Olana

The forecast called for a dry morning with partial sunshine before clouds and heavy rain moves back in this evening, so I headed down to the Olana State Historic Site in Hudson.  Olana was the home and estate of the famous 19th century artist Frederic Church.  It is owned by the state and provides over 5 and a half miles of old carriage roads and walking trails on 250 acres.

Trees in the large field near the entrance.

The mansion has an unusual mixture of Victorian and Middle Eastern styles, and sits proudly atop the hill with splendid views.

There are many interesting benches and interpretive signs throughout the property.

Access to the grounds is fee and open to the public, but there is a small nominal fee for tours of the inside of the mansion.

Amazing views to the southwest beyond the lawn and down to the Hudson River.  The Catskills can also be seen rising steeply over the Hudson.

Looking up at Olana's facade.

The Catskills Mountains majestically rising to the west.

Looking up at the castle from down on the lawn area.

There are great views in many different directions from Olana.  Here is a view to the south and east with Blue Hill rising over farms.

Church had a artistic vision of how he wanted the landscape to look and created a pond at the foot of the hill.  This was all part of his plan to create, conceal and reveal vistas of his house and the surrounding Hudson Valley.

The Ridge Road follows the northern meadow of the property and leads to a large clearing with direct views over the Hudson and Rip Van Winkle Bridge leading into Catskill.  This is a fantastic place to picnic and linger.

Large ships and barges come through this stretch of the river often.  This one was heading south.

The Rip Van Winkle Bridge is far below, connecting Hudson and Catskill.

Views to the north follow the River up towards Athens.

The Catskills rising up towards the skies.

One last view of the picnic area in the clearing.

East facing hills from Ridge Road.

Ridge Road was a carriage road built by Church to provide access to the north meadows.  Far reaching views to the east are visible as well.

A large field provides a nice spot to take a break and enjoy the northeastern viewshed with Mount Merino directly ahead to the north.

This goose was just hanging out on the melting ice.

The man made pond remains mostly frozen over.

The trails were a regular spring mess wherever they weren't paved.  Here is a section of the lower carriage road that was completely iced over.

The mansion and fields from the pond area.

A side trail breaks off from the carriage road and leads to Red Hill.

The trail follows a long thin ridgeline to a spectacular clifftop area far above Route 9G.  Barns, fields and woods can be seen stretching down to the Hudson here, with the Catskills well beyond.

Facing north from Red Hill.

This location also provides an ideal view of the RipVan Winkle Bridge.

Inbocht Bay is visible about 3 miles in the distance to the south.

The barns and lower carriage road area in the foreground from Quarry Hill.  A carriage road leads through the woods and arrives at this clearing with a direct view up the lawns and access road to the mansion.

The road leading to Cozy Cottage.  Cozy Cottage was a small country cottage that Church and his wife lived in for several years while the mansion was being completed.

North Road leads from Cozy Cottage and winds its way through the woods on its way north to the mansion.

Hiked about 5 miles on a cool, but very nice morning.

River Street Park

A very rainy Friday kept me indoors most of the day today.  A little bit of clearing developed in the evening so I wanted to get out for a short walk and some fresh air.

 Much of the trail along the Kinderhook creek was blocked up by ice and some high water so walking was tough at times.  I opted to stay closer to the woods for much of the way.

 I swung back down to the creek to catch the sun setting beyond the trees.

 The weather had warmed up to the mid 40's, making comfortable , but muddy walking.

 Reflections on the cold creek.

Was only out for about an hour but it felt great to get some fresh air.

North South Lake(Catskills) and Vanderbilt(Greenville) Town Park

Finally almost completely recovered from a nagging head cold, combined with bright sunshine and a day off work, meant it was going to be a fun day exploring.  I headed south to the Catskills to hike North/ South Lake in Haines Falls, where there are an abundance of trails and sights to see.

Even with the bright sunshine, the early morning temperatures were still quite cool as I headed out onto the trails from the west side of South Lake.  This tree caught my eye as it had found a way to grow completely around this boulder.

There is a bit more walking involved in the winter because the roads are not plowed or open past a certain point.  After about a mile of hiking along the lake's shoreline and through campsites I arrived at the legendary Catskill Mountain House road.

Catskill Mountain House was a famous hotel that was once located at this spot along the escarpment.  Many very well known people, including three presidents stayed here, to absorb the fantastic views over the Hudson Valley.

The Hotel saw its heyday in the mid to late 19th century and remained open until World War II.  Here is a glimpse of what patrons may have seen way back then.

The State acquired the property in 1962 ad by 1963 it had been demolished.  All that remains today are the gateposts and the sweeping views.  This is a view north from the escarpment.

The Hudson River is clearly seen far below.

A bit further north past the location of the Mountain House.

After lingering for a while, I moved on to the blue marked escarpment trail heading north.  There were a few small steep areas but mostly level walking with screened views to the east for much of the way.

