Hunter Mtn. - 1/29/05

[dr_wu002]

The following two links will take the kind sir or madam to a picture documentary extravaganza of my first official Catskill Winter Hike at Hunter Mountain.

The Crew are as follows:
Dr. Wu
Matt (mcorsar)
Harry (Halite)

and we were met by Tony (c'mon, sign up on views!) at Hunter Summit for some chatting and assistance in breaking Hunter Mountain Trail.

Conditions were perfect -- about 10 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny. We ascended Becker Hollow Trail which is moderately steep although I struggled. Snowshoes the entire way first through about 1.5miles of pretty hardwoods and then the final 0.5miles through spruce woods. The open summit area has a firetower with some gorgeous views but for those who want something special, please check out the views from the clearing just a few tenths away. At the Hunter summit we ate and met up with Tony (who read about this hike on VFFT) and two other hikers who has snowshoes up.

After breaking Hunter Mountain Trail, Tony and us parted ways and we continued out on Devil's Path, deciding along the way to save Southwest Peak for another time. We exited the woods at around 3:45pm, right on schedule.

The pictures you're about to look at are contained in two parts. Part one contains shots from Becker Hollow Trail and Hunter Mountain Summit and Firetower. Part Two has pictures from the small clearing and also Devil's Path. Since this was only my second Hike in the Catskills, I found it difficult to identify all peaks so if anyone has a suggestion for a particular picture, e-mail me. I'd appreciate it.

Overall, this was a very lovely day. Matt and Harry and Tony were great company and I do believe the Catskills are quite beautiful. I enjoyed the open hardwoods woods as much as the spectacular views from the summit area. In particular, if you get a chance ever, look out to I believe it's called Spruceton Valley - quite an amazing scene. I hope to return soon and hook up with Matt and Harry again.

The Links:
http://community.webshots.com/album/263642824JjTtgu
http://community.webshots.com/album/263643326YnKiRc

Regards,

Dr. Wu

 

[MattC]

Hey Wu,

It was great hiking w/ you and Halite as well. I appreciate the drive you guys made, and hope to hike w/ you both again. You obviously really appreciate the distinctive terrain of the Catskills. Great pics-when I have more time, I'll try to help ID some of those peaks. You're correct on a lot of it.

It was indeed a spectacular day to be up there. Great snow, lotsa sun, just a little wind, ice, animal tracks, views, good trail conditions, fellow VFTTers-who could ask for more? It was interesting finally hiking w/ people I actually met through this site. (I've hiked w/ a couple VFTTers I met other ways)
Like Halite said, the power of the internet. Tony was definitely a cool guy to hike with as well. Maybe we can coax him out of the shadows yet.

Matt

 

[Halite]

Thanks for getting the hike together, Dr. Wu. It was great being out there on a gorgeous winter day with some guys who really appreciated the Catskills and winter hiking. I know my wife felt better I was out in the woods in the winter with a couple of strangers I had met on the internet

Tony had me laughing when he came hiking up the Spruceton trail, saw us on the Hunter fire tower and said, "Dr. Wu, I presume." Turns out he reads VFTT regularly, but doesn't post. One of the friendlier lurkers you'll ever meet.

Hope to get out hiking with you guys again soon.

 

[ROCKYSUMMIT]

Hey Guys, It's Tony. You Dragged Me From Out Of The Shadows!
Great Weather,great Views & Great Company.
Dr. Wu, Your Photos & Memory Of The Peaks Were Excellent!
Hope To Do Another Trip Soon, Maybe Westkill.
Send Me An E-mail. See You On The Trail.
Tony

 

[MattC]

lurker no more

Hey Tony-welcome aboard! Be careful, this website can be dangerously addictive!
Wu, I've reviewed the pics a bit more.
Set 1-#14 is definitely West Kill, w/ the long, snaky ridgeline. I think you're correct w/ #26-If that's Doubletop, then it's Big Indian in front of it, and Panther's long northern ridge (w/ false summits) before that.

Set 2- I believe #1 (and #3) is Ashokan High Point, w/ lesser peaks (Tremper? Tobias?) in the foreground. If I'm right, the mist would be coming off the Ashokan Reservoir
I think that little guy in #2 is Tobias. It seems to be the correct angle, since that's definitely the Shawangunk Ridge in the background(the second line from the back)Again, the mist in between the Catskills and the 'Gunks would be from the Reservoir
#4 -I think this may be your only incorrect diagnosis, Dr. Definitely correct about Slide and Table, but those other peaks would be Wittenberg, Cornell and Friday, I believe. Those aren't Big Indian, Fir, Spruce and Hemlock-they're all in the BI Wilderness Area, the next area west of Slide and it's neighbors
#7 is like #26 from set 1, that's definitely Panther's long northern approach, followed by the Big Indian-Eagle-Balsam Ridge, then D-Top in back
#8-Hmmm, indeed-I don't know the angle, but these are maybe some of the lesser peaks between Hunter and Slide, like Sheridan, Tremper, Romer, Garfield and Pleasant

Please don't hold me to any of this, you make want a second opinion. Even if I'm wrong about some of them, it was fun to study them. In any case, they're great photos. Some of those shots make your enthusiasm for Spruceton Valley contagious. I'll find that frozen sea monster yet...

