Catskills Peak Bagging this weekend !!!

[Zer0-G]

I am looking for hiking partners this weekend (Sat and/or Sunday) in the catskills -

I'll be doing both Saturday and Sunday.

This weekend I am open to all options - Listed below in order of preference for this weekend:

1) Indian Head, Twin, Sugarloaf, Plateau

2) Vly, Bearpen, Northdome, Sherril

3) Balsam Lake, Halcott

Next weekend I am leading an AMC weekend trip to: Hunter, Southwest Hunter and Westkill

If anyone is interested in joining me let me know.
As I said, I am open to all options.

I am committed to climbing all of these peaks by 3/21.

 

[alistair]

I can't climb Saturday, maybe Sunday. What are your plans for Sunday?

 

[Zer0-G]

Thanks for replying.

It depends on what type of response I get.
It will involve any of the peaks on the list.
I figure an 8:30 meeting, perhaps a shuttle.
Let me know if you can commit to a day and we can work something out.

Ronnie

 

[Motabobo]

Hello Zer0-G !
I was planning to go this week-end as well. Any peak on this list will do. Since it's a 5 hours drive from where I live, I'm in for all week-end. I'd prefer bushwalks but it's not really an issue. We'd be two.
Let me know.

 

[coldfeet]

Hi guys,

Option #2 sounds good to me BUT the boss told me that I have to complete my "things to do at home list" will let you know tomorrow....Home Depot here I come! gotta learn my cuts for molding with the table saw..

 

[Doodles]

Option #2 or #3 are peaks that I need to climb. At this point Saturday looks like it might work for me. I'll check back to see what develops here.

George

 

[Motabobo]

Just tell me what's going on asap as I need to get my stuff ready by tomorrow night so I can leave right after work on friday

 

[Zer0-G]

Hi,
I sent a private messge to you as well.
I am definately going walking this weekend. So, pack your bags and by tomorrow we will be able to set a meeting place and a game plan.

 

[Zer0-G]

To everyone else who has responded, let me know what your availability is and I'll see what we can wing as far as meeting places and such sometime tomorrow.

Thanks all,
Ronnie

 

[coldfeet]

I'm in for the weekend, long drive for me from Long Island...I'll camp out somewhere....looks like it's Vly and Bearpen on Sat...2 questions..

1. Private property, who do we call?
2. Where to camp out Sat close to the meeting point on sunday? (Sherrill/North dome)

 

[MattC]

I'm in for the weekend, long drive for me from Long Island...I'll camp out somewhere....looks like it's Vly and Bearpen on Sat...2 questions..

1. Private property, who do we call?
2. Where to camp out Sat close to the meeting point on sunday? (Sherrill/North dome)

You don't have to call for Vly and Bearpen if you go up from Halcott Mt. Rd. Take that road north from the Village of Fleishcmanns. Carpool from somewhere and take as few cars as possible to the parking area since there isn't a lot of room. Stop at the handpainted signs that say "private property, do not go on", etc. Park as far on the side of the road as you can and continue walking up the road to the tarpaper hunter's shack in the col. You take old woods roads/snowmobile trails up to Bearpen and for Vly there is a herdpath along the property line. When I first climbed these, I talked to the guy who owns part of the land on Vly and he said to follow the property line. He knows all about the Club and the canister, etc.

As for camping, depending on which side you guys are approaching North Dome/Sherril, you could maybe just camp a little ways into the woods near where the others will be meeting up. If you're approaching from the parking lot on RT 42, there's lots of state land on which to camp.

If you're at the west end of the Devil's Path on Spruceton Rd. it's trickier, since there's only a little corridor of state land around the DP there. The strip of state land on the other side of the road is actually wider, but you'd have to get across the West Kill, which might mean walking up a ways to where the road crosses. You could also walk in a mile or so on the DP to where the state land opens up and base camp somewhere in Mink Hollow.