Trees in this area are highly affected by winter winds and even affect the way that they grow.  Here is a clear example of the branches of this evergreen being stunted on one side.

After about a mile of walking, the trail nears the cliffs again.

There is an extremely sharp drop off from here but the views are absolutely amazing.

This spot is known as Artist's Rock and became famous for being a favorite location for 19th century painters, the most well known being Thomas Cole.

From Artist's Rock the views are amazing.  This is a view northeast from the ledge.

Southeasterly views towards Palenville.

Looking directly south along the escarpment.

After sitting on the ledge and relaxing for a little bit, I then headed further along the trail.  The trail winds west from here a little bit and after a bit of an ascent, I came to this rock clearing.  Just a nice spot to soak in the sun ray's.

As I moved further along, I approached the extremely large rock area by Sunset Rock.  These rocks are enormous and dwarf anyone walking along the trail.

This was a cool spot, where I literally walked under the rock overhang.

A short yellow marked trail leads about a quarter of a mile back on top of the rock area and provides some more great views to the east and the Hudson River.

East views from high above.

As I neared Sunset Rock, the trees again were stunted on one side and the trail became a large, vast rock clearing.

The view from Sunset Rock is one of the best in all of the Catskills.  A westerly view over North/ South Lake and many Catskill peaks is inspiring.  Kaaterskill High Peak and Round Top are clearly visible, rising above the lakes.

Sunset Rock's magical viewpoint.

A close up look of the frozen lakes and Round Top.

The climb from Sunset Rock on the way to Newman's Ledge is very steep in spots.

Approaching Newman's Ledge.  This location is nearly 1900 feet above Palenville.

Named for a Reverend, this location has been a popular site ever since the Mountain House guests way back in the mid 1800's would come visit.

Expansive views to the north with the Albany skyline visible in the far off distance.

Old Mountain Road can be seen climbing through the Rip Van Winkle Hollow here.  This was the original road that lead to the Catskill Mountain House.

At 2500 feet, it is not the highest point around, but it is the sheer drop off and distant views that make this place so special.

This photo gives you an idea of just how steep the cliffs are.

North views from Newman's Ledge.

Looking south along the escarpment from Newman's Ledge.

Just before a trail junction that leads to North Point or back to North Lake campground I came to this large meadow.

The next stop is Badman's Cave.  This is another interesting rock formation that can be explored.  Legend is that outlaws banded up and hid out here many, many years ago, hence the name.

After coming to a small clearing, the trail soon enters a deep spruce forest again.

A pleasant woods walk on the way to North Mountain.

The last .3 mile to North Point is a bit of a rock scramble then level, followed by another rock scramble.  This is a bit more difficult ad you must watch your footing.

Stepping up onto the exposed rocky summit area of North Point, fantastic views to the west immediately open up before you.

The rocky summit area is large and can be explored.  Following the outer path lead to eastern views of the Hudson River Valley again with Rip Van Winkle Hollow below.

Looking north towards Stoppel Point and the Blackheads.

North Mountain's 3180 foot summit and long ridgeline to the west.

I stopped for a quick photo near the steep ledge.  The drop off behind me is several hundred feet.

The sign at North Point's summit had been blown over, providing evidence of just how strong the winds can be on the exposed summit.

Came off North Point and ascended via the Mary Glen Trail.  Just before entering a thick section of woods I turned around and could clearly make out the spot on the cliff where I had just stood a few minutes before.

The crusty snow made walking very easy along level wooded sections.

Ashley Brook descends down through the woods and crashes down through Ashley Falls, eventually emptying into North Lake.  Unfortunately today, the water was still frozen.

Coming off the Mary Glen Trail, I arrived at the North Lake Campground access road.  I walked along the roads and then along the lake foot trail back to the car, completing a great day of hiking.  Probably almost 7 miles total.

Breathtaking Kaaterskill Clove from a small pull off along 23A.

After grabbing lunch in Catskill, I drove through rural Greene County on the way home and stopped in at Greenville's Town Park, named the George Vanderbilt Park.  There are over 2 miles of trails with great views south of the Catskills.

Such a beautiful afternoon!  The blue skies and bright sunshine was turning the fields to mud and slushy snow however.

It finally feels like spring is here.

Beautiful rock walls run along parts of the fields.

There is a nice trail down through the woods that leads down to the banks of the Basic Creek.

The shoreline was partially frozen but most of the water was flowing freely.

The Basic Creek headwaters are located in Westerlo and eventually empties out into Catskill Creek.

The view upstream of the cold spring waters running.

A very pleasant area with small cascades.

The trail leading away from the creek through the woods was very icy and footing was tricky.  A large field greets you upon departing the woods.  Footing was soggy but the open fields made for a nice stroll on a windy afternoon.

Overall, I hiked about 9 miles total.  A very nice, full day.