Poestenkill Community Forest(East Poestenkill)

A cloudy but mild November day beckoned me to get out for a post work walk, so I stopped by the Poestenkill Community Forest, high up on the Rensselaer Plateau.  Parking is found in a marked lot off of Legenbauer Road in East Poestenkill.  I had previously visited the forest back in April 2016, when there was no formal parking area yet, as well as having a limited amount of trail options.  A large kiosk with a trail map is available by the parking area and many new trails have been added since my last visit.  I began by heading south on Gravel Ridge Road and then onto the Ridge Trail, which passes by several private residences through a lovely stretch of white birch.

 Stone walls can be found scattered throughout much of these 353 heavily wooded acres.

 Continued back north of Legenbauer Road on the beautiful but ominous Hemlock Swamp Trail.

 Eventually I found my way over to the Moose Trail, blazed in yellow, which runs right through the center of the property.  A sturdy footbridge has been built over an area I had to rock hop on my previous visit.

 The Rensselaer Plateau has an elevation ranging from 1000 feet up to 2000 feet, with much of these woods being between 1300 and 1700 feet.  This high elevation plateau has forests more reminiscent of areas much further north, such as the Adirondacks or northern Vermont.

 More stone walls near Sugar Shack Road.

 I continued northeast on what appeared to be the makings of a new or future trail, but wasn't found on the map.  This trail eventually brought me all the way up to the summit of an unnamed peak. 

 The summit elevation was 1729 feet, according to my GPS and was covered in ferns.

 Views aren't great but can be had through the trees, this way looking east.

 West views from the fern carpeted summit.

 I dropped southeast off the summit and soon headed up to a smaller summit bump with similar peek a boo views through the bare trees.

 A quick and sudden downpour caught me by surprise and had me drenched within a matter of minutes.  It even began to hail for a minute.  After the rain subsided, the setting sun made a quick visit as I passed by  very large beaver meadow on the Big Beaver Bog Trail.

 The setting sun and departing storm made for eerie setting over the beaver meadow.  There is no filter used to obtain this reddish hue.

 Heading back to the car, through the darkening woods. 

Hiked about 4.5 miles RT on a mild autumn day.  There are a lot of opportunities here for future exploration.