Rob S
Active member
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2003
- Messages
- 685
- Reaction score
- 30
After an uneventful 2 hour ride from NJ to Moonhaw Rd, Sean and I met Ralph (Hermit), Jim (Mudhook), David (Coldfeet), Tony (Rockysummit), and John at the small parking area at 8:30am. There was a slight chill in the air, and although the temperature was only in the low to mid 20’s, we were quite comfortable due to the lack of any breeze. After greetings and introductions all around, we began the hike at a good pace following an old woods road. The grades were moderate which allowed for a lot of good conversation and getting to know one another. Good views of Wittenburg & Cornell could soon be seen to the north.
By the third switchback we were ready for some fun and plunged into the woods. I briefly led the way up to the top of a ridge before deciding to let Ralph lead as only he knew the way to the B-26 plane wreck. Ralph continued our whack along this ridge, and traces of the herdpath could often be seen. However, when the herdpath continued northwest and began a steep ascent, we turned our heading due west and followed the 2500 foot contour line until we came upon the first piece of debris from the wreck. It was an amazing site to behold, and equally sad. Our voices quieted down as we inspected piece after piece of aircraft, partly in awe and partly in respect to the deceased servicemen.
After taking plenty of pictures and having a quick snack, we resumed our hike. The climbing then became very steep. 800 feet of elevation was gained in a very short time. As we stopped to catch our breath and wipe the sweat from our brows, we were greeted by amazing views to the southeast with the Ashokan Reservoir dominating the view.
Shortly thereafter the grade lessened and we found ourselves on a herdpath in the col between Balsam Cap and Friday. This section was arguably the most gorgeous stretch of hiking all day. Under a canopy of conifers, the herdpath meanders around and over layers of sandstone and along the edges of rock walls. Icicles hung in rows from these walls, and the sun could not penetrate the hemlock to melt the inch of snow on the ground. The air was fragrant with balsam, and it was completely silent when we stopped talking. Like a slice of paradise. Maybe not paradise for Sean ….. a branch apparently ripped off the mouthpiece to his hydration pack, which then decided to drain quite efficiently on his pants. But he took it with good humor, emptied the remaining water, and stayed safe with Nalgene bottles for the rest of the day.
Suddenly the canister on Balsam Cap seemed to appear out of nowhere. Actually, I was almost disappointed as I wanted this part of the hike to go on and on. We all signed in the canister and then took a bunch of group photos. This was like a comedy routine. You would have thought we just climbed Everest! Sean had his mini tripod attached to his hiking pole and a wireless remote control for his camera. And Tony had a full-sized tripod which he needed since he had a heavy-looking digital SLR, sporting a wide angle lens. We all took a lot of photos, and had a lot of laughs.
After reloading our packs, we set off for Friday Mountain. We began discussing the name “Friday” and pondered how this mountain got it’s name. Was it’s first known climb documented on a Friday? Was it someone’s name? Was Balsam Cap formerly known as “Thursday” Mountain?? We decided it best to ask Mark Schafer.
Ralph and Jim told us that they knew a good route up through the eastern cliffs on Friday. This route also avoided a few areas of thicker stuff on the southern slopes. We ate lunch not too far below the cliffs. Thanks again to the lack of leaves on the trees, the views of the reservoir, High Point, and Little Rocky were spectacular. Not wanting to cool off too much, we finished our lunch and began to approach the infamous cliffs I’ve heard so much about. Ralph and Jim really know their way around this mountain. These cliff bands seem almost impenetrable until we got a bit closer and then followed them up a sideways “corridor” that made it seem almost too easy. I was ready for some serious scrambling but we never even needed to find any handholds. It was very straightforward, but still incredibly beautiful with the massive rock walls towering towards the sky. Icicles hung wherever water had flowed, yet green mosses still looked healthy and alive.
