[Journal entry for October 30, 2018; Rattlesnake Hill, Black Rock Forest, Cornwall New York]. The afternoon is cool, with sun and a perfectly clear turquois sky. Typical fall weather – but not for this overly wet year. I made three quick stops along Route 9W to view the Hudson River, first at the highway bridge that crosses Popolopen Gorge to view Anthony’s Nose and the Bear Mountain bridge, the second near Crow’s Next Mountain to view Constitution Island, and the third near Storm King, to view that mountain, as well as Mt Taurus, on the Hudson’s far shore.

I parked at the Hiker’s Lot on Reservoir Road at about 1:45 PM and set off towards Rattlesnake Hill, which is in the southern part of the Forest. The view northward from the overlook along Reservoir Road is excellent. I can see Shawangunk Ridge off in the distance. The trees are now near their peak colors, but this year those colors are mostly yellows, not reds or oranges. A few late summer flowers are still in bloom along the road, and especially purple Roadside Aster. The sun is making the overarching trees along the road glow yellow; it’s a beautiful sight.

At first, I follow the system of woods roads, for they are easy to walk and I have a long way to go. I stop at Upper Reservoir and, a few minutes later, at Aleck Meadow Reservoir. A few maples and Black Tupelos along their shore are red. I then take the Swamp Trail (blazed in blue) to the Scenic Trail (blazed in white), which takes me up onto the Hill of Pines. One of my favorite viewpoints is at its summit. The rounded rock knobs host a few solitary Pitch Pines and are surrounded with Blueberry Bushes, now burnt red in color, and Scrub Oak, now yellow-brown. The southward view towards the rolling hills of the Hudson Highlands is excellent. The yellowish colored forest canopy gives it an exotic appearance. I can see my next destination, Rattlesnake Hill, one hilltop away. Before leaving, I climb up onto the top of an enormous boulder – sculpted by Ice Age glaciers, I suppose – that lies a little below the summit.

I continue of the Scenic Trail, taking it down off of Hill of Pines and past tall cliffs of beige rock, with giant boulders scattered at their base. After crossing Carpenter Road (another woods road), I began the ascent of Rattlesnake Hill. It is no higher than Hill of Pines, but much wider. The trail follows the ridge crest, passing many beautiful open glades full of trees – mainly Oaks – now in their fall colors. I make a short detour to a seldom visited (judging by the lack of a trail) viewpoint that looks southeast. I then rejoined the Scenic Trail and took it to a series of three viewpoints that look southwest. Like the one on Hill of Pines, they are very beautiful in their own right, with red Blueberry Bushes, yellow Scrub Oak and green Pitch Pine decorating the tan gneiss. Unlike Hill of Pines, they also offer a great view of Bog Meadow Pond, one of the larger reservoirs in this part of the Highlands.

I continued along the Scenic Trail, taking it down the south flank of Rattlesnake Hill. I made a short bushwhack to a small wetland in which a magnificent Black Tupelo was showing off its bright red fall colors. Unfortunately, the ground was too wet and the bushes to tangled for me to get close. I switched back to the road system when the trail crosses Bog Meadow Road, and took it towards Jim’s Pond. I couldn’t resist making a short bushwhack down to Bog Meadow Pond. The grassy shore where I stood was already in the late afternoon shadows, but the far side was dramatically lit by the sun. I connected to Jim’s Pond Road and took it to Jim’s Pond.

I took the opportunity to visit Jim Pond’s Dam, for though I had long ago guessed its approximate location, I had never before tried to find it. It is at the end of a spur road on the southeast end of the Pond at the end of a little bay, and consists of a short stone structure that spans a narrow ravine. Beaver have clogged its spillway, making a low wooden dam of their own on top of the stone. I was a bit disappointed in the lack of red fall colors along the shore; the trees were mostly yellow and brown. I then hiked the Stropel Trail (blazed in yellow) up onto the ridge of the Eagle’s Cliff. The overlook is at the western end of the ridge, and includes a bare rocky high point which, while it commands a tremendous view, is a bit tricky to ascend. I scrambled up and was treated to a great view to the south. I could see Jim’s Pond among the rolling hills, and, over on Academy land, Wilken’s Pond, too. Way in the distance, beyond the last hill of the Highlands, the skyscrapers of Manhattan glittered. The several viewpoints that are to the sides of the rocky knob are also excellent; furthermore, they have more vegetation that adds nearby color. I stayed on the Eagle’s cliff for as long as I dared, watching the sun slowly sink and the shadows of the hills slowly lengthen. I then took the Scenic Trail back to Bog Meadow Road, and the road system back to my car.

The hike back from the Eagle’s Cliff took me an hour, which was less than I had supposed it would, so finished up well before the evening grew dim. About four hours, overall.