Hike #519 10/16/10
10/16/10 Staten Island; Forest Ave/Clove Lakes Park to Verrazzanno Narrows with Jillane Becker, Jamie Becker, Jack Lowry, Susan Duncan, Evan "Joe Millionaire" Van Rossum, Eric Pace, "Major Tom" Conroy, and Al MacLennan
Abandoned Richmond Expressway interchange group shot, Staten Island
My next hike would be another along the Staten Island Greenbelt, a trail system I had enjoyed immensely with Jack and Susie in the Spring of 2010. There were so many more trails I still wanted to follow, so on this occasion we would have the chance. I changed the roue a few times, and finally settled on the end point being near the west end of the Verrezanno Narrows Bridge. We met at Great Kills Park and shuttled cars to I think a parking lot on Drury Ave just west of the bridge for the end point. We then headed north to Clove Road just north of Clove Lakes Park and used on street parking to begin what would turn out to be a great hike.
The day started out a little crazy. No one could figure out where we were meeting; the road shown on Google Maps ended up being the same name on either side of the Staten Island Railroad making the one end inaccessible from the other. Jack and Susie were of course familiar enough with the island, and Al knew his way around well enough too, but Eric, Major Tom, and Joe Millionaire got lost driving around the island the wrong way. We ended up having to meet them at the beginning of the hike on Clove Road.
While we were doing the car shuttle Al ended up behind us, then pulled up alongside us yelling "GO BACK TO JERSEY"!!! He shook me up a bit, as I thought it was a Staten Island resident annoyed at the slow driving of this carpool!
Once everyone was together, we were getting a late start. We started walking down Clove Road and crossed into Clove Lakes Park. The previous time we followed the Greenbelt Trail, but this time we'd start by following the trails on the opposite side of the park, which was basically the same route on the other side of the creek or lakes within the park.
Nice trees in Clove Lakes Park, Staten Island
We passed some beautiful big trees and then descended a bit to what I think is called Brooks Pond. We followed the east side of it.
Brooks Pond I think, Clove Lakes Park, Staten Island
We continued walking along the east side of a second pond; as we walked there were lots of people walking all around us in the opposite direction. They all hat matching shirts, I believe it was a suicide prevention group. We continued south through Clove Lakes Park along a nice walkway beside a third, long lake with buildings along it. It was a very well manicured area
Clove Lakes Park, Staten Island
Clove Lakes Park, Staten Island
After passing the last lake we came out to Victory Boulevard at the southern end of Clove Lakes Park. We didn't follow the route of the Greenbelt Trail south through this part. We made a pit stop for food and drinks, and then followed the most direct route along roads southward to Little Clove Road where we turned right. We soon saw blazes of the Greenbelt Trail, and unlike the previous time we were able to turn up hill to the south through the chain link fence that was open. We ascended steeply to the abandoned on ramp to what would have been the interchange for the Richmond Expressway; this was the superhighway that was intended to cross Staten Island but was defunct and now the land makes up the route of the Greenbelt.
Abandoned Richmond Expressway interchange, Staten Island
Susie up on the upper level of the abandoned interchange.
This time, we ended up on one of the lower levels of the interchanges. On our last hike we somehow ended up on the bridge that was above us. Somehow, Susie ended up there this time while the rest of us were below.
We took a bit of a break here, then continued across the bridge over the existing Staten Island Expressway, Rt 278.
Crossing the existing Staten Island Expressway on the abandoned interchange
On the opposite side we seemed to meander off into nothing but woods, and the upper level Susie was on descended to almost the same as us. We turned left down along an ATV path and back up to Susie's side.
Abandoned Richmond Expressway interchange, Staten Island
Abandoned Richmond Expressway interchange, Staten Island
Susie over on the other on ramp of the abandoned interchange, Staten Island
Abandoned Richmond Expressway interchange, Staten Island.
