In the Catskills

My favorite route up the mountains is old Rt. 23.   When I lived here, the road was barely wide enough for 2 cars, so it was pretty exciting when you met a vehicle.   There were very few guard rails, so that added even more to the excitement.   Additionally, there was a wooden sign strung across the road that said no vehicles were allowed between Nov 1 and April  30 without chains!  (Which gives you an idea of the steepness).

As time went on, they widened the road.  It's still a two lane road...and still very scenic.   In fact, they've carved out a scenic overlook and parking area.   From there, you can hike back down the road a bit to the gorge.

The drive to get up the mountain was beautiful!

 

 I love the streams that run along side the rode....the the distant mountains as I see them get closer and closer the further we drive.   It's so beautiful!
 

We've arrived at the parking area!

The view from here is spectacular!

 

 After hiking back down the mountain a bit, I'm rewarded with a fabulous view of the gorge - I love it!

 

 

 Above is the bridge over the bottom of the gorge.  We had to drive over over it to get to the parking area...then dodge past it (with no walking lanes) to get to the gorge.   It was pretty exciting, but thankfully, since it's an extreme uphill, you're able to watch for traffic and cross the bridge with little risk. 

I think my favorite part of the gorge is the sound - I just LOVE the sound of the water splashing down the rocks.

Below is the road we had to walk down to get to the gorge.   It doesn't look as steep as it is from this angle, but trust me, it was a bit of a hike.

 

The drive back down was just as stunning.    I love the mountain views and the mountain streams.   

 

We took a slightly different route on the way back  and managed to catch a stunning mountain scene.   I love how blue the sky is in the late afternoon....and how the grass in the foreground is illuminated.