[Journal entry for October 24, 2013; Long Swamp] In the afternoon, I hiked a loop in Long Swamp, off of Eagle Valley Road west of Sloatsburg NY. The trail (blazed in orange), first follows a utility right of way, but then strikes west and makes a loop around Long Swamp. I am not overly enamored of right of ways, but this time a year, the bushes within them, and the trees along their margins, have some nice fall colors.

The area is wooded, though showing signs of previous habitation. I pass an abandoned mine surrounded by a chain link fence - a deep, water-filled pit perhaps ten feet across. I follow the loop trail around the swap, taking it counterclockwise. It mostly stays on wooded terrain on hills above the swamp. The trail is pleasant, but I am disappointed that the views of the swamp are so few and so poor. The best I find is from a high spot partially obscured by trees near its northeastern end. The swamp (really a marsh) is mostly overgrown with Phragmites grass and not very interesting to look at, anyway. The Phragmites has already turned it winter tan-grey color. I also spot the waste pile of a small mine, just off the east side of the trail, and, going over to investigate, find several small pits, ringed with plastic fencing, just beyond it. I then bushwhack down to the edge of the swamp, following a small stream at its northern end, though damp grass growing beneath the trees. The stream is pretty but I find no good views of the marsh there.

I bushwhack up a rocky valley back to the trail. It is full of picturesque boulders and has some pretty beech trees, with their green-amber-brown assortment of leaves. Now on the southern leg of the loop, I pass the flank of Pine Mountain, to the west. I decide to bushwhack up to its summit, walking first through but open woods and then climbing an even steeper rock section. I reach a woods road that follows the ridge line of Pine Mountain. It has very nice views, both east and west, offering a nice vantage to view the neighboring hills of the Highlands, with all their fall foliage. I follow the road uphill to the rounded knob of rock at the summit and climb up onto it. This high point gives me a view of Long Swamp, below me to the east, and to the distinctly-shaped Ramapo Torne (hill) on the horizon. I walk the ridge road back. It has quite a few good views to the west. I can see the grassy field of a playing field in a park on the western side of the mountain.

The ridge road eventually connects with the loop trail. I continue southward, getting my feet muddy as I cross the Long Swamp outlet stream – the trail crossing seems to have no stepping stones or bridge. Although the sky is partly sunny, light rain begins to fall, even though no cloud is overhead of me. I hurriedly complete the loop, retracing my path down the utility right-of-way and to my car.

About two hours.