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Planning on hiking Pochuck - Pinwheel Vista/Stairway-To-Heaven and maybe further on AT tomorrow.  Prepared for it to be crowded based on all reviews I've read.  Hopefully, we'll get there early enough to avoid at least the initial onslaught.

I've seen pics of both the boardwalk & the puncheons that traverse the swamp.  It's those puncheons that have me concerned.  They look like they can only accommodate one hiker at a time, and since the hike is an out-and-back....uh...what happens if I'm coming one way and someone else is coming the other?

Unlike ground-based trails, there's no place for either of us to step off.  Especially after the days and days of rain we've had,  I imagine the pastures surrounding those puncheons will be pretty wet and mucky if not knee-deep in water.  

Any suggestions or advice?  Or is my perspective on the width of those puncheons a bit off?  Can two hikers pass safely?  Thanks.

Linda

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You mean the planks set down over the field? I don't recall meeting up with anyone coming the other way on them but I think you could manage a little do-si-do dance around them without stepping off - there are two planks with a few inches between them, each plank being probably 6" wide.

It's looking to be a nice weekend, and that's a nice hike with a bit of variety and a great view from Pinwheel.

Enjoy!

--Dawn

When I hiked the boardwalk, heading out towards Stairway to Heaven early in the morning I had the boardwalk to myself.  On the return route, however, there were hoards of families with children and strollers.  I don't recall having any trouble passing people even with a large dog in tow.  There are also some wider sections here and there with benches where there is plenty of room.  I remember hanging out in those areas until large groups heading my way passed.  I don't remember ever being in danger of falling off :) 

"On the return route, however, there were hoards of families with children and strollers."

{{{{{{{{{ (•)(•) }}}}}}}}}  S-H-U-D-D-E-RRRRRRR !!!!!


Would that we could do this on a weekday. :(  But, since we've "been there and done that" dealing w/crowds on the more popular hikes, (i.e. Harriman, Dunnfield Creek...etc.), I guess it just comes w/the territory if you really want to do a particular hike and have no other option of when to do it.

The boardwalk, as you said, Daniela, doesn't pose that kind of a problem.  I also found some pics of areas that you mentioned w/benches and areas to amply step aside for others.


But it's the puncheon area (pictured below) and what Dawn referenced that doesn't seem to offer much wiggle room.  I actually came across a pic of a woman w/a rather large dog (couldn't load it unfortunately), and it looked like she or the dog would have had to do one heckuva dosie-doh to maneuver around someone coming the other way.


Oh, well.  We'll see.  Haven't decided yet whether we're doing it or Point Mountain tomorrow.  Whichever we don't do tomorrow, we'll do the other on Sunday.  As you said, Dawn, looks more promising for the weekend than it did earlier in the week.  Just like the two of you, we want to make the most of whatever good days we get. 

Linda

(P.S.  Think maybe we'll pack those plastic booties again just in case we have to "dosie" a little more than "doh".)





















Just going over again the NY/NJ Trail Conf. map about this trail before hitting the sack (we decided to do it tomorrow after all) and realized that the section w/the puncheons is before the boardwalk. 

We'll be starting our hike on Glenwood Road about 1.5mi before where, I sense, most folks park to start either just the boardwalk out-and-back or the boardwalk to Pinwheel Vista out-and-back.  So methinks my concerns are much ado about nothing. 

Linda

Oh, you meant THOSE!  Sorry, yesterday was a highly stressful day.  Things were not registering in my brain properly.  Getting ready to leave for a hiking trip in Virginia.  My knee has been out and Shawnee is having some sort of allergic reaction to something and her paws are all blown up so between running from the chiropractor to the vet back and forth all day yesterday...  She is on steroids to get the swelling down and will be fine and my knee, well, I think I can walk now.   So if you hear about a crippled woman and a crippled dog stuck on a trail in Virginia, that will be us.

Anyway, you are probably there already but, yeah, that was a little tricky on those puncheons.  I only came up behind two other hikers going the same direction and the boards don't cover all that great of a distance.  That was on the return route.  On the way out in the morning, there was nobody else. 

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