Mohonk 2025--Day 3!

Okay, peeps. We did it!

Today was the day we completed the entire Labyrinth Rock Scramble, complete with the infamous final ascent known as...The Lemon Squeeze! For obvious and ominous reasons. ;)

In 2018, when the hubby and I first came to Mohonk, we completed this perilous rock scramble and I was terrified 99% of the time. We were alone (like, alone, alone) pretty much the entire scramble, and we only ran into one other human on the final ascent--and she was a slightly older woman who'd hiked Kilimanjaro, and still found the final footholds to be a bit tricky, ha.

Then, last year (2024), when we finally managed to return to Mohonk and bring the kiddos, it was over Columbus Day Weekend (even though we didn't purposefully plan it that way; it was just an built-in day off of school for the kiddos).

The weather was glorious, which was amazing, but that particular day we decided to do the rock scramble, the property sold hundreds of day passes for extra visitors coming to hike and explore on such a beautiful day. All amazing--except for the fact that it led to gobs and gobs of people doing the final Lemon Squeeze ascent, and we realized it was going to take us another hour or two to wait our turn, so we didn't get to complete it.

But this year, 2025, was the winner!

There were people along the scramble with us, but it wasn't crowded. It was sunny, but still crisp. There was a slight crowd at the end, for the final Squeeze, but not an overwhelming wait, and it was such a celebratory vibe. AND...I actually wasn't scared for 99% of the scramble. Wild!

I'm so proud of our crew for scrambling and enjoying it!

In addition to the official Lemon Squeeze, we did a morning hike, more putt-putt, more frisbee golf (through beautiful woods; we hadn't explored the front nine holes, before), and allllllll the outdoor vibes and indoor food we could manage. Plus, lots of family card games over meals.

Okay...pics, incoming!

Oh! Quickly, I'll share two major (crazy!) wildlife encounters!

First: we'd just completed the Lemon Squeeze and enjoyed the glorious sights from above, taken a few family pictures and had to tackle just a final, small scramble to reach the path that would take us back to the main property.

Welp, the hubby and Little Man made it up the scramble and then it was Chicklet's turn, and right as she started climbing, a freaking SNAKE slithered out of one of the rocks, right at her feet! She yelped, managed not to fall backwards off the rock scramble (woohoo!), and we spent a few hilarious and perilous moments waiting on the snake to slither back into its hole so we could pass, ha.

Chicklet took an alternate route to circumvent the snake, but I traipsed right over it and all was well. We survived. :)

Then, on the flip side of the day, after dark, when the kiddos were showering, the hubby and I went on a brief hike toward Sky Top Tower and along the way, before we'd made it past the main porch area, we came across the most gorgeous red fox! Just chilling and eating some berries, there, right out in the open. We got some beautiful video and it was a lovely encounter--especially considering we typically only see grey foxes back home.

We also listened to a small band of coyotes (don't worry; they were nowhere near us, and we have them in our own backyard back home, so it's all good, and, YES, we're alive, ha.)

Okay...now, really, the pics!

More mañana, from our final day (which is happening, as we speak)!

Happy Monday, peeps!

Over and out.