The Hudson Highlands Blog

Hudson Highlands: Breakneck Ridge and Bull Hill

Posted on by JK_PA

Twenty-four hours before this ski tour began on February 26, I had no plans to ski in New York. I’d never skied in the Hudson Highlands, and I had never met my ski touring partner for the day, Ripitz a well-known character from the NYSkiBlog Forums.

ski bike
Rip’s Rig

In the fall, Rip and I spoke about meeting up for a hike, but winter came before we could make it work. On a whim, I reached out to see if he was open to skin up somewhere in Vermont.

He countered with skiing in the Hudson Highlands State Park instead and asked if I had my nordic skis with me (I did).

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Tagged: Earning Turns, Hudson Highlands, Nordic Skiing14 Comments

Hook Mountain and the Long Path

Posted on by Brownski

Hook Mountain State Park, together with the adjacent Nyack Beach, Rockland Lake and Haverstraw Beach State Parks, is one of my go-to local recreation spots. The Mountain itself is about 700 feet tall and part of the Palisades, a string of cliffs along the western shore of the Hudson River that begin further south in New Jersey.

The Hudson River from Nyack Beach State Park

In the past I have used it more as a spot to launch my kayak into the Hudson or to ride my bike but this year I decided to spend more time hiking there instead, as a way to improve my endurance and overall fitness — sort of a challenge to step it up a bit.

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Tagged: Hiking, Hudson Highlands11 Comments

Black Rock Forest Consortium

Posted on by Low Angle Life

The cat is out of the bag and you’ve seen it in the news: the Catskills are becoming the new Hamptons. Traffic-averse folks shudder at the thought of the New York Thruway increasingly resembling the Long Island Expressway with each passing holiday weekend. I’ve learned to adjust, opting for local outings further downstate that offer a legitimate respite from the throngs of urbanites trekking upstate.

Tamarack Pond
Tamarack Pond

On Labor Day, in search of a quieter alternative to one of my favorite rides in Minnewaska State Park, I decided to keep it local at the Black Rock Forest Consortium. Despite being only 35 miles from my apartment and just a stone’s throw from Victor Constant Ski Area, I’d never visited Black Rock Forest.

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Tagged: Biking, Hudson Highlands5 Comments