Run The Jungle

Did you know that there’s at least three mountains in New York that are named Panther Mountain? I didn’t! There’s one in the Adirondacks, the Catskills and apparently Harriman State Park. Maybe there’s more? Who knows!?

So where did you go?

Panther Mountain is part of Harriman State Park but this was a little confusing because the start of the hike was at stables in Pomona, NY.  The goal was to do another hike (Pine Meadow Lake Loop Trail which was 5.7 miles) but we bailed because we got a late start and the views from Panther Mountain sounded better.

We parked near the stables after an hour drive. The trailhead was behind a dilapidated large shed, so needless to stay it was a interesting start.

Which hike did you do?

We ended up hiking Panther Mountain as it intersected with the Pine Meadow Lake Loop (red).  The trail we followed was the yellow Suffern Bear Mountain Trail.

After 10 minutes on the trail, we walked alongside some power lines before continuing onto the trail behind it.

What was your favorite part?

Panther Mountain has amazing views. Unlike some hikes that take you to the summit and there’s not much to explore once you’re to the top, here, there was a lot to explore.  There were lots of good views towards the south east and west.

Also, I liked that some parts of the the hike (especially the yellow trail) felt more like a scramble.

And your least favorite part?

There was so much SNOW AND ICE! I have trash ankles so going down the mountain when it’s covered in snow and ice and not having spikes on my shoes made it pretty difficult.  Luckily, I only fell once on my ass.

I didn’t love that it was so secluded.  It felt really creepy to me.  That being said, it was freezing out and it’s winter.  I’d probably love this hike in the remaining three seasons of the year since it’s so close to the city but I can imagine that it’s crowded in the warmer months.  Plus I wouldn’t call this an easy hike nor would I call this Breakneck Ridge.  Maybe somewhere in the middle (aka maybe not for beginners?).

Post-hiking eats?

I googled breweries and Defiant Brewing Company showed up.  It was a 15-20 minute drive south and on the way back to the city.

They only had two things on the menu at the time (it was 4pm on President’s Day) and it was wings and BBQ ribs.  Both were amazing. Bae liked the wings more but I loved the ribs way more.  I would absolutely come back for the ribs again.