Cole Hill State Forest(Albany County Helderbergs)

Headed out to Cole Hill State Forest in the Helderbergs for a short little adventure in between thunderstorms this afternoon.  On my drive there, the nearby Albany County hills were getting slammed with severe weather, so I waited it out for a bit before getting started.

As soon as it cleared, I got started where the Long Path meets Cole Hill Road in the town of Berne.  Unfortunately, while the storms did knock the temps back a few degrees, it was still oppressively humid as I set out on the Long Path heading west, through damp woods.

After a little over 1/3 of a mile, the Long Path drops down to sprawling beaver pond and a foot bridge crossing.  Skies had already began clearing out by this time, spiking the humidity through the roof again. 

On the other side of the bridge, the Long Path turns sharply right, while a blue marked trail continues straight.  I turned with the aqua blazed Long Path, which also hugs the other side of the beaver pond, which is much more swamp like on this side. 

The trail follows the beaver pond for a while before swinging back to the left(SW), and dropping to another foot bridge crossing.  Yet again, the trail crosses a highly scenic beaver pond.

A beaver dam just upstream from the foot bridge.

Continuing west, the trail crosses over paved Willsie Road before beginning a slow climb into a hardwood forest.  Here, just a few yards off the Long Path sits an old, picturesque cemetery, hemmed in by stone walls.

After checking out the cemetery, I decided to follow a cross country ski trail that ended up petering out to nothing.  From there, I decided to just bushwhack my way back east across the road and towards the Long Path again.  Along the way, I stumbled across this small drainage area, where a couple of frogs jumping into the water surprised me.  Guess I surprised them too.

A little further along, I came to yet another beaver pond, this one the smallest of all.  The weeds around it were pretty wet, so I kept back a bit.

In one section of the woods, I came to a neat little area of dense pink lady slippers.  A very odd location, and the only ones I saw all day.

Back on the Long Path and heading for the car, strolling through the Avenue of the Pines.

Nearing the car once again, I took a last look up at the sky where the skies remained clear.  Within just a few minutes back on the road, however, the next wave of storms was already rolling in.

Hiked about 3 miles total in this quiet little section of the Helderbergs.  Didn't see another soul the entire time.  A fun little area to poke around in.