2022-01-05: Blodget Hill

Coming down from my high of finishing the Catskill High Peaks, this Wednesday I opted for a much more insignificant hike in the nearby town of Coeymans. This hike interested me specifically because, despite the town's proximity, I've never done anything in Coeymans, and noted that I had never taken a picture inside the town limits. Although not its greatest elevation, Blodget Hill is the highest named point in the town at 1146', and is publicly accessible as part of the Louise E. Keir Wildlife Management Area. Several trails lead to the hill's summit, so I set out late in the afternoon for a very short little hike.

Although the WMA is home to an 'official' trail, it isn't marked or blazed in any way, making it easy to get lost with the many trails that criss-cross the hill. I took the steeper path to the right.

This path climbed the hill quickly and I soon arrived at a large clearing near the summit with incredibly limited views to the southeast.

The only trees in this clearing were scattered pitch pines (Pinus rigida), such as like large specimen that overshadows the trail.

The lone pine trees looked rather sad along the clearing, which seemed to have been cleared by burning (note the char at the base of the nearest tree).

Blodget's true summit is located in a relatively young oak forest. Here the denser cover and higher elevation allowed the thin snow cover to remain throughout the day.

A barely noticeable herdpath leads to this USGS marker at the hill's highest point. While most markers are embedded in rock, the lack of exposed bedrock on Blodget Hill means the marker comes encased in a block on concrete.

A shot through the pines shows a glimpse of forests and farms on the far side of the Hudson River.

Frozen groundwater had created ice crystals under the soil, making each footstep crunch and depress the ground a bit. Footprints in the icy earth revealed these tiny broken penitentes.

The horizon - hardly a 'view' - visible beyond bare oak trees at the edge of the clearing.

Charred stumps along the trail added to my suspicions that the clearing was formed by forest fire.

Visible through the trees on descent is a tall processing tower at a nearby mine in the village of Ravena.

Looking northeast through the trees, the distant earth fades seamlessly into the hazy sky.