Rob S
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- Joined
- Oct 7, 2003
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Climbed 2 more Catskill Hundred Highest. Although many of these peaks are not renowned for having the best viewpoints, I am enjoying these gems immensely.
On the drive down Beaverkill Road, the outside temp gauge dropped from 35F to 33F, and frost covered the grass and fields along the way.
Arrived at the small parking area on Cross Mt Road and began the short hike to Barkaboom around 8:15am. Followed the ridge all the way up and found lots of deer paths, and their tracks in the muddy areas. Arrived at the summit 45 minutes later. Decided to descend via a different route. Noticing the very steep eastern side while driving up Cross Mt Rd, I thought that it might be fun to explore the cliffy sections. All I can say is “wow!” It was even steeper than I expected, and had to scout some of the cliffs to find a safe way down. But well worth the extra effort. (The only negative was I lost my Trail Conference map somewhere on the descent. I normally always keep maps in my zipped pocket. In a moment of laziness, I think I just shoved the map into my front unzipped pocket. No worries, though. NYNJTC members get a nice discount, and these maps were a few years old anyway.)
Arrived back to the PA just before 10am, and then drove over to Alder Lake. I had never been there before, and was struck by the beauty of the area. The remains of the Coykendall Mansion and the lake itself are beautiful. Temps had risen to the low 50’s, so I shed a layer, had a snack, and began hike # 2.
Followed the trail for about 5 minutes or so, and then began the ‘whack. Wide open woods and easy grade at first. Then it got steep. And then even steeper. The moss on the rocks and cliffs and wet leaves made uphill progress slow for a time, but then the grade moderated. Before long, I found myself on the ridge, with the summit just a few hundred feet higher and less than ½ mile away.
The summit is broad and flat, like many other Catskill peaks. The tall ferns that normally dominate the area were all but gone, and travel was easy.
Took a different route down and was glad I did. No cliff bands whatsoever. Some moderately steep sections, but a fairly easy route. Found a very old and faded Budweiser can in the middle of nowhere, and then a shiny, silver mylar balloon a few minutes later. Carried both out. Hit Alder Creek less than half mile from the lake, and followed it down until back on the trail.
On the northern side of Alder Lake, the trail is like a walk in the park. Met several groups of campers, and took a few more photos of CRR across the lake. Picked up quite a bit of litter along the last few hundred yards of trail …. sad, but not surprising given the amount of people camping around the lake. Nearly every site was occupied. Ended up filling a plastic grocery-store bag full of trash today.
As I arrived back at the PA, I felt something on my neck. Pulled a wood tick off that was still crawling around. That’s only the second tick I’ve gotten in the Catskills …. that I know of.
These “little” mountains are so much fun to climb and explore. I don’t even care if I complete this list or not; it’s a great “menu” of neat places that I would not have otherwise known about or taken the time to discover.
I love hiking in the fall and winter.
** PHOTOS **
On the drive down Beaverkill Road, the outside temp gauge dropped from 35F to 33F, and frost covered the grass and fields along the way.
Arrived at the small parking area on Cross Mt Road and began the short hike to Barkaboom around 8:15am. Followed the ridge all the way up and found lots of deer paths, and their tracks in the muddy areas. Arrived at the summit 45 minutes later. Decided to descend via a different route. Noticing the very steep eastern side while driving up Cross Mt Rd, I thought that it might be fun to explore the cliffy sections. All I can say is “wow!” It was even steeper than I expected, and had to scout some of the cliffs to find a safe way down. But well worth the extra effort. (The only negative was I lost my Trail Conference map somewhere on the descent. I normally always keep maps in my zipped pocket. In a moment of laziness, I think I just shoved the map into my front unzipped pocket. No worries, though. NYNJTC members get a nice discount, and these maps were a few years old anyway.)
Arrived back to the PA just before 10am, and then drove over to Alder Lake. I had never been there before, and was struck by the beauty of the area. The remains of the Coykendall Mansion and the lake itself are beautiful. Temps had risen to the low 50’s, so I shed a layer, had a snack, and began hike # 2.
Followed the trail for about 5 minutes or so, and then began the ‘whack. Wide open woods and easy grade at first. Then it got steep. And then even steeper. The moss on the rocks and cliffs and wet leaves made uphill progress slow for a time, but then the grade moderated. Before long, I found myself on the ridge, with the summit just a few hundred feet higher and less than ½ mile away.
The summit is broad and flat, like many other Catskill peaks. The tall ferns that normally dominate the area were all but gone, and travel was easy.
Took a different route down and was glad I did. No cliff bands whatsoever. Some moderately steep sections, but a fairly easy route. Found a very old and faded Budweiser can in the middle of nowhere, and then a shiny, silver mylar balloon a few minutes later. Carried both out. Hit Alder Creek less than half mile from the lake, and followed it down until back on the trail.
On the northern side of Alder Lake, the trail is like a walk in the park. Met several groups of campers, and took a few more photos of CRR across the lake. Picked up quite a bit of litter along the last few hundred yards of trail …. sad, but not surprising given the amount of people camping around the lake. Nearly every site was occupied. Ended up filling a plastic grocery-store bag full of trash today.
As I arrived back at the PA, I felt something on my neck. Pulled a wood tick off that was still crawling around. That’s only the second tick I’ve gotten in the Catskills …. that I know of.
These “little” mountains are so much fun to climb and explore. I don’t even care if I complete this list or not; it’s a great “menu” of neat places that I would not have otherwise known about or taken the time to discover.
I love hiking in the fall and winter.
** PHOTOS **
