February 21, 2012: 
The Two-crossings loop. From the Coplon Road trailhead, follow the trail down into the ravine and cross the Plotter Kill at the stone wall crossing. During the tropical storm Irene, tons of stone got caught in the strainer there so now the creek is divided by a big island of scree. When you get across, you can easily pick up the red trail because it goes through the opening in the stone wall.
***You will come to a place where the trail was washed away during Irene, but an alternate trail is evolving there, it does connect. Go up the incline and turn left, following the north-rim red trail till you come to the sign, and go down to the Landslide crossing. Pick your way across the creek and go left on the other side. Stay on the red trail until it goes back up to Coplon Road—short, sweet.
***The ice on the trails is mostly gone, but there are still some icy patches. —Ed Atkeson
Places of interest
Plotterkill links
PKP Cloud
Botanizing Bushwhack Catherine Kielb Coggeshall Convergence Danger! Efts! Fairy Staircase Falls Fall Forest Spirits Geology Gore-tex Grandma Gregg Rd. trailhead Highland Trail Hiking Horse's Head loop Ice Jacob's Ladder Landslide Long loop Loops Microspikes Mileage Mosquitos Movies Mud Paradise glen Photos Picnic Rynex Scenic loop Sergeant's Falls Snowshoes Springtime Steinmetz Stone Wall Stream crossing Summer The Isle of Scree The Long Path The Small Falls The Upper Falls Three Falls and Back Thunderstorm Tropical Storm Irene Uncategorized Unicorns Waterfall Loop WinterArchives
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Good tips, thanks
How difficult would you say the trek was? Kid friendly?
Hi Stephanie, the crossings can be difficult depending on how high the water is and how frozen.
With kids you want a payoff and this loop doesn’t have any big waterfalls. I would go with Three Falls and Back, it’s easy and spectacular.
For more adventure, take the three falls route and then go up the Rynex to the Fairy Staircase falls. The Rynex gorge is fabulous. When you get there, go left, an uphill bushwhack to the yellow trail, go left on the trail and you’ll hook up with the red trail for an easy walk home passing the big falls again.
Thanks! I’ll check out the trail map!