Trail Conditions Forum

Mud? Ice? High water at stream crossings?

This is the place to let the trail 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, including illegal trail use issues, visit our Contact Us page. Problems reported through our Contact Us page get to the maintainers fast and reliably. Problems reported on the forum below may help fellow trail users avoid problem areas until they get fixed, but not all maintainers read this regularly.

 

tree188's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 03/23/2014 - 11:12am
3/22/2014 Tiorati Circle to Rt. 6 Parking area.  Conditions are passable with 0" to 5" average snow depth.  Slippery, traction gear and hiking poles recommended.  Very busy yesterday due to the great weather.  Trail becoming muddy in spots with the melt off.  Views from the top of the ridge were very good, with all of the tree leaves down at this time.  Small flocks of birds observed; nut hatches, wood peckers, finches, sparrows, hawks & possibly a vulture.
jbeard's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 03/21/2014 - 6:50pm
We hiked the Yellow-Silver and Orange trails in the Ramapo Reservation Friday.  On shaded slopes, trails had a thick layer of melting ice that was slippery, and 2-6 inches of coarse snow next to them.  Much of the park was snow-free, however.  Both ice and snow were busy melting, and the streams were all high.  There were a couple of places where small ponds had formed and frozen on the trail, and these will be very wet for days to come.  But I would bet that most of this ice and snow will be gone by next week.  Things will be muddy for weeks.
91762's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 03/18/2014 - 8:04am
I'm looking to see if anyone has any updated info on a question I asked earlier this month... Does anyone have any "current" info about trail conditins (snow depth, trail ice/snow melt) in the area around Lake Sebago? Is the western side of Rte 106 is closed? (Not sure when the "winter closure" ends) Are the parking areas at the north end of Lake Sebago accessable from 7 Lakes Dr.? Thanks.   Bob
PVPatrick's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 03/18/2014 - 11:16am
I ran 106 on Sunday from kanawauke circle almost to Stahahe.  Although the road closed signs are still present, many vehicles were driving back and forth, so im assuming the road is clear all the way through.  The section I ran was plowed and completely clear of snow.  The designated parking areas I saw were not plowed.  Some people had parked along the roadside and had been ticketed. As for snow depths, it varies from bare earth on south facing slopes, to up to a foot or more of snow depending on elevation and angle of terrain. The parking areas on the north end of Sebago are the beach parking areas.  This area has been closed to vehicles since Troical Storm Irene devastated the beach facilities there.  You can walk through there though.
91762's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 03/18/2014 - 1:55pm
I'm not sure we are talking about the same parking areas. I hiked through the parking area(s) at the North end of Sabago in the beginning of Dec and there was a group there with cars and dogs. They may have been practicing search and rescue. I don't know if they had special permission to be there but they talked as if access from 7 Lakes Dr. was no big deal. I see on the TC map there's a "road closed in winter" symbol on the road I had planned to access the parking areas. Does this mean its not maintained in the winter - proceed at your own risk - or is parking there likely to get you a ticket? Are there any other parking areas available in this area of the park?
PVPatrick's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 03/18/2014 - 7:31pm
Call the park and let us all know.
91762's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 03/19/2014 - 1:40pm
I spoke with "Harriman" this AM (845-786-2444). The parking lots at the North end of Lake Sebago are officially closed to public parking due to storm damage. Anyone parking there (assuming you can gain access) is subject to ticketing. Apparenlty the group I saw parked there in December WAS a  group authorized to practice search and rescue. Parking at "Sebago Boat Launch" is open, but that's it for parking around Lake Sebago.
LindaC's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 03/14/2014 - 3:16pm
Took a short hike from Elk Pen up the AT and over to Island Pond.  There was hard snow with a layer of ice underneath.  With traction (I had crampons but good microspikes shoud be fine too) it was fairly easy going because snow was so hard.  If it gets above freezing it might be another story. It would be great if people posted more here about conditions because you really can't tell what it's like until you're out there.