Before very long, we were on Friday Mountain, and once again we all signed in the register. Congrats to David for #32 (I think you said 32, right?). What is a summit without a group shot so once again we indulged our official photographers. No views on Friday’s summit proper, but Ralph and Jim pushed us thru some hemlock and fir to get to one of the finest views I’ve ever seen. (Of course I say that at nearly every viewpoint.) Regardless, this one was truly awesome. Perched atop the very cliffs we had climbed through, this viewpoint offered the nicest panoramic view of the day. The Devil’s Path stood out ominously to the northeast, Ashokan Reservoir surrounded by many smaller mountains to the east, and Balsam Cap to South. What a terrific way to end a hike!
Oh yeah, we still had to get back down. Down, down, down. The going down seemed to go on much longer than the climb up. We pretty much followed the traditional route down and could often tell we were on a herdpath. Sean’s knees were bothering him a bit, so we took our time. I believe David was feeling it a bit too. Despite that, we made very good time, and got back to the old woods road relatively quickly. Once on the old road, it seemed as if we were on the thruway. Funny how odd it always feels when you get back on a trail or road after hiking off-trail most of the day.
Once back to the cars, Ralph generously asked us all back to his house for a drink and some snacks. We all gratefully accepted the invite. Ralph has a beautiful home. It was very cool to see the pics of the bear and all the shots with CaveDog during his 50 Hikes in 50 States marathon. A huge thanks to Ralph and Maddy for inviting us and for your hospitality, it was very much appreciated.
As to the hike, …….. Ralph, you are the man! Thanks for a great day, thanks for showing us the B-26, and thanks for getting us safely up and down the mountains. Jim, it was a real pleasure to finally get to hike all day with you. You really know your Catskills wildlife, thanks for showing us the deer rubs, broken tree branches, etc. David, you’ve got a terrific sense of humor and I’ve always enjoyed your unique take on things in your posts. Glad to finally meet and hike with you. Tony and John, you guys were a lot of fun to hike with and I really enjoyed the conversations we had. Was great to meet you both and I’m looking forward to hiking with you again. Keep in touch! Sean, we’ve hiked hundreds, no, thousands of miles together ……… thanks for your company, friendship, and the countless memories over the years.
PICTURES are HERE but are unfortunately not in chronological order as I used some of Sean's in addition to mine. He had all the great, and some funny, group shots.
By the third switchback we were ready for some fun and plunged into the woods. I briefly led the way up to the top of a ridge before deciding to let Ralph lead as only he knew the way to the B-26 plane wreck. Ralph continued our whack along this ridge, and traces of the herdpath could often be seen. However, when the herdpath continued northwest and began a steep ascent, we turned our heading due west and followed the 2500 foot contour line until we came upon the first piece of debris from the wreck. It was an amazing site to behold, and equally sad. Our voices quieted down as we inspected piece after piece of aircraft, partly in awe and partly in respect to the deceased servicemen.
After taking plenty of pictures and having a quick snack, we resumed our hike. The climbing then became very steep. 800 feet of elevation was gained in a very short time. As we stopped to catch our breath and wipe the sweat from our brows, we were greeted by amazing views to the southeast with the Ashokan Reservoir dominating the view.
Shortly thereafter the grade lessened and we found ourselves on a herdpath in the col between Balsam Cap and Friday. This section was arguably the most gorgeous stretch of hiking all day. Under a canopy of conifers, the herdpath meanders around and over layers of sandstone and along the edges of rock walls. Icicles hung in rows from these walls, and the sun could not penetrate the hemlock to melt the inch of snow on the ground. The air was fragrant with balsam, and it was completely silent when we stopped talking. Like a slice of paradise. Maybe not paradise for Sean ….. a branch apparently ripped off the mouthpiece to his hydration pack, which then decided to drain quite efficiently on his pants. But he took it with good humor, emptied the remaining water, and stayed safe with Nalgene bottles for the rest of the day.
