teejay
New member
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2003
- Messages
- 521
- Reaction score
- 61
I've just returned from my promised scouting trip to the Catskills.
Yesterday I traveled on down to Phoenicia to meet up with Warren who has adopted Terrace Mt. lean-to. Short trip report: The trail from Woodland Valley campground parking area is in excellent condition. The first section is moderately steep but then turns into a pleasant woods walk. I hardly got my boot soles wet the first 2.6 miles to the junction with the Wittenberg Mt. trail. The next .9 miles down to the lean-to had some easy blow down to get over or under and there is some inconsequential mud. The lean-to and privy are in excellent condition and will remain that way as long as their excellent steward is in charge. Thank you, Warren.
After I left the woods, I drove the short distance (~1.3 miles) back down Woodland Valley Road to Hide-A-Way Campground where I talked with the owner, Ed. I told him that I was with a group that might be interested in a group-type site for our September get-together. He asked, "You mean 30-40 people, something like that?" He said he had the perfect spot for that and would welcome us. I drove up to look at the accomodations. There is a large multiple tent site as well as a number of smaller 1-2 tent sites. It is well isolated from the rest of the campground. There is water and electric available. There are Porta-Potties as well. On walking around the large site, it is obvious that it has been "partied hard". There are a number of picnic tables and fire locations, I wouldn't call them rings.
On the downside: Parking could be a bit tight but Ed will work with us on that. The campground does not have showers. Ed said most people drive to the Woodland Valley campground and use the coin-op showers. If you are hiking from that trailhead just bring your shower stuff with you. The site was not terribly clean when I visited but the campground hasn't opened for the season yet, so that could change. We could have a mini-contest for the Gatherer who collects the most beer bottle tops or cigarette butts. Okay, it's not the Wittenberg Hilton but you can stay there, if you prefer. (If you know where it is. BTW, it doesn't have showers, either.)
The upside: Location, location, location. If you have the Catskill map series, Map 42, Section K6, upper right corner. Right at the "d" in Woodland. As Warren said, the Wittenberg-Cornell-Slide trailhead is sort of the Garden or Heart Lake-like trailhead of the Catskills. The State campground is abutted by private land. Ed mentioned that the state has been very unaccomodating to groups probably because of pressure from the private landowners who would undoubtedly be awakened from a sound sleep by the sound of a beer being cracked at 10:30 on a Saturday night. I think this private campground will be much more accomodating to us and we can be "ourselves" more comfortably. Ed didn't have a large belt buckle.
After my visit to the campgrond, I went back to the trailhead to leave a message for Warren when out he walked from the woods. We went into Phoenicia Village (~3 miles) for something to eat. There appear to be lots of great possibilities for breakfast or dinner but many of them were closed because ski season is over and summer doesn't start until Memorial Day. We ate at the Phoenicia Hotel, which was not fancy. I had soup which was forgetable and coffee, which was fine. Warren had a sandwich and a salad that, due to its size, was unforgetable. Our waitress was very young, maybe one of the owner's kids. She didn't have a leather apron.
I'm sure more exploration would find camping with more amenities. But unless there is an uproar of protest against Hide-A-Way, I will go ahead and plop down a sizable deposit for the weekend of September 17 and 18 to include the large group site and additional tent sites.
Comments?
teejay
Yesterday I traveled on down to Phoenicia to meet up with Warren who has adopted Terrace Mt. lean-to. Short trip report: The trail from Woodland Valley campground parking area is in excellent condition. The first section is moderately steep but then turns into a pleasant woods walk. I hardly got my boot soles wet the first 2.6 miles to the junction with the Wittenberg Mt. trail. The next .9 miles down to the lean-to had some easy blow down to get over or under and there is some inconsequential mud. The lean-to and privy are in excellent condition and will remain that way as long as their excellent steward is in charge. Thank you, Warren.
After I left the woods, I drove the short distance (~1.3 miles) back down Woodland Valley Road to Hide-A-Way Campground where I talked with the owner, Ed. I told him that I was with a group that might be interested in a group-type site for our September get-together. He asked, "You mean 30-40 people, something like that?" He said he had the perfect spot for that and would welcome us. I drove up to look at the accomodations. There is a large multiple tent site as well as a number of smaller 1-2 tent sites. It is well isolated from the rest of the campground. There is water and electric available. There are Porta-Potties as well. On walking around the large site, it is obvious that it has been "partied hard". There are a number of picnic tables and fire locations, I wouldn't call them rings.
On the downside: Parking could be a bit tight but Ed will work with us on that. The campground does not have showers. Ed said most people drive to the Woodland Valley campground and use the coin-op showers. If you are hiking from that trailhead just bring your shower stuff with you. The site was not terribly clean when I visited but the campground hasn't opened for the season yet, so that could change. We could have a mini-contest for the Gatherer who collects the most beer bottle tops or cigarette butts. Okay, it's not the Wittenberg Hilton but you can stay there, if you prefer. (If you know where it is. BTW, it doesn't have showers, either.)
The upside: Location, location, location. If you have the Catskill map series, Map 42, Section K6, upper right corner. Right at the "d" in Woodland. As Warren said, the Wittenberg-Cornell-Slide trailhead is sort of the Garden or Heart Lake-like trailhead of the Catskills. The State campground is abutted by private land. Ed mentioned that the state has been very unaccomodating to groups probably because of pressure from the private landowners who would undoubtedly be awakened from a sound sleep by the sound of a beer being cracked at 10:30 on a Saturday night. I think this private campground will be much more accomodating to us and we can be "ourselves" more comfortably. Ed didn't have a large belt buckle.
After my visit to the campgrond, I went back to the trailhead to leave a message for Warren when out he walked from the woods. We went into Phoenicia Village (~3 miles) for something to eat. There appear to be lots of great possibilities for breakfast or dinner but many of them were closed because ski season is over and summer doesn't start until Memorial Day. We ate at the Phoenicia Hotel, which was not fancy. I had soup which was forgetable and coffee, which was fine. Warren had a sandwich and a salad that, due to its size, was unforgetable. Our waitress was very young, maybe one of the owner's kids. She didn't have a leather apron.
I'm sure more exploration would find camping with more amenities. But unless there is an uproar of protest against Hide-A-Way, I will go ahead and plop down a sizable deposit for the weekend of September 17 and 18 to include the large group site and additional tent sites.
Comments?
teejay
![Yellowstone National Park [Map Pack Bundle] (National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51kGuJ72qjL._SL500_.jpg)
![Grand Canyon, North and South Rims [Grand Canyon National Park] (National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/419Y-ycyVUL._SL500_.jpg)
![Grand Teton Day Hikes and National Park Map [Map Pack Bundle] (National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41DB0jvRnbL._SL500_.jpg)
