| Issue #49, March 16, 2007 |
Take a hike
The Black Owl Loop
with Ken Kindler
While working with County Parks on a re-route of the Paumanok Path (PP), I noticed that the plastic black owl blazes, which normally accompany the painted white blazes of the PP where it runs under Sears Pond, were missing. If you are observant, you can see nails left behind, sticking out of the trunks. Vandalism of trail markers is becoming alarmingly common. I returned a few weeks later with the plastic diamond shaped blazes. These blazes are black owls, on a white background. They are the trail markers along a five-mile loop, an ecologically diverse adventure that I will describe as the Black Owl Loop.
The hike begins on Red Creek Road, by the opening to the Black Duck Lodge driveway in Flanders. This entrance to Hubbard County Park is a couple hundred feet north of Route 24. Park on the road-shoulder and be careful not to block the driveway. The new County Parks signs now say “No Unauthorized Uses” instead of “No Unauthorized Entry.” This makes the park friendlier to gentle users. Walk up the driveway and around the gate if it is locked. It is important to always park outside the gate so that you don’t get locked in.
Follow the white painted blazes and plastic black owl blazes up the long dirt driveway. The Black Duck Lodge, off to the right, is being restored. As the driveway curves around the front of the structure, continue straight ahead between a gate and a Hubbard County Park Regulations sign. The Red Owl Trail to the Ghost Forest is straight ahead, however, after a hundred yards, the trail forks; follow the small meandering woods trail to the left.
The winter woods are green with cedar, ink berry, mountain laurel and pitch pine. Deep green moss, bearberry and wintergreen line the trail. The phragmites and cedar to the right indicate wetlands. This old woods road leads west, away from Hubbard Creek and towards Mill Creek. Two embankments with culverts ford the wetlands feeding into Mill Creek. You can hear water running through the culverts as you gaze north into the opening of Mill Creek.
Walk through a gate and turn to the left. The trail now winds its way down to Route 24. Near the trail crossing is a biking sign and a deer warning sign, but no hiker signs. This is especially crucial because traffic from the east whips around a curve, usually at speeds well in excess of the posted limits.
Once across Route 24, the path becomes a narrow meandering wood trail with pine duff underfoot. After approximately one mile, the trail meets up with the PP. To the right, the PP heads west to Owl Pond and Spinney Road. Continue straight ahead from this point and the loop will follow the PP east and the blue rectangle trail. To the left you will see the beginning of a Yellow Owl Trail that runs around the northern half of Sears Pond, crossing Mill Creek. The trail soon loops under the pond along a re-route that moved the path out of muddy wetlands. A sharp left onto a trail spur offers a lovely view of Sears Pond. Continue on this narrow winding woods trail. You’ll see sunlight reflecting off carpets of shiny-leafed bearberry peeking through the winter profusion of pine needles.
After crossing a badly worn trail, veer east, away from Sears Pond. Travel around an old post and rail gate. There is a horse trail to the right and straight ahead you can see where the Yellow Owl Trail once again meets up with the PP. The loop turns right here along with the PP, once again becoming a meandering trail cushioned by a deep pine needle duff. To the left, reflections from ice give indications of wetlands. The trail climbs into a rolling terrain, where some steep trail is beginning to erode. After crossing another horse trail, Division Pond can be seen to the left. As you pass a post and rail gate, ahead is another pond. At the crossroads, turn left and follow a spit of land between the two ponds, hence the name Division Pond. As you cross it, the other half of the pond appears on your right. If you continue straight ahead, the painted blue blazes become blue owl blazes and head towards Bellows Pond and Munns Pond Park. This trail is churned up by illegal ATV traffic coming from the LIPA ROW.
The trail takes you around a barrier, then follows a wide straight woods road north to Route 24. Where the trail once again crosses this road with fast moving traffic, there are hikers signs placed 50 feet east and west of the trail opening. Be alert; by the time a motorist sees the sign, realizes what it means and has time to react at 85 mph, the trail crossing is far behind. Walk across the narrow section of land between Route 24 and Red Creek Road and you will find yourself looking at the opening to the gated driveway where you parked your car.
Ken Kindler is a Trails and Open Space Advocate working to help the trails groups and land managers care for our “Natural Island.” If you would like to learn more about our trails or help care for them, visit the Hiking Long Island website. www.hike-li.org
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