Double Trouble? H&F do DoubleTop

[halia and flammeus]

Our 34th of the 35 started with a healthy dose of trepidation. Driving out to the trailhead, it seemed that closer we got, the nastier the weather looked. Elsewhere in the Catskills, the sun shone, but out west the mountains looked snow-covered, and clouds sat atop summits threatening viewless cold and damp peak bagging.

At the trailhead, two older (than us) gentlemen readied themselves for the trail. I was interested because they didn’t look like hikers, but they also clearly were not hunters. They headed off, and we followed a few minutes behind them. Of course, because I’m nosy , I checked the register to see who I was sharing the mountain with – and I was delighted to discover that one of those men was Michael Kudish – author of Catskill Forests, whose work is well known to many who post here.

We caught up with Dr. Kudish and his hiking companion just past the Flat Iron Brook crossing. His friend, Dick, weighed in on the Mary Smith Hill question (I asked for Jay H). Mary Smith was a settler in that area. Dick said he met her when he was a little boy. He says her son, Percy, sold the land and moved to Delhi years ago, and recently died (6 or 7 years ago).

We travelled with Dr. K and Dick for about another half mile or so, through half inch deep snow, on the woods road. At the plank bridge, we said our goodbyes: Dr. Kudish was headed for Pigeon Notch, where he was planning to do some vegetation studies, for updating the book. He was taking elevation bearings using a beautiful brass barometer and doing the calculations. Dick sent us up toward the north summit of DT and the canister.

It was just plain up. Side hilling to the max. Saw tons of mouse footprints, and heard chickadees galore. At approx 3500 ft (I’m guessing) we went through an area of frosty trees. Very pretty, but a little ominous – it was getting chilly and breezy and I was soaking wet from the climb. The snow was about 2 inches deep at its deepest – Dr. K. told us it was from yesterday’s squall.

Up top there seemed to be a maze of herdpaths. We eventually found the canister, but I was frozen at that point. We signed in, ate a quick snack, and I changed out of all my wet clothes. I’m pretty sure I saw snowshoe hare tracks all around the canister area.

And then we zipped back down. I was disappointed – I had heard about a stunning view from a ledge just south of the summit – but there were no views while we were up there. We were in a cloud – totally socked in. Oh well – another day. I am a fairly small person, and get cold quick, but Flammeus is a beefy 200lb guy - and when I was trying to take a few photos of the frosty trees, his hands went completely numb. It was a raw nasty cold up there.

Back at the Dry Brook, the half inch or so of snow from 3 hours earlier had all melted. It was probably 15 degrees warmer down by the brook. That was good because on the last brook crossing, Flammeus decided to go for a dip – big splash and water up to his knees . He squelched back to the car and dry socks and shoes.

And so Doubletop is done. We’re almost there…

photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30705651@N02/

 

[Jay H]

Hey, H&F, nice trip, thanks for the Mary Smith thing... Dr Kudish was at the Kingston dinner and sat at our table after being chauffeured by Tom and Laurie. He's a affiable gentleman an obvious catskill's scholar. You coming next year? It's in Kingston and it's always a fun time, plus, you'll get your certificate for the catskills too.

I'm not sure if the viewpoint is the same as the one I know but it's south of the south peak of doubletop, like if you were heading back towards the Bisquick Brook leanto, you drop off the ledges on the south peak, perhaps find the plane wreck and you'll hit a flat ledge that is good bit wide before it drops down again. If you follow this ledge which is somewhat around 3500' south, you'll hit an open viewpoint that is fairly nice. Not sure if this is the same one that you mention though.. It's kind of out of the way if you're coming from flat iron brook and Seager.

Cool that you met Dr. K.! That would be a great trip indeed..

Jay

 

[Tom Rankin]

Strange, we did a whack yesterday, we all stayed pretty dry and warm. The mountains are funny things, aren't they!

When and where is the last hike?

 

[halia and flammeus]

Strange, we did a whack yesterday, we all stayed pretty dry and warm. The mountains are funny things, aren't they!

When and where is the last hike?

The weather seems to be messing with our planning of the last hikes. We need Fir, and have been trying to coordinate with Peakbagr and Edelweiss to grab Spruce as well. So far we've been "weathered out" a bunch of times.

Our goal is to get Fir between now and 12/21, and finish on Blackhead on 12/21.

Of course the lists are beginning to overlap - we are doing Cat100s here and there... not "working" on it as a list, just hiking. My next formal list is to do all the trails in the NYNJTC map set. Is there a patch for that?

 

[MattC]

We caught up with Dr. Kudish and his hiking companion...

Nice that you got to meet them. Dr. K is a gentleman and a scholar.

Saw tons of mouse footprints...

Cool. Sometimes those first snows make for great tracks.

At approx 3500 ft (I’m guessing) we went through an area of frosty trees. Very pretty, but a little ominous – it was getting chilly and breezy and I was soaking wet from the climb.

3500' is usually about where the boreal forest begins in the Catskills, so
if the frosty trees were spruce and/or fir, your estimate is probably accurate.
As the Catskills' tallest trailless peak, Doubletop canseem a little ominous given the right conditions. My first hike of Doubletop I was alone, and had only been hiking the Catskills a few months. It was in late October, and there was frost and a bit of snow in the boreal forest on the summit. It did feel a little foreboding.

I’m pretty sure I saw snowshoe hare tracks all around the canister area.

That's more than likely. They definitely like those boreal summits, and I remember an absolute maze of their tracks on Doubletop when I was up there in winter. That summit would probably be a good place to quietly sit and wait to see them, maybe on a less cold day.

Anyway, sounds like a memorable hike. Glad the polar bear dip was on the way out.

Matt

 

[halia and flammeus]

Anyway, sounds like a memorable hike. Glad the polar bear dip was on the way out.

Matt[/QUOTE]

Tee hee. Once certain Tom was ok, and of course, knowing we were moments away from dry socks and shoes, I did laugh at his misfortune. Ok - truth be told - guffaw would be the operative word.

I can't wait to get out there in the summer and hike up that behemoth so that I can splash around on the way out intentionally. In fact, I am hoping to entice my teenage daughters to head out there with me - I think they would discover a love of "hiking" if they got to play in the Dry Brook on a hot summer afternoon. I know - summer means low water in the creek and mucho vegetation on the hill - but I'm hoping for miraculous timing and luck!

Meanwhile - 2 more hikes to go...

 

[mudhook51]

The existing view is to the west of the summit, there is a view on the south peak along the state line. There are also views to the north just below the summit if you can climb the large erractic boulders.