LiveOutside
11-17-2007, 10:41 AM
This place had been recommended to me by a co-worker who used to hike here all the time when he was younger, so I thought I would check it out. It was nice to get away for the day, away from the lists and the pressure of peakbagging, as much as I love it. I slept in late and arrived at the parking lot at around 10:45 or so. My plan was for Gertrude’s Nose but I didn’t look very hard for signs, and I didn’t have a map or anything, so I settled for a day of traipsing through the woods.
I studied the map at the beginning, trying to memorize as much as I could, and then set off. I walked back down the road a little ways to the Beacon Hill trailhead, and took off down the carriageway. It was a pleasant enough walk, there were some flurries in the air, and the trees protected me from a fierce wind that would persist all day long. It hit me full blast at the first viewpoint, which was fairly impressive. I could see lots of cliff bands, and even the Catskills in the distance. A trail led to the view from the opposite direction, so I took that, which led me over a ridge and very interesting terrain with cool views, to a picnic area. I snapped a few pictures, and then made my way up and over the little bluff, where I found myself on a series of cliffs along Lake Minnewaska.
It was an amazing view, and the wind was striking very hard here. I noticed a red-blazed carriageway, and remembered that from the map, so I followed that to the end of the lake, where large waves were crashing up on the shore. I found the trail to Millbrook Mt., and I thought I might just make it to Gertrude’s Nose afterall. The trail to Millbrook Mt. led me through a very pretty forest, and towards the end the trail actually became a stream that I followed to the summit. There was a nice sign marking it, and a great view in almost all directions. The clouds had rolled in a little, but I could still see far into the distance. I continued on down the trail along the cliffs, enjoying the views all the way along. This was a very interesting section of New York that I was immensely enjoying it.
The trek over to Gertrude’s Nose seemed like it was taking a long time, but in reality it probably didn’t take me too long. This was a really spectacular area, as the trail curved back around, I felt as though I were walking in a canyon or something, with cliff bands higher up above me, but still with excellent views. Towards the end, I had to pick which way to go on some of those carriageways, and without a map, it made me a little nervous, but it was a quick walk back to the lake. Flurries all day long, a strong wind, enough sun to keep me happy and a hike in a fascinating new area to me. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a day in November.
I studied the map at the beginning, trying to memorize as much as I could, and then set off. I walked back down the road a little ways to the Beacon Hill trailhead, and took off down the carriageway. It was a pleasant enough walk, there were some flurries in the air, and the trees protected me from a fierce wind that would persist all day long. It hit me full blast at the first viewpoint, which was fairly impressive. I could see lots of cliff bands, and even the Catskills in the distance. A trail led to the view from the opposite direction, so I took that, which led me over a ridge and very interesting terrain with cool views, to a picnic area. I snapped a few pictures, and then made my way up and over the little bluff, where I found myself on a series of cliffs along Lake Minnewaska.
It was an amazing view, and the wind was striking very hard here. I noticed a red-blazed carriageway, and remembered that from the map, so I followed that to the end of the lake, where large waves were crashing up on the shore. I found the trail to Millbrook Mt., and I thought I might just make it to Gertrude’s Nose afterall. The trail to Millbrook Mt. led me through a very pretty forest, and towards the end the trail actually became a stream that I followed to the summit. There was a nice sign marking it, and a great view in almost all directions. The clouds had rolled in a little, but I could still see far into the distance. I continued on down the trail along the cliffs, enjoying the views all the way along. This was a very interesting section of New York that I was immensely enjoying it.
The trek over to Gertrude’s Nose seemed like it was taking a long time, but in reality it probably didn’t take me too long. This was a really spectacular area, as the trail curved back around, I felt as though I were walking in a canyon or something, with cliff bands higher up above me, but still with excellent views. Towards the end, I had to pick which way to go on some of those carriageways, and without a map, it made me a little nervous, but it was a quick walk back to the lake. Flurries all day long, a strong wind, enough sun to keep me happy and a hike in a fascinating new area to me. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a day in November.