Hike the Shawangunks (with Lemon Squeeze) in High Falls NY

I am using Kevin's post from August.

We are hiking in the northern section of the Shawangunks ("Gunks") in the general New Paltz, NY area near the Mohonk Mountain House. The path we'll hike will be a looping hike of about 8 miles in length and with a roughly 1,100 ft. altitude gain with a climb up 3 log ladders in a slot in the cliffs. The hike location is about 2 hours drive west of Hartford. There will be a day use fee of $12 cash per hiker for a hiking permit payable at the hike location.

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This is a beautiful area made up of four major owners: Mohonk Preserve, which nearly surrounds the second area, the Mohonk Mountain House lands; The Minnewaska State Park Preserve occupies the wide mid-section of the ridge, and is the largest single ownership; To the south of Minnewaska is the Sam's Point Preserve. These lands have 761 miles of trails!

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We would be starting at the Spring Farm Parking Area. We will hike to the Lemon Squeeze where we will climb the gradually decreasing width slot in the rock by 3 pitches via log ladders. then finally a roughly 15 foot pitch by hand in a slot that gets as thin as 20 -24 inches to a ledge nearly at the top of the mountain. You eat your trail lunch at this ledge with wonderful views! We will then do the final, now easy, ascent after Lemon Squeeze to Sky Top where the memorial tower stands at the peak with a commanding view of the area! We then complete the loop back to the start mostly on carriage roads and passing through a bit of the opulent Mohonk Mountain House Resort. We will hike at a moderate pace with small breaks when folks need them. The trail will be steep in places.

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The parking area will have bathroom facilities and there are bathroom facilities also at the peak.

Please dress in light layers that are loose enough for a little climbing and reaching. Hiking boots/trail shoes are required and should be appropriate for a small amount of rock climbing and rock scrambling over large angular boulders. For this hike a small, light backpack is the most you should bring as otherwise it will get in the way while climbing. Bring at least 1 qt. water and a snack and trail lunch. The wind at the summit could be occasionally strong. Make sure to have a windbreaker or similar to keep warm there. Hiking poles could be useful for the rock scramble but may pose a storage problem for climbing. For the final part of the climb we will likely have to remove our packs and pass them up to get through the upper parts of the slot (note picture above of slot).

Advised gear:

• Small backpack

• Hiking boots/trail shoes (with good grip for a little climbing)

• At least 1 qt. water (2 qt. would be better given heat)

• A trail appropriate lunch

• Loose fitting clothing (to allow freedom to climb a little)

This hike is not advisable for beginners or those afraid of confined spaces or heights. Those unable to climb rock using hands and feet as well as those who don't think they can squeeze/climb through 10 to 15 feet of a roughly 20 - 24 inch slot are not encouraged to attend. This hike has an element of personal danger and people need to have an idea of their limits and participate safely.

Because the trail WILL be aggressive and vertical at times, I am not going to allow dogs or children under 12 on the hike.

Parking is popular so fills up early so that limits RSVPs for this hike. Please arrive as early as possible to get a parking spot. C ontact me if you want to canavan and follow from Meridan commuter lot near 691.

Directions to approximate meetup location at the Spring Farm Parking Area (23 Upper 27 Knolls Rd., High Falls, NY):
http://mapq.st/1f0UgkG
[GPS Lat., Lon.:
41.7950, -74.1284 or
41°47.7000', -74°7.7040']
(Note: MapQuest has an error for the road name, lists "Upper 27 Knolls Rd." as "Upper 27 Knwls" in the search feature)

Trail map:
Available from NY/NJ Trail Conference ( http://www.nynjtc.org/product/shawangunk-trails ) or at the parking area toll booth (when open).

Topographical Map (the cliff we ascend is lower-left of the map below Mohonk Lake, we start towards the upper-right of the map and hike below the cliffs from the north-easterly direction):
https://www.topoquest.com/map.php?lat=41.77517&lon=-74.14129&datum=nad83&zoom=4&map=auto&coord=d&mode=pan&size=m

Topographical and trail map map ([Must log into Meetup for this link to work] zoomable, only really usable online or via GAIA GPS app. Where we park is in upper=right and the Lemon Squeeze on the cliffs is in the lower-left):
https://www.gaiagps.com/map/Shawangunk%20%22Gunks%22/#?lat=41.7790&lon=-74.1442&zoom=14&layer=OpenLandscapeMap&overlays=poi_all

More information about the Shawangunks Mountain Region:
http://www.nynjtc.org/region/shawangunk-mountains-region
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shawangunk_Ridge

Mohonk Preserve:
http://www.nynjtc.org/park/mohonk-preserve-4
http://www.mohonkpreserve.org/index.php
-Spring Farm Trailhead:
http://www.mohonkpreserve.org/spring-farm-trailhead
-Hours and Fees:
http://www.mohonkpreserve.org/hours-and-fees

Mohonk Mountain House:
http://www.nynjtc.org/park/mohonk-mountain-house

Minnewaska State Park Preserve:
http://www.nynjtc.org/park/minnewaska-state-park

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