Go West, Young Man!

Go West, Young Man!

I suppose it's a stretch to qualify myself as "young," but most guys half my age wouldn't do an overnite backpacking hike in Bear Mountain State Park, which I did on West Mountain on Dec. 3-4.  (I was visiting the Marian Shrine in Haverstraw for a meeting on the 5th.)

Starting up the AT

Part of the long ascent

In fact, on Monday the 3d, I met about a dozen day hikers, and all the one who realized I was planning to camp out at West Mountain shelter were mildly shocked.  In truth, on my approach to the shelter I did meet 3 much younger hikers who had just camped overnite there (Sunday-Monday).

Both Monday and Tuesday were delightfully sunny--very welcome after a lot of rain in the preceding days.  They were also very windy, which gave a slightly chilly feel to the days even in the sunshine.  When the sun ducked behind clouds occasionally, it was more than slightly chilly.  And after the sun set, the temperature also set, so to speak.  There was ice in the little puddles near the shelter on Tuesday morning.

Bear Mountain & Perkins Memorial Tower seen from West Mountain

I parked in the lot along Perkins Drive; the lot was just about full, so meeting a lot of day hikers was no surprise.  At least this time I didn't meet any thru hikers on the Appalachian Trail, as I did in Maryland a couple of weekends earlier, in snow.  From the parking lot a very short trip on the 1777 West Trail brings a hiker to the AT, and I went southward up West Mountain--a familiar trail I've taken several times before.  

Where the Timp-Torne (blue) meets the AT (white)

at the crest of West Mountain

It took about an hour to get up to the ridge where the Timp-Torne Trail intersects and runs along with the AT; I stopped several times to take pictures.  I stopped more times along the ridge, where the wind was pretty fierce, not only threatening to blow off my hat but even to knock me over once or twice.  

From West Mt. ridge, looking west over the Anthony Wayne Rec Area

and the interchange of Palisades Pkwy with US Rte 6

There was a thick carpet of leaves everywhere, and I was very careful about my footing.  Altho I was following footprints all the way up the mountain and along the ridge, I didn't actually see any other hikers until I was about a quarter mile from the shelter.  Hiking alone has its risks, as I'm well aware.  I trust in God (and pray!), but being careful also is critical.

Where the AT drops down toward the Palisades Pkwy, leaving the Timp-Torne, is well marked--large signpost.  

I'd forgotten how far it still is from there to the shelter, a half mile.  All told, it took me one more hour to get there from when the TT first joined the AT.  I was almost to the shelter when I met the aforesaid 3 young guys hiking out, and then a pair of older women day hikers.  

The West Mt. shelter, with Timp-Torne trail blaze on a front corner

and my trash bag hanging from a rafter.

At the shelter was a party of about 8 much older guys having their lunch--a Monday hiking club.  We took a bunch of pictures of each other.

Most of the seniors Monday hiking club

Your humble blogger in front of West Mt. shelter

A few more day hikers and a dog (and one jogger) passed by during the afternoon--the jogger twice!  Otherwise, I had the shelter to myself and got myself settled in.  

But mostly I foraged for firewood, which wasn't as hard to find as I was afraid it would be, all within a 10-minute walk of the shelter.  I even unsnagged a good-sized dead limb from where it had lodged in a tree, using my rope to pull it down (carefully!).  I accumulated a good stash of kindling wood and larger stuff, and was glad I'd brought my folding saw and hatchet for cutting up the larger stuff.

From the shelter: the Timp, Croton Point, and the Hudson River, including Haverstraw Bay

There were 2 unfortunate sights around the shelter:  a lot of trash, some of which I collected and eventually took out with me; and evidence that a lot of standing wood had been cut down.  Barbarians at the gate!

I also took a lot more photos with the sun lighting up the Timp, the Hudson, and the Manhattan skyline, and I prayed parts of the Divine Office and a Rosary.

The setting sun partially lights up Manhattan's skyline. 

In the foreground are Stony Point and Haverstraw.

Beyond the shelter (and the West Mt. ridge), the sun's almost ready to set.

It gets dark early at this time of year, so I took care early to prepare my bear bag and lay a fire in one fireplace.  I ate pretty early too--a freeze dried concoction of beef, lentils, and veggies, with some almonds and an orange later, washed down with Crystal Lite and, later, hot chocolate.

Vestiges of my supper, lit up my headlamp

One match to light 2 tea lights and the fire!

With a fine fire going, I was able to do some reading, getting about halfway thru an issue of America before I was ready to turn in for the nite after 9:00 p.m.  I loaded up the fireplace first.

Of course, after the fire eventually died down it got pretty darn cold, and I had to put on more layers of clothing.  Even so, I didn't sleep all that well.

What a sight to wake up to!

The scene immediately in front of the shelter on Tuesday a.m.

With the sun well up, I got up too at 7:00 a.m. and immediately rekindled the fire, which warmed me up sufficiently.  I'd planned to celebrate Mass after I returned to the Marian Shrine, so I fetched my bear bag and made breakfast--oatmeal, a granola bar, some dried apricots, and some almonds--with coffee, of course.  It was cold enuf that my Pocket Rocket was reluctant to crank out heat to boil the water.

Behind and otherwise near the shelter are many campsites.

I went out and brought in one more very large chunk of firewood--a long-dead stump.  Getting that on the fire was more than sufficient for the rest of the morning.  I took my time cleaning up and packing and reading some more of my magazine.  I was frustrated by not being able to pray the Office, however, because I'd neglected to update my iPad.  (A lot of catching up to do later in the day!)

At 11:00 I prepared my lunch (Ramen noodles and cheese with more Crystal Lite, apricots, and almonds), doused the fire and smoldering stump with most of my remaining water, and finished packing up.

A bit after noon I headed out, taking the Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail north from where it splits off the Timp-Torne a 3-minute walk from the shelter (2 minutes if you're not loaded with a backpack).  

A cairn marks where the Suffern-Bear Mt. Trail (after a short run along with the TT) breaks off and heads north toward Bear Mt. while the TT continues east toward the Timp and Dunderberg. TT's blue blazes are evident; a close look at a tree beyond my saw (atop the rock) reveals 2 yellow blazes for a left turn of the SBM.

It was a long time since I'd been on this stretch of the SBM, and it was a mistake.  

The 1st segment of the SBM away from West Mt. shelter is pleasant enuf. 

Here you can see Bear Mt. and Perkins Tower in the distance.

I knew it would be longer than going back by way of the AT, and I remembered there was one steep descent.  Turns out there were 2 very steep descents, and several ascents (not so steep), and it was a long and somewhat hazardous hike (the steepness compounded by the leaves).  

The 2d really nasty descent, 

from the bottom

When the steeps were finished with, I came to the Doodlekill and then 2 more brooks, so I was trudging in a fair amount of mud besides having to cross the 3 streams balancing on rocks that I wished were much larger than they were.  

The Doodlekill

 

SBM's crossing of the Doodlekill

Finally, there was a nice stretch of old woods road, and eventually the junction with the 1777 West, which brought me back to the parking lot--deserted except for my car.  In fact, I hadn't seen a soul all day.  It took me almost 3 hours from the shelter, including a couple of short breathers and a snack break.

The 2 Revolutionary War trails include explanatory signage. The 1777 trails preserve the routes used by British troops to attack and capture the 2 Continental Army forts guarding the way up the Hudson River, Forts Clinton (where the Bear Mt. Zoo is today) and Fort Montgomery (a state historic site worth a visit).

More photos at 
https://pix.sfly.com/yHu6CX