The Hiking Blog

Balm of Gilead Mountain Cliffs, NY

Posted on by Harvey

I’ve wanted to post about the cliffs on Balm of Gilead Mountain for quite a while now. We hike up to the outcrop regularly, but I never seem to get pictures that represent the true beauty of the view.

Balm of Gilead Mountain sign

My last walk was no different, except this time I’m posting.

For me the hike starts from the Garnet Hill Lodge Ski Center in North River, NY. It’s not an official trailhead, but it’s probably ok to park here in the summer when lodge demand for parking is lower than it is in winter.  If you’d like to use this access point, I’d recommend asking for permission in the ski shop or in the lodge.

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Tagged: Adirondacks, Backcountry, Hiking, Siamese Ponds Wilderness3 Comments

Peekamoose Mountain Trail, NY

Posted on by ml242

For the first time I can remember, skiing barely crossed my mind as I drove into the Catskills. After one of the most perfect springs in years, summer turned the page by burning it off the calendar.

Peekamoose-Stream

Multiple days over 90 degrees had me and my friends feeling the heat. With a rare midweek opportunity to hit the trails with a car full of company, we jumped at the chance.

With a group of mixed experience, I scoured my maps to find something easy with advantageous lookouts and a lack of crowds, that would also be close to some cool options for after the hike. After weighing endless options, I settled on the trail up Peekamoose Mountain, for selfishly, I had yet to hike it and wanted to see Wittenberg and some of the reservoirs from that side.

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Tagged: Catskills, Hiking6 Comments

High Life on the Long Trail

Posted on by ml242

“There’s gold in those hills!” As I pulled into the parking lot for Camel’s Hump state park, it was evident that fall was upon us. Autumn is a magic time of year in the Northeast. The days get shorter quickly, so it’s important to squeeze every drop of life and light from the sun.

Camels Hump via Long Trail

We knew in advance that there are two trails on the West side of Camel’s Hump to attain the Long Trail, the Forest City and the Burroughs. We saw no one parked at the lower elevation Forest City parking lot, but we did notice a few cars coming down from the Burroughs lot.

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Tagged: Hiking, VT5 Comments