Easy/Medium 12 mile hike & overnighter NY Memorial Weekend

[2015 Lady Thru-Hiker]

Looking for someplace to hike in a couple of miles or so and set up camp on Saturday, do an easy/medium 12 mile hike on Sunday and then hike back out Monday close to southeastern NY Memorial Weekend. Will be working with a casted arm so don't want overdo too much and risk breaking the other one or something else but don't want to sit in a hotel all weekend either. Recommendations???


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[Feral Bill]

There's always Harriman. Maybe a loop from the Elk Pen parking lot? With a bum arm you might bypass the Lemon Squeezer a few yards trail west.

[Starchild]

East of the Hudson is easier then the west. I would say from Fahnstock State Park northwards, the only issue is getting back to your car after.

[2015 Lady Thru-Hiker]

There's always Harriman. Maybe a loop from the Elk Pen parking lot? With a bum arm you might bypass the Lemon Squeezer a few yards trail west.

Thank you Feral. Found a map of Harriman and located Elk Pen area. Looks like if I make a number of trails switches I could bypass lemon-squeezer and make fingerboard shelter. Feasible? Then there is the long path. Looks like I could hike in from the north to a shelter there then hike down toward the lemon squeezer the next day. Question: never thought about it before, but if I end up camping, can you stay set up at a shelter more than 1 night? And if so how advisable is it to leave your gear to hike during the day?


East of the Hudson is easier then the west. I would say from Fahnstock State Park northwards, the only issue is getting back to your car after.

A number of the mantiou, Hudson highlands and fahnstock trails sound very doable. While overnighting is appealing, maybe I'll just do a different hike everyday.


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[Sarcasm the elf]

Thank you Feral. Found a map of Harriman and located Elk Pen area. Looks like if I make a number of trails switches I could bypass lemon-squeezer and make fingerboard shelter. Feasible? Then there is the long path. Looks like I could hike in from the north to a shelter there then hike down toward the lemon squeezer the next day. Question: never thought about it before, but if I end up camping, can you stay set up at a shelter more than 1 night? And if so how advisable is it to leave your gear to hike during the day?

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Do NOT leave any gear unattended in Harriman, it is just too popular an area, especially on a holiday weekend and the chances of a dishonest person getting ahold of your stuff is just too high. Plus the shelter mice are brutal, they're nearly as brazen as the ones in Southern Georgia.


If you have the maps, you might want to hike some other trails in the park besides the A.T.. If the weather is nice on Memorial Day weekend, then the A.T. is likely going to be busy and Bear Mountain's summit will be packed.


You can easily walk around the lemon squeezer if needed so don't worry about that too much. I was there in January and some of the folks in our group weren't up for the lemon squeezer or the short climb/scramble next to it, they walked around and it only took them a minute or two to find an easier way up.

[ChinMusic]

Lemon Squeezer is not an issue w a bum arm. There is a nasty little 6-9 ft climb to the north of the Squeeze that you can easily blue blaze around.

edit: the Elf beat me to it

[2015 Lady Thru-Hiker]

Do NOT leave any gear unattended in Harriman, it is just too popular an area, especially on a holiday weekend and the chances of a dishonest person getting ahold of your stuff is just too high. Plus the shelter mice are brutal, they're nearly as brazen as the ones in Southern Georgia.


If you have the maps, you might want to hike some other trails in the park besides the A.T.. If the weather is nice on Memorial Day weekend, then the A.T. is likely going to be busy and Bear Mountain's summit will be packed.


You can easily walk around the lemon squeezer if needed so don't worry about that too much. I was there in January and some of the folks in our group weren't up for the lemon squeezer or the short climb/scramble next to it, they walked around and it only took them a minute or two to find an easier way up.

Thanks STE. I knew the answer in my head guess I just needed to hear it "said" but def makes sense not a wise thing to do especially in light of the holiday. As for the mice - eek! Thinking maybe to do the long path to Stockbridge Shelter on Saturday night and Fingerboard on Sunday. Just can't stand thinking about staying in the hotel all weekend (up here working from out of state)

Thanks for the heads up about getting around the squeezer. Didn't see any trails on the map that really allowed that and a little leary about going off trail since I ended up with a little trouble doing that last time if did it.




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[2015 Lady Thru-Hiker]

Thanks Chin!