Matt

 

[hikethe115]

I'm glad you guys had such a great hike! How do you like winter Matt? Looks like you've had the chance to really experience it now! Have you done your West Kill hike yet????

 

[MattC]

Hey Dawn,

I've not done West Kill yet. Funny, I was so anxious about bagging everything for awhile and now that I'm almost done, I almost feel like putting it off-I'll get around to it sooner or later. At the moment, I'm just enjoying hiking for it's own sake. Also, I'd like to do Doubletop again soon, since that's the only canister I couldn't find. I had a great time when I climbed D-Top, found the plane wreck, got some views, explored the summit for an hour, but I just couldn't find the canister. I imagine I didn't go far enough north to the other peak.

As for the winter hiking, I'm definitely beginning to understand the allure. All through the fall I was reading all these people's posts, and thinking, "wow, so many of them are really anxious for winter to arrive." I now understand why. At times on this Hunter hike, and also the Blackheads hike w/ Harry R and company, I was having such a blast that I was laughing out loud. Like Don L says, "when you live in the northeast, you have to embrace the winter."

Hiking in the winter has even deepened my appreciation for the undeveloped areas near my place, around the Wallkill and the rail trail. By the way, I recently realized that I've already done 1 item from the Views and Brews list-but it's not really fair, since the rail trail is actually the way I get to the Gilded Otter and it only takes about 5 minutes! I'll try to remember to stop for a beer the next time I go out to Gertude's Nose to make this one more challenging. Hope to hike w/ you again soon. I may be up for Peek and Table on 2/13 if I'm not doing something else.

Matt

 

[dr_wu002]

Great Day!

Tony: Glad you signed up! Thanks for catching up with us on the summit -- it was great meeting you

Matt: Hope you find the Sea Monster. Let me know when you're finally hiking West Kill -- you should do it in Winter!

Harry: Hope you can come out again. I had a great time hiking with you.

All: Perhaps next weekend (2/12ish) I'll be back in the Catskills for more fun and excitement. I'll be in touch!

Regards,

Dr. Wu

 

[Jay H]

A good trip for West Kill (in the summertime at least) it might be a long winter hike if there is unbroken snow is to start on Spruceton Road and do West Kill, the nice viewpoint down to Diamond Notch Falls and the bridge. Then bushwack east on the West Kill (the stream that the bridge goes over) for a short distance, 1/3 mile or so and then head straight up to SW Hunter. (I'd have to see if there is a good landmark to use for this). This completely avoids the thick spruce that is on the east and west summit of the peak.

My friend and I did SW hunter from Diamond Notch Leanto and had to go through some really thick trees on the first nub which is between the canister and the leanto. But on the way back, we decided to simply head roughly north towards the West Kill. And then we headed west til we hit the bridge. Turned out to be a very easy bushwack in terms of missing all the thickness in the process. It's also somewhat of a different challenge than following the RR path or so.

Nice pictures Dr. Wu, BTW...

Jay

 

[dr_wu002]

For my next hike in the Catskills (in a week or two?) I would like to do the Blackhead Ridge (Thomas Cole, Black Dome, Blackhead). The views of it from Hunter were spectacular. I want to go there! Anyone know how road access is this time of year or any other logistics??

Regards,

Dr. Wu

 

[MattC]

Jay-When I did SW Hunter in Oct. I part of that route you describe, except in reverse. After hitting the canister as a 'whack from DA lean-to, I decided to make a longer day out of it (I wasn't interested in the fire tower that day) by going down the north side to the West Kill. It is indeed much more open than the spruce stands on the other side, as you point out. I just had to be careful of footings on that slope-lots of mossy rocks, loose boulders, blowdown, leaves, holes, etc. Definitely an interesting route, and beautiful country to travel through.

