by Laura] |
Walking on bare rock |
Autumn red |
Continuing to peak |
View west |
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View SW |
Laura looking to West Point |
View NE of Hudson |
View SE of Hudson |
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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 |
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Sweeping view east from here |
Laura with the BMB and Hudson |
Hudson looking SE |
BMB with Anthony's Nose behind |
Palisades Interstate Parkway |
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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! |
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Sturdy bridge over Popolopen Creek |
Enjoying the view |
Creek looking east |
Creek looking west |
Opening on Popolopen Gorge trail |
Lots of boulders |
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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 |
Photographs and content copyright © Dan Balogh Web design by Dan Balogh |