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.