Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Kaaterskill, Part 2

By GeophileThe trail we hiked on led to this viewat Huckleberry Point: the ribbon in the distance is the Hudson River. Off the right side of the picture Indian Head Peak rises over 3000 feet from the valley floor. From where Eric and Jonas are sitting, you can look down on the vultures and hawks soaring over the valley.

Along the trail, we saw this stone wedged into the spilt in this boulder.

This one's a little hard to see, but it's a stone row or low wall. The spots of sun and shade camouflage it.

This wall is easier to see.

I thought this stone stuck in the ground resembled a tooth.

This interesting construction was right along the trail, just after the rock pile section. It isn't clear who built it or why or when. Could be remains of a chamber or something more mundane. There's no telling.

Near the lookout there were a number of more modern constructions, some very interesting, including a number of flat rocks set along the edge of a protruding boulder to form a shelter that looked out across the valley. This little pile caught my eye with its white stone on top. Are there people who read this blog, then go out, inspired, to build rock piles?

I've stifled my exclamations of delight here, but I have to at least mention that this was a beautiful hike, with many natural delights, even aside from the stones and the view. These lady slippers and the mountain laurel in bloom were highlights.

2 comments :

John Whitney Pettit said...

##Are there people who read this blog, then go out, inspired, to build rock piles?##

Maybe, but perhaps more likely, someone who thumbed through an Andy Gallsworthy coffee table book while drunk at a party in Brooklyn Heights the day before...I get the feeling the 'modern' (a euphemism amongst 'lithic construction' buffs for 'recent hack job) piles are part 'artistic' doodling (after Andy G. et. al.), and part fumbling neo-paganism.

pwax said...

You need to get out more.