| |
March 14, 2005 |
|
The Rail Trail
|
In neighboring Delaware County, in the Town of Roxbury, there is very attractive rail trail. The trail is in such a beautiful setting that "scenic" is actually in the name - the Catskill Scenic Rail Trail. One end of the trail begins just north of the hamlet of Roxbury (at Hubbell's Corners), and it heads north alongside State Route 30 for six miles to Grand Gorge before curving east another eight miles to Stamford. It then heads south along State Route 10 and the West Branch Delaware River, past Hobart and South Kortright, and finally reaches the other terminus in Bloomville - total length of 27 miles.
Thirteen people recently joined us on a Catskill Center-sponsored cross-country ski and snowshoe hike on the rail trail from Roxbury to Grand Gorge. We met on a lovely Saturday morning, where the rail trail begins at the corner of Rt. 30 and Hardscrabble Road (the road leading to Woodchuck Lodge and the John Burroughs Memorial Site). There is plenty of off-shoulder parking here for hikers and skiers; snowmobilers usually access the trail from a parking area in Grand Gorge. The people with cross-country skis had it made, as the snow on the trail was packed down from recent snowmobile use, but the would-be snowshoers left their snowshoes in the car and hiked in boots.
A few athletic skiers shot ahead, while the rest of us ambled on at a leisurely pace. The trail parallels both the road and the headwaters of the East Branch Delaware River. The low topography here makes for a very gradual (virtually flat) trail, and it also makes the river more of a placid wetland than a flowing stream in most places. The proximity to the busy road means that there is traffic noise to bear, but this intrusion is offset by the serenity of the lovely valley. A light dusting of recent powder gave the whole landscape a soft, peaceful feel - fluffy white snow coated the wetland plants, tinged the wet edges of ice on the river, and graced the mix of hardwood and conifer trees on the hillsides.
Everyone made it to the beginning of Grand Gorge Gap (about 3 miles from our cars), the notch in the mountains where the hillsides rise steeply from the valley, and a few made it all the way to the edge of Grand Gorge village before making the return trip. The Grand Gorge Gap has an interesting geological history. Grand Gorge Gap is a break in the Moresville Range, between Jump Hill and Irish Mountain. This rugged mountain pass is geologically significant, as it is the outlet site where a large glacial lake - Lake Grand Gorge, some 700'-deep - drained at the end of the last ice age, creating the pronounced notch that we see today.
The trip back always seems faster, and of course it helped that going back to Hubbell's Corners was slightly downhill, making for longer glides on the cross-country skis. Just before finishing, some of us were treated to the sight of a dark brown mink scampering around the edge of the wetland. We all finished very satisfied with the exercise, fresh air, Catskill scenery, and fun we had for the day.
To learn more about the Catskill Scenic Rail Trail, and to download a map, visit www.durr.org/2003/cst.html.
- Aaron and Chris
|
|