dbadchem's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 03/10/2014 - 10:10am
Thanks in advance for any assistance on this request. We have a boyscout trip scheduled for this upcoming weekend (3-15-14), plan was to hike form Silvermine Parking Lot to the Brien Shelter via the Menomine trail. Does anyone have any current conditions (snow, ice, etc) of the trail and surrounding trails?   Thanks again   Doug
PVPatrick's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 03/11/2014 - 10:25am
Harriman currently has a blanket of several inches of slushy snow. Warm temps today and tomorrow plus forecasted rain/wet snow wednesday will melt more of the snow.  Temperatures are forecast to drop below freezing for thursday so remaining snow/streams will become very icy.  However, temperatures are forecast to rise again on Friday and Saturday so you can expect the icy snow to soften during the day,re- icing over at night.
dbadchem's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 03/11/2014 - 11:03am
Thanks for the info! We may change our plans, looks like there may be more rain forecasted for Saturday. Doug
In the attic too's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 03/10/2014 - 9:51pm
Hi Doug,  We are also planning a trip to Harriman the same weekend.  If you come up with any information re: conditions I would appreciate any assistance.  Thanks and enjoy your trip   Dan  
91762's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 02/27/2014 - 12:27pm
Anyone have any "current" info about trail conditins (snow depth, trail ice/snow melt) in the area around Lake Sebago? Is the western side of Rte 106 is closed? Are the parking areas at the north end of Lake Sebago accessable from 7 Lakes Dr.? Thanks.   Bob
Daniel Chazin's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 02/27/2014 - 1:33pm
I did a hike yesterday at the southern end of Harriman, starting from the Reeves Meadow Visitor Center.  The ground was covered with about a foot of frozen snow, with the trails well packed down.  In general, the snow was frozen sufficiently that you did not sink in even when walking on untracked snow, but there were places that you would sink in a few inches (occasionally, even more).   I wore StablIcers, which I found very helpful, especially for the steep descents.  My friend did not have any traction devices, but he was able to negotiate the snow conditions without undue difficulty (he did have to slide down one steep slope, though).  I would strongly recommend that, if at all possible, you do wear some kind of traction devices on your boots. The Park has closed Route 106 from Route 17 to just west of the Kanawauke Circle for the winter.  It does not have the resources necessary to plow this road.  However, at the Commission meeting held on Monday, Jim Hall, PIPC's Executive Director, announced that he is trying to work out an arrangement with a local town that would permit the road to be kept open next winter. I do not know the status of the parking area at the northern end of Lake Sebago.  
91762's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 02/28/2014 - 7:34am
Bob
PVPatrick's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 02/19/2014 - 5:17pm
Anyone know what is going on with this project?
Georgette Weir's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 02/20/2014 - 9:41am

Thanks for asking. Work is scheduled to resume in March, with the annual Orientation set for Saturday, March 15. Other workshops are already on our calendar. We hope to see you. Your friends, too.

NYHIKER60's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 02/01/2014 - 5:12pm
On a section of the AT in New Jersey where you  come to a pond with a dam that you walk over and depending on which direction you're going in you either come to a quick uphill or a downhill from the open field on the other side.  This is I think after Pocuck.  There are posted, no tresspassing signs on both sides, left and right right on the trail.  Is this an easement for the trail corrodor, or is this an encroacement?  I thought the trail had a protected corrodor and I was a monitor.  What's up with that?
NYHIKER60's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 01/15/2014 - 10:31pm
I'm wondering why the walk book is missing some of the trails in Harriman State Park.  The missing trails are the Fawn Trail, the Lichen Trail and the Victory trail.  They are on the maps, but there is no description at all of these trails in the current book.
Daniel Chazin's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 01/15/2014 - 10:58pm
The New York Walk Book is not intended to be a comprehensive guidebook to all trails in Harriman. Some trails of lesser importance are not included. For a complete description of all of the marked trails (and many of the unmarked trails) in Harriman, you should obtain a copy of Harriman Trails: A Guide and History.