ESTADOS UNIDOS - NEW YORK. LONG PATH - Etapa 7.1 - Long Mountain - De US Ruta 6 a Brooks Mountain y cruce con la ruta 293

⇐ Enlace a la etapa anterior: ESTADOS UNIDOS - NEW YORK. LONG PATH - Etapa 6.2 - Desde Arden Valley Road hasta Stockbridge Mountain y cruce con la ruta 6
⇒ Enlace a la etapa siguiente: ESTADOS UNIDOS - NEW YORK. LONG PATH - Etapa 7.2 - Desde cruce sendero con la 293 hasta Abrams Rd con Smith Clove Rd

Primera parte de la etapa 7 del sendero LONG PATH. Este tramo discurre por una zona con tres pequeñas colinas (Long Mountain) y atraviesa varios pequeños torrentes.

La descripción del recorrido, en inglés, y expresada en millas, es la siguiente: Trail Description 0.00 The Long Path leaves the pavement of the parking area loop road at the interpretive kiosk honoring Raymond H. Torrey and the Long Path. It heads north into the woods on a wide gravel road. The road becomes grassy as it passes through oak forest with open, short and shrubby understory. The descent into a hollow steepens as traffic noises fade. 0.30 Pass an old woods road going down to the left. Immediately thereafter, the Popolopen Gorge Trail (red square on white) leaves to the right. The Long Path turns left after this and begins to climb toward the summit of Long Mountain, steepening rapidly. 0.50 The grade levels off as the trail approaches the summit and the vegetation becomes sparse. 0.60 The Long Path reaches the summit of Long Mountain, the site of the Torrey Memorial. There is a spectacular 360-degree view from the summit with Bear Mountain visible to the east and Turkey Hill Lake directly below. 0.65 The Long Path continues past the Torrey Memorial and starts a gradual descent from Long Mountain. In another 500 feet, the trail turns left and descends through a series of long switchbacks. 1.10 The trail intersects an old woods road to the left and crosses Deep Hollow Brook (the crossing can be difficult after a heavy rain). It then turns right and continues on a path alongside the stream. Meet a second stream paralleling the trail on the left. Shortly thereafter, the trail turns left at an opening in the woods and crosses the stream on rocks. It then ascends and approaches a cleared swath along the West Point boundary. The trail follows the boundary line, with some detours to the left and back again, for about half a mile. The trail eventually leaves the boundary permanently and heads left to top out at a knoll with lots of blueberries. 2.15 Reach the summit of Howell Mountain. The trail briefly continues its gentle descent on a curve, slabbing a rise to the right. Then, it abruptly turns left and begins a steep plunge into Brooks Hollow. The Long Path traverses a flat terrace before another left turn over the edge completes the descent, this time with switchbacks. 2.55 Cross the outlet stream from Lake Massawippa in the middle of Brooks Hollow, a classic U-shaped post-glacial valley. Its broad, flat floor with several intermittent streambeds, curves upward on both sides at a rapidly increasing pitch. Once across the stream, the trail turns left and goes upstream for a short distance before continuing across the valley floor. It reaches the valley wall and the trail begins a steep ascent of Brooks Mountain, principally by two long switchbacks. The second switchback becomes gentler in grade as it merges with the southwest trending crest of Brooks Mountain. Once on the crest, the grade is gently uphill with views of the steeply plunging valley to the left. 3.20 The ridge ends suddenly at a rocky knob. The Long Path turns to descend steeply to the left at first and then curves to the right around the end of the ridge. It reaches and climbs out of the small valley to views of Lake Massawippa a few hundred feet downhill to the left. The trail next undulates up and down through laurel and then blueberry, the dominant understory plants. 3.70 Reach NY Route 293 near a stream. Cross the road at the end of the guardrail, re-enter the woods, and start ascending.

http://www.nynjtc.org/book/7-us-route-6-woodbury