On May 12th Jenn, Paola and Grant and I went up Breakneck ridge for a slightly different adventure. This time we climbed the white trail from the tunnel on 9D to where it meets the yellow trail for the first time. This hike took us about 2.5 hours with frequent breaks and photo stops. It runs about 2 miles.
Paola is a veteran already; this is new to Grant. They're ready to go.
Check out Paola's guns.
Tug and barge on the Hudson.
Grant's doing OK.
Pleasure craft on the Hudson.
First break near the flagpole, white trail.
Further up the white trail.
This was our pointer to leave the white trail and start dropping on the yellow trail. It goes mostly down (there is one point at which it takes you back up, do not be discouraged) and to where the red trail is.
Down the yellow trail a way, Paola poses with the wet rock face.
Grant wanted a waterfall. He got one.
This is part of the Cornish Farm, which was once a dairy owned by the Cornish family. It was abandoned in the 1940s.
Some kind of machinery in the old dairy.
I am not sure what this is - old, woven metal cables - but I have seen it used for rip-rap and also to cover certain areas during road construction.
Jennifers' favorite fallen tree.
Grant disrupts the ecosystem therein.
Tree huggers.
We got back to route 9D and headed north back to the car. This is what the ridge looks like from the road.
Here is the south side of the tunnel on 9D. We have to walk through that to get back to the car.
On the other side now, you can see how popular this trail is by the cars lining the road, not to mention the people risking their hides to walk along the road and get to the trail head.
Panorama shots:
White trail, near flagpole.
White trail, near flagpole w/Jenn.
Newburgh, NY.