On the other side, we continued a bit on the trail, which can be somewhat obscure as we entered what must have been NY state DEC land because of the blue discs on trees that define those trails. We soon came to the side trail that went to the left, with white and blue blazes. We followed this one down and then back up hill basically parallel with the trail we were on. I think it continued to the left a bit more as well, but we didn't want to follow it too far out of the way. We continued along the greenbelt then to the south as the blue and white trail rejoined the regular blue one.
We continued along the trail and crossed the intersection with Ocean Terrace and Todt Hill Road, then continued through woods. This was a great area; it's one of the spots where you'd never believe you were on Staten Island.
The trail took us out to the corner of Sussex and Browning streets where a sign read "Walton's Mountain", and we followed from here a yellow blazed trail. The yellow trail leads off to a different northern trail head than the blue, and we'd have to go back to explore that more, but this time we'd take yellow south.
Along Sussex Street, Staten Island Greenbelt Trail
As we continued through the woods we were entering some of the property of Camp Pouch. Both Al and Jack had attended Camp Pouch when they were children, so this was a nice place to revisit for them. Al had thought the camp no longer existed, and that must have been really nice to hear that it was still operational.
We passed some chimney ruins and an old car along the way, and took a nice little break at the pavilion where the yellow and blue trails come back together again.
Along the yellow trail, Staten Island Greenbelt, some ruins
Abandoned car along yellow trail of Staten Island Greenbelt
We came to another place where yellow and blue trails broke apart, but we continued on blue down hill a short distance to take in the magnificent view from the platform looking over Raritan Bay and the Richmond County County Golf Course. We took a nice break here and sang some songs. I remember most notably "Get Together" made popular by The Youngbloods in the sixties.
View of the Raritan Bay over Richmond County Country Club, Staten Island
We doubled back on the blue trail to the yellow trail which kept a bit north of the blue, and we hadn't followed this route before. It stayed at the top of a little ridge which was supposedly a terminal moraine from the Wisconsin Glacier. We continued on along the edge of Camp Pouch's southern end. The camp was below us to the right. We then continued on and somehow we got off of the yellow blazes.
Pond at Camp Pouch
Staten Island Greenbelt near Camp Pouch
We continued on along I believe an unmarked path with a few puncheons which led us back to the yellow trail somehow. There were a lot of side trails in Camp Pouch I suppose.
Staten Island Greenbelt near Camp Pouch.
We continued on along the trail and skirted around the edge of a couple ponds, one closely. I think we rejoined the blue trail and then left it again in the High Rock Park vicinity. The yellow trail took us through some woods and skirted the edge of a high mountainous area on the left, which I believe was Moses Mountain. Robert Moses, who was the guy in charge of a lot of NYC development I belive made this mound, probably part of the Richmond Expressway plan.
There was an unmarked path that went up to the left, on a very washed out route.
I think this is on top of Moses Mountain
I climbed up the path as best I could. No one else in the group even wanted to consider going up there, but I couldn't resist seeing what the view might be like. When I got to the top I came to one view which made the area look almost undeveloped. I continued on to a second view just a little further on, and there were other people up there despite the fact that it wasn't marked.
I think this is Moses Mountain, Staten Island
After I'd taken in all the sight I climbed back down the same way that I had gone up. I returned to the yellow trail and continued in the direction I was going to catch up with the others.
Giant pipe along the Staten Island Greenbelt
When I found everyone they were taking a break on a rock. Together, we continued on along the yellow blazed trail heading west now. I don't remember what exactly of interest we found, if anything on the next stretch, but I believe we continued on the yellow blazed trail to the red one, another route of the greenbelt.
Taking a break on the Staten Island Greenbelt, yellow trail
I recall there being a lot of woodland basically, and we came out somehow on I think it was Richmond Hill Road. We had to walk a block south into historic Richmondtown area, using an abandoned connector road to reach Richmond Road. I think we must have walked Richmond Road east to get to the white blazed route of the Greenbelt.
Joe Millionaire on the abandoned Richmond Hill Road connection to Richmond Road, Staten Island Greenbelt Red Trail
Along our road walk west, we came across a pizza place; you can't go to NY city without having a slice of pizza so many people tell me. What was important was that we were hungry so we stopped for a nice break.