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[LIhikers]

I don't have the map of Harriman State Park here at work but let me make a suggestion.
Park at the Silvermine parking lot and hike in to the Stockbridge shelter Friday night. I think it's 2 or 3 miles.
On Saturday pack up and hike north on the Long Path to Turkey lake. From there hike over to toward Bear Mountain and finish the day at West Mountain shelter. If the weather's nice you'll have a view of NYC on the horizon. Then Saturday hike back to your car via the Appalachian Trail to William Brien shelter and then down hill on the yellow trail, I can't remember it's name. That will take you to your car.
Check the map for the accuracy of this recommendation, but I'm pretty sure I've got it right.

[Feral Bill]

I don't have the map of Harriman State Park here at work but let me make a suggestion.
Park at the Silvermine parking lot and hike in to the Stockbridge shelter Friday night. I think it's 2 or 3 miles.
On Saturday pack up and hike north on the Long Path to Turkey lake. From there hike over to toward Bear Mountain and finish the day at West Mountain shelter. If the weather's nice you'll have a view of NYC on the horizon. Then Saturday hike back to your car via the Appalachian Trail to William Brien shelter and then down hill on the yellow trail, I can't remember it's name. That will take you to your car.
Check the map for the accuracy of this recommendation, but I'm pretty sure I've got it right.

A good one of many, many options.

[2015 Lady Thru-Hiker]

Thanks for the suggestion Llhikers. Sounds like an excellent route. Will probably avoid west mountain for now as that is where I earned the cast - Yeeks! Maybe try that one in another week or so.


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[2015 Lady Thru-Hiker]

Got the all clear from the doc today to go hiking this weekend. Maybe I'll even see the good doc up there.


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[LIhikers]

Thanks for the suggestion Llhikers. Sounds like an excellent route. Will probably avoid west mountain for now as that is where I earned the cast - Yeeks! Maybe try that one in another week or so.


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Some ways up West Mt. are easier than others!

[2015 Lady Thru-Hiker]

Which one(s) would you recommend? I would like to try it again before I leave the area. Defeating my nemesis so to speak.


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[LIhikers]

If my 61 year old memory serves me right, because I'm at work without the map, the easiest way up West Mountain is going southbound on the AT. The hardest way is up from Doodletown, on whatever that trail is.

[Leanthree]

West Mountain is my nemesis too. The single hardest climb vs my expectations (from the profile) from DWG to northern Mass. It was also just before I ate lunch so it was likely partially misreading the map, partially a hard trail and partially not enough food in my system.

[2015 Lady Thru-Hiker]

Thanks Llhiker I believe the southbound route is the one my ortho doc was telling me about Monday.
Leanthree, I learned so many lessons that are going to help me on my thru up there.


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[2015 Lady Thru-Hiker]

Didn't end up doing the hike in NY this weekend. Had to go to VA instead so hiked up to Humpback Rock from the visitors center then hiked part if the AT as well. Will try for one of the NY hikes this coming weekend.


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[Cookerhiker]

East of the Hudson is easier then the west. I would say from Fahnstock State Park northwards, the only issue is getting back to your car after.

I second this. East of the Hudson is markedly easier than the steep ups & downs of Harriman and the stretch between Rts 17 and 17A.

[2015 Lady Thru-Hiker]

Thanks Cookerhiker. Hiked Humpback in VA this weekend and if was trying with the casted arm. Definitely affects things. And that was a fairly short distance. Don't think I would stand up to something long than 2-3 steep miles right now. Thinking about doing the Stockbridge to fingerboard route and see how it goes. My doc thought I'd be okay with that.


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[2015 Lady Thru-Hiker]

So, ended up not being able to get out until midday Saturday. Hiked from the Torrey memorial parking area to Hippo Rock on the Long Path before turning back, retracing my steps to just past Stockbridge shelter, where I set up camp. It was such a gorgeous day I was surprised to not see many people on the trail and thought I would end up spending the night by myself. However, around 7 a couple from Manhattan showed up. Brenda and Brandon. Very nice. We shared a fire and some good conversation. They are hammock people and after letting me check theirs out really have me thinking about switching from the BA CS 1 to a hammock. Hiked back out the next morning. A good hike, not too strenuous with just a few spots made more challenging with the neon green arm. http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/03/ubybeqar.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/03/veqavu4e.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/03/4e4udedu.jpg


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[LIhikers]

You're lucky.
That area just beyond Stockbridge shelter is popular with the boy scouts.
My wife and I were there one time and there were about 50 boy scouts and their leaders.
There were tents far and wide.
Glad to hear you enjoyed yourself.