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Huntersfield - The Loop

Ashland Pinnacle, Hayden, Huntersfield, Lake Heloise, Mt Pisgah (durham) Nebo, Sticklers, Steenburg, Richmond, The Knob, Zoar
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mike
Posts: 1442
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2009 9:20 pm
Location: Ravena, NY

Huntersfield - The Loop

Unread post by mike »

With this past weekend being Easter I didn't get out much. But, Easter morning I had the opportunity to sneak out for a quick hike. So, I jumped in the car and headed for the west side of Huntersfield Mtn.

I got about 500 feet down the seasonal road before I decided that parking the car near the stream might be a better idea. Popped on my snowshoes and pack and headed up the road. Found some deer eating rotten apples near the bottom. Lots of water running, but they had put in a bunch of new culverts, so the hike was dry of water. On the bottom of the road it changed from bare ground to snow. Near the top there was one drift that was almost 3 feet deep in the road. But, for most of the trail up the mountain the snow was about 1-2' deep. Bare spots here-and-there.

Saw some bear tracks once. Small bear. But, the purpose of my trip was butterflies. And, I was not disappointed. On the summit there were 10-15 Gray Commas and Mourning Cloaks. They would land on my head a couple of times. Despite the snow, they were quite active.

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Sometimes taking your time while hiking allows you the best experiences of the hike. This hike was no exception. Here are some more images:

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I then headed down the Long Path back to the car instead of the old logging road from the pass. The path is poorly marked, and poorly maintained. Very easy to get lost. But, the descent was nice. Much steeper then the other path. And about the same distance. The difference is that you walk across a nice flat road thru a conifer forest at the end. That walk is excellent.

On my drive out, everyone was outside enjoying the beautiful day. Everyone waved as I drove out.

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mtnclimber
Posts: 496
Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2009 10:46 pm

Re: Huntersfield - The Loop

Unread post by mtnclimber »

That picture of the butterfly is awesome! Never knew they came out this time of year. I have to try this hike.

Are the other mtns along this range open yet?
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mike
Posts: 1442
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2009 9:20 pm
Location: Ravena, NY

Re: Huntersfield - The Loop

Unread post by mike »

The roads to the other mtns (Richmond, Ashland Pinnacle, Pisgah) still have snow on them. You can get to Pisgah from Rt 10, by parking on the side of the road. But you can't get to it from the west or north access points. These mtns are very poorly maintained. The parking areas suffer also.

The picture of the Gray Comma is nice. They are a very pretty butterfly. The underside of the wings blend in with gray bark. I wish I had a better camera with me.
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dave
Posts: 712
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2009 3:14 pm
Location: Acra New York

Re: Huntersfield - The Loop

Unread post by dave »

It should also be noted that a lot of bears have come out of their den. A common area for them to go in the Spring is conifer forest. Pisgah has a lot of conifer trees on the west side. Bears also sleep just below the summit on the east side. Huntersfield also has a lot of conifer trees.
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