Hiking Dark Stone Forest, Ny

ABOUT THE PARK:
Black Rock Forest - Black Rock Forest Consortium

DIRECTIONS:

GPS Coordinates 41.420258, -74.027786

Parking at 9W as well as Peck Road

TRAIL MAP:
West Hudson Trails Map 113 - New York New Bailiwick of Jersey Trail Conference
This map on the Avenza app comes inwards really handy equally intersections tin give the axe live on confusing.

Powered past times Wikiloc

HIKE DISTANCE: 8.8 miles

THE HIKE:

The white-blazed Black Rock Hollow Trail starts from the parking area.

A kiosk a curt distance along amongst unmarked Hulse Road to the correct which would live on our provide route.

The trail follows a pretty creek on the left.

It was 24 degrees therefore at that spot was lots of ice.

Coyote tracks on the H2O ice as well as nosotros would live on seeing many to a greater extent than of those tracks inwards the snow.

Just earlier the H2O filtration plant, bluish starts to the left, white leaves the route to the right.

Right on white for us.

I almost got ....

... a pileated woodpecker.

Had much amend luck amongst this white-breasted nuthatch.

We had a few minutes of sunrise earlier clouds started taking over inwards training for a snowfall tempest coming afterward inwards the afternoon.

Looking dorsum at Butter Hill inwards Storm King State Park.

Brodie was an fantabulous indicator of hidden H2O ice nether snowfall when he would wipe out :( Did he larn non to stride on the snow? Of class not.

At the destination of white amongst Aleck Meadow Reservoir downward below ...

... correct on the teal Highlands Trail/yellow Stillman Trail for a curt distance.

A leaping mouse?

Then left on White Oak Road. Based on the footprints as well as paw prints, this is champaign a really pop road. On almost all of the other trails nosotros were on during this hike, it was generally me, Brodie as well as the coyotes.

The White Oak Tree upwards ahead where the balance of the globe turned correct ...

... as well as Brodie as well as I followed a unmarried laid of coyote tracks to the left. It ever fascinates me how they follow the roads.

A curt distance ahead, correct on white (this is looking dorsum the means nosotros came).

This is non noted on the map but nosotros went to cheque it out.

A curt unmarked trail leads to ...

... a boardwalk to ...

... a aeroplane viewing platform at the swamp but nobody was out as well as most therefore nosotros headed back.

Continuing on the white trail.

Coming upwards on the Sphagnum Pond dam.

Someone else had been on the dam earlier us according to the footprints.

Another fiddling critter had been there, too.

We went out on the dam ...

... where I snapped this moving painting of frozen Sphagnum Pond. We all of a abrupt heard the most awful breaking audio underneath us. It sounded similar the dam was collapsing. Brodie as well as I made it off of that dam inwards tape time. I am certain it was only H2O ice peachy nether the surface but OMG, scary!

Back on company ground, continuing on white.

At the destination of white, left on the teal Highlands Trail/yellow Stillman Trail.

Watch for a white trail to the left only contrary where xanthous turns correct as well as is joined past times the bluish trail coming inwards amongst the Highlands Trail right away ahead.

This leads a curt distance to ...

Split Rock Overlook amongst Sutherland Pond downward below.

Heading dorsum I had forgotten that I should bring turned left on the Highlands Trail/blue trail as well as accidentally followed blue/yellow downhill 1/10th of a mile earlier I figured out what I had done as well as headed dorsum upwards to the Highlands Trail. The bonus was I saw 1 of those elusive coyotes whose tracks nosotros had been following. He was skittering away spell ducking behind logs to avoid existence seen past times us therefore all I got was a moving painting of logs as well as branches.

Back on rails on the Highlands Trail which is at nowadays joined past times blue.

I needed to follow the Highlands Trail to the Hall Road gate to connect upwards to where I had hiked before. Just inwards representative the 24-hour interval comes where I tin give the axe state I hiked to entire trail, don't desire to me missing a curt section.

Retracing from the gate as well as staying on Hall Road next the tracks of even therefore to a greater extent than or less other (or the same?) coyote.

Left on the xanthous triangle Short Cut Trail.

At the destination of xanthous triangle, left on the xanthous Stillman Trail.

This trail goes uphill therefore downhill to the destination of the Stillman Trail at ...

... an overlook.

A prefect spot for a suspension amongst snacks for Brodie ...

... as well as hot tea for me.

Retracing on the Stillman Trail.

Where nosotros had come upwards inwards from the correct on the xanthous triangle Short Cut Trail, at nowadays staying on the xanthous Stillman Trail.

At the adjacent intersection, keeping correct on xanthous Stillman ...

... when xanthous circle goes to Mine Hill Road parking.

Yellow Stillman turns correct on Hall Road.

Just after xanthous leaves Hall Road to the left, nosotros turned left on the bluish Compartment Trail when xanthous turned right.

I am thinking to a greater extent than or less kind of weasel or a mink.

At the destination of bluish ...

... a brief correct on xanthous therefore left on Hall Road.

This utilisation of Hall Road doesn't appear to live on traveled past times humans hardly at all.

Downy woodpecker on the right.

At the intersection nosotros turned correct on Continental Road, as well as followed that to the gate presently after xanthous joins inwards from the right..