New York

Minnewaska State Park, Awosting Falls, Bull Wheel, High Peter's Kill Trail, 5.6 Miles RT, 2,175' Max Elevation, February 28, 2026

February 28, 2026

Today we went back to Minnewaska to continue along the Awosting Falls Trail. We planned to hike to the Bull Wheel Trail and loop back on the High Peter’s Kill Trail. We arrived shortly after the lot opened at 9 a.m., and people were just starting to filter in.

We took the Awosting Falls Trail past the waterfall and along the scenic Peter’s Kill stream. This trail is a wide carriage road. It was still covered in ice and snow and the waterfall was flowing, but parts of it were also still frozen. We continued until we reached the footpath for the Awosting Falls Connector Trail and followed it to Route 44. After crossing the road to the High Peter’s Kill parking area, we found the Red Loop footpath and followed it briefly until reaching the Bull Wheel Trail.

From there, we gradually ascended to an open area filled with pitch pines and the remains of a concrete slab which was once the base of a tower that supported a pulley for a ski lift. This was part of the Ski Minne downhill ski area that operated from 1964 to 1978. The pulley, known as a “bull wheel” is how the trail got its name.

We continued past the impressive cliffs of Dickie Barre, where the Bull Wheel Trail ends and connects with High Peter’s Kill, which also follows the route of the Shawangunk Ridge Trail. We climbed through a notch in Dickie Barre, followed by another descent, and eventually reached an open area where pitch pines grew on the exposed rock ledges at Compass Rock. The views here were incredible, and we could see far north all the way to the Catskills. I pulled out my PeakFinder app to identify some of the high peaks.

After spending some time taking it all in, we continued along High Peter’s Kill, with more ups and downs along the way, until we reached the stream. We stopped for a bit to listen to the flow of the water and relax. After crossing two bridges, the trail began to climb again.

We were hiking on a mix of snow and along the exposed rocky outcrops of the beautiful Shawangunks, with views over the valley. The trail followed the ridge above Peter’s Kill and eventually, we could see Route 44 again. The trail began to parallel the road until it led us back to the main parking area.

The temperature had warmed up quite a bit throughout the day, making the hike along the ridge especially slushy, slippery, and a little more challenging. But the sun was shining, and it was a gorgeous day.

We ended it with a stop at Rough Cut Brewing for burgers and brews heading back to the city.

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Minnewaska State Park, Mossy Glen Trail, Awosting Falls, 5.6 Miles RT, Max elevation 1,745', February 21, 2026

February 21, 2026

It was a beautiful day at Minnewaska State Park. There was much more snow than the last time we were here a few weeks ago, when it was mostly hard-packed ice on the trail. This time, the ice was covered by a few more inches of snow, but we were able to hike in microspikes and didn’t need to switch into snowshoes.

We hiked the Mossy Glen Trail, as we did last time, and thought we might continue on to the viewpoint at Castle Rock. But the trees were heavy with snowmelt, and we were getting a little wet ducking under the rhododendrons and brushing past the pines. It was a bit warmer today, even though the sun never came out.

When we reached the end of Mossy Glen, we decided to head back the way we came and enjoy the trail in the opposite direction. When we arrived back at the parking lot, it was still fairly early, so we took the Awosting Falls Trail to see the falls, which we’d never been to before. There were beautiful ice flows along the trail, and near the falls we saw blue ice.

I made a note to continue on this trail next time.

After the hike, we stopped at Rough Cut Brewing for burgers and IPAs. It was a great day.

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Minnewaska State Park Preserve, Mossy Glen, Lake Awosting, 5.9 Miles RT, 574' +/-, January 11, 2026

January 11, 2026

IIt has been a month since we’ve been able to go out for a hike, and I have been craving that balance between nature and city. This past weekend was our first hike of 2026, and getting out into the woods was much overdue. I had been wanting to check out Minnewaska State Park Preserve for some time, and today we made the hour and forty-minute drive out of the city to explore it.

Minnewaska State Park Preserve is located on the Shawangunk Ridge in Ulster County, New York. The Shawangunk Mountains, aka The Gunks, extend from the northernmost point of the border with New Jersey to the Catskills. It’s a continuation of the easternmost section of the Appalachian Mountains. In New Jersey, this ridge is known as Kittatinny Mountain, which we have hiked many times in the Delaware Water Gap.

