Harriman: Kanawaukee to Limekiln Mountain 1/7-8

vftt.org

Help Support vftt.org:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Dana

Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2003
Messages
196
Reaction score
16
Location
usually somewhere in Harriman...
This was a low key hike. The original plan was the short hike to Smith's Den that we often do in the winter, but my friend couldn't make it and it was so warm (for a January hike), so my plan B was a hike I've thought about for a couple of years, camping on one of the ridges on the southeast side of the park, with views to the south.

From the Kanawauke parking area (actually I parked at a group camp I'm affiliated with), the plan was to bushwhack south of Spring Pond (on Rt. 106 near the Kanawauke circle) to the Long Path, then head south toward Limekiln Mountain or Panther Mountain. After crossing the bridge between the second and third Kanawauke lakes, I stopped by the chapel there to shed a layer and ake some pack adjustents. Funny that with the hundreds of times I've driven by here, I've never taken a close look. Quite the ironwork on the chapel doors:

attachment.php


Continuing east, cross Seven Lakes Drive, I climbed the hill south of the traffic circle. Here there is an iron lean-to used by some of the area group camps for overnight trips (not open to the public, who'd want to camp that close to the road anyway?):

attachment.php


Continuing on south of Spring Pond through mostly open woods with occasional patches of mountain laurel, I came on a trail marked with cairns and occasional green spray paint blazes. Since it headed generally east I followed it, and it brought me to the Long Path, which I followed south to the top of Pole Brook Mountain, where there's a clearing with stone walls and old cellar holes where I stopped for lunch. Hot enough in January to shed my shirt and lay in the sun for awhile! I continued south on the LP, passing only one hiker, a woman hiking alone, then I chatted with a cyclist when I crossed Lake Welch Drive.

There were three guys camping at Big Hill Shelter, and a large group of women day hikers, so I continued on my way, following the unmarked trail around Second Reservoir, to the SBM trail. Deciding I was too tired (and it was too late) to continue on to Panther Mountain, I took the Red Arrow trail when I got to it. Once through the swamp, I left the trail in the area of some rock walls and headed up onto Limekiln Mountain. Lots of laurel and blueberries on the summit, and no views, so I continued SSE to a lower bump, where I was rewarded with a nice view all the way down to New York City:

attachment.php


Yes, that's Manhattan in the middle of the picture:

attachment.php


No room for a tent but I never use one anyway, and the weather was so fine I didn't even bother with my bivy sack. Had a lovely nightime view also:
attachment.php


continued...
 
In the morning, after "breakfast in bed"...

attachment.php


I started down the east side of the summit (much easier than over the top) and came across some kind of stone foundation. Not sure what it is, too small to be a cabin, perhaps a privy?

attachment.php


I came out on the Red Arrow trail near the same stone walls I followed on my way up:

attachment.php


For the return, I followed the SBM trail over Ladentown Mountain, should be a good place for blueberries in season...

attachment.php


... then down another unmarked trail, through the camp on the end of Breakneck Pond, then out the camp road to the bend where it's a short cut across to the Long Path again. Once past Johnsontown Road and Lake Welch Drive, I picked the unmarked trail I followed the previous day. This time I decided to follow it all the way to the end (following for part of the way some old woods roads wide enough to call a boulevard), and came out on Seven Lakes Drive across a group camp entrance near the Kanawauke dam. Since my daughter works as the camp nurse at this YMCA camp, I'm welcome there (not that anybody's there in the winter anyway) and I continued through the camp, across the dam, then up the camp road on the west side of the third Kanawauke lake, and back to my car.

All in all a very nice trip... not spectacular like the 'dacks or the Whites, but a great antidote to a tough week at work... and home to Connecticut in time for dinner.
 
Sounds like a good Harriman hike. Big Hill has a great view of NYC as well.. We used to swim at that closed camp at the end of Breakneck Pond too. Fun place to go for a dip in the summer time!

Jay
 
Hsp

I am glad that someone else appreciates Harriman State Park!

There are several great trails of greater then 20 miles that make a good couple of days backpack- all with public transportation at either end.

I have seen all kinds of animals there- including black bear, coyote, deer, pine martin, beaver, otter, red squirrel, etc.

Thanks for the trip report-
 
Top