Hey guys i am from NY and got 3 lines of cascade and 3 lines of fuggles both 2 year old plants growing in the backyard. The cascade are capping out well above 20+ feet while the fuggles are in a close second place for 18 feet. At the top of cascade i have some really big cones 2.5-3 inch long with the fuggles being smaller. I never got to picking the hop for the first year as i am new to this and wasnt sure when to do it and i got to it to late. I dont want to make that mistake again this year so i am turning to everyone for help. When should i be picking these things so they dont go to waste?

From my experience... Let your senses be your guide.

Visual:
Get up there and pick a few. Split them open down the center, look at the lupulin.
Neon Yellow / Greenish Yellow = not ripe yet.
Golden Yellow / School Bus Yellow = ripe.
Orange Yellow = too far.

Aroma:
Then smash them in your hands and smell, is it:
grassy (not ripe),
hoppy (ripe)
super cheesy / onion-y (too far)

Cones on the center bine will mature sooner than on the arms. Depending on sunlight, the top of the plant be maturing sooner than the bottom

Cheers,
The Fool

To add a little to what Bikefoolery posted - When the cones start to get a little more papery dry than wet is when I normally pick them. Not to say they should be actually paper dry, just not feeling damp in your hand.

So where in NY are ya?

That is pretty much how I gauge the "ripeness" of my hops. A little bit of brown on them is ok, ( they probably should have been picked a little sooner) if any more than 30% of a cone is brown I'll toss it.
This will be my fifth year of growing.

i am on long island my neighbors always ask me whats that giant thing in the back have to try to explain to them its for gardening to grow hops. hehe sticks out like a sore thumb. but i will get up there tommorow and pick a few comes and post up some picks i took one from the bottom and the lupulin was a yellow to bright yellow but i will check the top. I hope they are ready so i can put in a order to make a nice fresh IPA thanks guys for the help.

this year (second year) i have let all four of my varieties dwindle about building even stronger crowns... they still keep trying to scale the side of my house though! apparently they aren't happy with a few bines about 3 feet long on the ground?

I just picked for the second time this season last Sat. Put some right into kettle at FO. First time fresh wet hopping for me. It's been in the 90's every day for 10 weeks now (101 today) and they are still puttin out new buds (2nd year Cascade). Using soaker hoses every 2 or 3 days. I'm thinking that the periodic picking may be encouraging new bud production. I can't wait till I get a pump and a hop back!