The Places In Between

[MattC]

No, not that book by the guy who walked across Afghanistan, but rather the thread title refers to those various types of open spaces that define the mountains and that provide access, scenic beauty, historical and geological interest, wildlife habitat, water drainage and much more. I'm talking about valleys, notches, cloves, gaps, cols, saddles, passes, ravines, gorges, hollows, cirques, etc. Some are deep, close to sea level, while others are as lofty than some of the peaks themselves. Some have major highways, some have quiet, lesser roads, some have trails, some are remote backcountry.

We spend a lot of time talking about peaks, and mostly just mention these places as routes to trailheads and peaks (skiing in Tuckerman Ravine being a notable exception. Anyone else consider any of these places as being scenic wonders and perhaps worthy destinations in themselves? Any favorites? Really good pictures?

In my main tramping ground, the Catskills, the terrain is in some ways more defined by the cloves than by the mountains themselves. The area is after all a dissected, eroded plateau. One of my favorites is Deep Notch, between Halcott and Balsam mountains, through which runs county route 42. Coming down off of Halcott recently, I kept getting closer and closer to Balsam, still not seeing the road. I couldn't see it until I was practically on top of it. Maybe it should be called Steep Notch. Anyway, I think about cloves,etc. a lot, and maybe more so recently since I've been cycling more and thinking about possible routes.

Matt

 

[carole]

... Anyone else consider any of these places as being scenic wonders and perhaps worthy destinations in themselves?

Yes (but don't tell anyone).

 

[Jay H]

Kind of one reason I took up kayaking... lakes offer a new perspective on everything from wildlife to geology.

Jay

 

[TCD]

(Adks) Of course Avalanche Pass is sensational and popular. But there are a lot of hard to reach gems, like the canyon formed by the Boquet behind Round Pond. I've been in there many times and never seen anyone other than my own party, even though it's a fairly well known feature. I'm often in features like the ones you mentioned, as opposed to summits, because one of my avocations is looking for new rock climbing locations. Cliffs are ususally in the valley, and are a lot easier to see from the bottom.

TCD

 

[Woody]

_________________Notch!

You fill in the blank with any in the White Mountains. They are all wonderful in their own way!

 

[Peakbagr]

Matt,

In the Cats, the route underneath Giant Ledge's ledges. Perfect time to go in winter or early Spring with no leaves on the trees. Look up at the cliffs, and lots of huge boulders right off the fall line at the base.

 

[cushetunk]

This would be funny if it weren't such a statement about the peakbagging mentality.

 

[Halite]

Matt,

You're talking about views from the bottom on a website dedicated to views from the top? BLASPHEMY!

Joking aside, the way these places can give the sense of being wrapped in the forest is fantastic. The Fisherman's Trail in the Catskills and the Indian Pass trail in the 'Daks are a couple of my favorites.

Peakbagr, I've looked down from Giant's Ledge many times thinking I've got to get out and whack the area below the ledge.

 

[Jason Berard]

I can't find my photos of it, but Devil's Gulch on the Long Trail is one of my favorite all time places. Something about that place feels prehistoric.

 

[Jay H]

Whacking up Sage's Ravine itself to the campground on the AT near the CT/MA border was really cool! FunkyFreddy and I did that and met Chip and Alpinista there not too long ago. Highly recommended! There's even an informal herd path there and places to park and no private land issues.

Jay

 

[Puck]

There are a lot of cols I love. ie between Tom and Field, Starr King and Waumbek. In winter the cols can fill with a ton of snow that has drifted. They can also be great pockets for specific birds like gray jays, pine grosbeaks, cross bills and spruce grouse. Not to mention porkies.

I may enjoy the cols more then the peaks.

 

[Quietman]

My 1st hike in the whites was with a teen group into King Ravine and I was blown away(not by the winds). Traveling through the floor of the ravine going over and under boulders the size of small houses, the views of the ravine and those back into the valley and ice caves in August all make this a special place. No need to climb to the top.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I can't find my photos of it, but Devil's Gulch on the Long Trail is one of my favorite all time places. Something about that place feels prehistoric.

I agree. I think it might be the moss, big ferns, and high overhead canopy that helps create that feeling.

 

[moonrock]

I miss the alpine zones and the (known or suspected) glacial cirques in the Dacks and the Whites. And the boggy drainage in some High Peaks valleys (best enjoyed visually - from above).

