14. Schaghticoke Mountain

Distance:	Dayhike
Difficulty :	Difficult for children
Distance :	6 miles, round trip
Hiking time :	5 hours
High point/elevation gain :	1300 feet, 1000 feet
Hikable :	April-November
Map :	USGS Dover Plains

This is a hike for kids who don't mind shoveling down a little cauliflower in order to finish the meal with chocolate cake and ice cream. You'll begin with a challenging climb that will test your repertoire of distraction techniques. ("Who knows how to count backwards from 100 . . . in French?") The path then rolls over miles of gentle terrain punctuated by five terrific overlooks. This trip encompasses land in two states, which kids think is very cool ("Now I'm in Connecticut!" . . . one giant step . . . "Now I'm in New York!" . . . one giant step backward . . . "Now I'm in Connecticut again!")

The route is well-marked with the sharp and reliable white blazes of the Appalachian Trail (AT), the well-known path that winds over the backbone of the Appalachian Mountain range for 2140 miles from Georgia to Maine. The first section of the trail was blazed in 1922 and the final stretch in 1938; in 1968, Congress proclaimed the AT a National Scenic Trail, to be kept as a hiking path forever. Thanks to the efforts of volunteers affiliated with the Appalachian Trail Conference and with local clubs, the trail is regularly maintained and reblazed.

From New York City, take I-95 North to Exit 12. Continue on I-287 West to Exit 9, and take I-684 North. Depart I-684 at Exit 20 in Brewster and follow NY-22 North approximately 12 miles to the junction with NY-55 in Pawling. Continue north on the combined NY-55 and NY-22. In 8 miles, turn right (east) on NY-55 as NY-22 continues straight. In about 2 miles, turn left onto Dutchess County 22 ("dogtail corners road"). Drive 1.4 miles on Dutchess County 22 to a four-way intersection ("dogtail corners"). Turn right, still on Dogtail Corners Road (Dutchess County 22). In 0.6 mile, enter Connecticut; the road is now named Bulls Bridge Road. In 1.0 mile, turn left onto Schaghticoke Road. In 0.3 mile (following the white blazes of the Appalachian Trail), park on the shoulder where the trail dives into the woods.

Begin on the white-blazed Appalachian Trail (AT), initially running parallel to the road; hop a stonewall at 0.1 mile. Soon, you'll veer away from the road, heading toward the mountain. The trail passes through another stonewall and sidesteps the AT sign-in station. Leap over a brook and embark on a steeper ascent. To distract the kids, have them keep count of the number of switchbacks (often marked by double white blazes). Does anyone hear the drilling of woodpeckers?

As the trail climbs steeply from the 0.5- to the 0.8-mile mark, snaking around ledges and heaps of boulders, have the kids watch the ground for deer droppings. This may help keep their thoughts away from their tiring legs. Soon, level and downward-trending ground bring a short reprieve. A final few switchbacks lead you to a slab of exposed rock at the 1-mile mark with dramatic southerly views over Connecticut's Housatonic River Valley. Allow the children a well-earned rest period here. Let them know that most of the significant climbing is behind you!

When the kids are ready, continue to follow the AT as it cuts over the top of Schaghticoke Mountain from the eastern to the western side of the ridge. Two-tenths of mile from your rest stop, enjoy your first westerly overlook across the rolling hills of upstate New York. Drop to another open rock face with more views to the west.

Now the trail plunges into a thickly wooded section of the ridge, then follows gently descending ground for 0.5 mile. Though this section is rather uneventful by kid standards, it passes quickly. Cross a small stream and assign a child to watch for another set of double white blazes indicating a right turn. Here the trail widens into a generous path where you join an older section of the AT. (This trail has been rerouted within the last few years to avoid encroachment on private land.) In another 0.1 mile, the blazes lead down granite "steps." Trending downward toward a marsh, the trail marches between rows of ferns.

Two and a half miles from the start, cross a pleasant stream on stones. The water runs quietly under the branches of hemlocks, tirelessly dodging moss-covered rocks. Toss a few stones into the pool on the left. Is there any sound more satisfying to a youngster's ears than the kerplunk of a rock breaking the surface of the water? Can you imitate the noise a big stone makes? How about a pebble?

At 2.8 miles the trail struggles out of the wetlands through an area thick with ground cover, winding under an oak canopy. Who can find a "double" acorn? Who can find one with its "hat" still on? As you pass more frequently over baldface, the forest begins to open up. The first child to step from New York into Connecticut (according to the state line indicated on a rock in the middle of the trail) wins a piggyback ride for 20 paces!

Soon the trail reaches the eastern tip of the Schaghticoke Mountain ridge, where it bends northward. The path sweeps close to the edge of the steeply sloping ridge, eventually reaching an overlook with eastward views into the Housatonic Valley. The Housatonic River runs dark and silent far below you. Though the drop-off is not sheer, it is significant, so keep little hikers close by.

Double white blazes mark the end of your 3-mile journey (the AT does continue) and the final overlook at Indian Rocks. Here, within the bounds of the Schaghticoke Indian Reservation, ledge outcroppings dive down the hillside in tiers toward the Housatonic River. As you enjoy a picnic lunch or a snack, watch cloud shadows racing silently across the distant, anonymous hills to the east and south. When you are ready, return to you car the way you came.

Note: For more information about camping on Appalachian Trail lands, call (212) 986-1430.