Poet's Ledge/Buttermilk Falls

[MattC]

After not hiking last weekend, I was chomping at the bit to get out today. With all the rain we've had, I thought it would be a good time to check out a waterfall or two, so I set off for a section of the Catskill Long Path I'd not yet walked. I parked in the very small forest preserve parking lot on the side of RT 23A in Palenville, roadwalked over the Kaaterskill Creek bridge and onto the section of Malden Ave. which is now closed to traffic. This is an interesting area, because it's about 2/10ths of a mile of paved road which is very slowly being taken back by nature. Here and there you can see bits of yellow line, and there's even a guardrail at one spot, yet small plants are growing through everywhere. It'll be interesting to see in another 20 years.

After this section, you walk onto Malden Ave. proper for a couple hundred feet and then turn up a dirt road between some houses. There's very clear markings to indicate which way the trail goes so as to avoid the private land.
It's a good steep climb for about 1000' or so until the state trail turns off the road onto a foot path which was doubling as a streambed on this day. I continued on with a brief stop at the first lookout and then headed for Poet's Ledge. The great view from this spot is compromised by the visibilty of RT 23A below, but it's still pretty spectacular. Kaaterskill High Peak sticks out over the top of Hillyer Ravine on the left and I believe I was looking at Windham High Peak and Burnt Knob in the distance. I could also see the tops of two peaks sticking out over the Escarpment and South Mountain. I figured that would be Black Dome and Blackhead. I could just make out a little of Viola Falls down in the ravine.

Back to the main trail and on to Buttermilk Falls. Lots of water and leaf litter everywhere on this flat section of the trail. Lovely hardwoods with some hemlocks mixed in. I had a look at both sides of the Falls from the top, but couldn't find a safe way down to the base, so I headed back after a while. I wanted to check out Wildcat Ravine as well, so I 'whacked down following the various streams that seemed to be everywhere. There were two falls relatively close to one another. The one further west was very just a cascade, probably unnamed. I'm pretty sure the other one was Wildcat Falls, since it was pretty high and seemed to have a lower tier. I again didn't feel up to climbing down to the base since I was alone, so I hung out up top and had a snack. The wind was blasting away pretty good, and I got this nice effect where the water hurtled down as leaves blew up in the other direction.

I followed the stream back up to the trail and ended up pretty close to the Poet's Ledge spur, which makes me wonder if the second falls I visited was actually Viola Falls. In any case, suffice to say there are a lot of cataracts flowing nicely in that area after a good rain. I stopped at the little on-trail lookout on the way back and just stood there a few minutes watching the trees getting battered by the crazy wind.

A few minutes later I saw the only other person on the trail that day. It was a guy from Shokan w/ his dog. He was headed up to Poet's Ledge. After chatting a few minutes, we moved on. I flew down the steep parts pretty quickly, thinking how I'd like to take this route up to Kaaterskill High Peak this winter. I can imagine how fun it'd be glissading on the steep road once there's some snow. I was back at the car around 4:30, about 6 hours after starting out. I think this was the first time I've hiked in the Catskills w/o climbing a peak, and it was every bit as fun as any other hike.

Matt

 

[ajtiv]

I know waht you mean and boy am I jealous and suffering through some cabin fever myself
I think I am going up with JayH this weekend
thanks for making up my mind
Al

 

[Mark Schaefer]

Nice report Matt. The Kaaterskill Clove has a lot great destinations. It does sound like you got down to Viola Falls which is at the junction of two streams in Hillyer Ravine, and then came back up the stream closer to Poet's Ledge. Concerning the mountains you can see -- I remembered that Rivet included a couple of pictures in his report on the Local Hikes website. From left to right on the horizon of this view from Poet's Ledge are Onteora Mt (the summit is left of the photo), the round Parker Mt, the long ridge of West Stoppel Point (over which perhaps are bits of Camel's Hump, Thomas Cole, and Windham HP). On the right and above that long ridge I believe Black Dome is seen in shadow, then Blackhead (out of the shadow), and finally in shadow part the ridge leading to Stoppel Point.

Last Friday I was on the Indian Head (Profile Rock), and Palenville Overlook which are in the foreground of Rivet's other photo. On the horizon is the Artist's Rock area north of the Catskill Mt House site. In between the two photos you should be able to see the summit of Stoppel Point, North Mt, and North Point, (all above South Mt).

There was water running everywhere creating many temporary waterfalls on my hike up to the Palenville Overlook. Also on Monday I was on the Escarpment Trail from North Point to South Mt. The view into the Kaaterskill Clove is still very green, although above 3000' many trees are now bare. The trails have dried up some, but are still wet. There was a nice flow at Ashley Falls and the other waterfalls in Mary's Glen.

 

[Jay H]

The one and only time I did KHP from Palenville, it was a very dry summer and all three waterfalls were either non existent or a small trickle. Of course, it was that same day too that my friend Jim and I got stuck in a real torrential and scary thunderstorm coming down from the snowmobile trail. Needlesstosay, we hightailed it out of there, bypassing Poet's Ledge, (never been there yet!) and back to our car. it was still pouring when we got to our car and I wound up changing under the fire escape by the restaurant we parked at (asked and given permission by the owner).

Jay

 

[keb]

This is one of my favorite areas and it does make for a great trip when tied into KHP. I hiked Indian Head Mt on 10/15 and then a loop around N. Lake Campground, including many of the points that Mark referenced, on 10/16. It was spectacular (and the wind was wild!) Kaaterskill Falls were unbelievably violent! And the view of the falls where mcorsar was, from across the clove on the Escarpment trail were spectacular. Looked more like a rain forest than the Cats.

I've found a lovely (and believed to be completely legal) campsite just off of the LHP near the westernmost falls. This side of the clove gets very little use. It makes for a great trip if you start from Palenville, hike up the LHP as mcorsar describes, drop your pack at the campsite, continue on and summit KHP. Return and set up camp and enjoy sunset next to the falls while viewing the escarpment, N.Lake, the Blackheads and Hudson River valley. The next day, after enjoying the falls some more, a leisurely hike out, tying in Poets ledge can be had. Email me if your interested in the campsite locale.