Monday, June 22, 2015

Hike 12: Napeague Harbor Road to Shadmoor State Preserve

PP Inventory Hike #12

Updated 2 hours ago
The 12th Paumanok Path Inventory Hike was, appropriately enough, a 12-mile hike, from Napeague Harbor Road to Shadmoor State Preserve. We met in the Shadmoor parking area at 10:00 am Wednesday, June 10. Shadmoor is located across Montauk Highway from the Parkway Trail part of the Paumanok Path, 0.7 miles east of the Montauk Village Green, on the south side of Route 27. Bob arrived at the Shadmoor parking lot early, so he crossed the Highway to see where our hike would end. “South Fox Street,” he informed us, as Jim drove us to Napeague Harbor Road.
From Napeague Harbor Road we continued east on our assessment of this incredibly beautiful trail. The blazing is good here. A few small sections of trail are churned up, and there is some high grass. Bob pointed to the gradual rise to the left of the trail noting that we were in sight of the tertiary dunes. We were walking among a mix of red maple, high and low bush blueberry, beech, and oak.
Soon we found ourselves on the Stephen Talkhouse Path, and after a left turn we veered northward visiting the east side of Fresh Pond. We crossed over Fresh Pond Landing Road, and then diverged from the path for a quick excursion. The next woods road took us to the Water Fence Overlook for a breathtaking panoramic view of Napeague Bay. Note the informative kiosk created by New York State Parks. Having worked on a number of initiatives on NY State managed land in Montauk, I know that to a great extent Tom Dess, the Park’s Superintendent is responsible for the informative kiosks you encounter on the NYS managed land. This man has worked right along side us on some trails initiatives, and he has always responded to my communications. He is engaged in the land he manages and works with the people who want to assist in its stewardship.
When we returned to the Paumanok Path, we found ourselves walking on the bluffs, with the Railroad tracks to our left and Napeague Bay to our right. The trail took us by the Stephen Talkhouse Ruins, with an informative kiosk (again NYS). Here Bob discovered an EHTPS geocash. A short distance past Flaggy Hole, Bob took a photo of me on a boulder. At Flaggy Hole, we saw the fading irises and (and now rare) cattails. Looking out from the bluffs we enjoyed a great view of Gardeners Island. Even though the trail gets a bit mushy here the prevailing lack of dirtbike abuse, meticulous maintenance, and excellent blazing persists.
After the PP meets the Old North Road we took another short diversion down the next woods road to Quincetree Landing, so we could sit on the beach, safe from ticks, and enjoy lunch by the Sound. It is important to note that based on all the dots hanging on the ends of the tall grass, if we hadn’t treated our clothes with permethrin, we would have had ticks crawling all over us.
We passed the Notch and the Keyhole, and marveled at the numerous ironwood and holly.
After we turned inland we were greeted by a profusion of laurel, huge beach trees, and interesting erratics. Moving south, through Jack Cords Valley, into Hither Woods
Preserve we crossed the LIRR tracks. We passed the intersection with Redmond’s Path and traveled Riah’s Ridge Trail. The blaze for the Lost Bolder Trail needs to be better placed. The three of us blew right past it. The hand-made signs are reassuring, but they are faded, and some of them are poorly placed. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could put up nice signs and know they wouldn’t be used for target practice?
The Laurel Canyon trail has recovered after the severe dirt bike abuse it suffered shortly after it was built.
The trail along the highway needs to be trimmed back. We enjoyed walking the well-built bog bridges as we cut across Upland Road and followed the flexi-stake we could plainly see on the other side of South Delphi Road. The section by Delray Road needs to be cut and trimmed. The blaze on the telephone pole on the other side of Second House Road looks like a straight ahead blaze. You have to walk right up to it to see it is a right turn blaze. Extending the top of the blaze over the pipe running up the pole adjacent to the blaze, and a reassuring blaze after the turn would both be helpful.
When we reached Kirk Park, Jim and Bob started to go straight before I pointed out the blaze on the fence post meant to direct the hiker onto the sidewalk. We admired the kiosk outside Kirk Park. Something of this nature would be very helpful by the Art Barge.
The blazing as you walk through Montauk Village needs to be augmented by neatly painted blazes on the trees along the sidewalk and on the telephone poles.
One big disappointment was that the Montauk Brewery was closed for renovation.
The blazing taking you to the stairs at Lions Field by the skateboard park and across So. Essex needs improvement. Good directions to the free parking lots in the village, and where they are in relation to the PP, would be a great asset to the Path. If no one else does that, I intend to do it in the near future. A Paumanok Path kiosk in the village would also make the trail more inviting.
There needs to be a bog bridge east of So. Essex, but the other bog bridges were very much appreciated.
The section of trail that passes by the back of the Montauk Library and the trail from the Library parking area, need to be mowed and cut back.
When we reached South Fox Street we knew it was time to cross the Highway to the Shadmoor parking area.
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