By pure accident I learned about New York State's acquisition of the Tub Mill Pond 1200 acre parcel in the Town of Moriah. This tract of land boasts multiple ponds and and borders the Hammond Pond Wild Forest. The parcel was purchased in July 2018 by the Open Space Institute (OSI).
New York State has since obtained the parcel from OSI. It is expected the parcel will be added to the Hammond Pond Wild Forest (if it hasn't already). The parcel is bounded on the north by Ensign Pond Road. State Land signs have been placed along the road.
On December 4th, my dog Rev and I ventured into the parcel to have our 1st look. The access road leading into the parcel is gated, by provides easy walking access into the land.
 |
| The access road |
After about a 1.5 mile walk, we reached the 1st pond, Tub Mill Pond, and the nice dam that was renovated in 2013.
My 1st thought upon reaching the pond, was that this would be a great place to kayak, and with easy access. The 57 acre pond is quite attractive and boasts several small islands.
 |
| A 1st look at Tub Mill Pond |
 |
| The new (2013) dam |
Once at the pond , I decided to make a big loop to circumnavigate all the ponds in the tract.
While on the southeastern portion of the loop, a ledge caught my eye so we swung a little wide to get up on the ledge for a better view of the ponds and beyond. It was well worth it!
 |
| Zoom view to the snow covered peaks in the distance. |
The clockwise loop brought me back to the dam from which I had an easy 1.5 mile walk back to the car on the access road.
I found this hike to be enjoyable but I think the kayaking option would double the fun. I may return in the warm weather to give that a try.
Hike Stats:
Hike Distance: 8 miles
Hike Time: 4.5 hours
Total Vertical Gain: ~1200'
 |
| The route and the parcel |
 |
| The route |
No comments:
Post a Comment