Panther Mountain

Ramapo Mountains,
Harriman State Park
Rockland County,
New York

Trails:
Pine Meadow Trail: Red blaze
Suffern-Bear Mountain (SBM) Trail: Yellow blaze
Power Line Path
Unmarked Trail

Total Time: 2:00 hr
Estimated Distance: 3.5 Miles

Hiking Partner:
Yehuda Koblick

We started this hike at the Horse Stables off Route 202, near Wilder Rd. This is where the original Pine Meadow Trail started, and in about 2002 it was subsequently restarted here at its original location. The property where the trail starts is owned by Town of Ramapo Equestrian Center. The propery managers have a really nasty looking dog that follows you around when you start and finish, but he's ok.

We went up the trail along where it goes with the Gas Line path, and then started the climb to where it goes through a valley with a stream between Catamount and Panther Mountains. At the intersection of the SBM Trail, went north up to the summit of Panther Mountain, where there is an excellent view. Continued on the SBM past the summit, and then took an unmarked Trail down near a swamp that takes you all the way down to the Power Line/Gas Line paths. From there took the Power Line path back to the trailhead at the Horse Stables.

Map of the route.

The stream in the notch between
Panther Mountain & Catamount Mountain

View from Panther Mnt Summit.
Facing east towards South Mountain and Mt. Ivy.
The Hudson River can be seen to the left of the photo.

View from Panther Summit. Facing South.

Me at the Summit. Facing South.

Yehuda at the Summit.

From the view at the nothern part of the mountain.
Facing northeast towards Cheescoate Mnt and Hudson R.

North part of Panther Mountain
Facing North with Horse Chock Mountain
on left and Cheesecoate Mountain on right.

Cupsaw Mountain

Ringwood State Park,
Passaic County,
New Jersey

Trails:
Cooper Union Trail: Yellow blaze
Cupsaw Brook Trail: Blue blaze
Ringwood Ramapo Trail: Red blaze
Crossover Trail: White blaze

Total Time: 1:45 hr
Estimated Distance: 3.2 Miles


I had driven on the road through Ringwood and seen many trails coming off the road, but had never taken them and took the oppurtunity this time to explore many of these trails. I parked on Sloatsburg Road directly south of the New York State border, at the Copper Union Trailhead. Started climbing up Cupsaw Moutain, then took the Cupsaw Brook Trail along the brook to the Ringwood-Ramapo Trail. Took the Ringwood-Ramapo Trail up Cupsaw Mountain to the shelter, and at the intersection took the Cooper Union Trail south past the view and down to the Ringwood Entrance Road. Then took the Crossover Trail north, and near the intersection with the road, took the Ringwood-Ramapo Trail back up the mountain and back to the same intersection I was at before near the Cupsaw Mnt Shelter. Essentially this was an "8" shaped hike. From there took the Cooper Union Trail back down the mountain and back to the trailhead.

I had forgotten to take my camera with me, so was stuck taking pictures with my phone camera, which is pretty lousy quality.

Map of the Route

The shelter at Cupsaw Mountain

Woods near the top of Cupsaw Mountain

View from the viewpoint at the south
portion of Cupsaw Mountain.
Facing southwest towards Halifax Mountain

Me.

Ramapo Torne

Harriman State Park,
Rockland County,
New York

Trails:
Reeves Brook Trail: White blaze
Seven Hills Trail: Blue blaze
Hillburn Torne Sebago (HTS): Orange blaze

Total Time: 2:00 hr
Estimated Distance: 4.5 Miles

Hiking Partner:
Yehuda Koblick


The fall foliage was almost completely over, though this was a very nice late autumn day. I had last done this trail around 2 years prior in the winter in the snow, but I had only done the route coming down the good scramble. I had always meant to return here when the weather was nice to climb up the scramble, and this was the oppurtunity.

We started at the Reeves Meadow Visitors Center off 7 Lakes Drive near Sloatsburg, and headed up the Reeves Brook Trail for a short duration. Where the trail turns and crosses the stream we continued straight along the unmarked trail which intersects the 7 Hills Trail. From there continued on the 7 Hills Trail along the pretty scenery and Mountain Laurels until the intersection of the HTS trail terminus. At that point we took the HTS and took it up the mountain to the really nice scramble ascending Ramapo Torne. This mountain has a very jagged top with a great climb and outstanding views in 3 directions. From the top summit view, we descended down on the 7 Hills, and then took this route back to the trailhead.

Map of the Route.

Yehuda at the beginning of the scramble on the HTS

The lower view at Ramapo Torne. Facing north.

Me climbing the giant rock slabs below the summit.

Me climbing through a crevice in the rock slabs.

View from the summit. Facing west towards the Thruway.

Me at the summit.
Facing northeast with the Torne Valley landfill below.

View of the landfill. Facing South from summit.

Yehuda at the summit

Facing south towards the Ramapo Valley
and Sheraton Crossroads

Russian Bear.
Facing north from summit.

Mianus River Gorge Preserve

Westchester County,
New York

Trails:
River Trail: Green blaze
Old Growth Forest Trail: Red blaze
Old Farmland Trail: Blue blaze

Total Time: 1:40 hr
Estimated Distance: 3.4 Miles

This was already late fall, and most of the foliage was gone. There were still a few sporadic pretty trees left though. The weather was quite chilly which made it really feel like winter was coming. I had gone here exactly a year earlier, so this hike was very nostalgic.

I started at the parking area, and started with the green trail along the river bank, and then along the red. Took the spur to the Hobby Hill pegmatite quarry, and then continued back to Reservoir view, which was very unimpressive, and down to the waterfall at beginning of the reservoir. Then turned around, and took the blue trail where I was able to back to the parking area.

Map of the route.

Mianus River, near the beginning of the hike.

Spur on the trail to the Hobby Hill Quarry.

Hobby Hill Quarry Wall.

Beautiful colors along the hike.
I have a picture of this same tree
from last years hike here.

The Reservoir lookout. Not much too see here.

Havemeyer Falls.

The beginning of the reservoir.
Note the low water level. It looks like
they unplugged the outlet.
Compare to last years shot of this.