Schunemunk Mountain - 4/25/2008

[the_swede]

I woke up at 1 PM in the afternoon and decided that I didn't want to completely waste the day. By 3:30 PM, I arrived at the Sweet Clover Trail trailhead on Shaw Road. The open field at the base of Schunemunk was completely green and filled with life. I bet by June, the field will be completely in bloom with wildflowers. Hiked up the Sweet Clover Trail and made my way over to the Megaliths and the summit. At the Megaliths, I sat around for a half hour or so, sipping coffee and eating Fig Newtons, while admiring the landscape. While the temperature was comfortable, the air was a bit humid but I was still able to make out far-away features: Wawayanda Plateau to the South, the Kittatinny Ridge to the West, Black Rock Forest and the Hudson Highlands to the East, and the Shawangunks and the Catskills to the North. Although hazy, I was able to make out Slide, Sugarloaf and Twin.

After I was done relaxing, I wandered around inside the Megaliths before heading down the mountain via the Dark Hollow Brook Trail.

Pics: http://flickr.com/photos/t3h_sw3d3/sets/72157604817381695/detail/

[Una_dogger]

That's a great hike! I 've done it many times but not in a few years since I became a transplanted New Yorker in New England!
I'm surprised how much farther advanced spring is down there!
:)

[the_swede]

That's a great hike! I 've done it many times but not in a few years since I became a transplanted New Yorker in New England!
I'm surprised how much farther advanced spring is down there!
:)

Yep, this is the 2nd time I've done Schunemunk. My first time was last January, on probably the coldest day of this year. Schunemunk's Southern counterparts, Bellvale and Bearfort, are also great hikes. They're all part of the Green Pond outlier, and one day I hope to thru-hike it.

[Una_dogger]

I backpacked the Long Path starting in Harriman State Park and ending over Schunemunk -- most of it was a great walk, some on train tracks and through a subdivision, though.

[Jay H]

The one time I've been to Schunemunk, My friend and I hiked from the private property easement on the north side of the mountain right to the huge train tressle. (The 4 star corporation owns the northern part, you can see their big warehouse like building on the right as you go past Schunemunk on the NYS Thruway, it has 4 stars on the side). As I wasn't navigating, I don't remember the trails we took and stuff, but we went by the rock slides where the guy died a few years ago and did a nice loop kind of hike I think. Getting there was interesting, lots of back roads and parking right by the tressle.

Jay

[Mark Schaefer]

Nice pictures and report. I love that light shade of spring green foliage, especially as it ascends a hillside.

I have always felt an affinity for Schunemunk. Perhaps because it is geologically an isolated piece of the Catskill Plateau. But unlike the rest of the plateau Schunemunk was close enough to the plate tectonic continental collisions so that it has been neatly folded.

I have probably hiked Schunemunk about a dozen times. And there are still some trails that I have not hiked. They keep adding more trails, but that is only part of my lame excuse. I love every trail that I have been on. In a choice of trails you cannot run a muck on Schunemunk.

There are two ridges. The Western Ridge Trail (Long Path) tends to get ignored most. But it has some interesting views across the cleft between the two ridges.

The hiker accident several years ago was caused by a section of rock that collapsed. It was a very rare occurrence which should not deter or frighten anyone away. It was on the Dark Hollow Trail which is perhaps my favorite trail on Schunemunk. There are some late afternoon views which are exceedingly nice during the autumn foliage season. It is a view that includes the Storm King Art Center in the foreground, with Storm King, the Hudson River, Breakneck Ridge, and the Beacon Mountains in the background. I often try to time my late afternoon descent off the mountain for that trail.