Catskill 35'er

[ajtiv]

Well I went up to the Catskills to finish my Catskill 35 list on Balsam Cap and Rocky over the weekend. I finished the way I started in August 03 with a solo backpack.
I left LI at around 4AM and arrived at the Denning TH at 7am. I geared up and went in to set up camp at the legal site just across the Neversink river.
It was a beautiful clear day in the upper 30s at the start. I got the camp set up and was off at 8:30am happy in the fact that I was going to finish the Catskills; summer anyway, winter to follow.
I followed the herd path along the south side of the Neversink and it was easy going lost the path while crossing back and forth some creeks and run off tributaries coming down for the north side of Table and Lone but pretty easy none the less.
What a great day cool frost on the ground and some melting off the branches as the sun rose over the tops of the southern mountains and hit the trees. Some parts of the Neversink are really gorgeous the way the rock is worn down and the water travelling through over and around the more stubborn bands of rock. Hiking west I kept watching the sun shine drop further and further down the south face of Slide until it reached the valley floor was a great way to watch the time pass as I made my way to the end of the river and my turn south up to the col between BC and Rocky.

All was great until that slip on the dew covered rocks which, before I put my foot down to push off new would slip and tried anyway. Well the river is cold this time of year but not as cold as I thought it would be.
I was probably too mad at myself for doing such a stupid thing that the temperature did not bother me.
So after taking off the boots socks and yes pants and wringing them out as best I could I decided to continue on instead of going back for a change of clothes which was an hour away. I went on a little cold but manageable. As the sun came over to hit me I warmed up and felt pretty good.

I pushed up toward the summit of Rocky actually turning south and then back west to the summit of Rocky. I have read that the summit of Rocky although low in altitude was dense with Balsam and Spruce, after the experience I disagree it was dense but not as bad as others. the ledges on the north face two sections in fact were more difficult to negotiate than the trees. The summit was fairly open and I found the cannister easily. Now only one more to go and I think to myself this is great not too difficult and this is from what I thought the worst of the two summits.
Down the ledges into the col and up to BC a little less than a mile then down to the valley and I am home free.
Well going up BC's west flank I found all the Balsam Spruce and blow down I ever want to see again. Pushing through tree after tree only to find another tree lying down to bar progress. It was about a mile to the summit and two hours of slow flesh slicing advancement. Pants, jacket and gloves did not protect my skin adequately from getting cut and stabbed at.
Well I finally made it and I found the cannister quickly.
Now I am done. I took a little break had a sandwhich and some fluids and pushed back down through the atrocious thick of trees.
Now in the valley I had a nice hike through the open woods and followed the river back to camp. Made some dinner and relaxed read a little before bed.
Sunday was one of the best weather days I can remember. Warm Sunny and low wind. I lounged around camp had a slow enjoyable breakfast and then broke down camp. I was too nice to leave so I made my way up toward Slide and stopped at the Curtis Ormsbee TH just to enjoy the day a bit longer.

What a great bunch of mountains I enjoyed everyone of them and can't wait to hike them all again and all the other trails and trailess peaks I have not made my way through.
This weekend I realized that I love the accomplishment of completing the list but I more enjoy being out there in beautiful weather all you senses alive and drinking in the natural beauty around you what a thrill.

Al
Al

 

[Rik]

Congrats on your 35! Those are two of the four my wife has to finish so we will be heading in there soon. I love the Neversink.

 

[Jay H]

Congrats Al..

Way to go Al, I think I am trying to do Balsam Cap and Friday this winter with Funky Freddy. What have you been up to since the catskills gathering? I was out in Fire Island with Warren about a month ago doing some kayaking, it was my first time I've been east of Jone's Beach! Where in LI are you?

Anyway, there's a marked campsite on the old fisherman's trail along the neversink or is it just a legal one? I've been thinking of doing what you did from Denning, along the neversink but camping between the col between Balsam Cap and Friday. Therefore, possibly slackpacking the thick Balsams to return to camp and then do Friday the next day or something like that...

