Green Mtns vs. Catskills

[Puma concolor]

Not which is tougher ... which is better?

Both are cool and great places to get lost in without nearly so much hiker traffic as in some other, ahem, higher ranges. I'm going with the Green Mountains just 'cuz Vermont is so damn laid back.

 

[Mark Schaefer]

Good topic! Now that the older siblings with egos are off fighting it out about who is tougher; the little kids can come out and play.

As younger and smaller children, both ranges tend to get overlooked and ignored by most adults. That is often a good thing. It allows us more freedom to do our own thing and have more fun. Both ranges have their peak lists, but they are all more laid back and less stressful. Perhaps the Greens are a bit more laid back, but Cats are cool and feign disinterest in such matters.

Compared to the big boys, both ranges have more round green hills which may be shorter, but they are tall enough. The Long Trail, Long Path, and other long traverses in both ranges can kick butts.

The Greens get more snow and have more skiing. The Cats have less mud and fewer bugs.

Some peaks in the Greens are more lofty with alpine zones. The Cats have tend to have more wild streams, deep cloves, and tall waterfalls.

The Greens have awesome color in the autumn. The Cats can throw a good hissy fit during thunder storms, and who doesn't enjoy watching a good cat fight.

It is a close call, and there is probably no right answer. But I will temporarily even the score by voting for the Cats. We Cats are loyal; even if it is not always obvious to the casual observer.

 

[Head]

Both have their finer points. The Cats have fantastic rock (for climbing), but views are more limited than the Green counterpart. Also, as Puma stated, the Greens are way more chill. As a NYer, I should be voting for the Cats...but.....The Greens have my vote!

 

[mookie]

its obvious. Greens, only because the cats are in New York

 

[ColdRiverRun]

its obvious. Greens, only because the cats are in New York

Damn you Mookie, damn you! Actually the part that sucks most about the ADK and Catskills is that they are in NY. Of course a lot of funding dollars are being pumped out of NYC for them too. Maybe we could move them both to Vermont and still have NYC foot the bill? Oh wait, that doesn't make sense...gas prices and all.

 

[John H Swanson]

Theft in VT

While the Green Mtns have some really nice hiking places, there is a serious trailhead break-in problem that the local police seem to be ignoring. At least when my friend reported the break in to her car the cops ho-humed it saying there was nothing they could do. I guess they just don't care about tourists.

I have experience of break-ins at 3 different trailheads at differnt parts of the state. I was even awaken in the middle of the night when sleeping in my car by people casing the car to see if it was worth breaking in.

For that reason I avoid hiking in VT.

I have no bad expereinces in the Catskills with many more trips there. Even left my wallet on the car seat one time by mistake at a remote trailhead.

 

[Guthook]

It's been a while since I've hiked in the Catskills, but I've been trying to get back there for a while. I seem to recall much fewer people crowding the hiking trails (except in certain state park areas, like North-South Lake on holiday weekends). Maybe that's just my imagination, though.

Green Mountains definitely have more established campsites and good privies. I like the more remote feel of the Catskills, though. Tough decision until I get back to the Cats to re-inform my opinion!

 

[mookie]

While the Green Mtns have some really nice hiking places, there is a serious trailhead break-in problem that the local police seem to be ignoring. At least when my friend reported the break in to her car the cops ho-humed it saying there was nothing they could do. I guess they just don't care about tourists.

I have experience of break-ins at 3 different trailheads at differnt parts of the state. I was even awaken in the middle of the night when sleeping in my car by people casing the car to see if it was worth breaking in.

For that reason I avoid hiking in VT.

I have no bad expereinces in the Catskills with many more trips there. Even left my wallet on the car seat one time by mistake at a remote trailhead.

Strange,
what part of vt were you in? if i had to guess i would say southern sections? knock on wood, but i have never had a problem and have left my car at VT trailhead probably +/- 50 times.
There are dirt bags everywhere though.....

 

[Puma concolor]

Great analysis, Mark S, but even with your vote and sound argument, this is shaping up as an early blowout. Greens 6, Catskills 1. Another example of New England taking it to New York.

 

[Jay H]

Aren't all the mountains green? Even the Whites are "green"!

jay

 

[Peakbagr]

They are both great.

