New Yorkers: What Snowcapped peak could I see from I-84?

[Gator]

On Friday on I-84 I was heading downhill toward the Hudson in Dutchess County, somewhere around Fishkill. I was still at a pretty high elevation and had a really nice view to the north. To the northwest I could see one, large snowcapped mountain. It looked really big, but too close to be an adirondack. It did look kinda close to be a catskill though too. edit: after looking at a map it probably wasn't too close to be a catskill peak, slide probably?

Any guesses as to what I was looking at?

thanks!

 

[teejay]

It may well have been Slide. Keeping in mind that the high point on I-84 in NY is only about 1000 ft. or so, anything looks big. There is no way though, even on the clearest of days, that you could have seen the Adirondacks. They're waaay too far away (150 miles or more).

Next time you're on this stretch in good conditions, stop at the rest area on westbound 84. With a compass and a road map, you should be able to identify the mountain you saw.

teejay

 

[MattC]

This is curious. It must have been a Catskill Peak, becuase there's nothing else anywhere around here that is both that tall and currently snow-capped. As tall as Slide is, it's difficult to see from afar due to it's neighbors, just as Marcy is surrounded up in the High Peaks. It could have been Slide, but I have my doubts. Ashokan High Point is closer, and it dominates the Southern foothills area south of the Ashokan Reservoir. It might be visible from that area-then again the Shawangunk Ridge would probably obscure it. But in any case, I was on High Point on Saturday and there's no snow, so that ain't it.

I'm thinking perhaps Overlook Mt. or Kaaterskill High Peak, which are quite a ways north of where you were, but are pretty close to the river. The angle from the Fishkill area would be between north and northwest. I know Overlook had some snow because my housemate was up there Saturday. Perhaps someone that lives over in Dutchess could tell us for sure.

Matt

 

[Jay H]

Fishkill is right across the river from Newburgh.

I know when I'm on I-87 just by New Paltz (north of Newburgh/Fishkill), you can swing your head left and see smiley's tower (gunks) and then you'll get a great view of Indian Head, and twin on the DP in the Catkills. Overlook would be a huge mtn but not tall mtn east of Indian Head. Plattekill is typically blocked by Overlook from the south given the wide berth of Overlook.

Going I-87 South from the north of from Rt 7 from Vermont, you can really get an awesome view of the Escarpment trail and the Blackhead range.

I would venture that it could be Ashoken HP as mentioned by Matt, as Ashoken is high enough to get snow and is SE and has a good view of the thruway and probably I-84 too.

Was it ONE mountain, or did you see a bunch of summits??

Jay

 

[Gator]

It looked like just one mountain. It's tough to tell; I was driving. I also might've been a bit east of Fishkill, but I think I was pretty darn close.

It was so white it looked like it was bald. It was awe-inspiring as it was the only snow I could see, but it was a large area of white.

...maybe I was hallucinating.

 

[Daniel Eagan]

From Breakneck Ridge and Mt. Taurus (about 1300 ft. elev.), you could see snow on several Catskill peaks on Saturday. Slide was prominent. Couldn't really detect much snow on the Indian Head area peaks, Sugarloaf, Twin, Indian Head.

You can't always see that far, but Saturday was exceptionally clear. The Manhattan skyline was very obvious, and that's about 53-54 miles away.

 

[imarchant]

My Guess is Kaaterskill High Peak. It would be a little more like NNW from I-84, but that mountain sits alone and is really prominant. It was snow covered this weekend. Indian Head was also snow covered, but it would be part of a range of mountains.

Was the view on the steep hill descending just east of the Taconic State parkway, near the rest stop?

 

[John Graham]

I would agree that it would be Kaaterskill High Peak. That peak is so named because for many years it was assumed it was the highest, due to it's loomimg over the river. I look at these mountains all the time from the Hudson Highlands, Slide is right next to Panther, thus not so distinctive. From the south, what is most prominent is the Devil's Path Range, with Hunter, Plateau, Sugarloaf, Doubletop and Big Indian, but on the big hill on I-84, the vantage is northwest, and the Devil's Range peaks tend to mask each other.

 

[Mark Schaefer]

There were probably many snow capped Catskills in that view. Your eye may have drawn to the one that was catching the most sunlight at the time you saw the view. I was hiking at Mohonk in the Shawangunks Friday afternoon. The sunlight was constantly shifting amongst the peaks. At any given time the mountains in the shadows were not very noticeable, while the ones in the sun were quite impressive. From my vantage Slide appeared to be catching the sunlight more than any other Catskill peak Friday afternoon. So it might well have been Slide, but Kaaterskill HP is also possible.

Slide along with Balsam Cap, Friday, Cornell, Wittenberg and Panther tend to appear as one mass from that stretch of I-84 and the Hudson Highlands. The whole gang might have appeared to you as one large mountain.

 

[una_dogger]

Those were the catskills, the highest you'll see from I84 is Slide but its summit is small--the biggest promontory you'll see by itself is Katerskill High Peak all the way to the right of the range.
I get to see them everyday from many points around Poughkeepise -- Yippee!
Sabrina