|
Hiking the Mary Smith Trail |
 |
This is the Mary Smith Parking Area at the Eastern Trailhead of the Mary Smith Trail. This particular parking area holds about 3 cars. The DEC registration box is on the left side of the parking area. To start the hike, you need to walk across Mary Smith Hill Road. Between November 1st and April 1st there is NO maintenance of the Mary Smith Road. You can drive on it in between those two days, but if there is a tree across the road, they will not clear it. Nor, do they plow the road over the pass.
|
|
 |
This is the Holiday-Berry Brook Parking Area on the Holiday-Berry Brook Road. It is located 2/3 of the way from the east side of the Mary Smith Trail. It holds about 15 cars. This road is plowed and maintained all Winter. If you want to hike this trail in the Winter then, you should use this parking area.
|
|
 |
This sign is posted part way up the Mary Smith Hill Road. In between those two dates, there is NO maintenance on the road.
|
|
 |
This is Primitive Campsite #1 on Mary Smith Hill Road. It is almost directly across the road from the Mary Smith Parking area. It is at the highest elevation and right next to the Mary Smith trail.
|
|
 |
If you hike further down Mary Smith Hill Road (further north), you will come to the second Primitive Campsite #2 on the left side of the road. As you can see from the picture, this site tends to have more water issues.
|
|
 |
If you hike further down Mary Smith Hill Road (further north), you will come to the third Primitive Campsite #3 on the right side of the road.
|
|
 |
This is the Pelnor Hollow Parking Area. As you can see it gets very little use due to the difficulty in the muddy section of the DEC Access Road. There is a cabin about 500 east of the Parking Area, so you cannot leave your vehicle in the middle of the road. You need to park closer to the Trailhead.
|
|
 |
 |
This is the beginning section of the Pelnor Hollow DEC Access Road. The road has stone and is flat. But, is very narrow. |
This is part of the muddy section near the top of the DEC Access Road. After it rains the water just sits there and creates a muddy slurry. If the mud dries up you can drive over it. If it isn't dry, you will most likely get very stuck and need a tow truck. There is NO cell phone reception here. |
|
|
 |
This is the Eastern Trailhead of the Mary Smith Trail. It is directly across the road from the Mary Smith Hill Parking Area. The mileage on the sign is fairly accurate.
|
|
 |
The Mary Smith Trail has an easy incline and is fairly easy to hike.
|
|
 |
There is a steady incline up the mountain, and it climbs up 700 vertical feet.
|
|
 |
Once you reach the ridge line, the trail turns to the left, and takes you to a view point
|
|
 |
After a little more then a half-mile, you will come to this overgrown view point to the south. Hopefully, the view point will be cut out in the future. About a half-mile past the view point is the highest point on the Mary Smith ridge line. The highest point of the Mary Smith Mountain is at 2,940' and is about 300' off the trail.
|
|
 |
The ridge line is around 2 miles long. As you move from East-to-West, you will drop about 150' in elevation.
|
|
 |
Before you reach the spot where the actual Mary Smith Hill is located, you will need to drop a little more in elevation.
|
|
 |
If you hike further down Mary Smith Hill Road (further north), you will come to the third Primitive Campsite #3 on the right side of the road.
|
|
 |
Once you reach these rocks on the southern edge of the ridgeline, this where the Mary Smith Hill is location. The actual summit of the Mary Smith Hill is location 150' uphill from the trail. Like the other summit, not much to see.
|
|
 |
About a 1/4 mile past the rocks in the trail near the Mary Smith Hill is a place where many hikers get lost. When you come to a ledge perpendicular to the trail, you want to take a LEFT! The trail looks like it goes right, but that is NOT correct. The trail tends to be a little muddy just before you reach this point, if it has rained recently.
Once you make this LEFT, the trail will start to descend down to the Holiday-Berry Brook Road.
|
|
 |
The will then descend down to the Holiday-Berry Brook Road Parking Area. It descends at a nice decline.
|
|
 |
As you approach the Holiday-Berry Brook Road and Parking Area, the trail will leave DEC public land and go onto private property. Please stay on the trail! You will be on private land for the next 3/4 of a mile.
|
|
 |
The Mary Smith Trail will come out on the north corner of the Holiday-Berry Parking Area directly off the Holiday-Berry Brook Road. There is enough room for about 15 cars.
|
|
 |
On the right side of the picture is where the Mary Smith Trail comes out into the Holiday-Berry Parking Area. The trail continues pas the kiosk and registration box and out the opening you see on the left side of the picture. It then comes to the Holiday-Berry Brook Road. Remember, this is all private property. So, please stay on the trail. I always register at each registration box I pass.
|
|
 |
Across the road on the right is a private driveway. Across the road in the center of the picture is where the Mary Smith Trail continues. If you look carefully, you can see a RED Trail Marker to the left of the trail.
|
|
 |
After you cross the Holiday-Berry Brook Road you will see the DEC sign on the left side of the trail. Continue down the trail. Remember, you are still on private property, so please stay on the trail
|
|
 |
After you hike past the DEC sign, the trail will open up. Again, you are still on private property, so please stay on the trail.
|
|
 |
After a short distance, you will come out of the woods to an opening. You want to take a LEFT when you come out of the woods.
This is where you will cross the power lines. The power lines make a buzzing sound. They are carrying 345,000 volts of electricity.
|
|
 |
You want to walk down the power line service road for a short distance. You will leave the service road when you come to the wooden A-Frame you see in the picture. The trail cuts across the power lines at a diagonal.
|
|
 |
On the right of the wooden A-Frame is the trail. Easier to follow then it looks in the picture.
|
|
 |
As you approach the woods, you will see the slab of bluestone. Follow the trail into the woods. Look for the Red Trail Marker.
|
|
 |
After a short distance into the woods, you will leave private property, and enter DEC Public Land. Looks for the yellow paint on the trees. After this point, you may leave the trail if you need to.
|
|
 |
The beginning of the Western Secion of the Mary Smith Trail on DEC public land after the power lines is very easy hiking, and the trail is fairly easy to follow.
|
|
 |
There will be a few section of steeper climbs up the trail. Nothing too difficult to hike. Over the 1.2 miles you will ascend up 750 feet.
|
|
 |
There will also be sections that flatten out again before starting to ascend again.
|
|
 |
Once you have ascended most of the way the trail will turn slightly to the left and follow the ridge up to the top of the mountain.
|
|
 |
This is the end of the Mary Smith Trail on the Western Section of the Trail. Your hike is done on the Mary Smith Trail.
Left will take you down the Pelnor Hollow Trail to the Lean-to. The Pelnor Lean-to is a little less then 2-1/2 miles away. There is a water source east of the lean-to.
Most hikers continue to the RIGHT. About 750 down the trail is Split-Rock Lookout. It has a nice view.
|
|
 |
The picture above is a picture taken from Split Rock Ledge on the Pelnor Hollow Trail.
|
|
|
S E C T I O N S
|
W E A T H E R
|
O T H E R
|
Mary Smith trail