Parking: 42.296499,-74.169146 End of Peck Rd, Maplecrest, NY
Distance: 6-7 miles
Time: 3-5 hours
Gear:
- Daypack with rain cover
- 2.5-3L of water
- Lunch, snacks
- First aid, athletic tape, knife, bug spray
- Water filter with "dirty" bag
- Compass
- Trekking poles
- Map - New York New Jersey Trail Conference #141
- Hiking boots
- NO COTTON - Why no cotton? Cotton is a thicker material and isn't as breathable as synthetic materials. Once it's wet, it becomes heavier and takes longer to dry.
Hiking to the summit of Windham High Peak is quite easy. There are 2 trails to follow and it is an out and back hike. Viewpoints on the summit offer fantastic landscapes to the north and south.
Beginning on the yellow Elm Ridge trail, the trek starts very easy. It continues this way for about nine-tenths of a mile. This brings you to the junction with the blue trail - Escarpment merged with the Long Path.
The Escarpment trail is a 23-24 mile long path stretching from Elm Ridge Wild Forest in the north to North-South Lake in the south. It offers an incredible test of endurance and provides some of the best views in the region. The Long Path is one of New York's long distance trails. It actually starts in Fort Lee, NJ at the George Washington Bridge, is 357 miles long and ends in Altamont, NY.
Turning right onto the blue Escarpment/Long Path, the trail begins to climb. For a little over a mile the mountain rises gradually. At around 2,800' the trail begins to get steeper as you move along. Somewhere in the 3,300' range it eases slightly. The smell of the furs and pines at this elevation makes its way to my nose, and I know I am almost at the top.
I made it to the summit ridge in just under 2 hours. The first viewpoint on my right looks south. The peaks of Thomas Cole, Black Dome and Blackhead can be seen. Blackhead Mountain is also on the Escarpment trail, 7.2 miles from Windham HP. The weather on this particular day was beautiful so I took a nap at this scenic spot for about an hour. Sitting up and opening my eyes was such a pleasure. The mountains, blue sky and white puffy clouds are very soothing to the retina.
On the opposite side of the trail was a less impressive view to the north, but a very nice view nonetheless. The official summit is a short distance further, marked by a geological stamp in the rock. Turning around and retracing my steps takes is my return route.
Now if you're still reading and wondering where all the wonderful pictures are, they are in my phone. My old phone. That I lost. On the hike after this one. The photos for this trek hadn't been downloaded yet, so they're gone along with those from the subsequent 2 hikes; those two hikes are Fir Mountain and Halcott Mountain. Stay tuned!
