New find, old favorite

September 09, 2007 04:00 am

— September has always been my favorite month for outdoor activity. Traveling south along the Hudson River brought us to a new find, then back to an old favorite.
Over a century ago, twin brothers Albert and Alfred Smiley built resort hotels on Mohonk Lake and Lake Minnewaska. The Mohonk Mountain House continues to thrive, offering a wonderful Victorian experience on its spacious campus.
In 1963, the brothers' families placed a large parcel of land -- more than 5,000 acres -- into a non-profit entity, the Mohonk Preserve. Maintained by annual memberships and day-use fees, this vast wilderness resource offers a broad spectrum of outdoor opportunity.
Hikers and walkers can choose from three major trailheads, which together offer 25 miles of carriage roads and 40 miles of foot paths. Rock climbers look to the Shawangunk Mountains, a centerpiece of the preserve, as an important haven. One vanity plate in the parking lot read "Gunks."
First we spent time in the impressive stone and wood Trapps Gateway Visitor Center. Materials, including the huge oak columns, were all cut or quarried locally. Displays provide insight into the environmentally conscious design.
A scale model of the Shawangunks highlights notable landmarks and hiking destinations. Historical information pays tribute to Native American presence, early settlers and the rock climbers who first conquered these ridges in 1935.
From the Visitor Center, we took the East Trapps Connector Trail. Passing the rustic gazebo behind the center, we walked through parking lots, then steadily uphill past some modest rock monoliths. We climbed up a short wood staircase, then began working our way up another of stone. A volunteer at the Visitor Center had warned we'd climb over 250 steps in all.
Eventually, we reached Undercliff Road, one of the Smileys' carriage roads. From there on, we had miles of easy walking along a wide, graded path.
Walking just beneath the high rock ledges of the Shawangunk Ridge, we enjoyed stunning views of the valley -- some a bit vertiginous -- at almost every turn. You know you're high when hawks soar by at eye level.
I noticed occasional yellow blazes marking stone steps to my left. Frequent emergence of sweating but exhilarated men and women helped me realize these were rock-climbing access points. The ledge itself is largely hidden by trees, but with patience, we eventually reached some impressive open vistas.
Interesting rock formations added to sights along the road. So did the sudden appearance of two beautiful fawns not 10 feet away from me, their mother just out of sight uphill. Plenty of walkers shared the route with us, plus a few bicyclists.
One can turn around at Rhododendron Bridge or make a five-mile loop by turning onto Overcliff Road. The latter option provides more views of the Rondout Valley and the Catskills.
The Preserve also offers short, self-guided walks. The Laverne Thompson Nature Trail, near the Visitor Center, allows an introduction to terrain and vegetation. Sixteen numbered stops key to a brochure, which gives information on forest composition, the conglomerate rock characteristic of the Shawangunk area and geologic forces of the ice age.
Another, the Trapps Mountain Hamlet Path, passes through an abandoned town site. This mile-and-a-half round trip gave insight into the hard existence of settlers a century or more ago.
Old roads, a few cellar holes and stone fences stand in memory of 50 or 60 families who carved out a subsistence living here. The oak and hemlock forest grew up during the eight decades or so after people left; this would have been pasture back then.
One stop revealed unfinished millstones. Settlers shaped the hard conglomerate into such stones, earning money by selling them to grist mills. Blueberries, maple syrup and handmade barrel hoops were other key sources of income.
A cabin built about 1890 has been preserved. Candles and kerosene lamps provided light; water came from a spring down the hill. The shelf cut onto the large boulder by the home found use in cooking and washing.
The trail led to a small abandoned graveyard. A handsome four-sided marker memorialized the four young children of George and Rachel Coddington. It's a beautiful place to hike, but a lonely place to rest.
The next day we journeyed south, past Newburgh, to revisit Storm King Art Center. Businessmen Ralph Ogden and Peter Stern purchased this land in the Hudson Valley with plans for an art gallery inside the site's stone mansion. After Ogden happened upon fields of David Smith's sculptures along the shores of Lake George, he changed his concept. Storm King Art Center instead became a monumental setting for large outdoor sculpture.
"The Arch" by Alexander Calder, a black steel sculpture 50 feet high, just beyond the admission booth, sets the tone. Continuing our ascent up the access road, we saw the 500-acre campus spread out before us.
We began with a guided walking tour on the hilltop surrounding a museum.
Five tall Ionic columns immediately attract attention. These architectural remnants laid unnoticed in a forest until found and moved here. They provide unique framing through which to view huge sculptures fashioned from I-beams by Mark di Suvero on sloping fields below.
Our guide, Dorothy Pariot, pointed out moving sculptures. In "Sea Change" by George Cutts, two long steel tubes are continually turned by motors. George Rickey's "Five Open Squares Gyratory" depends on the wind to keep its components constantly in motion. On the other hand, Grace Knowlton's "Spheres," simulated boulders of concrete over a mesh structure, look as if they've been here since the glacier retreated.
Thirteen pieces by David Smith were among Storm King's first purchases. Eight are clustered on a lawn east of the museum. Smith, once a banker, learned welding during his days in an automotive plant near South Bend, Ind. He adapted that skill to production of oversized metal works crafted from such found objects as blacksmithing tools and car fenders.
Appreciation of Smith's work can be an acquired taste. A few minutes studying "Portrait of a Lady Painter" helped convert me. Using a type case and a stool, Smith created an evocative piece. I walked around his brushed-steel sculptures several times. Patterns of light are seemingly embedded within the metal, creating an impressive visual effect.
A 30-minute tram ride let us rest while gaining appreciation for the center's evolving design. Landscape architecture has been important to Storm King since its beginnings. Natural though the surroundings may appear, a considerable amount of earth has been moved in the process of optimally setting the artistic creations.
Some works have been commissioned specifically for Storm King. One is Andy Goldsworthy's "Storm King Wall" in the southwest corner. Almost 2,300 feet long, this stone border curves around trees and crosses a pond. Scottish artisans needed two years to complete the project.
Once off the tram, we resumed walking.
After viewing "Mozart's Birthday" and other dramatic sculptures by Mark di Suvero from afar, it's an entirely different experience strolling down and standing next to them. A distant view doesn't convey the enormity of the works. "Mother Peace," comprised of steel I-beams painted red and carefully welded into place, stands as tall as a four-story building.
His soaring lines, vibrant color and sense of playfulness, especially as juxtaposed upon the landscape, captivated me. I wanted to see them from every possible angle. "Joie de Vivre" looks exactly that with its orange beams reaching toward the sky. Only in an outdoor setting could it realize its potential.
Elsewhere, smaller sculptures amidst groves of trees give a more intimate feel.
Varying conditions dramatically impact perception of the sculptures. Pieces look different during late afternoon than in harsh noontime light. Changing seasons and weather conditions must have their effect, too.
Certainly the expert will find much to appreciate at Storm King. So can the rank amateur (I'm one). Bring a healthy curiosity, a sense of wonder and good walking shoes.
rbforiole@aol.com

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