Hiking Trail Conditions

Mud? Ice? High water at stream crossings? This is the place to let the hiking community know what you encountered, where and when (be as precise as possible). Suggestion: Make the trail or park name your subject.
To report serious trail problems that need Trail Conference attention, go here. Problems reported here get to the maintainers fast and reliably. Problems reported on the forum below help your fellow hikers avoid problem areas until they get fixed, but not all maintainers read this regularly so also use the problem report form.
To report illegal trail use go here.
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Is Russell Brook Road from Cooks Falls passable (on foot)?
Cooks Falls
Oops.
russell brook road is great, on foot
Also, for the record, at the Cooks Falls side, there is road side parking with space for maybe 4 cars. The 2005 maps do not indicate any parking, so i thought i'd mention it here.
Russell Brook Road
Confirmation of roadside parking area
Nick,
Glad to hear you enjoyed this section of Russell Brook Rd in the western Catskills.
The new 2010 edition of our 'Catskill Trails' map 144 shows this section as a dashed woods road with labels 'Road Closed' to indicate it is not drivable. We also included a roadside parking symbol at the southern end since we learned during the production of the map that there was a spot for a few cars at this end of Russell Brook Rd, and your posting confirms this!
~Jeremy, TC cartographer
Looking for Blueberries
Maybe you should pony up
Blueberries on High Point
Blueberries
Blueberries at Sam's Point
Occupation?
Occupation? That's a bit hyperbolic.
In Harriman we share the trails with groups large and small and people from all walks of life.
It's not like they are playing war games, they are hiking. It's little different than encountering one of those huge hiking groups we see in Harriman, only these people are wearing camouflage.
Even if I considered their presence an inconvenience, these are the the men and women who are willing to put their lives on the line to defend our country. If that means that I'm inconvenienced for a few days by their presence, so be it. A few days of sacrificing my peaceful enjoyment of the trail is insignificant to the sacrifice they are willing to make.
Army War games
Unless something has changed.....
I bumped into the occupiers several times
Good point!
Army Maneuvers
Army at Harriman
Army training exercises in Harriman
We have been advised that the West Point Military Academy has been doing some training involving long-distance hikes in Harriman. The following is the press release issued by West Point about these training exercises:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - RELEASE NO. 40-10 - CADETS TO TRAIN AT HARRIMAN STATE PARK - June 16, 2010
WEST POINT, N.Y. - The Palisades Interstate Park Commission and West Point have developed a world class land navigation training exercise for about 1,400 cadets that will be held in Harriman State Park from June 29 until July 13. (Training will take place in Harriman North and South.)
It is typical that military academy cadets conduct a variety of training activities annually from mid-May to early August in and around the West Point installation.
Cadet summer training is an integral part of the four-year leader development process that prepares cadets to earn their commissions as officers in the U.S. Army and become leaders of character to meet the challenges of a changing world.
Character training tips
A two week military
Ramapo Reservation, Yellow Trail
The Yellow Trail bog bridges south of Camp Yaw Paw and north of gas line are in passable shape but hikers should use caution. Full replacement due by October 2010
Source: John Moran, Trail Chair
still more nonsense from the TC
Thanks for your close reading
Split Rock Rd, Rockaway NJ - Parking
Bearfort Waters/Clinton & Highlands Trail
The reroute of the BW/C and Highlands Trail has been completed. All the HT blazing is done, some of the BW/C yellow blazes will be completed shortly. The HT crosses Clinton Rd, Pequannock Watershed at P4 and now continues straight up the hill. It turns left and co-aligns along the newly created Bearfort Waters/Clinton (yellow) trail. Since it's new, take care to follow the blazes. There is no longer a loop hike possible since the trail across the beaver dam is closed. The beavers have made this crossing nearly impossible! It's possible to hike from P4 to parking area P9 using a car shuttle. This is a beautiful hike along ridges, with, at one point, a view of Buckabear Pond and Clinton Reservoir. After the beaver dam, the rest of the hike is along the reservoir. Check the Highlands Trail webpages for further detail.
Happy hiking!
Nice trail
Re: "Nice Trail" & Rattlesnakes.
Timber Rattlers
Old Perkins Drive closed for summer
What is the next phase?
The downward spiral staircases of Bear Mountain/Harriman.
The staircase is
If we take your idea to it's
Here we go again....
Trails for nature as well as people
1. stop and prevent erosion on the mountain caused by hundreds of thousands of hikers who already scramble up it each year
2. encourage people to stay on the trail rather than create a maze of damaging herd paths
3. eliminate the recurring need for relocations (this is the 6th or 7th since the trail's original construction) owing to the high volume of traffic
4. provide a positive trail experience for the novice hikers who frequent this trail section
5. provide opportunities to educate the public about proper trail etiquette (this will be a special focus for the next phase of the Bear Mountain Trails Project)
The mission of the Trail Conference is to promote people's connection with nature, not keep people from enjoying their public parks. Bear Mountain and Harriman State Parks are not wilderness areas, which can be found elsewhere in the state.
I like to run/hike the
More nonsense?
Indeed
Exactly.
What's next, a staircase up Breakneck Ridge for those who can't make the climb?
Think!
nonsense in the May 30 NY Times article about the new AT
2010 Thru-hike
Thru-hike
Shawangunk Multiple Use Area on 299
Anyone know what's up with this MUA adjacent to the Mohonk Preserve, which is shown with campsites on the 2008 map #105? Is it still open for camping, and if so, is it still "a noisy, garbage filled rat hole with drum circles until 4am"?
That quote comes from this 2008 thread about possible closure: http://gunks.com/ubbthreads7/ubbthreads.php/topics/38299/1
This seems to be the closest thing to any official info online: http://gunksclimbers.org/MUA.shtml
I'm considering heading there for Memorial Day weekend to do day hikes into the preserve, but if it's closed or generally crowded on weekends then I'll make other plans.
park closings--what does this mean??
park closings
The Trail Conference expects that the north lot at Anthony Wayne will remain accessible, though facilities (bathrooms) may be shut. At parks slated for closing where there are no facilities, such as Schunemunk and Wonder Lake, we expect that from a trail users perspective, it will be business as usual. You may want to call ahead and see if you can get a clear answer.
There may be less or no ranger presence than is typical, so now more than ever, hikers and trail volunteers will be the eyes and ears on the ground that will protect our parks. If you spot any illegal activity or other problem, contact the park offices or the Trail Conference. You can find a brochure on our website with contact info--a good thing to print out and carry with you. Click here to find it. Or submit an Illegal Activity Report online.
Report any actual closings back here. Thanks!
Am working on getting
Park Rangers
Misused Lean-to's
Misuse/Lack of Respect