Friday, November 16, 2012

Schunnemunking

These lyrics by Carole King from "Up on the Roof"  describe how I feel about climbing Schunnemunk Mountain.
When this old world starts getting me down
And people are just too much for me to face
I climb way up to the top of the stairs
And all my cares just drift right into space

Lately I've been hiking the Trestle Trail by the Moodna Viaduct in Salisbury Mills. The area is part of Schunnemunk Mountain State Park. The summit of Schunnemunk, at 1,664 feet, is the highest spot in Orange County, so you could call Schunnemunk Mountain the roof of Orange County.



The trail is steep, especially once you climb past the train trestle, but the views are beautiful. Last Sunday was warm for November, and the afternoon light made for nice photographs.
 Here's a are a few views from the climb:






On the way back down the mountain I stopped at another spot with a great view and a wooden bench. The bench has a plaque: "In memory of Sharon Guilfoyle". There were roses on the bench, probably placed their on  Oct. 22, the anniversary of her death.




The bench has been at the spot just off the trail for years. But I discovered another memorial nearby for the first time. What I first thought was just a pile of wood was a remembrance for deceased pets. A small plaque on a tree read::" DEDICATED TO: The Animals Who Share The Trail & Life With Us."




Here's a slideshow of these and other photos from my hike:



2012 November Schunnemunk Mountain Hike - Images by Tom Bushey

1 comment:

Rev Jim said...

Thanks for posting the Schunemunk trail hike pictures. While living in Washingtonville, I found that hike especially nice - although it was a grind getting up to the top of the ridge with few switch backs, where the blue blazes which you eventually reached indicated you were now walking along the Long Path. It brought back many memories for me.

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