We continued on from here and and reached the white trail where there was a little park on the left. This section was really bad the last time we were on it, but someone had come and cleared most of the blow downs by this visit.
Staten Island Greenbelt, white trail at the lower end of Egbertville Ravine
This was the lower end of Egbertville Ravine. We continued south under the Staten Island Railraod, but the living room set up that was there in the spring had been removed. We then continued along the white trail to Hyland Blvd and the entrance to Great Kills Park.
Paved path in Great Kills Park
We walked the path from the parking area along the road (the one we met at in the morning) out into some wetlands, then it turned south parallel with a tributary. Everyone else was falling behind, but that was good because this path would not get us anywhere.
Paved path in Great Kills Park, Staten Island
Great Kills Park, Staten Island
Creek that ran out of Egbertville Ravine in Great Kills Park, Staten Island
We came to where the paved path abruptly ended and continued through heavy vegetation toward the Raritan Bay. It was often muddy, and when we got very near to it we realized that it would be far too difficult to get across. The creek was deep and not everyone would want to swim. There was no visible bridge, and so we opted to head back out to the road and then try to get to the beach on the other side.
Great Kills Park
We walked back out the path to the access road, then out to Hyland Blvd. It was here that Eric and Major Tom decided to take a bus to the end. I couldn't believe it, because Major Tom always wants to do beach hikes, and we were almost to a beautiful section of beach and he was going to miss it. Oh well.
I think we walked Hylan Blvd to Guyon, to Mil, to Kissan where we found an access to Oakwood Beach.
Entrance to Oakwood Beach, Staten Island
Entering Oakwood Beach, Staten Island
We got out to the beach, and I was relieved. We took a nice break here; it was a beautiful spot. I went for a quick swim which felt amazing.
Oakwood Beach, Staten Island
Oakwood Beach, Staten Island
Oakwood Beach, Staten Island.
Oakwood Beach, Staten Island
We continued walking the beach to the east, which was sandy but sometimes strewn with rocks which was prettier than just plain sand. We came to a point where the sand was gone and we had to walk along the top of a rocky coast, then past what was probably some sort of wave breaker. After crossing over this we were on more beach.
Oakwood Beach area
Susie and Jamie on Staten Island
Beach at Staten Island, Raritan Bay
We walked along and found an American Flag along the beach. We continued walking as Susie carried the flag, and a lady came out from along the beach and told us it was part of a memorial. The thing wasn't up or anything, just laying there when we found it. She went on to tell us about how the vacant houses that all sat on a little road adjacent to us used to be occupied and how Staten Island's government forced them all to move out. Since that time she told us, there were now needles on the beach, unattended children, people having sex, etc.
We had a few laughs as she told us amongst all of these terrible things, that kids were riding their bicycles "twitter twatting away on their phones", as she made motions with both pointer fingers. It was really hard not to laugh.
Joe Millionaire on the beach at Staten Island
Staten Island along Raritan bay
On Staten Island, south side
South side of Staten Island
We continued out walk along the beach past Miller Field where there was a beacon light. The sun was setting beautifully along the southern shore of Staten Island. We could see across the water of the Raritan Bay toward Atlantic Highlands and Sandy Hook. It was amazing.
Al on the beach at Staten Island, south side
I think this is New Dorp Beach area, Staten Island
Beach at Staten Island
Beach on Staten Island
Sunset over Staten Island, south side
My camera started to die as we were coming into view of the Verrezanno Narrows Bridge. We continued walking along South Beach while a band was playing in one of the parks to our north.
Staten Island, South Beach
Heading to Verrazzanno Narrows, Staten Island's South Beach section
We soon got up on the Franklin D. Roosevelt Boardwalk as the sun set. We walked this pretty much the remainder of the way back to the cars. While on the boardwalk, we were rejoined by Eric and Major Tom. At least they got to see this incredible section. The boardwalk was very nice and lighted, and although I wanted to do this section again during the day, it was incredible to do it at night. Perfect way to end the day.
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