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August 16, 2004 |
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Fall Brook and the Beaverkill
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A few weeks ago we wrote about a bushwhack where we parked alongside Black Bear Road and hiked part of the Beaverkill Range. This most recent adventure brought us back to the same place, except we would be staying on designated hiking trails the entire time.
We parked at a small State-owned pull-off area along Black Bear Road in the Town of Denning. This small parcel of public land is part of the Willowemoc Wild Forest. We walked on the maintained road for about a half-mile until we passed through the last privately owned parcel. A public right-of-way allows the trail to cross though the front yard of this lovely, but very secluded old house.
As we entered the Forest Preserve, it was obvious that it was going to be muddy. The combination of some of the wettest summer months on record and the gentle, road-like terrain, made one of us sorry he didn't wear his waterproof hiking boots.
We were now in the Big Indian-Beaverkill Wilderness Area, heading north along the yellow-blazed Neversink-Hardenbugh Trail at an elevation of 2,600'. We had to cross many small streams flowing down to the east. Once they all come together, they comprise the Fall Brook. The Fall Brook is a small, high gradient stream, riddled with cascades and pools throughout its 5-mile course before joining the West Branch of the Neversink River.
After 1.5-miles, we came upon the Fall Brook Lean-to. We could tell that this remote lean-to is used quite a bit; most likely in season by the numerous hunting clubs we passed on our way in. A reliable spring, split firewood, and a new outhouse made us think how inviting it will be for its next user.
As we continued, the road-like trail took on a different feel. It became narrower, less traveled, and more like you would expect in a wilderness area. Giant maple, cherry, and yellow birch trees towered overhead, while balsam fir began to appear as we approached the mountain pass in the Beaverkill Range. Markers indicated the presence of campsites off of the trail, so we followed them along an old road for a few minutes through stinging nettles until coming upon the sites.
We looked around a while and eventually made it back to the yellow trail. Shortly thereafter, we came upon a gorgeous sphagnum bog near the trail. We took pictures, investigated a bit, and moved on. We began to descend slightly, indicating we had just crossed a divide, leaving the Neversink watershed and entering that of the Beaverkill. Just as the sun began to shine through the clouds and the thick fog began to lift, we stopped at a beautiful beaver meadow. As we began to take out our cameras, a great blue heron and a red tail hawk took off.
The large pond, dotted with dead snags and surrounded by spruce and hemlock, housed a beaver lodge. With fog lifting off of Doubletop Mountain as a backdrop, we hoped the pictures we took could capture the setting.
We continued past the wetland, fighting through all kinds of shrubs along the over-grown trail. The outlet of the pond and wetland was a small stream that joined with the main stem of the Beaverkill a few hundred yards down the trail. The hiking trail crossed the headwaters of the Beaverkill, indicating the beginning of the Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest. We turned back at this point to check out a nearby campsite, which turned out to be amazing; one we will be visiting again soon.
A good cigar, watching the three tired-out dogs, and the talk of scheduling a weekend of camping in this unique place made the 2.5-mile walk back to the car pass quickly.
- Aaron and Chris
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