Beartown State Forest(Southern Berkshires)

Headed east to the 12,000 acre Beartown State Forest in the Berkshires after work this afternoon to check out Benedict Pond and a spot along the Appalachian Trail known as "The Ledges".  It's been several years since my last visit here, but I do remember it being quite scenic, so I was looking forward to it.  I drove to the boat launch parking area-which was nearly full-to get started, elevation 1585 feet.  Within moments of stepping out of the car I saw a jogger, several small groups of people walking and the sounds of dogs barking from both directions.  Even though it was a Saturday, I was still quite surprised that it was this busy on an overcast late November day.  I shrugged my shoulders and set out on the Pond Loop Trail, happy to see so many folks out enjoying nature, and stopping at several view spots to take in the water views.

Heading counterclockwise along the Pond Loop, crossing over a small outlet from the SE corner of the pond.

Although the forecast called for clearing skies, the clouds held firm.  The gray skies coupled with a biting wind made the water look about as uninviting as possible..although still quite scenic however.

At a spot where the Pond Loop continues left, I continued right on the Appalachian Trail, crossing a tiny bridge and heading NE.  From here, just off trail maybe 50 yards, sits a sizeable beaver pond and meadow, which I decided to check out.

Back on the familiar white blazes of the Appalachian Trail, it was a steep, rocky ascent up to the area called "The Ledges".  The drop off from here is nearly vertical, offering up splendid south/ southwest facing views.  The summit to the left is nearby Livermore Peak, with Butternut Ski Area just beyond that, and Mount Everett towering above on the horizon.

Turning slightly to the right, taking in more of the ridges to the SW.

 

After enjoying the views, I backtracked towards the steep, rocky ravine I had just climbed up.  From the top of this ravine, an informal path leads north to a large, picturesque beaver pond.  Unfortunately, there were several other people hanging out there so I decided to go off trail around the edges of the beaver pond to check it out.  The mountain laurel along the shore was pretty thick in spots, so I didn't explore too much.  Did catch this unique view from the opposite shore that probably doesn't get much attention.

Got back down off the AT and onto the Pond Loop, continuing all the way around Benedict Pond nearly in the dark as the sun was setting.  Hiked about 2.8 miles RT, with about 300 feet of ascent.

 

Misery Mountain South Peak(Taconics/ Berkshires)

Headed just over the state line east into the Berkshires this afternoon to explore Misery Mountain's 2656 foot south summit.  To get to the summit, I would be bushwhacking west through both the Hancock Wildlife Management Area as well as the E. Howe Forbush Sanctuary from Route 43 in the town of Hancock.  A small, unmarked woods road would be my starting point for the day, elevation 1210 feet.

 

Instead of just sticking to woods roads, I decided to explore some of the terrain, heading over to a  drainage at the far south end of public land.

Near the stream, I found the remains of a stone wall, likely marking an old boundary line.

The woods were almost 100 percent hardwoods and very open and easy to negotiate.  As I hit 2300 feet, I began to see a little snow scattered about on the ground, with screened views SE back towards Jiminy Peak's ski slopes.

From 2400 feet and above the snow began to not only stick to the ground, but the trees as well.

Skies slowly began clearing out as I headed up the ridge, with increasing amounts of snow covering the ground.

Couldn't have asked for more open woods to bushwhack through.  Literally wide open in spots.

Way up high on the ridge, over 2500 feet, I picked up a solid woods road heading towards the summit.

 

While plugging along slowly ascending NW, I spotted a small, almost unnoticeable wetland just a few yards into the woods so I decided to check it out.  Seemed so out of place, but was so pretty blanketed in a soft coating of white.

Back on the woods road it lead me right up to the 2656 foot nondescript summit.  Although wooded, there was a biting wintry wind cutting through the bare trees that kept me from lingering.

The screened summit "view" through the trees to the NE

Basically took the same route down, descending to the SE on various woods roads.  Back below 2300 feet all the snow vanished, and I was able to catch some more filtered views east over the Route 22 valley towards Brodie Mountain's south ridge.

 The final descent down a good woods road, with Brodie looming above.

 

Hiked just a touch over 4 miles RT(all bushwhack) with 1500 feet of ascent.  Today's route below.  Red=Ascent  Blue=Descent

 

Albany Pine Bush(Blueberry Hill & Kaikout Kill Barrens)

Had a small window of time between appointments Tuesday morning in Albany so decided to get a little exercise in at the Albany Pine Bush.  Parked at the end of South Frontage Road under mostly cloudy skies.  The white marked trail heads south, leaving the sounds of the surrounding traffic behind.

While you are never away from the nearby hustle and bustle, the dunes and pitch pine-scrub oak barrens give a small sense of wilderness and beauty.

The trails are well marked and very easy to follow.

From the white trail through the Kaikout Kill Barrens I soon met up with the red blazed Blueberry Hill West Trail, which climbs steadily to the top of the hill.

From the top of the hill on a clear day, there are fine views all across to the Helderberg Escarpment and even the distant Catskills.  On this overcast morning, I couldn't see beyond the surrounding dunes.

Completed the red loop and then back to the car via the white trail for a total of 2.7 easy miles RT.
 

Mount Tobias(Phoenicia-Mount Tobias Wild Forest-Catskills)

Sitting almost directly in the heart of the Catskills is 2543 foot Mount Tobias, a mountain with no trails and that gets very little attention.  If you've ever driven Route 212 or any of the roads near Woodstock, chances are you've seen Mount Tobias rising high above the surrounding countryside.  It is also visible from several of the surrounding mountains as well.  My plan was to hike up the mountain from a DEP parking area along Route 212, which sits almost directly across from Woods Road.  When I arrived, however, it quickly became clear that I would not be able to safely(or for that matter comfortably) cross the Beaver Kill, which was running strong. 