With the freeze-thaw conditions over the past week or so, I knew the terrain would be a mixed bag of mud, snow and hard-pack ice requiring traction. We brought our microspikes and snowshoes, which I keep in the back of my car throughout the winter just in case there’s enough snow for snowshoeing. I’d studied the winter recreation map, as some trails are closed to hikers during the winter, and chose the Mossy Glen Trail to Lower Awosting Carriage Road to the lake and back.

We entered the main parking area just off Route 44, where there is a kiosk, and a helpful ranger handed us a map and advised us on trail conditions that would require microspikes throughout. There was a $10 fee, which goes back to fund the park, which I did not mind paying. To be honest, I’m so used to hiking in remote areas with no facilities or information that sometimes I really appreciate a nice, paved parking area with bathroom facilities and a visitor center!

The morning was chilly, but there was no wind, and the sun was glistening on the ice-covered carriage road, which begins the hike. Then we entered the glen, which runs along the Peterskill stream. The trail undulated through beautiful hemlock, pitch pine, hardwoods, and rhododendron tunnels. There were wooden bridges to cross over the stream and wooden planks to navigate along the trail. Along Peterskill stream, we walked across large flat rocks layered in about six inches of hard-pack ice. The day could not have been more beautiful.

The Mossy Glen Trail terminates at the junction for the Blueberry Run footpath. You can continue south on the Blueberry Run Trail up to Castle Point Ledge, or north, crossing back over Peterskill to the Lower Awosting Carriage Road. We chose to cross back over the stream, continue southwest to Lake Awosting, and then head back along the carriage road to return to the trailhead. Lake Awosting is one of The Gunks’ five naturally occurring “sky lakes.” It was looking pretty well frozen today.

After checking out the lake, we made our way back, crunching along the carriage road in our microspikes. From here we caught a glimpse of the Catskills just north in the distance. We passed a few people out for a walk with their dogs, some wearing traction and some slipping and sliding without. It was about 12:30 pm, and we decided to grab lunch and a couple of brews up the road at Rough Cut Brewing. By the time we were ready to get back on the road, the sun was covered by clouds, the winds were picking up, and there were a few snow showers passing through. We got back to the city just in time to enjoy the rest of the evening, warm, cozy, and satisfied with our much-needed time spent in nature.

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Harriman State Park, Pine Meadow Lake Out & Back, 6.7 Miles RT, 650' +/-, November 23, 2025

November 23, 2025

This weekend we stayed close to the city and explored Harriman State Park. I didn’t do a ton of research before heading out, but I learned that the land was donated by the Harriman family, who were affiliated with the railroad. They gifted a large portion of land to create a state park in order to prevent the state from building a prison at Bear Mountain.

I chose a relatively easy hike in the southern portion of Harriman, about 45 minutes outside the city. The trail follows a steady, rocky grade along Pine Meadow Brook up to Pine Meadow Lake. The area around the lake was once settled by the Conklin family around 1724. The last resident, Ramsey Conklin, was evicted by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission in 1935 so the lake could be constructed. There’s a sign along the trail near the spot where the cabin once stood, along with the ruins of an old pumphouse and remnants of group camps that were never completed.

Along the way we passed some interesting boulder formations which are great places to take a break or just sit and enjoy the lake views. The hike was a little over six miles, and we finished fairly early so we could get back to the city. There are so many more trails in Harriman, and it’s such a great option so close to NYC. I’m looking forward to exploring more of the park and its history.

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Catskills, Mt. Tremper Fire Tower via Jessup Road, Willow Trail & Warner Creek Trail, 7.1 Miles RT, 1,837' +/-, Max Elevation 2,740', October 19, 2025

October 19, 2025

We wanted to make the best out of our weekend, so we woke up and headed out to hike Mount Tremper from the Willow Parking Area located off Jessup Road. This approach is longer but less steep than hiking it from Old Rt. 28/Mt. Tremper-Phoenicia Rd.

