We took this hike on Veterans Day, a couple of weeks ago. Silent Cougar, Major Tom and Grandpa started on South Mountain Road in North New City, and hiked along the Palisades Ridge to Central Highway. This was our last section on the diabase sill. The views from both Tors were spectacular, and the steep slopes were quite a workout. We met a park ranger and a police officer on quads. They were looking out for illegal hunters. The only gunshots we heard were from the Clarkstown P.D. firing range.
The Long Path has been re-routed to avoid the roughest terrain. Silent Cougar went up the stone steps on all fours, while the adults took the roundabout route. Thus is was the youngster who found the memorial to a deceased hiker. Perhaps High Tor was one of his favorite places. Even more dangerous was the drop-off at Little Tor. You could walk right off, and fall for hundreds of feet. Going up instead of down, there were lonely outcrops perfect for meditation and communing with nature. Too bad about all the litter. We picked up as much as we could.
The old woods road took us out to Central Highway, where our car was waiting. The Long Path continues west from there to Mt. Ivy. We did that hike on a dark and snowy day last winter. Silent Cougar writes a log about all our hikes. When I find that one, I will post it. Now, it is time to plan our route through Harriman Park.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Cheesecote Mountain, Pomona, NY
Yesterday was the day after Thanksgiving. Silent Cougar and I decided to fill in a gap on our Long Path project. Cheesecote Mountain was the last local section of Long Path for us to explore. We had already hiked the entire length of the Palisades Ridge, from the George Washington Bridge to the Palisades Parkway in Mt. Ivy. The next chunk after Cheesecote will be the ancient metamorphic highlands of Harriman Park. Yesterday's section was a bridge between two worlds.
-Major Tom
Cheesecote turned out to be a very spooky and mysterious place. On the way up, we saw a big flock of starlings. They were zooming in formation, foreshadowing a special hike. It was a cloudy and cold day. On our way in, there were many scary omens like a dead deer and creaky trees. We heard the wind use three different voices, as if spirits were talking to each other. The whole thing was like a waking dream or like being in a horror novel. It felt like a vision. The whole hike kept the creepy vibe, and it was one of my top three of all time. Another spooky omen was a strange animal noise that we could not identify. We saw "Live 4 the moment" painted upside-down on a boulder. A flock of wild turkeys flapped up a formation that we called Catamount Cliff. There was a cool cemetery with a large plaque that read "Those who are not to be forgotten," and another: "Souls no longer forgotten." There was a beautiful pond on top of the mountain. The water was grayish-green in the fading light. Gusts of wind sent strange ripples racing across the surface. It was the kind of place where anything could happen. Ancient spirits must live there. Chunks of slag seemed to lead us on our way out, and a herd of deer crossed our path again and again. It was dark as we left the woods, ending a spooky and powerful experience. We won't forget the beauty and loneliness of the place. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
-Silent Cougar
-Major Tom
Cheesecote turned out to be a very spooky and mysterious place. On the way up, we saw a big flock of starlings. They were zooming in formation, foreshadowing a special hike. It was a cloudy and cold day. On our way in, there were many scary omens like a dead deer and creaky trees. We heard the wind use three different voices, as if spirits were talking to each other. The whole thing was like a waking dream or like being in a horror novel. It felt like a vision. The whole hike kept the creepy vibe, and it was one of my top three of all time. Another spooky omen was a strange animal noise that we could not identify. We saw "Live 4 the moment" painted upside-down on a boulder. A flock of wild turkeys flapped up a formation that we called Catamount Cliff. There was a cool cemetery with a large plaque that read "Those who are not to be forgotten," and another: "Souls no longer forgotten." There was a beautiful pond on top of the mountain. The water was grayish-green in the fading light. Gusts of wind sent strange ripples racing across the surface. It was the kind of place where anything could happen. Ancient spirits must live there. Chunks of slag seemed to lead us on our way out, and a herd of deer crossed our path again and again. It was dark as we left the woods, ending a spooky and powerful experience. We won't forget the beauty and loneliness of the place. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
-Silent Cougar
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