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.

 

genegene's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 09/24/2012 - 8:53pm
Does anyone know what the trail conditions are for this trail. A friend and I are hiking the 23 miles this weekend.
walkwoman's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 09/20/2012 - 10:55pm

 

Re the TC's link to trail conditions/bridge outs post Irene: www.nynjtc.org/node/4764/attachment/newest [replaced by new report at a different URL - www.nynjtc.org/document/harriman-trail-bridges-postirene see above]

This info is at least a year old.  Is status still the same for all in this report?  Or are there any updates/changes/repairs since this was issued?  Thanks so much.  

 
dshecht's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 09/14/2012 - 12:54pm
Has the bridge  on the LP over Horse Chock Brook (by Call Hollow Road) been repaired/replaced?  Is the Brook fordable at this point?
Larry Wheelock's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 09/14/2012 - 1:59pm
The bridge is still out. There is an Eagle Scout planning to replace it as soon as he raises the funds - probably this coming fall.   The stream is easily crossed when the water is low.
Phil McLewin's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 09/12/2012 - 1:46pm

The foot bridge washed out by Hurricane Irene has been hauled back upstream and reset on its foundation, I assume by the Mahwah DPW.  A one-mile loop hike is again possible around Lake Henry at Continental Soldiers Field.  Good news!