Suddenly the canister on Balsam Cap seemed to appear out of nowhere. Actually, I was almost disappointed as I wanted this part of the hike to go on and on. We all signed in the canister and then took a bunch of group photos. This was like a comedy routine. You would have thought we just climbed Everest! Sean had his mini tripod attached to his hiking pole and a wireless remote control for his camera. And Tony had a full-sized tripod which he needed since he had a heavy-looking digital SLR, sporting a wide angle lens. We all took a lot of photos, and had a lot of laughs.
After reloading our packs, we set off for Friday Mountain. We began discussing the name “Friday” and pondered how this mountain got it’s name. Was it’s first known climb documented on a Friday? Was it someone’s name? Was Balsam Cap formerly known as “Thursday” Mountain?? We decided it best to ask Mark Schafer.
Ralph and Jim told us that they knew a good route up through the eastern cliffs on Friday. This route also avoided a few areas of thicker stuff on the southern slopes. We ate lunch not too far below the cliffs. Thanks again to the lack of leaves on the trees, the views of the reservoir, High Point, and Little Rocky were spectacular. Not wanting to cool off too much, we finished our lunch and began to approach the infamous cliffs I’ve heard so much about. Ralph and Jim really know their way around this mountain. These cliff bands seem almost impenetrable until we got a bit closer and then followed them up a sideways “corridor” that made it seem almost too easy. I was ready for some serious scrambling but we never even needed to find any handholds. It was very straightforward, but still incredibly beautiful with the massive rock walls towering towards the sky. Icicles hung wherever water had flowed, yet green mosses still looked healthy and alive.
Before very long, we were on Friday Mountain, and once again we all signed in the register. Congrats to David for #32 (I think you said 32, right?). What is a summit without a group shot so once again we indulged our official photographers. No views on Friday’s summit proper, but Ralph and Jim pushed us thru some hemlock and fir to get to one of the finest views I’ve ever seen. (Of course I say that at nearly every viewpoint.) Regardless, this one was truly awesome. Perched atop the very cliffs we had climbed through, this viewpoint offered the nicest panoramic view of the day. The Devil’s Path stood out ominously to the northeast, Ashokan Reservoir surrounded by many smaller mountains to the east, and Balsam Cap to South. What a terrific way to end a hike!
Oh yeah, we still had to get back down. Down, down, down. The going down seemed to go on much longer than the climb up. We pretty much followed the traditional route down and could often tell we were on a herdpath. Sean’s knees were bothering him a bit, so we took our time. I believe David was feeling it a bit too. Despite that, we made very good time, and got back to the old woods road relatively quickly. Once on the old road, it seemed as if we were on the thruway. Funny how odd it always feels when you get back on a trail or road after hiking off-trail most of the day.
Once back to the cars, Ralph generously asked us all back to his house for a drink and some snacks. We all gratefully accepted the invite. Ralph has a beautiful home. It was very cool to see the pics of the bear and all the shots with CaveDog during his 50 Hikes in 50 States marathon. A huge thanks to Ralph and Maddy for inviting us and for your hospitality, it was very much appreciated.
As to the hike, …….. Ralph, you are the man! Thanks for a great day, thanks for showing us the B-26, and thanks for getting us safely up and down the mountains. Jim, it was a real pleasure to finally get to hike all day with you. You really know your Catskills wildlife, thanks for showing us the deer rubs, broken tree branches, etc. David, you’ve got a terrific sense of humor and I’ve always enjoyed your unique take on things in your posts. Glad to finally meet and hike with you. Tony and John, you guys were a lot of fun to hike with and I really enjoyed the conversations we had. Was great to meet you both and I’m looking forward to hiking with you again. Keep in touch! Sean, we’ve hiked hundreds, no, thousands of miles together ……… thanks for your company, friendship, and the countless memories over the years.
PICTURES are HERE but are unfortunately not in chronological order as I used some of Sean's in addition to mine. He had all the great, and some funny, group shots.
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