Sapphire/AT to Agony Grind

Date: October 13, 2012

Location: Harriman State Park, NY

To the west of NY Route 17, a little north of Sterling Forest, there extends a small part of Harriman State Park that is easily accessible from the Harriman train station. The approx. 2.5 mile Sapphire Trail  (blue-blazed as its name suggests) starts just opposite the station (on the other side of Route 17) and makes its way in a SSW direction till it intersects with the Appalachian Trail (AT).  A blue-blazed extension continues on towards the Indian Hills Loop trail in Sterling Forest.  On the AT, a little east of this intersection, the trail map shows a stretch called Agony Grind (apparently because of its steepness). That was the most distinctive part of today's hike.

I had been thinking of hiking that part of Harriman for several months now. Wanting to diversify my hiking areas, I had found it particularly convenient since one can take the Port Jervis line train directly from Hoboken, and had formed a notion that I would do the Indian Hills Loop this year. That did not transpire, but seeing a forecast for a lovely cool but sunny fall Saturday on October 13, I ended up deciding to hike on the Sapphire and the AT and traverse the Agony Grind.

My planned hike not being excessively long,  I did not take the usual 9:21 a.m. train, opting for the 11:21 a.m. instead. Arriving in Harriman at 12:28 p.m., I headed across the parking lot and crossed Route 17 to reach the white wooden gate that marks the trailhead.

The trailhead

I was dismayed to see signs that hunting season was on since October 1 in that area with a note to hikers to wear bright colors. Not having realized this, I was attired in rather dull blue and black, and thus I found myself rather skittish in the first hour or so of my hike, and hesitant to deviate from the trail (though I did overcome this hesitation on a couple of occasions to make a couple of small detours to check out some rocky ledges).

The Sapphire turned out to be a much more enjoyable trail to hike on than I had expected. I suppose some of the credit goes to the season and the weather, but still...the trail stays interesting without ever becoming strenuous. The first mile is actually just a pleasant stroll. A short distance from the trailhead, the trail crosses an almost dry stream bed, and gradually ascends. The forest floor was carpeted in yellow leaves and the foliage having thinned out, sunlight was filtering through.

Sunlight filters through the trees
(this photograph is deliberately under-exposed to create
atmosphere...it was actually a lot brighter in the woods)

Remains of stone walls from farms that used to exist in the area

The weather was perfect...it was the sort of day that seems made for hiking...the air had a bracing chill that was tempered by the warmth of the sun...on such a day I can walk miles without feeling exerted (on the flip side...even a mile on a hot and humid day is such agony).

The second mile of the trail is more rocky. There is another brook crossing with a clearing just right of the trail. The reflection of the partly color-changed trees in the brook was quite an pretty sight.

The vibrant colors reflected in the water make for a pretty sight

A little way beyond, I finally came across the intersection with the AT.  I think it was approximately 1:45 p.m. at this time. I turned east onto the AT (this was my second brief hike on the AT, the first one having been en route to Anthony's Nose in 2010), which made a brief descent before ascending a little again, and then leveled off for a bit. Here I encountered other hikers for the first time today as a group of three approached from the opposite direction..they were evidently planning to camp out! Around this spot, I noticed some rocky outcrops to the east of the trail, and got off the trail to check them out. I was rewarded with a sequence of ledges offering great views of the expanse of Harriman east of Route 17. I stopped here for lunch, and then got back onto the AT, which immediately started a descent (at one point winding its way just below the ledges where I had lunch).

View of Harriman State Park

More Harriman views

I encountered another viewpoint  to the right of the trail, and then the main descending stretch of Agony Grind began.

NYS Thruway surrounded by the hills of Harriman State Park

Despite the fanciful name, it is not spectacularly difficult as far as trails in Harriman and the East Hudson Highlands go. Nor does it require extensive scrambling (I think I needed to use my hands on only a couple of occasions...though admittedly I was only descending). The descent is slightly hard on the knees and ankles though (as the ascent would be on the lungs I imagine).  A hiking pole or a suitable wooden branch is handy here (I actually had a hiking pole that I had recently purchased and was using for a non-trivial hike for the first time...in the past I used to always pick up a branch during my hikes). Some aspects of the terrain actually reminded me of the portion of the Undercliff Trail between the intersection with the Notch and the Breakneck Ridge Trail (which I had hiked last fall).

A stretch of Agony Grind (looking back up while descending)

Yellow and orange patches seen amidst the green of Harriman's hills

Fall adorns the AT (quite literally)

Looking back at a stretch of the Agony Grind

A couple of mushrooms peep out amidst a pot-pourri of fallen leaves

A splash of color amidst the green

Finally, Agony Grind was over, and I made my way over the remaining stretch to get to the shoulder of Route 17 by 3:00 p.m. (this had been my original target and so I was quite glad), passing by an AT sign along the way.

AT sign 

Thence, I roadwalked north for 2-2.5 miles along Route 17 (the left side of Route 17 has a reasonably wide shoulder when walking north and so this was actually not as dangerous as it could have been; walking southwards would be somewhat problematic though).

Wildflowers (they look a bit like daisies) along Route 17
(deliberately under-exposed...this was actually taken in bright daylight)

View east of Route 17

"Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too"

"Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?

Think not of them, thou hast thy music too"

I got back to the Harriman station by 3:45 p.m., well in time to catch the 4:13 p.m. train back.  En route, I spotted a couple of deer on he other side of the Ramapo river, while in the woods, the only wildlife I had spotted was squirrels!

Deer out of the woods (taken from train window)

All said and done, this was a very enjoyable moderate hike of around 6 miles roundtrip (with an elevation gain and loss of around 700-800 ft) on a beautiful day.

Relevant Trail Map: NY-NJTC Trail Map 119