After being thwarted in my attempt to cross the creek, I decided to drive back NE on Route 212 a short distance to another spot where DEP land meets the road.  Thankfully, I was just barely able to squeeze my car off the shoulder of the road here and headed into the woods, elevation 1025 feet to start.  The climbing commenced almost immediately, and I was able to pick up a decent woods road going up.

Within just a few minutes of climbing, I was already able to enjoy views back towards Little Rocky and Olderbark Mountains.

As I climbed, I kept looking back over my shoulder at a fast approaching snow squall, that was quickly obscuring any views to be had.

The snow squall was moving in fast and furiously, accompanied by brisk winds.  In the blink of an eye I was enveloped by snow.

Winter is coming.

The slopes on the north face of the mountain are quite steep, but very open woods make for a pleasant climb.

The snow was really coming down, coating the ground in just a few minutes time.

Intense snow band moving through on my ascent.

Almost as if someone hit an "off" button, the snow abruptly came to an end, leaving behind an enchanting coating of white.  Around 1900 feet, I began to hit the first patches of conifers.

Within just a few minutes, not only did the snow stop, but the sun broke through the clouds, brightening up the dark woods.

Near 2300 feet, circling around a nice set of cliff bands, bathed in late afternoon sunlight.

High up on the mountain I was able to find some peek a boo views towards Carl Mountain and the peaks just north.

Although I couldn't find any grand views, there are many fine through-the-trees-views towards the neighboring peaks.

Emerging atop the summit ridge, I caught my first glimpses through the bare trees to the mountains south of Tobias, near the Ashokan Reservoir.  The ridge is quite flat near the summit and sparsely covered in trees.

One last small push up brought me to the 2543 foot summit, where I found a rock cairn marking the top.

Instead of descending the exact same route I came up, I decided to drop east, then north, exploring a different area of the mountain.  The slopes were quite steep in spots, but I was easily able to navigate my way down.

Back down below 2000 feet, I was able to catch broken views down into the valley, where a wall of snow showers had obscured any views earlier.

Enjoyed a nice and easy decent down the lower slopes and back to the car.  Hiked 3.5 miles RT with over 1500 feet of ascent. Although lacking any long distant views, this was still an enjoyable little bushwhack and of course I didn't see another soul all day.

Today's route below.  Red=Ascent   Blue=Descent

East Greenbush Town Park

Did a very short after work walk this afternoon at the 120 acre East Greenbush Town Park on a cool, but comfortable overcast afternoon.  There was only one other car at the park when I arrived, as I set out along the dammed area of the North Branch of the Moordener Kill.

Followed the yellow blazed trail along the North Branch below the dam for a bit, soaking in the tranquility. 

I took my time, enjoying the fresh air on various trails at the park.

Did just over one mile total.  A nice and easy, local place to get some exercise.
 

Albany-Hudson Electric Trail(Town of Schodack, Rensselaer County)

Oh, what a spectacular stretch of November weather we've had!  I finally had a little free time on Tuesday, to get out and soak in some of the sun filled, 70 degree days that we've been enjoying this past week.  My wife joined me for a nice walk on a section of the brand new Albany-Hudson Electric Trail, which is part of the larger state wide Empire State Trail project.  The trail is a shared bicycle and pedestrian pathway that follows an old trolley line that ran from Hudson to Albany back in the early 1900's.  The section we chose to walk today was from Miller Road(Exit 10 off I-90) to Nassau Lake, in the town of Schodack.  We spotted a car at the Nassau Lake trailhead and caught a ride out to Miller Road to get started.  

Our walk began here, hugging the Exit 10 ramp along the interstate, staying high above it on the hillside. 

Fear not, for the sounds of rushing traffic are quickly replaced by the quiet serenity of the woods.  Heading SE, we soon passed by a small, serene pond.

The peaceful stretch of trail beside the pond.  Even spotted an old, beat up rowboat in the water.

We really couldn't have asked for better conditions.  A very light breeze, no humidity, and temps in the low 70's.  Perfect.  Many others must have felt the same way because we saw numerous other folks out enjoying the trail.

A short distance into the walk, we came to the first road crossing at Reno Road, which was well marked for both trail users and traffic.

One of the nice parts of this section of trail is that within minutes of any road crossing, you find yourself back in the woods, or passing through wide open meadows such as this.

The trail remains almost completely level throughout, with just a couple of gentle inclines along the way.  The surrounding landscape is decidedly country, with just a handful of back yards and roads along this 5+ mile stretch.

A small crossing over a tributary of the Moordener Kill.

A bit further along, near East Hill Road, we came to this very impressive, sturdy bridge crossing over the  main branch of the Moordener Kill.

The Moordener Kill quietly passing through a shaded, residential area.  Just a short distance beyond here, the creek passes through the Schodack Town Park before eventually emptying into the Hudson River near the village of Castleton on Hudson.

The days are quickly growing shorter, with sunsets that seem to sneak up out of nowhere.  Passing beneath this power line crossing near Rice Road, we knew our afternoon was nearing its end.

An old concrete railroad marker near Nassau Lake.

Finally, after nearly five and a half miles, we arrived at our spotted car along the west shore of Nassau Lake. 

Informative trail signage(both front and back) can be found at the Nassau Lake Trailhead, as well as at various spots along the trail.

Walked just under 5.5 miles total with a just a couple hundred feet of elevation gain on this glorious early November day.  We were both very impressed with the work done on this trail, and it seems quite popular already, among bikers and pedestrians alike.  We look forward to checking out some other sections of the trail soon.  A map can be seen below, featuring the section of trail we walked.  A red, circled #1 is where we began, and a red, circled #2 was our finish.