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    A Rock With A View. Hiking, Biking and Skiing the Shawangunk Mountains
    A Rock With A View. Hiking, Biking and Skiing the Shawangunk Mountains
    A Rock With A View. Hiking, Biking and Skiing the Shawangunk Mountains
    Ebook136 pages1 hour

    A Rock With A View. Hiking, Biking and Skiing the Shawangunk Mountains

    By Steve Weinman

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    About this ebook

    The original area trail guide, A Rock With a View contains 26 of the most scenic excursions in New Paltz and the Shawangunk Mountain Range. Written by a lifelong resident, it is designed to be used by beginners as well as experienced hikers, bikers and cross-country skiers.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHillcrest Media Group
    Release dateJun 16, 2015
    ISBN9781634136396
    A Rock With A View. Hiking, Biking and Skiing the Shawangunk Mountains

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      Book preview

      A Rock With A View. Hiking, Biking and Skiing the Shawangunk Mountains - Steve Weinman

      stevew305@hotmail.com.

      INTRODUCTION

      A Rock With A View was first published in 1995, and was the first trail guide of its kind for the Shawangunk Mountain range. In twenty years we printed 6500 books and made over $20,000 for charity. I want to thank everyone who bought a guide, and everyone who helped in the creation of the guide for their support. Happy Trails!

      Hello and welcome to the Gunks. I hope you have a great time exploring one of the most beautiful and unique mountain ranges in the world. I have hiked here since childhood, and have included my favorite trails in this guide.

      The Shawangunk Mountain range is an extension of the Kittaninny Mountains of New Jersey and Pennsylvania’s Blue Ridge Mountains. These mountains were carved by the glaciers which arrived during the last ice age, about 30,000 years ago. New Paltz was settled in 1677 by the French Huguenots, but artifacts from Indians have been found in these mountains dating back to 6000 B.C.

      The Shawangunks, pronounced Sha-WAN-gunk or SHON-gum (or just "Gunks) have survived exploitation of their forests for lumber, fuel and food. The majority of the range is now protected from commercial use, but still needs our help as it contains a very specific and fragile ecosystem.

      TRAIL ETIQUETTE

      The Gunks are close to a heavily populated area known as The City. Because of this they receive a lot of traffic, especially on the weekends. Please be kind to the mountain and make your travels impact as little as possible on the land.

      Carry out what you carry in. You might also want to bring a ziplock bag and pick up other people’s garbage, thereby actually leaving the mountain in better shape than when you came. Smokers: CIGARETTE BUTTS ARE GARBAGE! Please carry your butts and be careful with your ashes -- a fire in a small range like this can be disastrous.

      Other ways to protect these mountains: Do not pick wildflowers or foliage. Do not feed wild animals. PLEASE do not start fires: they scar the land, get out of control easily and are all kinds of illegal in these parks. Fires are the antithesis of low impact hiking. Stay on the trail; shortcuts cause erosion and the Gunks are especially prone to this due to heavy use and relatively little topsoil.

      Winter Hikers: Please avoid walking in the ski tracks; this ruins the trail and makes it much harder for the skiers to travel.

      Human Waste: I know, it’s nasty. If nature calls, answer it 200 feet/60 meters from any stream, 100 feet/30 meters from the trail. If you must do #2, bury it 6-8 inches/20 cm and cover with a rock or log. Toilet paper should be packed out in your handy ziplock bag. Bathroom locations are designated by a ⬤ on the maps in this guide.

      ANIMALS

      There are many animals in the Shawangunk Mountains. A short list includes deer, porcupine, skunk, woodchucks, beaver, squirrel (red and gray), BLACK bear, bobcat, hawks, turkey vultures, grouse, five lined skinks and snakes. There are two common poisonous snakes: timber rattlesnakes and copperheads. Use caution if venturing off the trail. The best time to observe wildlife on all trails is in the early morning.

      Pets: Dogs are allowed on all trails with the exception of Mohonk Mountain House trails. Dogs disturb and endanger the animals that live in these woods, and are endangered themselves by many on the above list. There is a rabies epidemic in New York and our area has not been spared. Your dog must be on a leash. If your dog is found off a leash you may be escorted out of the area and fined.

      Lyme Disease: Lyme disease is transmitted by deer ticks which hang out on bushes and trees just waiting for an opportunity to hop on you and go for a ride. These ticks live in the Gunks. To avoid them stay on the trail where there is less of a chance of brushing up against foliage. You may also elect to wear bug repellent, long sleeves and pants.

      Hunting: Some of the trails take you through land where hunting is permitted, and for your safety I will indicate these in the Trail Descriptions. The only game animal is deer, and rifle season starts the first Monday after Nov. 15, and ends the first Tuesday after Dec. 7. Bow and BLACK Powder season start earlier (October 15 in 1994). During this time you would be well advised to wear bright colors, preferably safety orange, and make noise (singing, conversation) to make hunters aware of your presence.

      PLANTS

      The Shawangunk range provides a variety of habitats for plants. From the rugged and inhospitable rocky outcroppings to nutrient rich valleys, the variety of fauna seen is remarkable. In addition to being a museum for many types of plant communities that have existed since the ice age, the plant life of the Gunks also represents a remarkable transition zone between the northern (Canadian) and the southern (Carolinian) types of biologic communities. Oaks, hickories and pitch pines that are more southern in origin have extended up the Hudson Valley to meet with their northern neighbors (beech, hemlocks, sugar maple and birches) in these mountains.

      Mountain Laurel: Showcased in the latter part of June is one of Mother Nature’s more outrageous displays, when the mountain laurel bloom over the Shawangunk Mountains. This white and pink flower, which blossoms from a bush described as useless by the early settlers, can be seen covering parts of the mountain as far into the forest as you can see. The laurel only bloom for 2-3 weeks, and I consider this time of the year the best to spend in the Gunks, as the truly overwhelming number of flowers coincides nicely with a relatively small population of visitors.

      Blueberries: Starting in July, blueberries and huckleberries are plentiful over most of the Shawangunk range. Huckleberries appear similar to blueberries but are darker purple in color. Remember - it’s a good idea to know what it is before you put it in your mouth.

      Lichens: Lichens are the brown, crusty leaf-like organisms found growing on bare rock. Lichens are not plants, but are rather a symbiotic organism containing algae and fungus, and are able to convert minerals from the rock into a nutritive substance on which they feed. These were the first forms of life to appear after the glaciers receded 14,000 years ago. They are very slow growing, and a palm-sized lichen may be 75 years old.

      BIKES

      There is a mountain wide 15 mph speed limit, as well as a requirement for helmets effective in 1995. I know this makes some of you crazy, but you must understand that there are other bikes and hikers on these trails, and if someone gets injured it jeopardizes access for all of us. If you see someone speeding, riding off the trail or out of control, inform them that they are threatening your right to ride here.

      Warn all pedestrians that you are coming; they may not hear you. Pedestrians may not understand on your right or on your left. Slow down to 5 mph within 30 feet/9 meters feet of hikers. Horses and carriages also have the right of way. Dismount 30 feet away and wait until the horse or carriage passes. When overtaking ask the driver or rider for permission to pass.

      Limiting access to mountain bikes is constantly discussed, and it’s going to happen unless we control ourselves.

      Bike rentals:

      Bicycle Depot: 845-255-3859

      Lightsey Bicycles: 845-255-0888

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