Arden Valley Road to Bear Mountain Inn

Day Eleven
Thursday, October 6, 2016
Tiorati Circle to Bear Mountain Inn
13.6 miles

By this time, we are three days behind our projected schedule, so any shuttles or lodging I had lined up was nil at this point.  We called 446 Taxi Service (listed on the A. T. Conservancy Shuttle List) to meet us at Bear Mountain Inn and taxi us back to Tiorati Circle for $20. 

We started hiking at about 8:30 a.m. and hiked until 4:30 p.m.  We are slackpacking today for the first time so it is much easier on us.  However, the terrain is also quite different.  For the first time in New York, there were no boulder scrambles. 

It was warm, beautiful weather, lots of good views and lots of dayhikers in this area enjoying a great day to be outdoors.  In several places there were nice stone steps going up the mountain instead of the usual natural rocky terrain, especially around Bear Mountain.  Someone has done a lot of hard work maintaining the trails. 

As we approached Bear Mountain from the south, we could see a tower on the top with bear rock face around it.  We eventually made our way to it.  The trail goes right around the edge of the mountain and around the tower; however, we got sidetracked by a soda machine.  Too bad.  There were lots of people loitering around the rocky edifice at the southeastern edge.   We meandered around drinking our soda and talking to an inquisitive man about the Appalachian Trail.   Then we saw where the trail picked up again, and after finishing our drinks, we took off down the trail.  We never did go to the overlook!  It dawned on me later that that’s where the view of Manhattan would be.  That’s what all those people were enjoying.  Dang!  We missed our only clear view of the Manhattan skyline!

The well maintained trail comes up behind the Bear Mountain Inn and Hessian Lake.  A beautiful spot.   After a pleasant day of hiking, we drove to Fishkill, New York and spent the night in the Quality Inn.  But not before stopping at Cracker Barrel for a delicious home-cooked meal.  I had no idea they had Cracker Barrels this far north.  They even had grits from Georgia on the menu! 

 

 

William Brien Memorial Shelter

Palisades Interstate Parkway to New York City

View of Perkins Tower from south

 

Perkins Tower

Perkins Tower

Manhattan Skyline from Bear Mountain - courtesy of George Weaver

Hessian Lake

Hessian Lake

Bear Mountain Inn

Bear Mountain Inn



Buchanan Mountain to Arden Valley Road



Day Nine
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Buchanan Mountain to Arden Valley Road/Tiorati Circle
9.6 miles

Inside our little tarp tent, we have just enough room for two sleeping mats and our backpacks by our sides.  We can sit up, but not stand up inside it.  We have been warm and dry inside, but I can tell when dawn is coming because it seems to be the coldest right before and at dawn.  The temps have been moderate though, high 40’s, low 50’s at night and mid to high 60’s in the daytime. 

As I lay in my sleeping bag in the pre-dawn hours, trying to stay warm I could hear the world outside waking up.  An airplane flew over and I wondered where it had come from and where it was going.   It was probably the first flight of the day out of New York City.  Another flock of geese flew overhead.  Wait-up was snoring quietly next to me and I lay very still so as not to wake him.  I knew when he woke up, he would arise immediately and the day would begin.  I was in no hurry. 

We left camp around 7:40.  I thought it was going to be a short day, and it was at only 9.6 miles, but we walked for 8.5 hours.  On previous sections when we had 10 miles to do, we would be finished in 5 or 6 hours, depending on our stops.  What gives? 

There were several hard rock scrambles, particularly on Buchanan Mountain.  We thought we had reached the summit last night, but found out we had not quite done so.  Then we reached Agony Grind on Arden Mountain.  Ugh! 

At the bottom of the hill before going out onto the road, we found a supply of water left by the Tuxedo Trail Angels.  We topped off our water bottles there.   Just a short while later, at the next road crossing there was another supply left by Trail Angel Headley along with a tarp covering and some chairs.  We rested in the chairs for a little bit, but the fresh fruit and water was all gone.         

 

We entered Harriman State Park and it was like another world after the Agony Grind.  There were several day hikers in the area.  I commented that I could understand why the day hikers came up this side of the trail and not the other side of the road going up the Agony Grind.  This side was pretty green mountainsides with wide paths.  It was still rocky, but not nearly as torturous.

A beautiful pond was on top of the mountain, it obviously was the destination of the day hikers.  We hiked around it as we went on up.  Then we found the Lemon Squeezer.  We had to take off our packs to get through it – it was pretty tight.  We met a couple who were doing a flip-flop hike and had 400 miles before completing the trail.  They were headed south and had just come through the Squeezer. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We started counting the roads about this point.  We had 5 to go before we reached the 6^th one where we were parked at Tiorati Circle.  We went through a beautiful meadow before reaching our road where the fall colors were really beginning to show.  Fingerboard Shelter was closed due to renovations. 

 

 

    

 

We have never been so glad to reach our car.  Nine days is the longest we have ever been away from it.  We were thoroughly whipped.  We wanted a luxurious hotel (not a motel) and food delivery!   We went to Comfort Suites in Mahwah, New Jersey.  After a good long time trying to get to it (long story, lol), we finally made it there and the clerk provided us with a menu from Sonny and Tony’s Italian Restaurant.  Within a few minutes, we were eating a very fine buffalo chicken wrap with all the trimmings.  

Arden Valley Road at Tiorati Circle