[Journal entry for June 29, 2013; Fort Montgomery State Historic Site, NY]. In the late afternoon, I parked at the Visitor’s Center at Fort Montgomery State Historic Site, off of Route 9W just north of Bear Mountain Circle. I walked a loop through the park, examining a set of stone foundations dating from the Revolutionary War. The fort defended the chain that closed the Hudson River to the British Navy. The foundations include officers’ and enlisted men’s barracks, a “necessary’ (privy) and a powder store. The foundations are of un-mortared stone and are in rather poor condition.

Some of the trees in this area show the damage characteristic of the Seventeen Year Cicadas, Brood II of which swarmed this year. Each of these trees has many, but widely-separated patches of dead leaves, each on a dead twig. The females lay their eggs in cuts made in the twigs, causing its leaves to wither and turn brown. However, I hear no droning of cicadas, for their breeding time has passed. Dead cicadas are scattered around the ground beneath these trees.

I then walked the Twin Forts Trail (blazed in blue) southward, crossing Popolopen Creek via the footbridge. The view from this low but substantial steel suspension bridge is wonderful! Looking east, I can see the Hudson River, the Bear Mountain Bridge and Anthony’s Nose, a prominent hill on the east side of the river. Looking west, I can see Popolopen Creek and its tree-lined banks, and high above, the arch of the Route 9W highway bridge. Once past the bridge, I descend a side trail to the water. There’s a little beach, but recent erosion has taken down several trees along the water’s edge, blocking access.

The trail then ascends up under the Bear Mountain Bridge, a very substantial steel structure that spans the Hudson River, and climbs up to highway level by the Zoo. I sit for a few minutes on a park bench in a little garden that offers another great view of the Hudson River. I then take a trail that leads to the bridge plaza and walk Route 9W back to the car. I cross Popolopen Creek again, this time by the Route 9W decked arch bridge. The eastward view is very nice, though similar to that of the footbridge, below. The rocky hill called Popolopen Torne can be seen on the west side, but the view is marred by power lines.

About one and a quarter hours.