Sugarloaf Hill: Family-Friendly Hike in Garrison

Please welcome back our contributors: Brian PJ Cronin, editor of Hudson Valley Parent magazine and local writer extraordinaire, shares his writing talents in focusing on family-friendly hikes for our Hiking Series. The beautiful photography is by Kristen Cronin, local do-gooder and co-founder of For Goodness Bake. Enjoy!

Today’s hike takes us to Sugarloaf Hill in Garrison. Not to be confused with Sugarloaf Mountain in Cold Spring or the Sugarloaf Mountain ski resort in Maine or the Hudson Valley town of Sugarloaf over in Orange County or the approximately 14,000 other things in the Northeast named “Sugarloaf.” It’s a bit of a common name. Until the late 19th century, before granulated sugar became a thing, refined sugar was processed via conical molds. Once the process was done, the sugar came out of the mold in a tall, mountainous shape, called a sugarloaf. And since early Colonial settlers were too busy trying not to die of starvation and/or dysentery to be creative, they pretty much named every other mountain they saw “Sugarloaf.” So when your kids ask what a sugarloaf is, now you know what to tell them! You can leave out the dysentery part, though.

The parking lot and trailhead are across from the Garrison Institute on Route 9D.

1. From the parking lot, backtrack the way you drove up and hang a left. Keep following the dirt road as it heads towards the hills and then bears right at another gate. You’ll start to notice red trail markers, which are the markers you’ll be following all the way to the top.
2. Take a left into a big, beautiful meadow of tall grass and wildflowers. From here the trail is usually mowed into the grass. As you begin to ascend through the meadow, look back and you’ll get a fantastic view of West Point. Keep in mind though, as you’re all getting your Andrew Wyeth vibes on, that if you’re hiking this trail between May and July that you’re basically walking through tick-alapooza. So stick to the mowed parts, use a good tick repellent from the knees down, and do thorough tick checks on the whole family when you get home. (I should add that in the five or so times we’ve done this hike we’ve never found a tick on us, but better safe than sorry.)
   
   
   
   
3. Partway through the meadow, the trail splits. Head straight, into the woods, and you’ll come across a wooden gazebo. Turn right, into the woods, for a small shortcut. Both paths shortly meet up again, so take either one.
4. After crossing a small brook, the trail begins to wind up the hill. Keep an eye out for those red trail markers. There’s plenty of unmarked trails that branch off and lead to private property. On your way up, look for a large climbing boulder, a cairn atop a stone pillar, and a frog pond.
   
5. Shortly after the pond you’ll come to a junction. The blue trail begins here and continues straight ahead. There’s another wooden gazebo just up ahead, if you’ve got a bit of time and want to check it out. Otherwise, hang a right to follow the red trail as it ascends. This is the only steep part of the hike, so littler hikers may need a hand here. Fortunately, the ascent is short and you’re almost to the top.
   
6. In a few minutes you’ll top out at the ridge. Keep following the trail along the ridge until you reach the end point, with scenic views facing south on the Hudson River. Look around a bit and you’ll find a very rare sight for the Hudson Valley - wild cacti growing near the rocks. Yes, cacti can grow this far north, but the conditions have to be just right. And Sugarloaf Hill is one of those very special places in the Valley that’s got just the right mixture of rockiness, access to open sunlight, and ample drainage within the soil to make that happen.
   
7. Backtrack down the hill to return to the parking lot. And check for ticks!

Round-trip distance: 3.1 miles

Where to park: To get to the parking lot, look for the stone gate across from the Garrison Institute on Route 9D. Above the gate, you’ll see a brown DEC sign with yellow letters that reads “Castle Rock Unique Area.” The gate says “Wing & Wing” on it. Bear left on the dirt road, and follow the signs to the lot.

What to pack for the kids:

• Snacks and water
• First aid kit
• Sunscreen and hat (You’ll only need these for the beginning; once you get past the field the rest of the hike is pretty shaded.)
• Tick repellent
• Tick key or tweezers
• Map (See the “East Hudson Trails” map #101 of the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Series, which is sold at Mountain Tops.)

