arlohike wrote:Thanks for the report. I did this loop for the first time last year, and was thinking of doing it again this month, and wondering what shape it was in. When you mention lots of downed trees before Triple Falls, do you mean north or south of the falls? I've been up the Oneonta Trail from the highway to about a mile south of the falls recently, and don't recall any significant problems. Maybe you're talking about the section further south.
Overall, unless something weirdly changed in a few weeks, the trail is in great shape
overall. Not always in every place, though. Indeed, the section where I thought the downed trees were the biggest trail-condition problem--they are everywhere, but not always a problem--was descending along the Oneonta Creek approaching Triple Falls (yes, must be farther south then you went, because you definitely would have noticed, I think...indeed, the problem begins maybe 1.5 miles or so south of Triple Falls?). I just looked on GoogleMaps and uploaded a screen-shot with markings here--I did the ROA loop clockwise, and my recollection was that the downed tree area I hated
wasn't right away after turning right from the Horsetail Falls trail to head north toward Triple Falls, but it wasn't right by Triple Falls, either. I did the loop clockwise to avoid having to come down the steep section that would then be leading down from the Rock of Ages itself, but if you go counter-clockwise, you'll encounter the downed-tree area I'm describing going uphill along the Oneonta toward the Horsetail Falls trails junction. It is also quite possible that it wouldn't have been that bad for someone in better shape, or if encountered going uphill nearer the
beginning of a hike like that...for me, it all was a mockery of my conditioning. A lot of very sharp thorn branches butting into the trail during this section I'm describing, as well. Good luck, and come back here and let me know if you thought it was a problem!
