Bagging 2 Catskill 35's and camping always makes for a good weekend. This would be no exception.
Fir Mountain
Parking: 41.991421, -74.485022 County Rd 47/West Branch Rd, Claryville, NY (1/2 mile past 1840 West Branch Rd)
Distance: 8-9 miles
Time: 6-8 hours
Gear:
Fir Mountain can be hiked with Big Indian Mountain when starting from the Seager trail head. I had hiked Big Indian with Eagle Mountain before my navigation skills really took hold.
The route I chose is half on trail, half bushwhack. It begins on the blue Pine Ridge-West Branch trail across the road from the parking lot. The trail will head up for the first mile before taking a hard right and somewhat leveling off around 2,450 feet. When the trail levels there is another mile before the Biscuit Brook lean-to. The shelter is well placed off the trail and down towards its namesake, Biscuit Brook.
I took a short rest at the shelter and had a sugary snack before beginning my climb. Walking back up to the trail I located myself on the map and with GPS. Between the summit & myself was 1.5 miles of forest. There is nothing particularly exciting or difficult about this trek up the mountain. It is a steep ascent through forest and brush. I took several quick rests and a few extended breaks as I made my way up the slope. Due to the season, looking back as I rose up the mountainside provided some nice views.
The summit canister was not difficult to find due to my course. It is always a joy to see that canister on the tree. You know you have done it. You made it to the top of the mountain, literally. I haven't found words to yet to describe how it feels to me. Each mountain thereafter just heightens the feeling.
After the hike I would retreat to camp along Route 28. It is a primitive campsite, therefore there are no facilities (except for 1 port-a-john). There are a number of sites on this preserve along 2 roads neatly tucked away and high off the road. Click here to view my post about this camping area.
The following day I had planned to 'whack my way to Halcott Mountain. The trailhead was only 20 minutes or so from camp. After completing Halcott, I would have only 4 mountains to remaining in order to full my requirements for entrance into the Catskill 3500 Club.
Starting from the southbound side of Route 42 the mountain rises immediately. This initial steep climb persists for half a mile. A small brow in the slope at around 2,300' ASL allows for the chance to catch my breath. The brush is not that thick thus far, which is nice. I took a break right before the land began to head up again. After adjusting my bearing I proceeded to climb the next .75 mile. The bush was getting thicker as I trekked deeper into the forest. There are no views on this hike except for one close to the summit. Its all forest and canopy. The slope however was not as steep at this point, and so my pace improved.
Resting for a bit to catch my breath, I made another change to my bearing. This one would put me on a direct course to the summit, another 3/4 of a mile away. The terrain was getting easier to read so I was able to navigate by land rather than by compass on this final section. It wasn't long before I reached the summit and register. There was a nice clearing, seemingly on a pedestal above the mountain below. As the skies began to turn gray-er, I sat and ate lunch after signing the summit register hoping the rain would hold off. I knew it was in the forecast but tried not to think about it all day.
Making quick work of my lunch I proceeded down Halcott Mountain. After a few hundred feet I grabbed for my smartphone to check my position on GPS. The device was not there. It was not in my immediate area either, and the rain was just getting started. Are you freaking kidding me?!!
I panicked for 30 seconds before finding a small tree to shelter beneath out of the rain. I was frustrated with myself more than anything. I had been careless with my mobile and now it was gone. What should I do? Wait the rain out, head back up the mountain and look for my phone? It could be anywhere, have fallen out at anytime before I noticed. It could have tumbled and landed under a pile of leaves. Was it really possible to find it? After a few minutes I decided it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. My plan for the descent was simple at this point. I would head straight for the stream and follow it to the road. That was the easiest and quickest way down. It would not require much navigation at all.
A few hours later I made it back to my car, soaked and annoyed. With the phone gone, I lost numerous photos from 3 hikes. In the grand scheme of things it really didn't mean much. I would replace the phone but these hikes and mountain summit experiences were irreplaceable. This was my 35th climb on my way to the Catskill 3500 Club. Remaining peaks are Lone, Rocky, Balsam Cap and Friday - the most isolated of the peaks and bushwhacks.
- Daypack with rain cover
- 2.5-3L of water
- Lunch, snacks
- First aid, athletic tape, knife, bug spray
- Water filter with "dirty" bag
- Smartphone - GPS
- Compass
- Trekking poles
- Map - New York New Jersey Trail Conference #143
- Hiking boots
- Polyester fleece
- NO COTTON - Why no cotton? Cotton is a thicker material and isn't as breathable as synthetic materials. Once it's wet, it becomes heavier and takes longer to dry.
