Mark Schaefer
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Warning. The Giggle Hollow / Belleayre Beach trail is not yet open, despite the information on the Belleayre website. I will be writing to the Belleayre webmaster. It is best to stay off this trail until it officially opens (if it ever does).
A little background
In 2002 while climbing Belleayre I was surprised to see trail signs for two new trails on Belleayre. Neither was shown on any map nor described in any Catskill guidebook. One was the Train Station trail which I hiked last autumn from the Belleayre Train Station on Route 28 to the summit via a series of ski trails. The other new trail is the Belleayre Beach trail which supposedly starts at the swimming area at the Pine Hill Lake day use area just east of Pine Hill, ascends Giggle Hollow, joins the Pine Hill - West Branch trail and then follows the Belleayre Ridge Trail to the summit. On that day in 2002 I located where the Beach Trail departs the Pine Hill - West Branch Trail about 0.15 miles below/north of the junction with the Lost Clove trail. The trail quickly entered private land owned by the proposed Belleayre Resort. It was brushed out and marked with just a little survey tape. Because it was not officially marked and on private land I thought it best not to use the trail until it officially opened.
Ever since I have been chomping at the bit to use this new trail. I passed the junction again in 2004 only to find it in the same unmarked condition. Recently I found the following statement on the Belleayre ski center website:
The Hike
Not being entirely convinced that the Giggle Hollow trail was really open I planned to go up the Cathedral Glen trail which I knew well. The trailhead is at the top of the hill on Depot Street (off of Bonnie View or Mill Street) in Pine Hill. There is no obvious trailhead sign, but there is a wide spot on the side of the road to park. Once parked you will see a small trail sign. The initial 0.5 miles follows the Delaware and Ulster railroad bed to the northwest. Just before a Belleayre Ski Center reservoir the trail makes a sharp left and climbs an old logging road next to Cathedral Brook. The trail passes through a very attractive hemlock glen for 1.1 miles. The tall hemlocks resembling cathedral columns are the origin for the name of the trail and brook.
Three Little Bears
While hiking through the hemlocks I heard some rustling off trail. I looked into the woods expecting to see a deer, but was surprised to find myself only 12 feet from a very small and young mama bear with two teddy bear size cubs. I stopped to allow the bears time to move on. The mother did not appear to be more than 3 years old (if that), but she must have been 4 years. She was no more than 3.5 feet long. I was almost tempted to ask her "aren't you a little young for this?" It had to be her first set of cubs. She never once looked toward me, although it is hard to believe she was unaware of my presence. The cubs also paid no attention to me. At one point they climbed a small tree, and so I thought I must have spooked them. But they immediately scampered back down and were just playing. It was much too dark in the glen under overcast skies to attempt a photo. I had a camera with ASA 50 film and knew it would be impossible. So I just enjoyed the encounter. Despite being Father's day, papa bear was nowhere to be seen.
Once I came to the ski trail portion of the hike I had my second wildlife encounter. I almost stepped on a tightly coiled garter snake. He appeared to be doing his best imitation of a timber rattler, but I knew better. Timber rattle snakes also do not inhabit this section of the Catskills. I continued up the trail to where it departs the ski trail at the third ski trail junction (opposite a roped conjunction of the Roaring Brook and Cathedral Glen ski trails). Blowdowns on this last 0.1 mile section of the trail have knocked down many of the trail markers and obscured the trail. If you lose the trail it is an easy bushwhack up to the wide grassy Belleayre Ridge trail. Alternatively either of the two ski trails provide faster and more direct access to the 3420' Belleayre summit which is at the top of the third (furthest west) ski lift. The middle ski lift was operating. There were about a half dozen riders which were the only people I saw on this hike.
