Beginning...I miss my Camaro
Hike 60
6/30/2
For this, another new section, I had a route planned in the vicinity of Blue Mountain
Lakes, just south of Millbrook in the Kittatinnies. Joining me this time were Tea Biscuit
along with Rich and Eric Pace.
Walking Blue Mountain Lakes Trail
Blue Mountain Lake
Blue Mountain Lake
Blue Mountain Lake
Blue Mountain Lakes
Blue Mountain Lakes
Blue Mountain Lakes
Blue Mountain Lakes
Blue Mountain Lakes area
Marsh near Blue Mountain Lakes
Marsh near Blue Mountain Lakes
Marsh near Blue Mountain Lakes
Near Blue Mountain Lakes
Near Blue Mountain Lakes
One of the Blue Mountain Lakes trails
Nearing Hemlock Pond on an old road
Hemlock Pond
Hemlock Pond
Hemlock Pond
Hemlock Pond
Hemlock Pond
At Hemlock Pond
Hiking Hemlock Pond Trail
Hemlock Pond Trail
Hemlock Pond Trail
Elephant. NO NOT REALLY DUH.
Near Crater Lake
Crater Lake
Crater Lake
We began at Blue Mountain Lakes parking area, at a then dirt parking lot. We left Rich’s
van just down the hill at Donkey’s Corners, the end point.
We began heading down an abandoned road to Blue Mountain Lake. This area was
littered with roads that were to be part of a defunct Blue Mountain Lakes Developement
which was anticipated to become lakefront property with the pending Tocks Island Dam
project up until it’s deauthorization.
We made our way along the lakeside, then up to one of the old roads heading northeast.
Along the way, we passed through a beautiful swamp area, then out to Hemlock Pond. At
this point we ascended via Hemlock Pond Trail to the AT, then we walked a road down to
Crater Lake where we decided to take a swim. I was a bit worried because my hand was
all bandaged up due to a procedure I’d had done to remove growths from my hands from an infection
I got working at A&P.
At Crater Lake
Swimming in Crater Lake
Crater Lake
Crater Lake
Crater Lake
Crater Lake
Ruins along Crater Lake
AT near Crater Lake
After a nice swim, we headed up an old woods road towards some radio towers on the
ridge, then to the AT. When we reached Buttermilk Falls Trail, a section I had not yet
walked, Tea Biscuit and I headed downhill to take the Woods Road Trail back to Bird
Mountain where it rejoins the AT, while Rich and Eric opted to stay on the AT. We stayed
in touch using our walkie talkies.
View west from Buttermilk Falls Trail
Swamp along Woods Road Trail
Swamp along Woods Road Trail
View from Rattlesnake Hill on the AT
Rattlesnake Hill on the AT
AT north of Crater Lake
AT north of Crater Lake
AT north of Crater Lake
AT north of Crater Lake
AT north of Crater Lake
AT north of Crater Lake
AT north of Crater Lake
AT north of Crater Lake
Rattlesnake Hill along the AT
Rattlesnake Hill along the AT
Rattlesnake Hill on the AT
Rattlesnake Hill on the AT
Rattlesnake Hill on the AT
Rattlesnake Hill on the AT
Bird Mountain along the AT
Bird Mountain along the AT
Bird Mountain along the AT
Bird Mountain along the AT
Bird Mountain along the AT
Bird Mountain along the AT
Bird Mountain along the AT
Bird Mountain along the AT
Bird Mountain along the AT
Bird Mountain along the AT
Immediately after beginning our descent, we came to a beautiful view over the Poconos.
We descended steeply to Woods Road Trail and continued northeast, passing lovely
swamplands. We still reached Bird Mountain before Rich and Eric, and waited for them
their. After Rich and Eric rejoined us, we continued along the AT north to Brink Road.
After reaching Brink Road, we turned downhill to the Brink Road AT shelter, then
walked the vehicle accessable portion of Brink Road to the northern end of Tillman
Ravine, with beautiful creekside trails and many little wooden bridges. We also stopped
for a swim at Tillman Falls, though it was too small to “swim”.
Bird Mountain along the AT
Brink Road Shelter near the AT at Stokes
Brink Road Trail
Entering Tillman Ravine
Tillman Ravine Trail
Tillman Ravine
Tillman Ravine
Tillman Ravine
Tillman Ravine
Tillman Ravine
Tillman Ravine
Tillman Ravine
Tillman Ravine
Tillman Falls
Tillman Falls
Devil's Tea Cut in Tillman Ravine
Devil's Tea Cut in Tillman Ravine
Tillman Ravine
Tillman Ravine
Tillman Ravine
Me in Tillman Ravine
Along Mountain Road, near Tillman Ravine
Mountain Road, DWGNRA
Farm view along Mountain Road
After reaching the end of the trail at the dirt Mountain Road we turned southwest,
passing Buttermilk Falls and a few residences. We pulled tons of ticks off of ourselves in
this stretch, and began impaling them onto a safety pin I had. We called this our “Tick
Kebab”! The road continued to join the main roads at Flatbrookville, but we turned down
the lesser used dirt road towards Donkey’s Corners. The road was only accessable by auto
for a short distance, then becomes a pedestrian only path back to Donkey’s Corners. It
crossed a nice stone bridge right before Blue Mountain Lakes Road. Rich and Eric
reached the van soon after Tea Biscuit and I arrived. We were grateful we’d left Rich’s
van where we did, as we were far too tired to climb the hillside! Rich’s GPS said we had
done about 15 miles, and Tea Biscuit and I did slightly more having done the Buttermilk
Falls/Woods Road Trail side trip.
Along Mountain Road
Buttermilk Falls
Buttermilk Falls
Buttermilk Falls
Along Mountain Road
Tick-Kebab along Mountain Road
House along Mountain Road
House along Mountain Road
Donkey's Corners Road, now a trail
Donkey's Corners Road, now a trail
Donkey's Corners Road, now a trail
Donkey's Corners Road, now a trail
Along Donkey's Corners Road, now a trail
Old stone bridge at Donkey's Corners
Crossing an old bridge at Donkey's Corners
Donkey's Corners
The Pace Maker at Donkey's Corners
The Pace Maker
The Pace Maker
In the Pace Maker
Pump
No comments:
Post a Comment