Fir Mountain can be hiked with Big Indian Mountain when starting from the Seager trail head. I had hiked Big Indian with Eagle Mountain before my navigation skills really took hold.
The route I chose is half on trail, half bushwhack. It begins on the blue Pine Ridge-West Branch trail across the road from the parking lot. The trail will head up for the first mile before taking a hard right and somewhat leveling off around 2,450 feet. When the trail levels there is another mile before the Biscuit Brook lean-to. The shelter is well placed off the trail and down towards its namesake, Biscuit Brook.
I took a short rest at the shelter and had a sugary snack before beginning my climb. Walking back up to the trail I located myself on the map and with GPS. Between the summit & myself was 1.5 miles of forest. There is nothing particularly exciting or difficult about this trek up the mountain. It is a steep ascent through forest and brush. I took several quick rests and a few extended breaks as I made my way up the slope. Due to the season, looking back as I rose up the mountainside provided some nice views.
The summit canister was not difficult to find due to my course. It is always a joy to see that canister on the tree. You know you have done it. You made it to the top of the mountain, literally. I haven't found words to yet to describe how it feels to me. Each mountain thereafter just heightens the feeling.
After the hike I would retreat to camp along Route 28. It is a primitive campsite, therefore there are no facilities (except for 1 port-a-john). There are a number of sites on this preserve along 2 roads neatly tucked away and high off the road. Click here to view my post about this camping area.
The following day I had planned to 'whack my way to Halcott Mountain. The trailhead was only 20 minutes or so from camp. After completing Halcott, I would have only 4 mountains to remaining in order to full my requirements for entrance into the Catskill 3500 Club.
Halcott Mountain
Parking: 42.165197,-74.409271 Shaft Rd, Shandaken NY
Distance: 5-6 miles
Time: 6 hours
Gear:
Halcott Mountain sits alone in Halcott Mountain Wild Forest which is a small preserve that is a part of Catskill Park. I decided upon the longer route so that I could test my navigation skills. There is a shorter ascent that follows a stream about a mile and a half north from where I began. This would come into play later.- Daypack with rain cover
- 2.5-3L of water
- Lunch, snacks
- First aid, athletic tape, knife, bug spray
- Water filter with "dirty" bag
- Smartphone - GPS
- Compass
- Trekking poles
- Map - New York New Jersey Trail Conference #143
- Hiking boots
- Polyester fleece
- NO COTTON - Why no cotton? Cotton is a thicker material and isn't as breathable as synthetic materials. Once it's wet, it becomes heavier and takes longer to dry.
Starting from the southbound side of Route 42 the mountain rises immediately. This initial steep climb persists for half a mile. A small brow in the slope at around 2,300' ASL allows for the chance to catch my breath. The brush is not that thick thus far, which is nice. I took a break right before the land began to head up again. After adjusting my bearing I proceeded to climb the next .75 mile. The bush was getting thicker as I trekked deeper into the forest. There are no views on this hike except for one close to the summit. Its all forest and canopy. The slope however was not as steep at this point, and so my pace improved.
Resting for a bit to catch my breath, I made another change to my bearing. This one would put me on a direct course to the summit, another 3/4 of a mile away. The terrain was getting easier to read so I was able to navigate by land rather than by compass on this final section. It wasn't long before I reached the summit and register. There was a nice clearing, seemingly on a pedestal above the mountain below. As the skies began to turn gray-er, I sat and ate lunch after signing the summit register hoping the rain would hold off. I knew it was in the forecast but tried not to think about it all day.
Making quick work of my lunch I proceeded down Halcott Mountain. After a few hundred feet I grabbed for my smartphone to check my position on GPS. The device was not there. It was not in my immediate area either, and the rain was just getting started. Are you freaking kidding me?!!
I panicked for 30 seconds before finding a small tree to shelter beneath out of the rain. I was frustrated with myself more than anything. I had been careless with my mobile and now it was gone. What should I do? Wait the rain out, head back up the mountain and look for my phone? It could be anywhere, have fallen out at anytime before I noticed. It could have tumbled and landed under a pile of leaves. Was it really possible to find it? After a few minutes I decided it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. My plan for the descent was simple at this point. I would head straight for the stream and follow it to the road. That was the easiest and quickest way down. It would not require much navigation at all.
A few hours later I made it back to my car, soaked and annoyed. With the phone gone, I lost numerous photos from 3 hikes. In the grand scheme of things it really didn't mean much. I would replace the phone but these hikes and mountain summit experiences were irreplaceable. This was my 35th climb on my way to the Catskill 3500 Club. Remaining peaks are Lone, Rocky, Balsam Cap and Friday - the most isolated of the peaks and bushwhacks.
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