Tragic Crash on Mt. Beacon is Remembered During Path Through History Weekend

The history in this region is inspiring, and at times tremendously sad. This weekend on June 20th, 2015 as part of Path Through History Weekend at I Love New York, a hike will commence up Mt. Beacon at 10am to remember the six Navy personnel who were killed thirty minutes after leaving Wright Caldwell Airport in Caldwell, NJ en-route back to the Quonset Air Naval Base in Quonset, RI after their Navy Beechcraft Twin Engine Transport plane crashed near the northwest ridge of Mt. Beacon in the Town of Fishkill, NY. The hike will end at the crash site.

The Friends of the Mt. Beacon Six are responsible for organizing this walk to remember the men who died in the crash, which happened on November 11, 1945, just two years before November 11th officially became Veterans Day, in addition to already being Armistice Day, the official end of World War 1. The mission of The Friends of Mt. Beacon Six is to remember all of the men who died that day.

The plane crash happened at noon on a foggy day with "swirling rain," according to a recent article in the Poughkeepsie Journal, right after the pilots had radioed the Stewart Airfield in Newburgh as they flew over, asking for directions and weather conditions. If you have seen Mt. Beacon on a rainy or foggy day, you know it can be quite thick up there.

The crash killed all 6 men on board immediately as it was engulfed in flames and black smoke. The fog was so thick, that it took searchers 15 hours to find the wreckage. When night fell, the dying fires from the crash illuminated the location. John Ferro's article in the Poughkeepsie Journal has a very detailed account of the crash.

The article also highlighted one man, Commodore Dixie Keifer, who was not from this area but had been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by Beacon native James V. Forrestal, who was the last Cabinet-level United States Secretary of the Navy and the first United States Secretary of Defense. Forrestal also once served as city editor of the Poughkeepsie News Press, a predecessor of the Poughkeepsie Journal. The article explores Dixie's service, heroism, and incredible threshold for pain while saving others during times of suicide plane attacks on his navel carrier and other crucial moments of survival. His life ended instantly here, after serving in World War II and rising up the ranks past captain to become commodore. His muddy cap is depicted in the picture above, which was published at the Poughkeepsie Journal.

The other men are mentioned in the story, and I'll repeat them here to help with the Friends of the Mt. Beacon Six's mission of remembrance:

• Lt. Cmdr. Dr. Ignatius Zielinski, 45, of Salem, Massachusetts. Zielinski was assistant medical officer at Quonset and a medical examiner in Salem County prior to entering the service.
• Lt. Lloyd P. Heinzen, 23, of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Heinzen was the senior pilot of the plane. During eight months of combat in the Pacific, he shot down eight Japanese planes, earning the title of "ace."
• Lt. Hans K. Kohler, 25, of Garfield, New Jersey, the plane's co-pilot.
• Clarence Hooper, 23, an aviation machinist's mate third-class from Greensboro, North Carolina.
• David O. Wood, 23, a seaman first-class from North Franklin, Connecticut.

This is one more reason to gaze at the mountain in awe and appreciation for this land, what others have given for our country, and the moments we live in now. Hikers are meeting at the Scenic Hudson Fishkill Ridge Parking lot at 10:00am to commence up Mt. Beacon to the crash site.

Beacon Riverfest in the Parks Lineup This Summer - Mark the Dates for Summer Concerts 2015!

The Beacon Riverfest concert series that happens in partnership with BeaconArts that has always been a highlight in summertime, as it's a time when people pack their wagonfs full of food, kids and lawn blankets and walk or drive to listen to live music along the scenic Hudson River. This year, Beacon Riverfest got even more ambitious by hosting the concerts in different parks around town, including a pool party at the Beacon Pool which opens later in June! They have also created the all-day Food & Music Festival, where there is no need to bring a picnic because the celebration of food is as big as the musical lineup. A Little Beacon Blog is a proud sponsor of this series along with other great businesses including the main sponsor Beacon Natural Market. We hope that everyone has a wonderful time!

JUNE

GREEN STREET PARK
Beacon Riverfest In The Parks Series (Free)
Tuesday, June 16th, 2015
6pm to 8pm
Location: Green Street Park (on the other side of Fishkill Creek, this is a park located in the base of a sloping hill)
Bring a picnic and make sure you're wearing your dance shoes! The bands are "Bad Mother Factory" and "Knock Yourself Out."