We parked in the small lot in a residential area that had room for about six cars. The trail immediately begins a steep ascent on an old jeep road through mostly hardwoods. We hiked through the beautiful Hoyt Hollow, where huge boulders line the walls of the hollow. Here, the trail narrows as it passes through more conifers. It’s my favorite section of this hike. Some parts of the trail were slightly eroded but still very manageable. It also loses some elevation before ascending again as it meets the junction with the Warner Creek Trail.

The Warner Creek Trail is a section of the Long Path that continues past the summit of Mount Tremper to Silver Hollow Notch. It’s an undulating stretch, and the winds really picked up here. With the autumn leaves falling, we had some views to the north and south. Eventually, we reached the 47-foot fire tower at the summit. We climbed as high as we could up to the locked cab and enjoyed views of the Burroughs Range, Stony Clove, Deep Notch, and the Devil’s Path Range. We had a snack and checked out the Baldwin lean-to before heading back the way we came.

The weather was starting to turn, and it looked like rain was moving in, so we hiked back down at a decent pace. I was so focused and deep in my groove, enjoying the wind and racing the ominous weather that seemed to be approaching. As we descended, the wind died down, and we stayed well ahead of the rain. It was a great hike. I’ve really fallen in love with the Catskills!

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Catskills, Balsam Lake Mountain Fire Tower via Dry Brook Ridge, 6 Miles RT, 1,197' +/-, Max Elevation, 3,723', October 18, 2025

October 18, 2025

Today’s hike took us to the top of Balsam Lake Mountain.

The very first fire tower ever placed on a mountaintop in New York State was installed here in 1887. The 47 foot tower that stands today was erected in 1919, closed in 1988, and later reopened in 2000.

We began our hike at the trailhead off Mill Brook Road, where there’s a parking lot with a kiosk and clear signage pointing the way. Crossing the road, we followed the blue markers on the Dry Brook Ridge Trail. The trail was moderately graded by Catskill standards and wide, with rocks that were easy to navigate. Large moss-covered boulders and ferns lined the path and we passed a small mountain spring along the way.

Eventually, we reached a junction with the red marked Balsam Lake Mountain Trail leading to the summit. The grade became steeper here, but still very manageable. The trail soon transitioned into an aromatic forest of balsam fir and spruce before opening into a clearing with the Observer’s Cabin and the Balsam Lake Mountain Fire Tower. Picnic tables are scattered around the area, and a group of young hikers was gathered there playing music and having a great time, adding to the joyful, welcoming energy of the mountain.

We climbed to the top of the tower and took in the views stretching over the tops of the balsam fir trees. Ladybugs were flying around the the tower and the clearing adding to the happy atmosphere. We hung out for a while, had a snack, and then began our descent.

It was a wonderful day… nothing too strenuous and just the right amount of effort to make you feel like you earned your dinner. I absolutely loved this hike.

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Adirondack Park, Cat and Thomas Mountains, 7.8 Miles RT, 1,647' +/-, 2,031 Max Elevation, July 12, 2022

July 15, 2022

Today we hiked both Cat and Thomas Mountains. Both summits are part of the Lake George 12ster challenge. The day prior we had hiked hiked Sleeping Beauty, also part of the 12ster. So we’ve now done 3 of the 12 peaks should we decided to complete the challenge in the future. The weather was calling for potential severe thunder storms, so our Plan B was to just do Thomas if the weather decided to turn since we’d already hiked to the top of Cat the last time we were in the Adirondacks. At the start of the hike at the trailhead off Valley Woods Road we heard thunder. We began hiking but noted the time to see if we’d hear more rumbling. Luckily it seemed to pass, and when we reached the summit of Thomas the weather looked promising. We we decided to continue on to Cat Mountain and complete the loop. The hike to Thomas was fairly easy up an old carriage road. The summit opened up to beautiful views of Lake George. At one time there was a cabin on the summit, but it has since been taking down. Next we found the trail to continue on to Cat. From here the trail quickly made a steep beeline down. The trail had quite a bit of up and down and a few easy scrambles. When we arrived at the spur for Cat, we decided to hike up even though we’d done it before. The weather was still holding in our favor, so we took in the views and then made our way back down and back to the trailhead. The weather Gods must have been in our favor today because on the way out, the sky opened up and it began to pour. I was happy we were able to get in the two peaks in one hike. Another beautiful day in the ADK!

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