Tom Rankin
Well-known member
WHP is only 3520', so calling it a High Peak is a stretch, and it's one of the easiest hikes of the Catskill 35. But as a wise man once said, "Every mountain can kick your a$$". Well, this was not quite a whuppin', but it was a little interesting getting started. The rains had fallen the previous night, and the bridge over the little stream was still there, but just after the bridge, water was flowing over the trail. A look upstream shows a fairly large beaver dam had been constructed. We bushwhacked around not 1, not 2, but 3 places where water covered the trail, not always staying dry.
After that, it was the typical WHP hike. There have been a few re-routes, some of which seem pointless, but there they were. This being a Club hike, we stayed on trail. The spooky forest is still there, but a little spring storm damage is evident. What concerns me most about the spooky forest is that there are no saplings. It seems destined to fail when the large trees start dying off. Oh well, such is the futility of man tinkering with nature.
The day turned out to be mostly dry and sunny, with a mild breeze. There were wet leaves on the trail, but they were not a big factor. The other small stream crossings were easy to negotiate. The summit views of the Blackhead range were great. The views towards the Hudson Valley were pretty good too, but we could not see beyond NY to the '5 state view'. The foliage was great in every direction!
Overall, a very nice walk in the woods!
After that, it was the typical WHP hike. There have been a few re-routes, some of which seem pointless, but there they were. This being a Club hike, we stayed on trail. The spooky forest is still there, but a little spring storm damage is evident. What concerns me most about the spooky forest is that there are no saplings. It seems destined to fail when the large trees start dying off. Oh well, such is the futility of man tinkering with nature.
The day turned out to be mostly dry and sunny, with a mild breeze. There were wet leaves on the trail, but they were not a big factor. The other small stream crossings were easy to negotiate. The summit views of the Blackhead range were great. The views towards the Hudson Valley were pretty good too, but we could not see beyond NY to the '5 state view'. The foliage was great in every direction!
Overall, a very nice walk in the woods!