Jay

 

[hikethe115]

Congratulations!! That is a somewhat unusual combination to save for last. People usually do Lone and Rocky or Balsam Cap and Friday together. The Neversink is a nice area but can be a pain to cross.

I led a hike up Halcott on Saturday for the 3500 club. It was indeed a beautiful day. I think Sunday must have been nicer in the Catskills than up north. I led a hike for Adk up Buck Mountain. It was a nice day but windy and somewhat overcast. It's always nice to be out there though. I agree with you on that.

Hope you'll continue to hike in the Catskills. I love them. They're home for me.

 

[ajtiv]

Well Harry Jay Dawn thanks for the congratulations.
It was a great weekend great weather surroundings and two nice mountains
who could ask for more.
Jay let me know when you and Fred are going in the winter I want to finish the Catskill 35 this winter. I have 18 from last year and need Friday BC and Rocky and was thinking of repeating this past weekends effort maybe in the middle of March to take advantage of longer days.

Dawn I agree wirh you I really wanted to hike Rocky with Lone,Table and Peekamoose but ran out of time last winter and was stuck with that one in the middle not what was planned but in the end it seemed for a backpack better coming in through the Neversink Valley instead of climbing over the steeper east face and finding an area to camp.

Harry see you this summer, Adirondacks here I come, what beer was that you liked best? nevemind I'll figure it out

thanks again all
Al

 

[MattC]

Congratulations Al! I did a club hike to Friday and BC from Moon Haw Road a couple weeks ago, and Lone and Rocky as a solo dayhike last Sunday. Rocky was #32 for me.I still need Vly, Bearpen, West Kill, and the four winter requirements for the 3500 Club. I did L & R the long way, going over Peek first, then back over Table and Peek on the return. I'm glad you didn't hit the dense stuff on Rocky, but apparently the stand you ran into on BC made up for it. My experience was just the opposite. Doing BC with the club was a piece of cake, since we had a herd path most of the way. Conversely, I went through a great deal of timber, both standing and blowdown, on Rocky. It's there, believe me, just not on the side you went in from apparently.

Anyway, it's great that you seem to be looking at finishing the 35 as a beginning, rather than an end. That's how I feel, too. If you're looking for partners for winter dayhikes, post your plans, pm me, or look for my posts. My Catskill winter priorities are of course Panther, Balsam, Slide and Blackhead, along with the three peaks mentioned above. After these, anything goes!

 

[askus3]

Mcorsar: If you want to stall, I certainly have!!! You can finish and celebrate with me. I will finish my Catskill 35s on the magical #35. I am finishing on Westkill on Thursday, June 23, 2005, 35 years to the day from my initial climb of Hunter on June 23, 1970. From what I understand there already is quite a group coming up to celebrate this event with me. It would be nice to have someone else complete the Catskills on this same date to celebrate with. (if you can manage to get a week day off ) Now get those four winter peaks in!

By the way: you are all invited for this celebratory hike. I will clue you in to meeting details closer to the time.

 

[MattC]

Aaron-thanks for the invite. I actually was planning on finishing on West Kill as well, but I'm not sure if I can hold out until June. If I do wait that long, perhaps I will go with you and the others.

Matt

 

[Jay H]

Hey Aaron, I'm looking at my calander for next year... Looks like June 23rd, 2005 was cancelled. Sorry!


Jay H




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Just pulling your leg Aaron. I know how much you have been waiting for this!

 

[Puma concolor]

Belated congrats, ajtiv. I finished on Rocky a few years back but coupled it with Lone as hikethe115 suggests as the more common coupling. Of course, that didn't include having to climb SW Hunter for a 3rd time before "officially" completing the list by finally locating the gosh darn cannister.

 

[askus3]

If someone deletes 6/23 from the 2005 calendar due to some new leap year phenomenon. I just will have to wait till I could become #3500. That was my original desire, but in all reality, I don't know if they will get up to that number in my lifetime.