This 7.5-mile section of the NOBO LASH spans between the Elk Pen parking area and Seven Lakes Drive. The day started rather damp (it had rained the day before), with thick cloud cover, fog, and temps in the low 50’s. It seemed as if it was going to rain, but it never did during this hike.
Only two hikers were encountered, one of which was a day hiker heading southbound. This section of trail had no vistas. The highlights of this hike included a brief visit to Island Pond, and getting through the Lemon Squeezer which was quite a challenge.
There is only one shelter on this section of trail: Fingerboard Shelter. Access to this shelter is quite easy from a road via a side trail. As such, there are signs of overuse and neglect. A fireplace at either end of the shelter allows for small fires, but given the condition of the chimneys, some mortise work is needed.
Despite the lack of vistas on this section, hiking it was quite enjoyable as there were so many areas of lush green grass throughout the damp forest. No wildlife was seen, but a Prairie Warbler, Eastern Towhee, Ovenbird, and Baltimore Oriole were heard.
The next section of trail, which is in the Bear Mountain area will need to be skipped for now. There has been significant damage to the area from a major storm in July of 2023. All trails are closed in Bear Mountain State park, and there are conflicting reports of some road closures outside of the park. Once the trails are fully re-opened, we will come back to hike this section of trail.
Be sure to visit the New York Gallery!
The sounds on Island Pond…