Hike Below Lamont, Bill Menke, Dec. 3, 2005

[Journal entry for December 3, 2005] I am hiking what I call the "Lamont Cliff Circuit" today. This loop hike starts at the parking lot of Seismology Building at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatoy, descends down to river level via a trail that follows the little stream that makes Peanut Leap Falls, follows the shore of the Hudson south for a mile or so, ascends back to cliff-top level via the Forest View Trail at State Line Lookout, and then follows the cliff top northward, back to Lamont.

I try to do this hike several times a year, as it is one of my favorites, but I always avoid it in high summer, because the poison ivy is can be very bad then. I have done the loop in as little as 1:45, but that means trail-running and I see very little in that mode. Today I plan to take my time, and take some photogtaphs, too.

The morning is cold, 34 deg F. The leaves are cruncy underfoot, with a little ice showing here and there. The trail is straight and gently downhill, passing large, brown rock outcrops and following a little stream, which is running merrily. At the top of Peanut Leap Falls, the trail descends via a set of three or four steep switchbacks. The Falls are quite beautiful. The recent rain has supplied them with ample water. Old, ruined stonework of a formal garden is set at the base of the falls. The spot must have once afforded a nice picnic spot, with a good view of the Hudson River and the Falls. But it is quite overgrown now.

The trail runs southward here. I cross the stream - the outflow of the Falls - tiptoing from rock to rock. The trail runs along an old line of hedges. I'm amazed that they still survive, as the flotsom at the river's edge suggests that this area is often under water. The view up the river, northward, towards the tappan Zee Bridge, is good here.

The colors today are mostly all browns and blues. Brown for the trees and rocks, and blues for the water and sky. But a few plants are still green. Ferns, in particular, are still vibrant, despite the frost. I also come across a blooming Witch-Hazel tree. Its little yellow blossoms, with their ropy pedals, are pretty anomalous and easy to spot! Yellow marsh grasses grow in patches along the tiver.

The trail now crosses, by my count, five rock-falls, each several hundred yards long. The trail crosses the first at river level. There is a dramatic point whether the trail wraps around the river-side of a 10-foot boulder. This area seems to have a lot of driftwood at trail level. I would guess that the storm surge from Hurricane Wilma was responsible. It crosses the other rock falls higher up. These open areas afford good views of both the Hudson River to the left and the towering cliffs of the Hudson Palisades, to the right. I pass only one other hiker along this most-difficult part of the hike.

The train crosses a wide, flat area just before it intersects the Forest View Trail. I meet two groups of about ten kids and three or four adults in the area. Each kid is carrying a stout branch for a staff, most quite a bit taller than the kid. They have just come down Forest View, and are quite excited after having successfully negotiated its steeper sections. I chat with one group, who are interested in my opinion on hiking times. I then ascend the many switchbacks and staircases of the Forest View Trail. My best time up this trail is 11 minutes. But today I plan to take longer. I spot one oak that still has some fall colors. And I notice that the ground is covered with many bunches of dark blue grapes, which presumabley fell off vines growing on the trees overhead. We'll, Leif called it Vinland, after all!

Many sightseers are at State Line Lookout, and the Refreshment Stand looks quite busy. I stand at the overlook, 532 feet above the Hudson. It commands and excellent view of the Hudson Valley. I can even see, to the east, a sliver of Long Island Sound, with Long Island beyond. A largish sailboat is heading downstream the Hudson today. Its one of several boats that I've noticed today, the others including a cabin cruiser, a floating crane, and several barges.

I take the Long Path northward from State Line Lookout. It hugs the cliff edge. I pass a large angular boulder, perhaps 4 feet high, perched on the smooth rock of the cliff-top. It was put there by an Ice Age glacier, I suppose. I stop briefly at Eagle Rock, a protruding point on the cliff that makes a good overlook. I then head down the final staircase, cross once again the stream that feeds Peanut Leap Falls (this time by a plank bridge), and a few minutes later, arrive back at Lamont. Total trip time, 2:42.