Berlin State Forest-Cowdry Hollow(Rensselaer County, NY-Taconics)

Decided to pay a visit to the 678 acre Berlin State Forest, located on the east slopes of Berlin Mountain in the Taconic Range near the NY/ Massachusetts state border.  The State Forest is tucked away in a dead end corner of Rensselaer County and can be rather hard to find if you aren't specifically looking for it.  Cowdry Hollow Road, the main access road to the forest, is gravel and only maintained to a certain point so in winter or after heavy rains you may have to be extra vigilant.  In good weather like today, however, even my low clearance sedan made it through the rough patches.  Just take your time. 
One of the other unique benefits of hiking this area is the breathtaking drive in on Cowdry Hollow Road.  The views of Berlin Mountain and the Taconic Range are second to none.

I parked on a shoulder of the road, just east of the only marked trail in the State Forest, elevation 1310 feet.  Oh yeah, social distancing was pretty easy here too!

I decided to give the red trail a go, as it climbed steeply up the south slopes of one of Berlin Mountain's east ridges through a pretty red pine plantation.  

The red trail basically heads north up the slopes on a woods road before turning right and heading right up towards a high point on the ridge at about 2023 feet.  There are screened views north from the state land boundary, but the really good views all seem to be just out of reach on private land.

The best view I could find was this small window north, just a few yards off trail at the land boundary. 

A small drop brings the red trail down into a col and then a quick drop back down towards the road.  I decided to press on, continuing east on a good woods road before a final bushwhack up to another high point at the end of state land.

From there I contoured south/ SW hugging the state land boundary high above hollow below.  Screened views of Berlin Mountain were the best I could find.

A gentle descent eventually brought me to some more screened views to the ridges and peaks to the SW.

Once back down on Cowdry Hollow Road, I decided to continue south up the steep slopes of the next ridge.  State land doesn't go all the way to the top of this summit, but does go fairly high up, offering up pretty good through the trees views north of Berlin Mountain's east ridge.

A direct view at the ridge I had just descended to the north.

A very steep drop brought me back down towards the road, but first...a pretty brook crossing.

A carefully placed jump got me across the brook, which flows down off Berlin Mountain's east slopes above.

Within a couple minutes I was back on Cowdry Hollow Road, which I quietly followed back to the car.

A last look back SE towards the small ridge I had just partially climbed in the fleeting daylight.

Hiked about 3.7 miles RT with nearly 1500 feet of ascent.  A cool, but pleasant spring day.  Didn't see another soul the entire time I was in the woods, but did pick off about half a dozen ticks.  Yuck.
Today's Route.