walkwoman's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 09/10/2012 - 4:38pm
According to Minnewaska's website, Jenny Lane Footpath is closed at intersection w/Blueberry Run; Lower Awosting Carriageway and Upper are closed as well.  All as a result from last year's Irene & Lee hurricanes.   Anyone know of ANY updates on these since the website is static and rarely updated. Calling park offices evokes vague responses unfortunately. How can one park at the Jenny Lane parking area if they can't go any further on JL Trail than that BR intersect?  Also, does Long Path intersect w/Jenny Lane Footpath before or after Blueberry Run intersect?  Thanks in advance for any info.
srtmaintainer's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 09/11/2012 - 6:12pm
The Long Path does not follow the Jenny Lane Trail anymore. The Long Path was relocated this spring. This is now the description http://www.nynjtc.org/book/12-sams-point-preserve-berme-road . The entire LP guide is updated and available on this website for free. Also I do believe that the section of the Jenny Lane Trail is still closed. Andy Garrison
mikefmbklyn@verizon.net's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 09/06/2012 - 6:15pm
I was an assistant caretaker there at one time.  The problem with the pump may be as simple as replaceing the washer or gasket in the pump.  It worked at that time and may work now.  is anyone game to try it?  The gasket would be located on the piston that pulls the water up from the well.
Walt Daniels's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 09/07/2012 - 8:30am
We know that that works, but only for about a season. We have done it several times in the past. The problem is that the interior of the cylinder is corroded and acts like sandpaper on the leather gasket. The real fix is to replace tye cylinder and that process is hung up in beaurocratic redtape. Part of the issue is understanding why the cylinder is corroded and what might prevent it happening again.
travostj's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 09/04/2012 - 3:09am
Please let me know about the status of the water pump at the Wiley Shelter.  Is there water? I am planning a trip September 22-25.
Jim Haggett's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 09/04/2012 - 10:00am
The pump at the Wiley Shelter is broken and though there is also a spring there, I suspect it is probably not running due to the dry conditions.  The nearest water would be at Duell Hollow Brook 0.4 miles to the north.  As with all water sources, water from the brook should be treated.
tree188's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 09/01/2012 - 3:07pm
Hiked this section with Brother on 8/18/2012, all road walking, from the Woodland Valley Campground to the Mt. Tremper Parking Area and LP trail access.  Weather was good, sunny & warm, with a light breeze. 68-73 F.  Eventhough this was all road walking the country side is pleasant and seeing the variety of summer homes was interesting.  Bird life was present everywhere and as long as we had a little patience, there was a good variety of species to observe.  Our favorite for the day: cedar waxwings along Woodland Creek going fishing.  If one is day hiking this section, an alternative to a two car shuttle is one vehicle with locked bicycles at the other end.  We took our time and the hike (approximately 7 miles) took us 4.5 hours.  The bike ride from Mt. Tremper to Woodland Valley Campground took an hour.  It is mainly all uphill but at a gentle grade so it was not taxing with the bike and hiking gear. Last year's storms effects on the local streams and the Esopus River are still quite evident.  Large rock and boulder fields tend to dominate most of the views.  In some areas it was clear that the storms so damaged the surrounding area that heavy equipment was used to push stones and rocks to reform a stream or river channel.  It has been some time since I paddled the Esopus River and based upon my observations it will be a long time for me to paddle it again, if ever in my lifetime.  The river appears extremely shallow between the lack of rain and wide channels, tubing activities were not easy and did not look that fun.  What a shame.  It will take Nature awhile to heal the distruction from these storms. Wildflowers observed along the trail were plentiful and beautiful.  I don't think I've seen so many in both volume and species in quite awhile.  This was a real treat during this section.  We were disappointed to see invasive plant species the TC is concerned about are starting to appear in the Catskills, mainly limited to roadside areas for now. Phoenicia was quaint but there is not much there that is really interesting unless you need food or supplies.  The St. Francis De Sales church on the edge of town, as you walk towards the Mt. Tremper Access, is beautiful and well maintained.  Its architecture and stained glass are absolutely worth a few minutes to observe as you walk past it. The trailmarkings along this section are in desparate need of re-blazing.  If you are not familiar with the area the only saving grace is that if you have read the book or web-site descriptions of the trail you know that this whole section is on the roadway.  It would be helpful to remark this section of the trail in the near future.
Jeff Senterman's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 09/02/2012 - 1:13pm
Thanks for the great trail report!  Wanted to let you know that we are currently working on a roughly 9 mile trail relocation for the Long Path that will take it from the Burroughs Range Trail, across Mount Pleasant, Cross Mountain and Romer Mountain and go down to Lane Street in Phoenicia.  This relocation should be open by the end of next summer.  That is one reason why we have not been maintaining the blazing along the roadwalk.  In addition, we do not generally maintain markings along roads.   Jeff Senterman, Catskill Mountains Region Program Coordinator for the Trail Conference [email protected]
tk's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 08/31/2012 - 2:24am
Yesterday, I hiked West Mountain in Harriman State Park (near Anthony Wayne Recreation Area). I parked my car in the small parking lot after exit 19 from Palisades PKWY. I started hiking from 1777W and then to White trail (AT) then onto Blue Blazed Timp-Torne trail. I was then going to take 1777 from blue trail (TT) to 1777W to back to the parking lot. The blue trail (TT) takes you to very nice viewpoints. After W (AT) trail brances off and the Yellow trail converges, the blue trail will take you to a shelter and further down the valley, there comes a location where the trail takes a sharp left (on the map it's where Timp Pass RD intersects the blue TT trail). Here the trail mark is not visible and from here on, the trail marks become "not easy" to find. There were spots where I had to walk in unmarked trail for some distance and then I will see the mark TT appear again. As you walk further down you will pass the red on white (Ramapo-Dunderberg). If you proceed on the blue trail, you will come to a tree with faded blue & TT mark. After this point, the trail marks completely disappear. I tried few different paths, but they led to nowhere. So I decided to go back by walking back on blue & TT trail. And this is NOT as easy as I thought. I came to the intersection where red on white (RD) crosses the blue & TT. This location was easy to recognize as someone left a dirty short on the tree nearby. From here I followed the blue trail to go back. The blue mark would disappear and I would only see TT mark but I followed continuously hoping it will take me back to shelter and other attractions I passed by. So I continue to walk on TT trail. The trail was rocky and steep and seemed to take forever. I thought by now I should be back at the shelter!!!! I must have hiked 40-50 minutes, then the blue mark appeared again but as I got closer, I saw that same dirty short left on the tree and soon realized this is the spot where red on white (RD) intersects the TT & blue trail. For all this time I walked in circle and came back to the very same spot where I decided I was