You might be able to catch a glimpse of some shimmering water through the trees. Continue following the White Trail as it crests that first hill and begins descending toward Island Pond. Enjoy!Īs you get to the top of this first hill, you’ll see some rocks just off the trail on your left that look like they might have some views on top (this spot is marked as a viewpoint on the New York – New Jersey Trail Conference map). No worries – we’ll be ditching that road (and the road noise from I-87) soon enough.
Ascend! Carefully follow the White Trail onward and upward, being careful not to get bucked off when an unmarked trail ventures off toward the paved road to your left. Turn left to stay on the white-blazed Appalachian Trail toward Island Pond Rd and the Lemon Squeezer, two of our destinations for the day.ģ. And most likely some tired doggies (and by that I mean feet, but if you have actual doggies with you, then I mean doggies, too). The next time you see this spot, you’ll hopefully have one awesome 7.4-mile hike just about conquered. You’ll almost immediately come to a well-marked junction, which is the start of your loop for the day. Keep following the White Trail across the meadow, into the trees on the far side. Hop on that trail! Time for an adventure.Ģ. From the parking area (See “Directions to the trailhead” below), locate the white-blazed Appalachian Trail marker on the signpost heading into the meadow (it’s on your left, assuming you are walking along the driveway into the parking area, away from the road). Maybe something with chocolate chips? (Read the Amazon user reviews on this trail book to see a real-life story where this exact situation happened in Harriman, minus the granola bar part.) Oh, you’re going to pay super-close, extra-special attention to the trail markings? Sweet! On with the hike!ġ. I’ll do my best to give you everything you need to complete this circuit successfully, but if you’re going to take navigation in this park lightly, you should really just pick a different hike, or pack an extra granola bar for the ranger who’s going to have to come rescue you. If you haven’t already invested in the New York – New Jersey Trail Conference maps for this area, I’d strongly recommend it. If you do not pay special attention during your entire visit here, your chances of getting lost are bordering on excellent. **CAUTION** Harriman State Park features about a zillion different trails heading in a hundred different directions, some of them going to very remote locations. Cha-ching! Thanks for being awesome! (And here’s a quick primer on Leave No Trace, too, to help us keep the trails nice and fresh for each other.)
#Lemon squeezer free#
If you find this free trail guide useful, please provide payment by picking up at least one piece of litter on your hike. And maybe on the way home, you’ll find some nice no-pleat, wrinkle-free chinos, too. Whatever you like about hiking – climbs, views, lakes, ponds, solitude, ferns, big funky rocks – you’ll find it on this hike. ( Woodbury Commons is just a few minutes from the trailhead – if you stop on your way home, you might want to wring the sweat out of your shirt before hitting the Armani outlet.) It also features some open stretches of rocky trail that make it feel as if you’re WAY further from the nearest J. This 7.4-mile loop is beautiful for pretty much the entire journey, with different sights to see all the way around. Good thing there’s so much other awesome stuff to see! The Lemon Squeezer had been the landmark that initially drew me to this hike, but I found it to be a sideshow compared to several other main events offered here. The Lemon Squeezer is a great spot and absolutely worth a visit, but it’s not the one-of-a-kind adventure you’ll find at Mohonk, and not really a destination in and of itself. If you’re comparing the Lemon Squeezer at Harriman State Park to the Lemon Squeeze at Mohonk Mountain House, you’ll probably be a little disappointed. Plus, there was a well-marked “Easy Way” around the top of the Lemon Squeezer, for those looking to avoid that particular little adventure.
But since I was only walking 7.4 miles that day, and the Lemon Squeezer was one of the main reasons I’d come to this spot, I had the luxury of appreciating this little slice of more-difficult-than-it-needed-to-be trail. If I was walking 2,200 miles, I’d probably agree with that sentiment. Background you can feel free to skip: As I stood on the Appalachian Trail in Harriman State Park, looking at the rock formation known as the Lemon Squeezer, a through-hiker on his way to Maine came up behind me, shook his head and said, “Why do they always make the trail go through these things? It would be so much easier to walk around them.”
0 kommentar(er)