Wu, I can see you've got the Catskill bug. I remember viewing the Blackheads from Hunter and thinking the same thing. I just hiked them for my second time a couple weeks ago, so I probably wouldn't be up for a return trip real soon. I'm sure somebody out there would be, though. As for the roads, I think I'll start a thread about Catskill road conditions, since I'm curious about Platte Clove Rd. I'll throw in your ? about the roads around the Blackheads as well. When we did them it was before the "big" storm, and the lot at the end of Big Hollow Rd was already fairly snowy. There was a little ice on 23 C that day between East Jewett and Maplecrest, otherwise the roads were pretty clean. No idea what they're like now. Also, the 3500 Club is running an all-three-Blackheads hike on 2/20 w/ Ken Hubert leading. Let me know if you want me to pm his phone #. I think he's a VFTTer anyway, it you can find his profile.

Matt

Matt

 

[Tom Rankin]

Also, the 3500 Club is running an all-three-Blackheads hike on 2/20 w/ Ken Hubert leading. Let me know if you want me to pm his phone #. I think he's a VFTTer anyway, it you can find his profile.

That would be:

Ken

 

[Mark Schaefer]

Nice photos Dr. Wu. Sounds like it was a great hike. You and Matt did a good job id'ing the peaks. Some additional notes on the photos. Mountains noted as they appear from left to right in the photos.
Set 1 - #5 Huntersfield
#6 Richmond, Richtmeyer, and Pisgah (dark peak to the right - dark stuff is reforestation areas) rising over Cave (Ski Windham is on the north slope of Cave - not visible)
#8 Arizona (SE summit of Blackhead), (Dutcher Notch), Stoppel Point
#9 Roundtop and Kaaterskill High Peak (P.S. the names, reversed in the mid-19th century were more descriptive)
#17 the eastern ridge of Rusk
#18 Rusk and its eastern ridge
#20 Pisgah, Hayden, Windham High Peak. The top of the Colonel's Chair (Hunter Ski Center in foreground).
#24 Wittenberg, Cornell, Peekamoose, Table, and Slide
#25 Panther and Fir
#26 Fir, Doubletop (over Big Indian), Graham (over Eagle), (all over the north ridge of Panther), Balsam Lake at far right
#27 Plateau with Sugarloaf visible over the middle of Plateau

Set 2 - #1 Ashokan High Point rising directly over Carl
#2 Ticetonyck rising over Tobias, over an unnamed long ridge often called Silver Hollow. And as Matt noted that is the Shawangunk Ridge from Mohonk to Minnewaska in the distance.
#3 Ashokan High Point and Little Rocky (not to be confused with the one next to Plateau) rising over Carl and Tremper
#4 same peaks as in #24 in set 1
#6 Westkill with Belleayre's ski slopes just to its left
#7 Doubletop (over Big Indian), Graham (over Eagle), (both over the north ridge of Panther), and part of Balsam Lake at far right
#8 (right portion of #7) Doubletop, Graham, Balsam Lake, Balsam
#22 and 30 These are both of the western side of Plateau. Spruce Top is not visible even in set 1 #27 from the fire tower. The best view of Spruce Top is from Danny's Lookout on the west end of Plateau, a short distance east of Orchard Point.

 

[Jay H]

Matt, Yeah, I might actually go do SW Hunter this saturday.. I might ski up from Diamond Notch past the leanto and then don Snowshoes to get to SW Hunter and then return.. I haven't yet skied the catskills (other than a day at Frost Valley) so I know the Diamond Notch trail is wide and also a horse trail so I might try that on saturday). I was thinking of doing something with Hermit on sunday but it now turns out I am busy.

Jay

 

[dr_wu002]

Thanks Mark!

When I get the chance I'll try to edit the captions for those photos.

Anyone interested in Blackhead & Escarpment this weekend?

-Dr. Wu

 

[imarchant]

For my next hike in the Catskills (in a week or two?) I would like to do the Blackhead Ridge (Thomas Cole, Black Dome, Blackhead). The views of it from Hunter were spectacular. I want to go there! Anyone know how road access is this time of year or any other logistics??

Regards,

Dr. Wu

The first good viewpoint on the ascent of Tom Cole from the west has an awsome view to the south of the Devils path range, including Hunter. It has been my favorite view I have seen yet. I did this route a few years ago, except left the escarpment at the col between Acra point and Burnt Knob. descending the Blackdome Range trail to Big Hollow Rd. I think its about 9 miles from the end of Barnum Rd. The road acces up Barnum Road should be fine. Big Hollow Rd is probably passable, but may be full of potholes. Rt 23 will be in fine shape. If you go this weekend, the weather is looking great.

 

[Skennenden]

two other hikers on Hunter Mt.

I was just reading trail reports and realized that we were the other two hikers on Hunter, Jan.29th. Great pictures! It was a beautiful day. We can't wait to do another Catskill snowshoe hike when it snows again.