Hike Reviews

<p>While hiking this trail we found the remnants of an old car chasis. Does anyone know how/when it got there?</p>

<p>I've amended the hike description to make it clear that the hike begins at the northwest corner of the parking area.</p>

<p>I do this loop 2X when training for Spartan Races, it's about 8 miles. It takes me about 3+ hours to complete. Some section you can't run. I also descend/ascend the section where the rockslide occurred on May 12, very challenging section.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>I start my run from north to south...i find it safer since you have to ascend the rock scrabble.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Great hike.&nbsp; For an experienced hiker, it's not as difficult or strenuous as some suggest.&nbsp; There's a short, steep descent at the beginning and a short steep ascent at the end.&nbsp; In between&nbsp;is the&nbsp;Giant Stairs.&nbsp; It's fairly long for a scramble, but there's almost no ascent or descent, there are no long slabs, and at no point does it require upper body strength to pull yourself up.&nbsp; In fact, at very few points did I even have to use my hands.&nbsp; You do have to watch and plan every step, and a few steps in advance, because for much of it there's a steep dropoff on one side, and because the rocks are very jumbled, with spaces between then, so every step is an opportunity to twist or break an ankle.&nbsp; It's no place for little kids or small dogs, or for people without good balance and srambling experience.&nbsp; Those with fear of heights also shouldn't try it.&nbsp; But&nbsp;for an experienced hiker it should be no problem.&nbsp; One reviewer said he did the Stairs in an hour.&nbsp; I'm 60, and it took me 90 minutes to do the Stairs, but only 3.5 hours, less than the estimated time, to do the whole loop.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Did this hike today!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Even with the overcast clouds and morning drizzle this was a fantastic hike!</p>

<p>I don't know where you saw the comment that the Giant Stairs is open only from September to May.&nbsp; That is simply incorrect.&nbsp; The trail is open year-round, although it is not a wise choice when it is it wet, icy or covered with snow.&nbsp;The summer is a good time to experience this trail, provided it hasn't rained in the last day or so.&nbsp; The trail was closed last summer due to the rockslide, but it reopened last fall.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It is hard to find with the directions given above, but I went a couple times and found the location on Google Maps that brings you to the spot where people normaly park. Putting this in your gps should bring you right to the overpass that puts you on the trail&nbsp;<strong>426 New York State Bicycle Route 9, Alpine NJ. &nbsp;</strong><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?q=426+New+York+State+Bicycle+Route+9,+Alpine+NJ&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;ei=o8_mUar5Man64APOwoCQDQ&amp;ved=0CAoQ_AUoAg">https://maps.google.com/maps?q=426+New+York+State+Bicycle+Route+9,+Alpine+NJ&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;ei=o8_mUar5Man64APOwoCQDQ&amp;ved=0CAoQ_AUoAg</a></p>

<p>I did this hike yesterday, November 21st.&nbsp; This was the first time that I've done the hike since the rockslide on May 12th that obliterated a portion of the trail.&nbsp; I'm glad to report that, thanks to the work of Park staff and Trail Conference volunteers, the trail section across the rockslide has been stablized and blazed.&nbsp; In fact, it doesn't look all that much different than the other two areas on the Giant Stairs section where the trail crosses open talus slopes.&nbsp; There was some damage to the trail from Hurricane Sandy, and there are still a number of blowdowns, including two large trees that have fallen across the trail on the Giant Stairs section south of the rockslide.&nbsp; But anyone who is agile enough to negotiate the trail across the jumbled rocks of the Giant Stairs should be able to climb over or under these blowdowns without much problem.&nbsp; There are two other areas where a series of small blowdowns or debris have totally obscured the trail -- on the Shore Trail just north of the Forest View Trail and just south of Peanut Leap Falls.&nbsp; In each case, it is possible to walk around these sections by going off trail.&nbsp;&nbsp;There are also some blowdowns on the sections of the ski trails and Long Path used by this hike, although some gigantic blowdowns that obscured the trail have already been removed.&nbsp; Finally,&nbsp;much debris, in all shapes and colors, has washed ashore along a section of the Shore Trail between the Giant Stairs and Peanut Leap Falls.&nbsp; This trail section is passable without undue difficulty, though.&nbsp; All in all, the route of the hike is in reasonably good condition, all things considered, and any hiker who is capable of traversing the rugged Giant Stairs can also get around the various blowdowns and obstacles that remain from Hurricane Sandy.</p>

<p>This is just a fabulous hike. My husband and i did it yesterday &nbsp;(May 11, 2012)&nbsp;for the first time&nbsp;and found it to be precisely as described. We got back to the parking lot in 4 hrs, 15 minutes, having taken the "side trip" to the Women's Federation monument. Among my favorite moments: Spying a written message on a rock: "Macedonia Sucks!" (i suppose a Yugoslav youth group had come through?); seeing a ring-necked snake, his scales glittering like a necklace in the sun; enjoying the Peanut Leap waterfall (in my camera, it came out looking like fireworks) and of course taking in the incomparable, dizzying views and realizing that, at last, we were standing atop those sheer cliffs we see every time we take the train from Beacon to New York City.&nbsp;</p> <p>The cafe itself sells NYNJTC maps and is a warm and welcoming place.</p> <p>Hoorah for this hike!</p>

<p>We took this hike on a Sunday afternoon, and were slightly worried that 3:30 PM might be too late to start this hike, but we got lucky and were able to finish the hike well before sunset; and its was a sunday afternoon very well spent. A superb hike, with each part of the hike well described here..Grazie Mille!</p>