· 9:30 am, Monday, April 29
· Kimberly Bridge Parking & Picnic Area, on Reservation Rd.,
· Ward Pound Ridge Reservation
· 3.7 miles (easy) to 7.5 miles (moderate)
· No bushwacks or stream crossings; the Blue Trail (moderate) includes an uphill climb as well as a downhill rock scramble
Our Monday hike takes us to the eastern and northern parts of Westchester's largest park, the 4315-acre Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, following two separate loops that each begin and end at Kimberly Bridge.
We'll start with the Brown Trail, whose 3.7 miles are among the easiest of the 35 miles of trails in the park, and where we'll hike clockwise. We'll follow the Cross River for the first mile before turning north, and then east and south. The Brown Trail is mostly flat, although there is a long-but-gentle ascent between park junctions 5 and 6 and a shorter ascent near the end. While sneaker-clad families often populate the Brown Trail on weekends, parts of it are rocky; boots and poles are strongly recommended, even for those planning to end after the Brown Trail.
After finishing the Brown Trail, we'll pass through Kimberly Bridge, the end point for those doing the 3.7 mile outing; continuing hikers will pick up the 3.8 mile Blue Trail. On the Blue Trail, we'll hike counter-clockwise towards Gilmore Pond, about an hour away. The route starts with a steady 15 minute ascent, then levels off and includes the rocky descent, of the type familiar to anyone who has hiked in Harriman. Afterwards, we'll briefly skirt Gilmore Pond, which unfortunately is private property and guarded with "No Trespassing" signs and allegedly by giant snapping turtles, and then follow the trail back north, returning us to Kimberly Bridge. Joint with AMC.
Lunch: Participants doing the Brown Trail only can expect to be done around 11:45, so will not need to bring lunch unless you want to eat at Kimberly Bridge, which does have picnic tables, after finishing the Brown Trail. For participants continuing on the Blue Trail, we'll figure out lunch as we go. And for everyone, water is a must.
Re dogs: Ward Pound Ridge is considered a dog-friendly park, and as we've done in previous Ward Pound Ridge hikes, we'll open this one to well behaved dogs.
AMC Hike Leaders: Steve Galla, 914-953-2222 and Hank Zupnick