Thursday Hike

Since I had off today (our school had today scheduled as a makeup day which we didn't need to use since we've had few snow days this winter), I decided to go for a hike.  It was a beautiful day around 60 F.

For those who know the Mohonk Preserve, I started at Clove Chapel, went up Undivided Lot Trail to Stokes Trail to Maple Path to Laurel Ledge Road to Cope's Lookout.  It's a couple of miles and about 1,000 feet of elevation gain.  On the return, I went down Cathedral Path to Laurel Ledge Path to Clove Path and back to Undivided Lot Trail.  It was a nice hike and Undivided Lot Trail is one of the more remote areas of the Preserve (which I like since I rarely run into people).

Going to the gym three times a week since last September has paid off.  I'm definitely hiking better than I was last summer - especially on the uphill segments.

Signs of spring abounded in the woods.  Here are some fiddleheads poking up through the dead leaves.

These little pinkish flowers are on blueberry bushes.

A flowering tree.

I don't know offhand what the tree is, but here's a slightly blurry closeup of the flower.

And, since I'm a geologist, here's a nice example of physical weathering as the rock breaks down along bedding planes and vertical joint sets.

And who can resist a nice set of chatter marks and glacial striations.

And some fault striations on the side of a crevice.

Here's a scenic view of Cope's Lookout.  The cliffs on the left are the Trapps - a world-class rock climbing destination.  The valley on the right is Clove Valley and, geologically, a syncline where the Shawangunk Conglomerate bedrock downwarps into a trough.

Here's how I like to eat lunch - sitting on a cliff with my feet dangling off.

I'll close with a self-portrait...