Giggle Hollow Trail
Now I was off to hike down the new Giggle Hollow trail. I passed the site of former fire tower at the 3375' eastern summit at the junction of the Belleayre Ridge and Pine Hill - East Branch Trail. Both of these trails have occasional large orange disc markers. Going up they read "To Belleayre summit". Going down they read "To Belleayre Beach". At the trail junction with the new trail there is a sign pointing to the trail that reads Belleayre Beach 1.7 miles, 1.5 hours (must be "tourist book time"). That sign was there in 2002. But once again the trail is still not marked. However, I now had printouts of the map and the hiking page from the Belleayre website in hand that invited me to hike the new trail. So I was bound and determined to hike it. I figured I could use the printouts to fend off any trespassing charge I might encounter.
Having studied the map I knew the trail was shown on the west side of the hollow. I also knew that junction at the top of the trail was already east side of the hollow. I figured the trail would eventually backtrack to the west. Well it did not. It lead me nearly one mile east of the hollow. I was probably very near site of the proposed new resort hotel and golf course on top of Garretson Ridge. It is an extremely beautiful hardwood forest, and it is hard to imagine this being sacrificed for the resort. Eventually I got to a junction with another old road that led back west. There was a survey tape at the junction (the first I had seen in at least a half mile). I took that as an indication to take the side road back toward Giggle Hollow. Again there were just a few scattered bits of survey tape along this road. Eventually I crossed the Giggle Hollow stream and reached a steep road profusely marked with the large orange trail disks, both up and down the west side of the hollow. I was tempted to follow the trail uphill to see where it led. I suspect it dead ends further up hill. Heading down it did not take long for the markers to become sparse, then nonexistent. There are many old road junctions, and it is quite possible I was not on the intended trail again. I eventually came to the railroad. Through the trees I could see the lake below. There were some posted "no trespassing" signs (first I had seen on the hike) at the start of the road when I reached the railroad. I returned on the railroad bed to my starting point. I had spoken to the owners of the railroad several years ago. Hiking on the old railroad is allowed.
I was disappointed that the Giggle Hollow trail was still not open, even more disappointed at the incorrect information on the Belleayre website. But it was an interesting adventure. Also in case you were wondering. The name of Giggle Hollow is a corruption of the name Guigou, pronounced with a short i: gi-goo. Augustus Guigou built the Empire Tannery in the hollow in 1831.
A little background
In 2002 while climbing Belleayre I was surprised to see trail signs for two new trails on Belleayre. Neither was shown on any map nor described in any Catskill guidebook. One was the Train Station trail which I hiked last autumn from the Belleayre Train Station on Route 28 to the summit via a series of ski trails. The other new trail is the Belleayre Beach trail which supposedly starts at the swimming area at the Pine Hill Lake day use area just east of Pine Hill, ascends Giggle Hollow, joins the Pine Hill - West Branch trail and then follows the Belleayre Ridge Trail to the summit. On that day in 2002 I located where the Beach Trail departs the Pine Hill - West Branch Trail about 0.15 miles below/north of the junction with the Lost Clove trail. The trail quickly entered private land owned by the proposed Belleayre Resort. It was brushed out and marked with just a little survey tape. Because it was not officially marked and on private land I thought it best not to use the trail until it officially opened.
Ever since I have been chomping at the bit to use this new trail. I passed the junction again in 2004 only to find it in the same unmarked condition. Recently I found the following statement on the Belleayre ski center website:
On the same website is an interactive map (with selectable detailed maps) that shows the new "Giggle Hollow Hiking Trail to Belleayre Beach".
The Hike
Not being entirely convinced that the Giggle Hollow trail was really open I planned to go up the Cathedral Glen trail which I knew well. The trailhead is at the top of the hill on Depot Street (off of Bonnie View or Mill Street) in Pine Hill. There is no obvious trailhead sign, but there is a wide spot on the side of the road to park. Once parked you will see a small trail sign. The initial 0.5 miles follows the Delaware and Ulster railroad bed to the northwest. Just before a Belleayre Ski Center reservoir the trail makes a sharp left and climbs an old logging road next to Cathedral Brook. The trail passes through a very attractive hemlock glen for 1.1 miles. The tall hemlocks resembling cathedral columns are the origin for the name of the trail and brook.
