upstate new york

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

Minnewaska State Park, Mossy Glen Trail, Awosting Falls, 5.6 Miles RT, Max elevation 1,745', 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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Adirondack Park, Sleeping Beauty Mountain, Lake George Wild Forest, 4.6 Miles RT, 1,109' +/-, Max Elevation 2,347', July 11, 2022

Adirondack Park, Sleeping Beauty Mountain, Lake George Wild Forest, 4.6 Miles RT, 1,109' +/-, Max Elevation 2,347', July 11, 2022

We had a lovely hike to the summit of Sleeping Beauty Mountain in the eastern area of Adirondack Park in the Lake George Wild Forest. The hike was easy with some lovely switchbacks and a beautiful summit overlooking Lake George. We decided to add on some extra mileage by making the loop to Bumps Pond. It was absolutely beautiful and full of dragonflies and puddling butterflies. There’s a whole network of trails to explore in this area and I’m looking forward to coming back again for more hiking.

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