Simply Enjoyable

I once again set off into the woods this week.  This time around it was a loop in the Southern part of Harriman State Park.  The plan had been to park on Johnsontown Road in Sloatsburg, NY, but, of course, they were doing construction or some sort of something so I couldn't get all the way down that road to get to the parking lot I had originally planned on.  I turned off Johnsontown Road back onto Seven Lakes Drive and parked across the Visitor Center.  My plan had been to finally check out some of the mines that are throughout Harriman, and while I didn't have to change my loop too much due to the detoured parking, but I decided to save the mine exploring for another time.  I began on the red trail from the parking lot of the Visitor Center.  This is a trail I have taken many times and the last time I was on it was during a very bad time in my life so I wasn't too thrilled to be back on it, but it's been about three years so I decided to embrace and just be grateful I was back in the woods.  When I came to a fork in the road I veered left to begin the Yellow trail.

I was only on the Yellow trail for a short while because, in my modified hike, I decided to check out the Dutch Doctor Shelter.  From the Yellow trail I turned left onto the White trail.  After crossing over a stream that used to have a bridge, but currently did not (the minute I started on the Red trail there was a sign that said "BRIDGE OUT at STREAM CROSSING-PLEASE USE CAUTION" so hats off to the trail conference for being aware of these things) I came across what looked like, possibly, the foundation of an old home.  I checked my map and saw no point of interested dot, but stopped to admire it and take some pictures anyway.  History like that, in the middle of the woods, always amazes me.  It's one of the reasons I love the Palisades Cliffs-if you don't know about Cliff Dale first look it up and next go off into the woods on the Palisades and see the remnants of this once beautiful estate.  It all blows my mind!  Another reason I want to take a kayaking/walking tour of Bannerman Castle (again, if you don't know, look it up!).  The white trail crosses Seven Lakes Drive and then disappears back into the woods on the other side, at which point I headed right on the White trail.  The Red and White trails merge for a bit and then split off, and I was so content just traipsing through the woods that I almost missed where they separate, but luckily I didn't and I continued on the White trail toward Dutch Doctor.  It's your classic stone lean-to.  No breath taking views, but a nice place to rest your head.

From Dutch Doctor I continued on the White trail until I came to the Blue trail, otherwise known as the Victory trail at this point.  This trail was marked with a white square with a blue V.  I looked at the back of the map to see if it had any history on why this particular trail was called the Victory trail, but found no such information.  My one complaint about this trail is....telephone poles.  I was walking along enjoying nature and then I see a telephone..and another...and another...and you get the point.  A whole role of telephone poles just running right next to the trail, and the telephone wires were pretty low so it wasn't even as if I could ignore it.  I think that telephone poles should no longer exist and we should all just use cellphones, but then we have to deal with cell towers.  Lets just go back to smoke signals!  From the Victory trail I turned left on the Red trail, which passes Black Ash Mine, but since I had already decided to save the mines from another day I didn't even keep my eyes out for it.  There are underground pipelines running throughout the woods so numerous times along this hike I came to random clearing, which I was prepared for having hiked from the Visitor Center before. 

As I continued on the Red trail I came across a young deer.  We stared at each other and I, of course, snapped some pictures.  I began walking away and heard leaves rustling behind me so I turned around to investigate and the deer was following me!  No one ever taught me what to do in the instance of a baby deer approaching you.  I obviously wasn't scared that it was going to hurt me, but I also know that it's not a good thing to have wild animals too used to people so I snapped a few more pictures and then RAN! 

The Red trail leads to some road, which seems funny because I felt like I was out there in the woods and then there I was standing at the edge of a road, so I turned left on the White trail to continue on my way in the woods. I came across two old rusted out cars because what better place to dispose of your old car then in Harriman State Park, really?  The White trail led me all the way back to Seven Lakes Drive and I finished my hike up by walking on the road for about 3/4s of a mile.  As I've said before, I love loop hikes...which means that I hate having to walk the same part of a trail in a hike which is why I opted to finish up with Seven Lakes Drive.  If anyone has ever driven in Harriman then you know that the street is pretty darn beautiful too.  This hike, as the title explains, was simply enjoyable.  It was 8 miles on a 90 degree day and I never felt too hot, never considered giving up, never needed  rest.  There were no stunning views, nothing extra spectacular, it was just a simply enjoyable walk through the woods.