Three Little Bears
While hiking through the hemlocks I heard some rustling off trail. I looked into the woods expecting to see a deer, but was surprised to find myself only 12 feet from a very small and young mama bear with two teddy bear size cubs. I stopped to allow the bears time to move on. The mother did not appear to be more than 3 years old (if that), but she must have been 4 years. She was no more than 3.5 feet long. I was almost tempted to ask her "aren't you a little young for this?" It had to be her first set of cubs. She never once looked toward me, although it is hard to believe she was unaware of my presence. The cubs also paid no attention to me. At one point they climbed a small tree, and so I thought I must have spooked them. But they immediately scampered back down and were just playing. It was much too dark in the glen under overcast skies to attempt a photo. I had a camera with ASA 50 film and knew it would be impossible. So I just enjoyed the encounter. Despite being Father's day, papa bear was nowhere to be seen.
Once I came to the ski trail portion of the hike I had my second wildlife encounter. I almost stepped on a tightly coiled garter snake. He appeared to be doing his best imitation of a timber rattler, but I knew better. Timber rattle snakes also do not inhabit this section of the Catskills. I continued up the trail to where it departs the ski trail at the third ski trail junction (opposite a roped conjunction of the Roaring Brook and Cathedral Glen ski trails). Blowdowns on this last 0.1 mile section of the trail have knocked down many of the trail markers and obscured the trail. If you lose the trail it is an easy bushwhack up to the wide grassy Belleayre Ridge trail. Alternatively either of the two ski trails provide faster and more direct access to the 3420' Belleayre summit which is at the top of the third (furthest west) ski lift. The middle ski lift was operating. There were about a half dozen riders which were the only people I saw on this hike.
Giggle Hollow Trail
Now I was off to hike down the new Giggle Hollow trail. I passed the site of former fire tower at the 3375' eastern summit at the junction of the Belleayre Ridge and Pine Hill - East Branch Trail. Both of these trails have occasional large orange disc markers. Going up they read "To Belleayre summit". Going down they read "To Belleayre Beach". At the trail junction with the new trail there is a sign pointing to the trail that reads Belleayre Beach 1.7 miles, 1.5 hours (must be "tourist book time"). That sign was there in 2002. But once again the trail is still not marked. However, I now had printouts of the map and the hiking page from the Belleayre website in hand that invited me to hike the new trail. So I was bound and determined to hike it. I figured I could use the printouts to fend off any trespassing charge I might encounter.
Having studied the map I knew the trail was shown on the west side of the hollow. I also knew that junction at the top of the trail was already east side of the hollow. I figured the trail would eventually backtrack to the west. Well it did not. It lead me nearly one mile east of the hollow. I was probably very near site of the proposed new resort hotel and golf course on top of Garretson Ridge. It is an extremely beautiful hardwood forest, and it is hard to imagine this being sacrificed for the resort. Eventually I got to a junction with another old road that led back west. There was a survey tape at the junction (the first I had seen in at least a half mile). I took that as an indication to take the side road back toward Giggle Hollow. Again there were just a few scattered bits of survey tape along this road. Eventually I crossed the Giggle Hollow stream and reached a steep road profusely marked with the large orange trail disks, both up and down the west side of the hollow. I was tempted to follow the trail uphill to see where it led. I suspect it dead ends further up hill. Heading down it did not take long for the markers to become sparse, then nonexistent. There are many old road junctions, and it is quite possible I was not on the intended trail again. I eventually came to the railroad. Through the trees I could see the lake below. There were some posted "no trespassing" signs (first I had seen on the hike) at the start of the road when I reached the railroad. I returned on the railroad bed to my starting point. I had spoken to the owners of the railroad several years ago. Hiking on the old railroad is allowed.
I was disappointed that the Giggle Hollow trail was still not open, even more disappointed at the incorrect information on the Belleayre website. But it was an interesting adventure. Also in case you were wondering. The name of Giggle Hollow is a corruption of the name Guigou, pronounced with a short i: gi-goo. Augustus Guigou built the Empire Tannery in the hollow in 1831.
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