We knew it was bound to happen when the plan was made or at least I knew it was bound to happen. I have a tendency to come up with grand adventures but sometimes the certain logistical details get lost in the shuffle. In this case it was the timing of our arrival at Labryinth in Mohonk Preserve – it was noon on an unseasonably warm and beautiful fall weekend.
Already Grace and I were stuck in a queue amongst strangers on the side of a cliff. The murmurings behind us were mostly comprised of teenage daughter stating why her friends are ‘the worst’ and midlife crisis dad wanting to take any path but the one marked. Oh and I should definitely not leave out the ceaseless whining from the entire family because another thing that’s ‘the worst’ is waiting.
As we stood there attempting to ignore the background bickering, the sound of a young girl giving out a quick yelp rang out followed by tears. I uncontrollably let out a small sigh. This was the proverbial icing on the cake. After a morning of scrambling over, under, and sometimes seemingly through rocks pretty much by ourselves, all I wanted to do was climb. This new situation caught me a bit off guard and not necessarily in a positive way. But before I could get too discouraged (read: grumpy), the little girl’s mother offered some encouraging words and with that she was off happily scampering up and over the path’s boulders as though the fall had never happened.
There are moments in life when I really want to have a bad attitude and this was on of them but the group behind us just wouldn’t let me. They were a sot of blessing in disguise because when you hear a constant stream of someone else’s grumblings it forces you to acknowledge how unattractive it is. Being surrounded by other human beings all working toward the same goal was not a problem. We were not racing to the top; we were there to enjoy some fresh mountain air and attempt to catch the changing leaves before winter sets in. As for the temporarily upset young girl and her family in front of us, they ended up being this amazing group of four that just loved each other so much you couldn’t help but smile. Had I allowed myself to get wrapped up in my own little world, I never would have known the greatness in front of me.
So get yourself outside this weekend. Take the time to explore the Preserve and embrace the craziness that is a weekend fall day at Mohonk. It’s worth it and you never know whom you’ll meet.
If you want to avoid paying a whopping $26 per hiker and are up for a 9-10 mile trek, here’s how we made our way to Labyrinth and Lemon Squeeze:
- Park at West Trapps Trailhead and pay the friendliest attendants $12 per hiker.
- Follow the Undercliff Trail for about 2 miles until it feeds into Laurel Ledge Road.
- After about a ½ mile, turn right on to the blue Giants Workshop Trail. Climb up and over and through the various boulders.
- When you reach a rock slab viewpoint, continue up and to the right on the red Humpty Dumpty Path. It may be a bit difficult to see initially – trail blazes are affixed to trees and painted on rocks.
- At the end of the scrambles, you’ll reach the Humpty Dumpty Road. Turn right and stay on this path for about ¼ mile. The trail branches into the Long and Short Woodland Drives. Take the short one to the left unless you want too add some extra mileage to your legs. On your left you will pass Lake Shore Path and Woodland Path. Both of these will lead you to Lake Shore Road but you can also stay on Short Woodland Drive to get there.
- The entrance to the Labyrinth is off of Lake Shore Road near the Mountain House (you can’t miss it). There are multiple access points but it is best to start at the very beginning just don’t be surprised should you see interlopers.
- The path to Labyrinth and Lemon Squeeze is straightforward, especially compared to the scrambling at Giant’s Workshop. Make sure to continue all the way up to the top of the tower – the view is worth it.
- To get back to the West Trapps Trailhead, the quickest route back down is the Sky Top Path. It’s a dirt trail off the main Sky Top Road to the north of the Tower (when you exit the Tower, it is on your right).
- The Sky Top Path leads back down to the Lake Shore Road. The rest of the trails are old carriage roads: Lake Shore Road (turn right on to it) to Old Minnewaska Road (straight ahead) to Rhododendron Bridge (on the right) to Overcliff Road (straight ahead) to West Trapps Trailhead.
notes:
if you are afraid of heights and/or unsteady on your feet, stick to the trails and off of the scrambles, especially the non-labyrinth/lemon squeeze ones. also avoid these trails in inclement weather because wet rock and giant gaping holes to plummet to one’s death just don’t get along. mohonk closes down sections of the preserve, including the scrambles, depending on the weather and season. call ahead to make sure they are still open for all of your adventuring plans (845 256 2197).
check out this dude’s blog for trail suggestions/descriptions at mohonk. it even links to this handy map in case you’re the type to plan ahead as well as some post-hike grub suggestions.
