[Journal entry for February 9, 1019; West Mountain Swamp, Harriman State Park, New York]. The day is sunny and breezy. The temperature is 27F. I park at the Anthony Wayne Recreation Area off of the Palisades Parkway at 11AM. The Recreation Area is just a big parking lot; the attractions that once were there closed a long time ago. I hike the Fawn Trail (blazed with a red “F” on a white background) up onto the ridge of West Mountain and then take the Timp-Torne Trail (blazed in Blue) southward. This section of the trail follows the ridge line of West Mountain. It offers great views of Bear Mountain and Popolopen Torne and other nearby hills of the Hudson Highlands. The terrain is very pretty, with solitary Pitch Pine growing from grey rock ledges. The trail passes through a narrow gap between rocks, a feature smaller than, but still reminiscent of, the Lemon Squeezer on the other side of the park.

The Appalachian Trail (blazed in white) passes close to Timp-Torne. I bushwhacked over to it for variety’s sake, for my last few hikes here were on Timp-Torne. It crosses a deep and narrow valley before rejoining Timp-Torne and becoming concurrent with it for a while. As the trail dipped down into a hollow, I noticed a swamp to the east. I was happily surprised, for I have hiked widely in Harriman Park and thought I had seen it all. This swamp is nestled against a steep rocky wall on its western side and consists of swamp bushes growing in shallow but otherwise open water. The water was iced over, except along the rocky wall, where I suppose springs must feed the swamp. I bushwhacked around the swamp in the counterclockwise direction, staying a little back from the shoreline, but periodically walking down to it to view the vegetation. My traverse was slow, for the edges of the swamp were overgrown with Mountain Laurel, with its thick interlocked branches. On the east side, I came to a small rock outcrop, the top of which offered a good view. A few White Pines towered above the six-foot tall reddish-brown bushes of the swamp.

I came upon a recently-built woods road that parallels the eastern edge of the swamp. I supposed it is a fire break or emergency road of some kind. I followed it the swamp’s outlet brook. Looking further east and steeply downhill, I could see a second smaller swamp a hundred feet or so below the elevation of the main swamp and fed by its outlet stream. I bushwhacked down to it and walked around it, too, in the counterclockwise direction. A large rock knob forms the southeastern shore. I climbed it, but could find no good view of the swamp. I walked the ridge of the knob as it sloped down towards the north, eventually coming to the outlet stream. It flowed eastward down a steep slope, but I did not follow it. I completed my circuit around the lower swamp, climbed up to the larger swamp, and completed my circuit around it, too. I then bushwhacked back to the fire road and followed it south. It parallels the Timp-Torne Trail, but is set back from it, working its way through the highland meadow that’s on the south end of the West Mountain Ridge. I lost it just short of the Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail (SBM, blazed in yellow). The area has a terrific northward view of Bear Mountain and the Hudson River at Con Hook.

I had forgotten that the SBM has a great north-looking view point just where it starts to descend down off West Mountain. I hiked to this spot and admired the view. A few big glacial bounder and fields of now-yellow grass add to the beauty of the spot. I the reversed direction and took the SMB back to Timp-Torne and followed that trail to West Mountain Shelter. I have stayed in this three-sided lean-to many times, but today I just passed it by and continued on Timp-Torne, which descends the steep southern flank of West Mountain. The southward view is terrific, and includes the big rock face on the Timp, the hill immediately to the east, the Hudson River at Haverstraw Bay and the curving ridge of Hook Mountain beyond.

I did not descend all the way to Timp Pass, but once off West Mountain, bushwhacked up a little stream that flows at the base of the high cliff that forms the southern flank of the mountain. It took me up to a broad plateau, called the Cat’s Elbow. It’s mostly vegetated with bushes and grasses, and has only a few solitary trees. The Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail (RD, blazed in red) follows its southern edge, at the top of yet another steep scarp. I hiked over to a spot where I had a nice view of the Timp. However, a deep and steeply-walled gulley cut me off from RD. I bushwhacked north, following the eastern edge of the gulley, until it became shallow enough for me to cross. It has a pleasant little brook at its bottom. I the climbed its steep western slope, eventually joining RS, but not before having to pick my way through thorn bushes.

Once on RD, I had an easy walk to the set of switch backs that took me steeply down to the flatter terrain that is southeast of Anthony Wayne Recreating Area. After passing a small mine, I joined Beecky Bottom Road (a woods road) and took it north back to my car. The sun was just setting as I drove back home.

I stopped at Calabria Pizza & Pasta, off of Route 303 in Orangeburg New York, for a sausage and pepper pie.

About five and three-quarter hours of hiking.