Time and family committments kept me from completing the Long Trail years ago and have the top 1/3 of 'unfinished business' to go.
In the last couple of years I've been chipping away at some of the 3k Vt peaks.
And I've also done a good amount of hiking in the Catskills.

There is nothing in the Catskills to compare with Mansfield, Camel's Hump or Abe. But some of the other taller VT peaks have far-away views of other mountains. Remove M'field and CH and the comparison becomes closer.

The Cats have the views from North-South Lake, Blackhead, Wittenburg, Westkill, Van Wyck, BLM, Slide, Bellayre. Also nothing in VT approximates the peaks, drops and rock on the Devil's Path and elsewhere. The Catskills have cliffs and rockbands everywhere.

Vermont's woods have less posted land and fewer out of area property owners. And the woods in the southern half of VT are wonderful for bushwhacking - without a lot of blowdown and few areas of prickers. And did we talk about the Moose that are everywhere?

IMO, VT has the edge of spectacular terrain with its two tall peaks and their ridges. But the Cats have more spectacular terrain over more distance.
VT has a bundle of trailless 3k peaks and the Catskills do as well. Those VT 3k peaks have fun-to-find and read canisters. The Catskill 3500ers have a 13 or 14 of those with canisters.
The Catskill100 have have the majority of peaks that are truly trailless.

As I said, I love to hike in both areas and fortunate enough to be within easy driving of them both. Hard to make the call on this.

 

[John H Swanson]

Strange,
what part of vt were you in? if i had to guess i would say southern sections? knock on wood, but i have never had a problem and have left my car at VT trailhead probably +/- 50 times.
There are dirt bags everywhere though.....

The sleeping in the car incident was in the north by Jay.
The indiffernent cops were by rutland.
The third incident was further south on one of the infrequent passes between Stratton and Killington.

 

[mookie]

The sleeping in the car incident was in the north by Jay.
The indiffernent cops were by rutland.
The third incident was further south on one of the infrequent passes between Stratton and Killington.

that stinks! Rutland is like its own state, i feel it is very different than the rest of VT and i try and stay away from RutVegas as much as possible. Hopefully you will reconsider hiking in VT, but keep in mind that break-ins do happen everywhere. sounds like you were just very unfortunate in Vermont.

and as mentioned above, Vermont does have the Long Trail which is fantastic. not sure anything in the Cats compares to that......

 

[vegematic]

Aren't all the mountains green? Even the Whites are "green"!

jay

The Whites and others may be green but they aren't Green.

I voted for the Greens.

 

[Mark Schaefer]

this is shaping up as an early blowout. Greens 6, Catskills 1. Another example of New England taking it to New York.

That's OK, and I am not surprised. Our percentage has improved a bit: now at Greens 11, Catskills 4. It is all in good fun. There are advantages in the Cats being overlooked and remaining a better kept secret.

As Peakbagr suggests; how can cute cuddly Cats compete with the Camel's Hump, Mansfield, and the other above treeline summits? Our Cats are more aloof than lofty, more subtle than superlative.

And then there is the real problem with Cats. They will head butt, poke, and claw you. In our Bushwhack Range the dense conifers impede, whack, and needle you. Elsewhere the stinging nettles and brambles will tear away your flesh. Perhaps the Greens have the same problem on their lower 3Ks and 2Ks which I have only sampled a bit.

Catskill and Green Mountain hikers and residents are both hip and cool. But the Catskill crowd is perhaps more eclectic. Can the Greens match the Catskills' hiking duck, emu, and goats? And Woodstock, NY is way more weird than Woodstock, VT.

 

[Paradox]

Troll alert: How come the Longfellow Mountains get left out of all these comparisons?

 

[adktyler]

Yea, without reading all the replies, I already know the answer. The Catskills of course!! They're in NY, land of the Adirondacks. What more do you need to know?!?

 

[Tom Rankin]

Yea, without reading all the replies, I already know the answer. The Catskills of course!! They're in NY, land of the Adirondacks. What more do you need to know?!?

You go boy! Actually, I really can't decide, even though I LOVE the Catskills, I love Vermont too. I love 'em all!

 

[Hikes4fun]

Greens for skiing.....Cats for hiking

 

[cushetunk]

Greens for skiing.....Cats for hiking

there is no skiing in the Greens. and if there were, it would only be on bald hil... i've said too much already.




and i just voted for the catskills because, no matter which is indeed better, the cats deserve more than 7 votes.