RIVERFRONT PARK
Beacon Riverfest Music & Food Festival
Tickets: $15 early-bird, $25 door price (kids under 10 are free)
Sunday, June 28th, 2015
Noon to 8pm
Location: Riverfront Park (on the other side of the train station)
An entire day of live music and food! A large lineup of bands are playing on 3 stages in Riverfront Park. Kids under 10 get in free, and tickets are available for purchase for adults. Enjoy music, food and crafts. The bands include Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, Tracy Bonham, Sidewalk Chalk, Schwervon, Decora, Gato Loco, Jenny Dee & The Deelinquents, What Moon Things, Breakfast In Fur, Shana Falana, M Shanghai String Band, and Simi Stone.
Information >
Buy Tickets >

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JULY


THE BEACON POOL - SETTLEMENT CAMP
Beacon Riverfest In The Parks Series (Free)
Saturday July 11th, 2015
6pm to 8pm
Location: The Beacon Pool - POOL PARTY! (at the Settlement Camp, 724 Wolcott)
Bring a picnic and make sure you're wearing your dance shoes! The band is "PONTOON."






SOUTH AVENUE PARK
Beacon Riverfest In The Parks Series (Free)
Thursday July 16th, 2015
6pm to 8pm
Location: South Avenue Park
Bring a picnic and make sure you're wearing your dance shoes! The band is "Jeremy Baum Trio."








LONG DOCK PARK
Beacon Riverfest In The Parks Series (Free)
Thursday July 23rd, 2015
6pm to 8pm
Location: Long Dock Park (near the train station, but far to the left near paths for Denning's Point)
Bring a picnic and make sure you're wearing your dance shoes! The band is "The Stacks."

Mail Carrier Aided By Beacon Community

 

In the late weeks of Spring, one of Beacon's friendliest mail carriers was badly injured on the job in a dog vs mail carrier scenario. The irony of the situation was thick, as she was one of the most pet-friendly mail carriers on Beacon's West side of town. Word spread quickly on Facebook, and an offer was made by a member of the community to collect donations. Ideas fluttered around which included meal trains and gift cards to restaurants for all of the takeout the mail carrier was going to need to feed her young family. When asked how she would like donations to be made, the mail carrier suggested that donations be made to animal shelters. 

People's minds were made up, and in one weekend, over $350 in cash was collected, with more contained in sealed envelopes, making the total tally unknown, but much appreciated by the mail collector who could use the donations as she wished.

While this story is a sad one for everyone involved, the swiftness of the community coming together for one of their own is heart-warming and is a testament to the beat that makes Beacon what it is, and what it has been since its earliest residents lived here.

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Mount Beacon: Historical Hike

Please welcome contributor Dylan Price, a writer/filmmaker and avid outdoorsman who moved to Beacon with his wife from Washington D.C. They were attracted to Beacon for the unique mix of nature, art and food. Dylan will explore and share the more historical aspects of our local trails for our Hiking Series.

Hiking Mount Beacon
Forever peering over her town, Mount Beacon is perhaps the first trail in the conversation of where to hike around Beacon. The day hike offers many a chance to take in much of the beauty and bounty of this area, in one spot. 
 

Beautiful Views

The Nuts and Bolts of the Mount Beacon Hike
The trailhead begins in the parking lot off the intersection of Route 9D and Howland Avenue. It is a good day hike, if not strenuous at times, so remember to bring water and snacks. If you happen to forget, Bob’s Corner Store is just across the street. After parking, it is a short quarter mile amble past a creek and wooded area, where at dawn or dusk, you’ll often find deer, woodpeckers, flycatchers, passer birds cutting between the flagging hawks, falcons, and eagles. The hike begins at the ruins of the old incline railway, a specter of the past glory of Beacon running up the mountain like an old rusty back-brace of the bygone city. Climb the metal stairs to your first restful panorama and head up the trail from there following the red burn Casino trail markers.

Mount Beacon is a hike full of switchbacks and graceful views from various plateaus as you make your way up the 1000 plus vertical ascent. Early on in the hike, a spur off a connecting switchback leads you to a small outcrop observation deck built by volunteers. Much of the hike is covered under a canopy of various deciduous and coniferous trees. As you reach the summit, the topography gets a bit more rocky and open. The summit of Mount Beacon is certainly a pay-off with viewpoints of almost the entirety of the region.

Allow around three hours for the out-and-back on just the mountain itself, and on a nice day, expect company on the trail (including dogs). The hike is sometimes strenuous, but it is certainly rewarding. During the fall and early spring, views are expansive and follow you up the mountain when the leaves are down and the crowds aren’t as great. 

