[Journal entry for November 17, 2007] Afternoon hike around Queensboro Lake, Harriman Park, New York. I parked at the huge and now rather under-utilized parking lot at the Anthony Wayne Recreation area, which is about a mile south of Queensboro Lake. The day was rather cloudy, but with thin clouds through which the sun still shone faintly. The fall folliage is on its way out, but still rather beautiful, especially the beeches, which are amber hues of yellow and brown. After giving directions to some folks in a car, I crossed the Parkway via an overpass and headed north through the woods along the Anthony Wayne trail. The path here has been eroded down into the earth by several feet, giving almost the appearance of a stream bed, but nevertheless is quite smooth and walkable. The forest litter is mostly brown, but with a few bright red maple leaves, here and there. I passed several large rock outcrops that are being slowly split by the roots of trees. After a few minutes, I connected with the 1779 trail, and took it across Seven Lakes Drive. Queensboro Lake is the north of those seven lakes, which are named Silver Mine, Nawahunta, Tiorati, Askoti, Skannatati, Kanawauke and Sebago. All of them, including Queensboro, are anthropogenic; my path would take me by the Queensboro dam later in the hike. I passed by one of the main inflow streams, Queensboro brook, which originates at the Silver Mine's dam. It is in a bit of a gulley, and surrounded by brambles, so I did not attempt to walk along it. Instead, I walked a bit along the road and then cut through the woods to the shore of Queensboro. The view here is very nice. I could see both Summer Hill and Bear Mountain, both showing colorful fall folliage. The phragmites marsh on the west shore of Queensboro, tan in color, was highlighted by occasional bright red bushes. Parts of the lake's shoreline consists of rocky pennisulas that jut out into the lake. I walked to the end of one and discovered that beavers has built a lodge just off its end. Looking about, I was able to find many trees that showed signs of gnawing. One of the more interesting trees that I passed was the Tamarack Larch, a deciduous conifer. Its needles were turning a bright yellow. I passed a half-dozen individual larch trees, the larger ones bearing small cones. I spotted an Eastern Bluebird flying above a boggy meadow to the east of Queensboro. This is a smaller and more delicate bird than the more common jay. I have sighted bluebirds only very rarely. I picked up the 1779 trail at the eastern side of the lake. It winds westward, following the northern shore of the lake. I passed many small streams and damp sections of ground covered with hummocky grass. One of the streams has nicely-developed meanders, with a point bar that is ten yards or so wide. I was suprised to find a rather deep gully - almost a small gorge - with mossy, vertical sides fifteen or twenty feet high. I suppose the gully to have been carved by some glacier during the ice age, for the stream flowing in it was tiny. I bushwacked back along the west side of the lake, for the 1779 trail takes a route that is further up the flank of Summer Hill. Most of the lake shore is marshy, thick with phragmites - and some brambles, too - but I managed to find one drier area with tall pines that afforded a view of the lake. Unfortunately, the beaver had gnawed those pines rather badly. I encountered Queensboro brook again, and followed it back to the highway. I then retraced the path I has taken earlier, back to my car at Anthony Wayne. My circuit of the lake was over relatively flat and easy terrain, except for a few areas of boulder fields, where the footing is difficult. Time: about two and a half hours.