Winter Hiking on Storm King Mountain

So I love doing these winter hikes on Storm King starting at the Esty and Hellie Stowell Trailhead in Cornwall-on-Hudson. It's about a three hour hike up two hills and then Storm King Mountain itself. The hike I'm describing in this post starts out on the Highlands Trail (yellow and teal markers) and immediately goes 500' or so and then straight up another hundred feet both can be completed in a half hour but it'll take another hour to reach the top of the Mountain itself. If you're doing this hike in the winter or early spring you should probably wear ice spikes. There are six or seven really tough ice patches and I met a few groups that were forced to turn around because they couldn't go further. If you've read one of my earlier blogs you may know I've had my own run-ins on this trail! When you reach the top enjoy the views on the south summit with views of cold spring and then the north summit with views of Bannerman's Island, Cornwall-on-Hudson and the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge. By the way, I like the Buddhist Prayer Flags someone left on the north summit! Keep following the Highlands Trail until you reach the blaze for the Bluebird Trail (red and blue marker) and follow that back down to the Highlands and all the way back down to the trailhead. On the way down you're likely to encounter people who parked on Mountain Road (room for eight or so cars) and walked up the carriage road. This route cuts out the two hills I mentioned earlier. While at the summit you'll likely encounter others that parked along one of the rest areas on Route 9W who took the Orange Trail to the Storm King Summit. All in, it's about a three hour loop trail with some really nice views. Don't forget to bring ice spikes and remember just because you can cross these big ice sections, it doesn't mean you should! Oh and please wear a mask! Best, Tom