Rock Hill Ridge, on the Grandmother Land

Most of my photos of the Grandmother Land in Ulster Country, NY are taken near the stream that runs through the little valley on a modestly high mountain in New York. That’s where the waterfall is, and many pristine forest areas. I don’t usually go higher up on the ridge; it’s been a few years, but this was taken last weekend west of the steam, most of the way up what some people call Rock Hill Ridge. On a day when I have a little more time, it will be fun to get lost up there and learn the trail system again. Some of the trails date back to colonial times. Due to the steep slopes and many land preserves in this area, there are only a few houses and no business, unless you could the Fortune 500 hotel Mohonk Mountain House on the ridge east of the stream. In the mythology of the land, I sometimes think of Mohonk as Mordor, though the land itself is friendly and draws climbers from all over the world to the venerable rock climbing area known as The Gunks.