Augusta Mine Loop

Looks like this jalopy we found needs a tune-up. You can find this cream-puff yourself near the terminus of the Kakiat Trail, which completes the Pound and Dater Mountain loops around the old Augusta and Dater Mine Works in Tuxedo, N.Y. Similarly, there are a dozen such junked cars over on the southeastern side of Harriman State Park along the gas pipeline on Catamount Mountain, just west of Route 202 in Pomona, N.Y. Today was overcast but at least it was the first Saturday in a month that did not threaten with any rain, even though it did snow for about a minute or two. We brought my cousin B & his wife D along with us on this easy stroll, about 4.5 hours for a 4.75-mile loop. H & I have done this loop twice before but figured it was a great place to bring our guests and show off the views from Dater and Pound mountains and the landmarks Elbow Brush and Claudius Smith's Den. We followed the Ramapo-Dunderberg, Tuxedo Mt.-Ivy, and Kakiat trails. The leaves were just starting to turn in this part of the park, and the sun eventually came out, as we neared the end of the hike. After we wrapped up the hiking, we ran over to Rhodes North Tavern, where the beer is always good even though our baked potatoes were mashed and the New York strip steak I ordered when served turned into a T-bone. D's Ceasar salad had tomaotes in it and M & B's salads stayed in the kitchen, never making it to the table. H had trouble eating any of the "German-Quesadilla" but all in all we had a great time just chatting away with the cousins. Special thanks to B for picking up that tab! We'll be sure to take you up to Mt. Fuji on the next trip!