I'd like to check out Panther Mountain in the Catskills.
NY State Geologist Yngvar Isachsen determined that the mountain is what's left of an ancient asteroid crater. Because the sediments that eventually covered the crater compacted unevenly, the rock they formed cracked in a particular pattern, and now streams run a near-complete circle around the mountain !

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panther_Mountain_(New_York)

 

[Mark Schaefer]

I'd like to check out Panther Mountain in the Catskills.
NY State Geologist Yngvar Isachsen determined that the mountain is what's left of an ancient asteroid crater. Because the sediments that eventually covered the crater compacted unevenly, the rock they formed cracked in a particular pattern, and now streams run a near-complete circle around the mountain !

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panther_Mountain_(New_York)

Panther Mountain has good summit views, especially when combined with the Giant Ledge. But other than the circular shape of the stream valleys there is little evidence of the crater that is readily observable. The size of the buried crater is too large to see as a whole from the ground. It would be best viewed from an airplane at some elevation above the mountain. In lieu of that, the circle does show very nicely in satellite maps.

I started a thread, Panther Mountain Meteorite Crater in the Catskills on this subject a few years ago. There are some satellite image/map links at the start of the thread along with additional web links.

The meteor impact occurred in the midst of the Catskill delta formation, and it is still well buried under the Catskill sandstone. There were 15 million years of deposited sand above the rim of the crater. Much of that sand (now sandstone) is still in place above the rim.

 

[Mark Schaefer]

My list of "In Between Catskill Places". None are super secret as all are on trails, or in the case of Profile Rock on a well trod herd path.

• Diamond Notch. An aptly named gem in the rough. A deep and narrow notch with gnarly trees, It has an eerie and austere appearance. It could be scenery straight out of Middle Earth. It is well worth the short detour off the Devil's Path.
• Mink Hollow (both of them, along the Devil's Path). Deep passes where bear sightings are possible.
• Huckleberry Point. Views over the Platte Clove and Hudson River.
• Palenville Overlook, Profile Rock, Poet's Ledge. Views over the Kaaterskill Clove.
• Cathedral Glen, my favorite hemlock glen.
• Dibble's Quarry. On the Pecoy Notch Trail. It is the Catskill's largest collection of rock furniture. It was built by an elusive band of quarry gnomes, believed to be descendents of Henry Hudson's crew from the Half Moon.
• Norway Spruce plantations on Windham High Peak. Admittedly non-native and mono-culture reforestations, but very attractive. Often called the haunted or spooky forest. Beware of the trolls.

 

[chinooktrail]

One of my all time favorite hikes is still Ice Gulch in Randolph.

It also feels very prehistoric, partly because there is a perpetual glacier still to be found at the bottom...

You have to love a hike that begins with a 250' DROP into a gulch!

Remember that scene in Jewel of the Nile where they slide down a big mudslide for what seems like forever? Well, we were all saying thats what the begining of this trail reminded us of.

I also have to laugh whenever I think back on this hike because at the end we were all saying how sore our arms were instead of our legs, with all those house sized boulders to get up and over or under or through or around. I don't think I could lift my arms for two days after!

Very fun indeed, hum, definately have to put that one closer to the top of my 're-do' list!

 

[DougPaul]

We spend a lot of time talking about peaks, and mostly just mention these places as routes to trailheads and peaks (skiing in Tuckerman Ravine being a notable exception. Anyone else consider any of these places as being scenic wonders and perhaps worthy destinations in themselves? Any favorites? Really good pictures?

Many call the canyon between the Coconino and Kaibab Plateaus Grand.

The Grand Canyon... The hiking is inverted--you go down from the rim and then have to climb up to get back to the trailhead.

Places like Bryce, Zion, Canyonlands, etc are also known more for their valleys and hillsides than for their peaks.

Doug

 

[Edelweiss]

Matt-
Here's a view looking up at the Giant Ledges cliffs on the route around the ledges ....... beautiful when we did it in March of this year!

http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoVi...&sort_order=0&albumsperpage=&navfolderid=2008

Matt,

In the Cats, the route underneath Giant Ledge's ledges. Perfect time to go in winter or early Spring with no leaves on the trees. Look up at the cliffs, and lots of huge boulders right off the fall line at the base.

 

[roadtripper]

For me, it's the secret waterfalls and swimming holes between the summits that I enjoy the most about the outdoors. With all the focus on the views and peaks, it's great that you can still find a private falls or swimming hole to enjoy, sometimes for an entire day. I partially thank the "lists" for the privacy of these places.