going to go back following the blue trail!!!!! At this point I literally flipped!!! Time is passing and I better get the hell outta here before the sunset but after hiking nearly 4 hours I was completely lost. If I proceed with blue (TT) trail, it will lead me to nowhere and I didn't want to hike back the blue trail for the second time. So I took the red (RD) trail and moved on. At this point I lost confidence and faith in trails and the map. So I wasn't even sure if this was the right trail. But I needed to get out before the sunset. Even if this red (RD) trail doesn't take me to 1777, as long as it takes me out of forest and to the civilization I would be happy. And as I walked on, soon after I came to 1777. What a relief!!!!!!!!! And I was back in the parking lot safe and sound. The Blue Blazed Timp-Torne trail needs some serious improvement. The trail marks were faded and few and far in between. And you are already 3 or 4 hours into hiking and far away from the parking lot. This is the location where you don't want to get lost and yet, this is where you can easily get lost and become disoriented. I strongly recommend the first time hikers not to hike on this Blue Blazed Timp Torne trail beyond the shelter until they fix the trail marks! Anyone can easily get lost! I was lucky that I still had enough time to wander off and come back. If anyone gets stuck in the same spot where I got stuck and only have few hours before the sunset, then the chances are you may have to spend the night in forest.    
Michael K7's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 08/31/2012 - 11:32am
I second the notion of getting a compass, and knowing how to use it. Having a compass has saved me untold amounts of  frustration when i've become disoriented due to poorly marked trails/fatigue/not paying attention/etc...   Also, you can send a trail condition report to the TC and they will alert the Supervisor and maintainer of that section. The link is at the top of the page under "community".
PVPatrick's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 08/31/2012 - 11:18am
Getting a little lost can be exciting, getting a lot lost can be unpleasant. I come across hikers on almost a daily basis with and without maps who are unsure of their location or just plain lost. May I recommend perhaps taking a compass and or a hiking buddy(or maybe joining a group) until you are more skilled at reading maps, contours etc.? If I understand you correctly you got lost where the Timp Torne crosses the Timp Pass road. There are 2 sharp turns there which are easy to miss if not careful. However, the trails in Bear Mt are so well marked that if you dont see a blaze for a short distance( and i mean maybe 100 feet or so) turn around and retrace your steps until you do and you will be back on track and home for dinner on time!
tk's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 08/31/2012 - 1:54pm
No. That is not where I got lost. (Timp Pass Rd crosses Timp Torne) Eventhough that sharp turn is not marked, I didn't miss it because I followed the trail. But it is very easily missable. It's after this point where it becomes challenging to follow the markings. Up until this point, the blue TT trail is marked pretty clear. But after this point (Timp Pass RD & TT intersection) the trail marks appear off and on. Despite that, I just proceeded down the blue blazed (TT) to get to the intersection where it meets up with 1777. Then I was going to take 1777 all the way down to 1777W and to the parking lot where all this madness began. To be more specific, from the point Timp Torne crosses Tim Pass Rd to the point Timp Torne crossess Ramapo-Dundergerg, the blue (TT) trail was so terribly marked. There were spots where I had to walk a certain distance to find the markings. After passing this point (TT crossing RD), as I continued to follow the blue (TT) trail, I came to this tree with faded mark of blue and TT. And after this point, there were no more markings. I tried two different paths (what seemed like) but they led to nowhere. I decided to go back by retracing the blue (TT) trail and I was able to come back to the intersection where TT & RD meet. And near this intersection, someone left a dirty short on a tree as if to serve for the extra marking. Where I really got lost was trying to trace back the blue (TT) trail from this intersection (TT & RD). Somehow I managed to come this far following the poor markings but to go back on the trail was even more challenging and frustrating as I ended up going in circle to end up at the very same intersection where TT meets RD (with the dirty short on the tree nearby). This was after hiking back in the rough rocky terrain for 40-50 minutes. I was able to find the 1777 when I decided to take the RD instead of blue (TT). I am not an expert hiker. But I have been hiking harriman state park, schunemunk mountain, sterling national park and catskill mountains and never had a problem following the trails or reading the map. I was amazed and appreciative of the accuracy of trails on the map. Most of the trails I hiked were very well marked and maintained. But not the blue blazed timp-torne in West Mountain! I know how to use the map. I had to pay extra attention due to poor markings in blue (TT) trail but I still got lost.This trail in NOT like those well marked trails in other parts of Bear Mountain.   I will not hike this trail until they fix up the problem. Getting a compass would be a very good idea though.
banjolady's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 09/20/2012 - 10:09pm
hi TK --sorry you had such an anxious time on the TT. it sounds like you got lost on your way up the timp because the TT meets the RD on the other (NE) side of the timp. there are some confusing areas near timp pass where the old TT/RD has some faded out blue blazes that lead up the old closed trail that goes up the timp face. this is very eroded and mostly scree, quite precarious footing.  however i have always found that the TT between the timp pass and the timp summit is ok if there is enough light to see the blue blazes. when it gets a little dark, the blazes are harder to see. it might be good to make the blazes blue on a white background so they could me more easily seen. coming down from the timp heading east toward the RD is ok too as far as i know but the blue blazes are sometimes hard to see when the light is bad.   there are some switchbacks going up the timp from timp pass which might be difficult to see if you go there for the first time.
j23tag's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 08/27/2012 - 10:54pm
 If you've never been to Schunemunk, you're sure to enjoy it.  Dark Hollow trail is a long slog up, but gets you near the summit and megaliths.  I just yesterday took the Sweet Clover trail down from the ridge and was amazed at how steep it is, having climbed it up many times before.   A few weeks ago, I spotted a timber rattler off to the side of the Jessup trail, so be alert.   On a disappointing note, I have been dismayed that, in many places, the Jessup trail has been lined with rows of stones.  There are also many, many spurious cairns, even though the trail is well-blazed.  I think this is a desecration and takes away from the experience of being on a rugged trail,  Schunemunk Mountain is no playground, but the Jessup Trail is being made to look like one.   
tree188's picture

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on 09/01/2012 - 1:58pm
Great place to hike, particularly the Long Path from south to north.  The beauty of this park is its proximity to the overall NYC area.  It's great to have another local place to go.  Views to the east of West Point were good and the Hudson River to the north.  Western views of Orange County were nice too.  Personnally I love the trail rocks.  Looks like a landing strip guidance system or NASCAR race way.  My compliments to the maintainer(s)/ landscaper(s) for a unique marking system.  I agree with the writer however that this is no playground.  The hike across the mountain is a bit challenging on the asent and decent of this mountain.  With the drive included, this can be a full day trip.