Halfway Mountain/Diamond Mountain

Harriman State Park,
Rockland County, NY

Trails:
Pine Meadow Trail: Red Blaze
Stony Brook Trail: Yellow Blaze
Kakiat Trail: White Blaze
Hillburn Torne Sebago (HTS) Trail: Orange Blaze
Seven Hills Trail: Black Blaze

Total Time: 3:00 hour (took longer due to snow)
Estimated Distance: 4.5 Miles
Level of Difficulty: Difficult, especially in the snow
Level of Recommendation: Highly recommended. One of the best in Harriman.
Points Of Interest: Excellent climb and views, and very scenic along brook.

Hiking Partners:
Mordy Neuman
Sruly Rosenberg

Google Maps of Parking:

View 2012 Winter in a larger map

We have finally gotten a snowstorm. Although there have been a few frigid days here and there, generally this winter has been very warm with no snow. It had finally snowed a real snowstorm, with about 6 inches the day before. We started at the Reeves Measow Parking area on Seven Lakes Drive in Sloatsburg, and headed up along the path along the brook, from the Pine Meadow Trail to the Stony Brook Trail to the Kakiat Trail, past the frozen Cascase of Slid, and from there we took the HTS Trail up Halfway Mountain. We took a break and some pictures here, and then continued to the intersection of the 7 Hills Trail, where there is a very good view. From here going down was really crazy in the snow, and more than once we didn't know how we would make it. Part of the area down required us literally sliding down the side of the rock. Once we got down we crossed the brook and took the Pine Meadow Trail all the way back to the trailhead.

Map of the Route

Mordy & Sruly at the Pine Meadow Brook

Cascade of Slide Waterfall,
Almost Entirely Frozen Over

Frozen Cascade of Slid

Me at the Halfway Mountain Viewpoint.
Facing southwest.

Sruly & Mordy at the Diamond Mountain view.
Facing south.

Diamond Mnt View.
Facing Southwest.

Me and Sruly, Diamond Mnt

Me at rock ad Diamond Mountain

Sliding down the Mountain.
That rock is the same one as above.

View at the Lower part of Diamond Mnt, before descending.
Facing west, towards the Pine Meadow Brook Valley.

Same view as above, facing east-southeast.

Mordy maneuvering down the scramble