First Class
ATTRACTIONS
Take Hikers trek 1. 3 miles toward the mouth of the ice caves.
a Hike
Cool o; this summer in a
15,000-year-old ice cave
in upstate New York
Beat the heat at the ice caves at Sam’s Point
Preserve in Cragsmoor, N. Y., two hours
north of Ne w York City. Formed some
15,000 years ago during the Ice Age, these
geologic wonders are nature’s version of
air conditioning.
Not typical caverns, the ice caves are deep
crevices and fissures in the Shawangunk
Ridge, formed by glacial erosion and large
chunks of rock that broke away from the
edges of the cli;s. During the winter, frigid
Come for business, unwind at your
air and snow enter the caves through open-
leisure. Located in the heart of New
ings at the top and become trapped. A cool
York City, The Pierre provides
temperature is maintained year-round, with
legendary personalized service,
ice and snow often seen into the summer.
residential comfort, a 24-hour gym,
An easy, 1.3-mile hike leads to the
complimentary business center,
entrance to the caves. Visitors descend a
and a guest relations team that can
stone staircase before following a half-mile
fulfill any VIP request.
loop through the prehistoric passageways.
Business Edge O;er
There are a few man-made touches, such
as wooden ladders, a bridge and solar-
Complimentary
Continental breakfast at
Le Caprice for two
powered lighting in t wo sections (one of the
solar panels can be seen when exiting the
Complimentary high-speed internet
caves). Rocks are sometimes slippery and
Two piece suit pressing
there are low overhanging ledges, so pro-
ceed with caution, says preserve manager
*O;er valid: May 1 - Aug 31, 2011.
Terms & conditions apply; subject to availability.
Heidi Wagner.
The caves are open from late spring
Book Today!
through Nov. 30. Parking is limited, so get
1 (212) 838-8000
there early. When the lot is full, the preserve
thepierreresv.ny@tajhotels.com
closes to new visitors until later in the day.
www.tajhotels.com/thepierre
Up for more hiking after cooling down
in the ice caves? Six other trails crisscross
the 5,400-acre preserve, which occupies
the highest point on the Shawangunk Ridge.
Some routes wind through dwarf pine bar-
rens and oak-heath woodlands and o;er
dramatic vistas of cli;s, mountains, valleys
and a lake. Another leads to an awe-inspiring
sight: the Verkeerderkill Falls, more than
180 feet high. nature.org
—Shannon McKenna Schmidt
JENNIFER NOLAN