The Incline in its heyday

The History of Mount Beacon
Standing on the foundation of the old Mountain Top casino and Beacon Crest hotel (both having succumbed to fire), your views are limitless and awe-inspiring. History surely unfolds in a panorama at this point. The Daughters of the American Revolution, in 1900, dedicated a monument here for the soldiers of the continental army who lit bonfires (beacons) to warn of British troop and ship advances. Vernon Benjamin, in his great book “The History of the Hudson River Valley: From Wilderness to the Civil War,” discussed certain…crafty European businessmen who, during the colonial era, purchased the land from the Wappinger Indian tribe in the area. They made a deal that they could buy all the land they could see, and after agreeing to those terms, promptly hiked Mount Beacon and claimed their lands. Standing there, you can appreciate the cunningness of these men and the vast beauty of the Hudson Valley. When you reach the top, you really get a sense of the vastness and history of the valley. Explore the uneven summit and the various relics of the past up here, but don’t forget to take in the panoramic views reaching far across to the Catskills and bending along the river, as Mount Beacon is the highest peak in the Hudson Highlands.

Thousands would flock on grand ferry's up the much-traversed Hudson, or take a long train ride into Beacon or Newburgh. Combo-tickets were sold by the hotel for travel by ferry via Newburgh, to the trolley on the other side of the river which took them to the incline, then bringing them up a 65% graded rail to the top. The incline opened on Memorial Day, 1902. The first year alone, 60,000 people came. Life atop the mountain was grand, packed with party-goers, the cool breezes lifted people from the sweltering heat in Beacon and Newburgh, and attendees to the hotel and casino enjoyed long walks around the park, spring-fed aquifers and plenty of games, food and dancing, all while dressed to the nines. Some would stay for weeks at a time. The casino held many big-band dances, some of the most famous names at the time performing there, and every Saturday during the summer grand parties were held. At one point during its golden age, the entire incline was fully illuminated, and the lights leading up to the summit could be seen from miles away. Cottages were built scattered along the mountainside for summer retreats, and a popular radio station was broadcasted from the top as well called "The voice from the clouds."

In its heyday, with the casino and hotel garnering hundreds of thousands of tourists, Hollywood stepped in to utilize the natural beauty of the mountain. The top of Mount Beacon was used for several silent movies in the 1920's including a popular Western silent film, D.W. Griffith’s “The Red Man's View” which was meant to depict a long march in the rugged western lands.

In 1927, a year after the summit attained its most visitors in one year, a midnight fire in the casino burnt the complex down. They began new construction the following year, but the nation fell into the Great Depression and it went unfinished. In the following decades, the incline remained in operation, but business fell off despite the steady flow, and touristy-draw of being the world’s steepest incline railway at the time. Fire struck three more times, once in 1934 destroying part of the track, and again in 1967, this time burning the lower station and rail car. The last fire, in 1983, finally took the great railway down for good.

The historic mountain, which is depicted on the New York State flag, has seen many changes come its way throughout the centuries. Take your time exploring, appreciating, and conserving the beauty and history of this hike.  There is an active group restoring the incline railway, which you can learn more about via their website, and the conservation group (and owners of the land), Scenic Hudson.

Extend Your Stay on the Trail…
Expand the 2.4-mile out and back hike by pressing on to the old fire tower, which offers even more impressive views and further seclusion. When you are at the summit of Mount Beacon, turn from the river to look at North and South Beacon Mountains. The tower is set on the southern mountain, which you can see from there. The hike to the tower will almost double your outing, and allow you to ascend another 500 plus feet over the extra mile out. On a clear day, you can see all the way from Manhattan up to Albany.

If you are after an even longer hike, try for the Beacon Reservoir nearby, which sunders Mount Beacon and Scofield Ridge in Putnam County. And even farther yet, the connecting Fishkill Ridge via Wilkinson Memorial trail, which connects to the mountain via yellow burns. This will tack on another 3 plus miles and over 1,000 feet more in vertical ascent, but will give you an ecological study of nearly the entirety of the Hudson Highlands. For now though, allow the scripting vultures and eagles to mark this long ridgeline for you from atop Mount Beacon as you rest and refuel for the trip back.