Matt

 

[Jay H]

Hey guys, I replied to Coldfeet personally since he emailed me privately, but thought I'd add my two cents to the camping situation. You can probably somewhat stealth camp right at the parking area on SR42, since I know the hunters do that in hunting season. They simply camp in that large parking area that you can park to do Sherrill and North Dome. So you could probably quietly camp there without much hassle. Otherwise, you could walk into the woods from there and camp if you don't simply want to set up tent in the parking lot. Just be careful of the briar patches there, lots of them near the telephone line if you go towards the NYC aquaduct piping...

Jay

 

[coldfeet]

Thx Matt and Jay, sure this info will help out..have a nice weekend, sounds like snow on sat night and into sunday..

 

[alistair]

Any plans to hike on Sunday?

 

[coldfeet]

Looks like Northdome/sherrill on sunday

 

[Zer0-G]

I am always amazed at the quality of Knowledge present on this site. Thanks Jay H and mcorsar.

I haven't finalized the plans yet. So I hesitate to say where and when. That will come later today.

For sure, Northdome and Sherril on one day and Bearpen and Vly on the other.

I do have a question.....perhaps Jay H or mcorsar can lend their valuable experience to us all once again.

I was thinking about going to Northdome via the devils path and on to sherrill.
It looks feasible to continue on over Balsam down to the road and then boogy up Halcott. Since there is a road in the middle, a car (or two) can be placed there and if anyone felt like breaking at that point they could.

Does anyone know enough about going from Sherrill over balsam to Halcott to lend some advice?

Merci,

 

[coldfeet]

We're meeting Sat morning app 8:15-8:30 on Route 42 at the Halcot parking lot, will leave some cars there and drive over to the DP and go over North Dome then Sherrill back to the cars, some may continue up to Halcott...

Sunday morning will be the Vly/ Bearpen hike...

gee, I sound like I really know what I'm taking about...

I'll camp out somewhere near the parking lot of Halcott and probably get scared again like a big baby!..

How does that sound?

 

[MattC]

You know, Ronnie, a little more than a year ago, I was asking the same types of questions and getting terrific info and advice. If anything I offer is of use, it's only 'cause I got it from others around here and out there.

As for your question, North Dome>Sherrill>Balsam>Halcott would be a long, strenuous day, but I imagine it's doable. The first time I climbed Halcott was w/ the Club and we were back on the road by noon-I went and did Rusk after. Probably the trickiest part of Halcott is coming back. You have to come back down off the ridge in the right place-you actually might want to intentionally miss the parking lot a little to the north so that you know which way to walk when you get back to the road. I think orienteers actually have a word for that trick.

It doesn't look like much climbing up to Balsam and it shouldn't be too hard to just follow the ridge. One thing to keep in mind is that the walls of Deep Notch are very, very steep. Descending Balsam might be kind of tricky-I'd cut somewhat SW on the way down. That part of the hike might be slow going as you pick out the safest lines down to the Notch.

Alternatively, you could have your spotted car(s) waiting at the other lot on RT 42, the lot on the east side of the road, south of Halcott. It might be easier to climb back down to that lot, then just drive up to the Halcott lot. Maybe not necessary, I dunno.

Matt

 

[Motabobo]

Cool we'll be there.
Are crampons a must for those bushwalks (Bearpen, Vly, North Dome, Sherril, Halcott) or only agressive crampons on snowshoes are enough ? (Tubbs Mountain and MSR Denalis).
Thanks

 

[Zer0-G]

I received the same advice not more than 10 minutes ago from my buddy Ed Goldstein regarding heading southwest from Balsam.
The other lot was something I considered as well. I'll be checking it out on my maps and I'll make a last minute call on Saturday morning.

I'm familiar with Halcott. I climbed it last year in 3 or 4 hours. After My buddy and I did Vly and Bear Pen in the morning.
I agree about over shooting the lot to the north. The key to Halcott is to keep to height of land as much as possible.

Ed G told me, that a very enjoyable hike is from Halcott to Vly. But, he said there lies the nastiest and thorniest stretch of land in all the catskills between the two.