Went hiking at Becker Hollow in Hunter NY on Sunday. Elevation was was about 100' per tenth of a mile. Started at 1850' and ended up over 1350'. We never got up to the view point, but will hit it in a couple of weeks, was not ready for a major climb. I guess less then 2 miles seems easy looking at a map. So it was FLman, FLwife and FLdog.

Mopar Mom, can you identify the plant we took a pic of at the top of the mountain?

Wow! That pretty... I like the hanging tree that kind of wicked at first look going huh??? Really pretty area wow!

Here is a topo we hiked pretty much in the center going to the west towards Hunter Mountain, http://www.trails.com/topomap.aspx?trailid=HGN205-054 We have lots of mountains around us, but plenty of settled flat land as well, we live in a very large valley called the Hudson Valley. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_Valley

What happened there? I assume there is some historical significance to that place. The only thing I found when searching for Becker Hollow is that the trail is realllly steep

Went hiking at Becker Hollow in Hunter NY on Sunday. Elevation was was about 100' per tenth of a mile. Started at 1850' and ended up over 1350'. We never got up to the view point, but will hit it in a couple of weeks, was not ready for a major climb.

So you hiked "Down Hill"?????? Usually that's easy for me..............or are you one of the folks that has their "poles" reversed?????:lmao2:

Hi, Flman&wife,plus the pooch: I'm trying to find out about that plant for you , but remember, you're east-coast and I hike around on the west-coast. The higher in the elevation the scrawnier the vegetations gets....this plant is full and not skinny. You're hiking about 1500 elevation, so it's native to the terrain. I'll get it yet! I've got Pollack Mt., close to the house here and I' just short of making it to the summit which is about 8000. Getting to the top is not easy because of rattle snakes. The entire peak is granite and they sun themselves all day. That last mile has to be achieved in the fall of the year.What are those columns of stone from. Like Dorkweed said, Something happened there...but what? Mopar Mom

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...I meant to say that ISX was curious about those columns too. Mopar Mom

I read a little more and here is part of that wikipedia link that explains it a little. I think Flman was on the northern part.During the French and Indian War in the 1750s, the northern end of the valley became the bulwark of the British defense against French invasion from Canada via Lake Champlain.The valley became one of the major regions of conflict during the American Revolution. Part of the early strategy of the British was to sever the colonies in two by maintaining control of the river.In the early 19th century, popularized by the stories of Washington Irving, the Hudson Valley gained a reputation as a somewhat gothic region inhabited by the remnants of the early days of the Dutch colonization of New York (see, e.g., The Legend of Sleepy Hollow).Following the building of the Erie Canal, the area became an important industrial center. The canal opened the Hudson Valley and New York City to commerce with the Midwest and Great Lakes regions. However, in the mid 20th century, many of the industrial towns went into decline. The Catskills seen from across the river.The Hudson Valley also was the location of the estates of many wealthy New York industrialists, such as John D. Rockefeller and Frederick William Vanderbilt, and of old-moneyed tycoons such as Franklin Roosevelt, who was a descendant of one of the early Dutch families in the region.The area is associated with the Hudson River School, a group of American Romantic painters who worked from about 1830 to 1870.

A friend of mine actually was born and raised on rt. 214. I will ask him about the columns, it used to actually be an arch. There is a fire tower at the top of the trail. As for that plant, those shoots were very hard on the top, and that plant was past the 3500 mark.

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Ok, here is the story. 1 the trail leads to a fire tower so that was very significant back in the day. 2 The pillars that were once an arch were built for Camp Cloverleaf. I have some more pics of an old broken damn that used to supply the camp cottages. Enjoy

Geez... I love finding out history like that! I typically try to imagine what it must of been like back in the day when that dam and archway was built.

Yes sir, Nice country up there. Especially this time of year with all the foliage changing colors. Nothing like New York State apples, And Genesse Screamers. LOL! We have a house up at Windham. I lived in Syracuse for a bit while my bro went to school there.