Time Travel to the Summit of Rusk Mountain

Maybe I’ve seen the Last of the Mohicans one too many times: it seems I’m now obsessed with local lore and the “old days.” On a recent canoe trip down the Delaware I couldn’t stop talking about the Lenape Indians, their travel routines and dress. And on a hike up the highest mountain in Orange County NY, I drove my companions nuts detailing the meaning of the word Schunemunk.

Saint Anne's Peak
Saint Anne’s Peak

Actually I’ve always been fond of remembering the time when men were men, and hiking meant figuring out how to get from point Algonquin to point British without the use of marked trails.

Continue reading →

The Ski Season in Photos #8

lemmycaution on Blockbuster • Plattekill Mtn • Feb 12 2012

NYSkiBlog serves a community from two worlds: those who live in the mountains and those from the cities and suburbs.  New York skiers are a diverse group, brought together by our love for the mountains. We see it as part of our mission to highlight that which brings us together.

After Hurricane Irene, the owner of The Diamond Bar in Brooklyn threw his full support behind the MARK Project’s effort to enable recovery in the Catskills. When winter arrived, Diamond Dave continued his support of the Catskills by organizing a skier’s party in Brooklyn on a Saturday night, followed by a caravan to Roxbury the next morning to ski: it was Diamond Day at Plattekill.

Continue reading →

The Halfway Brook Trail

The Halfway Brook Trail was another traditional path through the Garnet Hills, in the Southern Adirondacks. It was used by locals for decades prior to the land’s inclusion into the Forest Preserve. In the 1930s, it was traveled by mine workers moving from their North River living quarters to the mine each day. In the last 50 years, the trail has been used mostly during the winter by backcountry skiers.

William Blake Pond.
William Blake Pond

Halfway Brook Trail now officially extends all the way to the old farm road, absorbing (and shortening) a trail that had been called “Overlook” on the Garnet Hill trail map for years. I was never sure if Overlook was actually a new name for part of the Halfway Brook Trail, or something truly distinct.  To further complicate things, the first section of the trail, became known as the William Blake Pond Trail — another result of the way lodge guests used the route.

Continue reading →