High Point in the Gunks

[Tom Rankin]

This is the site of a former fire tower, but we could find absolutely no evidence of it or the cabin. Good in a way...

We started from Sam's Pt. and made a big 9 mile loop out of the hike. We approached from the West on the Carriage roads and took trails most of the way back. Along the way, the views are wide open and great! Lots of scrub pines, animal tracks in the melting snow, including coyote, bobcat, fox, rabbit, birds, etc.

A nice hike before the C35 Dinner!

Pics:

Catskill Panos and closeups

Veerderkill Falls

 

[yvon]

What a gorgeous place.
Thank you Tom.

 

[bigmoose]

Which of the two 2289 bumps is considered the high point - the one a little north of Lake Maratanza or the one south of the Lake, not far from Sams Point, to the NNE?

 

[Mark Schaefer]

Nice photos, Tom. That is a very scenic area.

Which of the two 2289 bumps is considered the high point - the one a little north of Lake Maratanza or the one south of the Lake, not far from Sams Point, to the NNE?

That is a good question for which I have never heard an answer. I suspect one would need to climb (or more correctly visit) both to complete the various prominence lists on which the Shawangunk Ridge is included. I doubt either spot would have a view. That explains the lack of trails and why few hikers would deem the flat 2289' high points worthy of a visit.

You would also need to obtain permission from the Sam's Point Preserve office. They officially prohibit off trail hiking in that area of the Preserve to protect the wildlife and vegetation. However, I have obtained permission to photograph off trail in that general vicinity, so it should be possible. The vegetation is quite thick in some areas and at times impenetrable. Thankfully there are some barrens where it is possible to navigate around on the rock and gravel surfaces to avoid trampling the vegetation. The barrens are covered with blueberry and huckleberry bushes which resemble a vast red carpet in mid October. It can be quite beautiful at peak color, but as it is quite exposed and generally very windy the peak color does not last long.

The "High Point" tower site, which is on a trail, is near a local 2240' high point and about one half mile from the 2289' points. I recall some remnants of the tower anchors at one time, but it has been a few years since my last visit there. Perhaps the vegetation has encroached, or maybe there was an effort to remove them. There is a very good view, even without the former tower.

 

[RoySwkr]

I suspect one would need to climb (or more correctly visit) both to complete the various prominence lists on which the Shawangunk Ridge is included. I doubt either spot would have a view. That explains the lack of trails and why few hikers would deem the flat 2289' high points worthy of a visit.

You would also need to obtain permission from the Sam's Point Preserve office. They officially prohibit off trail hiking in that area of the Preserve to protect the wildlife and vegetation.

I don't see how any ordinary survey method could determine which is higher when both are so flat that the local high point is questionable.

They do allow hunting off-trail, ask for permission to go the week before hunting season to scout.

The "High Point" tower site, which is on a trail, is near a local 2240' high point and about one half mile from the 2289' points. I recall some remnants of the tower anchors at one time, but it has been a few years since my last visit there. Perhaps the vegetation has encroached, or maybe there was an effort to remove them. There is a very good view, even without the former tower.

The footings were obvious 3 years ago, on a ledge well below the summit.
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=41.70573,-74.34234&z=15&t=T

 

[Tom Rankin]

The footings were obvious 3 years ago, on a ledge well below the summit.
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=41.70573,-74.34234&z=15&t=T

If you put your 'x' exactly where you found the remains, it would appear that the tower was neither at the 'height' area (where there are 3 bench marks), nor was it where the map indicates is was, and in both cases, it was about 1,000' away from the aforementioned locations, correct?

 

[RoySwkr]

If you put your 'x' exactly where you found the remains, it would appear that the tower was neither at the 'height' area (where there are 3 bench marks), nor was it where the map indicates is was, and in both cases, it was about 1,000' away from the aforementioned locations, correct?

I didn't take coordinates of the remains, but they were probably where it says "Lookout Tower" on the map. We walked the road past a high bump, then took a side path over. As it was late in the day, we didn't go to "Height".

For coordinates, try:
LY2468 DESIGNATION - HIGH POINT LOOKOUT TOWER
LY2468 PID - LY2468
LY2468 STATE/COUNTY- NY/ULSTER
LY2468 USGS QUAD - NAPANOCH (1956)
LY2468* NAD 83(1996)- 41 42 29.64321(N) 074 20 41.04752(W) ADJUSTED
LY2468 STATION DESCRIPTION
LY2468
LY2468'DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1942 (GWL)
LY2468'THIS INTERSECTION STATION IS THE HIGH POINT LOOKOUT TOWER
LY2468'WHICH IS LOCATED ABOUT 2.5 MILES ESE OF THE TOWN OF ELLENVILLE,
LY2468'ON THE N END OF HIGH POINT. IT IS A FOUR-LEGGED STEEL STRUCTURE
LY2468'ABOUT 50 FEET HIGH WITH A GLASS-ENCLOSED CAB ON THE TOP. IT IS
LY2468'OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF
LY2468'CONSERVATION. THE APEX OF THE ROOF WAS THE POINT OBSERVED ON.
LY2468
LY2468 STATION RECOVERY (1963)
LY2468
LY2468'RECOVERY NOTE BY LOCAL ENGINEER (INDIVIDUAL OR FIRM) 1963
LY2468'STATION RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.

 

[Mark Schaefer]

LY2468* NAD 83(1996)- 41 42 29.64321(N) 074 20 41.04752(W)

Positioning the Acme map at the marked tower location, and converting the coordinates to d m s format yields: N 41 42' 29" W 74 20' 41". So the USGS map would appear to be quite correct. The photo in Martin Podskoch's book "Fire Towers of the Catskills" shows the tower and cabin on the edge of a cleared cliff. As I recall from my last visit in 2006 the old tower site is still a rather large clearing that extends to the cliff edge. The clearing is on the north side of the newly reopened blue blazed Berrypicker Trail -- near the junction with red blazed High Point Trail. The extension of the Berrypicker Trail (perhaps it is still marked as part of the High Point Trail) joins the High Point Carriageway opposite the old unmaintained red trail that descends to the Greater Ellenville Ice Caves.

I see from the Podskoch book that the tower was removed in 1988 and the cabin was slid down down the mountain on skids (presumably down the Smiley Road to Ellenville). I must have narrowly missed the tower as I believe I first visited the tower site in 1989 or 1990. I had once hiked from Lake Minnewaska past Verkeerder Falls to Sam's Point and back in the 1970s, but for some reason I never got over to the High Point Tower area until much later when I started to explore the Greater Ice Caves.

 

[Darl58]

Beautiful pics! Thanks for sharing!