Cold Spring

Appropriately enough, it was chilly out for this trip to Cold Spring.  There were a few small, stray flakes of snow as I walked up to Nelsonville, but it didn't last - mostly I saw ice crystals growing up in the soil and glorious icicle formations.  But it was just above freezing, so there was some melting as well.

For the first time, I walked all of Undercliff (y), from east to west.  It was a lovely route.  

A small puddle, frozen, in the Nelsonville reserve.

Handicap-accessible? Bike-friendly? I just thought this was unusual to have an easy way over ...
when there is an even easier way through.  The ramp appears to be "official" in the sense that
the wood is covered with chicken wire,  and there is a ramp on each side of the log. 

Ice crystals in the soil.

These ice crystals are more thin and curved, like mushrooms.

First glimpse of blue sky!

Cairn.

I'm such a sucker for the natural "verdigris" on the rocks (actually a greenish lichen of course).
Although I must confess the color doesn't show up very well on this particular photo.

I really couldn't get enough of the ice crystals!  These thin and wavy ones,
 you really could think they were vegetable matter rather than frozen water.

Clear and geometric ice crystals - much more rocklike in appearance, more traditionally "crystalline".

This S-bend in the river always makes me think of The Hobbit (probably one of Tolkien's illustrations).

Gorgeous sunshine!

Cloud shadows on the Hudson River.

Self-portrait: Large as life, and twice as natural.

Cloud shadows on a hill.

Leaves were frozen into this puddle on the trail at several layers - it was really beautiful in person,
but I found it difficult to capture the depth and nuance in a photo.

I love the icy edge of the submerged leaf at upper right.

Underfoot - more "verdigris" on the rocks.

At this point I'd veered off the Undercliff trail slightly, and encountered some
peach trail markings inviting me to climb the clean rock face.
Next time I will accept the invitation! 

Storm King across the river.

A small patch of sunlight on the river from between the clouds.

There was a vast and stunning cascade of icicles on the face of the rock toward the end of the Undercliff trail.

Icicles catch the light.

Some of the melting was really cool - it looked at first like tadpoles endlessly chasing each other under the surface of the ice:

When I reached the end of Undercliff (y), I turned right on Breakneck (w), right on Notch (b), forked right on Brook (r), then left on Cornish (b).  The total distance, including road walking, was about 9 miles from the Cold Spring info center, according to my iPod pedometer.  I did this in 4.5 hours, which seems to be a typical hiking pace for me.