Mid-hudson Valley Caches

[+madajb]

So, I'm heading back to the motherland for the next week and I'll probably have a day to go find a cache or two.

 

More specifically, I'll be in the Poughkeepsie - Pleasant Valley area, though excursions within 25ish miles(or across the river) aren't completely out of the question.

 

So, anyone have a few "shouldn't miss this" caches?

 

thanks,

-ajb

[+jonboy]

I don't know if you are comfortable doing long winter hikes, but if you are, the classic ascent from Rt 9D to Mt Beacon along Breakneck Ridge would allow you to find as many as twelve caches. This is a serious climb in winter, although much of the ice will have melted in this recent thaw, north facing slopes will still have some ice and some kind of traction device (such as Yaktracks or instep crampons) would be needed.

 

A group of us did a slightly less strenuous loop from Stony Point up Mount Taurus, over the top and down the valley to the north (the Brook Trail), picking up eight to twelve caches along the way last spring.

 

I wouldn't advise doing either of these hikes alone, or if you have no winter hiking experience, but they are two of the most spectacular hikes in the region.

 

There are guite a few caches along the valley that offer excellent views without that kind of long hike. Some of them are: "JR's Point", "Putnams Redoubt", "Riverdance" and "Is The Madam at Home".

[+briansnat]

Jonboy's suggestons are excellent ones. The Funnel and Jr's Point would be nice choices for a shortish hike. Johboy's Gates of the Hudson is great for a longer hike and has breathtaking views of the Hudson Valley.

 

Of course Harriman State Park is a great place to go. The Torrey Mtn cache is a short climb to an outstanding view.

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...53-def8384ac0c3

[+T.E.M.]

There are a bunch of nice ones over at Minnewaska State Park. Some are easy and some, like Fraggle Rock, will take you a while to hike to it.

Edited December 30, 2004 by T.E.M.

[xydexx_squeakypony]

My favorite caches in the Hudson Highlands so far have been Jonboy's Where's The Trail? and Manitou Vision Quest. These are both beautiful locations, although they'd probably be more difficult in the wintertime.

Edited January 1, 2005 by xydexx_squeakypony

[+madajb]

Hmm, Minnewaska's nice. Haven't been over there for a long time.

A lot of these caches are southerly, is Dutchess Co. a barren cache wasteland then? =)

-ajb

[+Ttepee]

Your right there are not a whole lot of caches in mid to northern dutchess. Tyrell is located at the Taconic Herford multiple use area which is probably the closest to Pleasant Valley. There used to be a nice one at the Tymor forest but that one has been archived. This link will bring you to the closest ones around that area

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.asp...&lon=-73.755717

I may be biased but I think Morse's Code at Locust Grove is one that brings you to a pretty area that most locals pass everyday and never knew existed. Norrie Point is always nice too, and you can pick up a couple at Ferncliff Forest too. There are some nice caches across the river too. There's just not a whole lot of active cachers around here and most public land seems to be town parks that allow residents only. We are lucky though in that most caches around here are high quality with not a whole lot of park and grab micros. If views are what your looking for you can't go wrong with any Jonboy cache but his are more in Putnam/Westchester county areas. If I can offer any assistance while your visiting drop me an email I'm usually close by.

[avroair]

I have a series of 6 caches in a loop, about 4 hours hiking and 4 miles. Africa Loop

[+brian b]

I have a series of 6 caches in a loop, about 4 hours hiking and 4 miles. Africa Loop

 

You can grab one of the Shelter Series (Tom Jones) if you do this loop. Might be one of my hardest hides so far.

Edited January 5, 2005 by brian b

[+Perfect Tommy]

If you opt to hike Breakneck Ridge, take care.

Edited January 7, 2005 by Perfect Tommy

[+brian b]

If you opt to hike Breakneck Ridge, take care.

Is that a fairly recent article? I live just on the other side of the river, and our local paper has had nothing about this.

Edited January 8, 2005 by brian b

[+briansnat]

If you opt to hike Breakneck Ridge, take care.

Is that a fairly recent article? I live just on the other side of the river, and our local paper has had nothing about this.

Yes it is:

 

By TERRY CORCORAN

THE JOURNAL NEWS

January 7, 2005

 

With a fresh coat of snow on the ground and overnight temperatures that dipped into the 20s, rescuers continued yesterday to search for a hiker missing since Sunday on Breakneck Ridge in Hudson Highlands State Park.

 

Myung Geuk Choi of Flushing, 63, was last seen by a woman with whom he was hiking in the 14,000-acre park off Route 9D. The woman, who, like Choi, is of Korean descent, parted ways with him on the trail when he met two other Asian-American men. Choi never showed up at the Cold Spring train station later to meet up with the woman, police said.

 

Choi's daughter, after learning he was missing and searching unsuccessfully for him late Sunday, told the Putnam County Sheriff's Office of his disappearance around 12:40 a.m. Monday.

 

In the days since, dozens of people have assisted in the search. Police said they believe Choi is familiar with the ridge and its trails.

 

"There is nothing new to report," sheriff's Capt. William McNamara said yesterday. "We have about 25 people in the Hudson Highlands State Park doing the search. That's down from the peak of about 75 rescue personnel and volunteers on Tuesday."

 

Police are treating it as a missing-person case, McNamara said.

 

"We don't think there's any foul play," he said. "He was last seen in the woods and we have to assume he's still there."

 

Capt. Dan Walsh of the state Environmental Conservation Police said the park can be treacherous.

 

"It sure is pretty daunting territory up there, although it's beautiful," Walsh said.

 

Searchers have gone as far as using ropes to rappel down cliffs and ledges in case Choi fell, Walsh said.

 

McNamara said that Choi's family and other members of the Korean community where he lives have been cooperating with police. But with the weather turning worse Tuesday night, there was a renewed sense of urgency to find him.

=====

 

 

How to help

Police and volunteers continued to search the Hudson Highlands State Park in Philipstown for a missing hiker, Myung Geuk Choi, 63, of Queens. He is 5-foot-7, 130 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair that's balding at the top. He was wearing beige corduroy pants, a gray goose-down jacket, a beige baseball cap and black shoes.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Putnam County sheriff at 845-225-4300 or the state Park Police at 845-889-4100, Ext. 310.

Edited January 8, 2005 by briansnat

[+jonboy]

Good luck trying to call with information, I've called eight times with no reply. Also, the only volunteers that have been allowed on this search was Ramapo Search Dogs, the Taconic Search and Rescue mentioned in another article is a Group of Park employees.

 

I went up there on my own today, I climbed up by "Where's The Trail?" and then up to the Breakneck Ridge Trail, coming down a little further up. There were no footprints at all up there in the new snow. There is about three inches of snow up there, with a hard crust, I used six point instep crampons. If you fell on that surface, you could be in for quite a ride.

 

There were three DEC ranger trucks up there, plus a search aircraft circling around all afternoon. Another article said his female companion cut down the yellow Undercliff trail, and he went on to come down the blue Three Notch trail, saying he would meet her at 1:00 at Cold Spring. He would really have to move to accomplish that, and I think he realized he didn't have time and tried to take a shortcut down. If he had reached the blue trail in the valley that our group walked out on last spring, I don't think he would have any problem. If you ask me, he's up there somewhere.

[+briansnat]

Things aren't looking good for Myung Geuk. The story sounds a bit fishy to me though. Does anybody here go hiking with an acquaintance, then meet two strangers and leave your acquaintance behind and go off with them? Something's not quite right with that.

 

My instincts tell me foul play is involved.