Search Results for: photo steep portion of trail

Looking Back as I Climbed Route 6

Ravine Road wasn't all that bad of a walk, as it was plowed. Beat having to go through all that deep snow. Ravine Road is steep, and while this isn't the steepest portion of it, I was parked some 400 feet above where I hiked to at The Gulf. Walking along this rural section of highway, I could smell the kerosene being burnt for heat on the trailer/hunting camp on the other side of the road and it just brought me home and reminded me how much I missed Rural Albany County.

Taken on Sunday February 6, 2011 at Partridge Run Game Management Area.

Black Mountain Snowmobile Trail

Black Mountain is the tallest peak between Lake George and Lake Champlain and contains an old fire tower that is currently used by the DEC Forest Rangers for communications equipment. It’s elevation is 2,640 feet, however accessing it from Pike Brook Road Parking area, your already at over 1,700 feet after driving up the very scenic Huletts Landing Road from NY 22.

Black Mountain Fire Tower

In the winter, the old woods road up Black Mountain is also a low-speed and narrow snowmobile trail that has occassional snowmobiles on it. At 3 miles, it’s a relatively short hike with an elevation gain of about 900 feet.

Bright Sunny Snowmobile Trail

The first 1.2 miles up the mountain the trail is relatively flat. After the split between the valley trail to Black Mountain Pond and other lakes running down towards Lake George, and the trail up Black Mountain Fire Tower. The next 1.6 miles is much steeper, as the trail winds up the mountain following a Jeep Trail with many switchbacks.

Intersection of Yellow and Red Trails

As you start climbing, you get a broken view of the fire tower on top of Black Mountain.

Black Mountain

The snowmobile / old woods trail is narrow and steep as it winds up to the top of the mountain.

Narrow Snowmobile Trail

Reaching the top of the mountain, you can see the DEC Forest Ranger Communication Tower, with wind turbine, solar panel, and fire tower converted to communications tower. It’s disappointing that they had to convert the tower to a communications tower, because it would have otherwise provided nice views to the south.

Black Mountain Fire Tower

Looking across Lake George towards Five Mile Mountain and the Adirondack Mountain in the distance.

Lake George Near Deer Leep

North on Lake George. In the foreground is Hague, farther in the distance is Elphant Mountain, the end of Lake George and the La Chute River down pass Ticonderoga.

Lake George Near Deer Leep

Looking to the North-West off Black Mountain. In the foreground is Sugar Loaf Mountain, and just beyond that is the “Drowned Lands”, the marshy farm lands surrounding the southern portion of Lake Champlain. Even further beyond that is the Green Mountains in Vermont.

Sugar Loaf and Drowned Lands

Elephant Mountain, near Ticonderoga.

Elephant Mountain

Here is a map of the hike.


View Black Mountain Hike in a larger map

Today was a great day up on Canaan Mountain β›°

Morning started out cold and so was the evening but tons of sunshine by midday and beautiful deep blue skies with temperatures in the low sixties by afternoon.

Good evening! Clear and 45 degrees in Canaan Heights, WV. Calm wind. The skies are full of stars. ✨

It was a nice day though it started out cold ❄ with a hard frost. As the previous night it was cold and I got here late, spent the morning pitching the tent and setting up camp for the week, gathered firewood πŸ”₯ , then a nice lunch of salmon 🐠 , broccoli πŸ₯¦ and onions. πŸ§… Dinner was rice and lentils with too much garlic and some beer. But I enjoyed most of all was the many cups of coffee β˜• β˜• β˜• and eggs and vegetables. 🍳 I mean the hard boiled eggs and banana 🍌 limited piss breaks on the way down but I was all for having a real breakfast this morning.

I spent a lot of time getting camp set up for the week, β›Ί organizing gear and food. Laid back in the hammock for a while. It’s vacation, and this year I’m determined not to spend every waking hour rushing from point A to Point B. It’s not like I’m planning fewer adventures but I’m trying to explore more what is close to camp but have previously overlooked then the crowded tourist trap kind of places like Spruce Knob, Dolly Sods and Seneca Rocks. I’ve been to all those places many times before, no reason to go back. Truth is though I kind of want to go back to the Dolly Sods 🌾🌲🌳 but I don’t like the crowds or the rough steep road up there and it’s a bit out of the way. I guess I’ll decide later in the week.

Did a leisurely bike 🚲 ride along a portion of upper Canaan Loop Road and then hiked down to Blackwater Falls State Park 🏞 spending some time at the scenic overlooks before hiking back through the mountain and giant laurel lined trail. With the giant laurel so tightly growing in Canaan Heights there wasn’t much of a chance of loosing the trail.

Tonight will be mostly clear πŸŒƒ, with a low of 30 degrees at 5am. South wind 5 to 7 mph. Colder then Albany but also tomorrow will be warmer than back home. Lots of sun too. In 2022, we had mist in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It became humid as the night progressed. It got down to 58 degrees. The record low of 19 occurred back in 1981.

I’m starting to upload photos πŸ“Έ but with spotty cell service I’m having trouble. You might have to wait until next week to see more photos of my adventures, though I might upload some to Facebook in the meantime. Plus I’d rather be out doing fun things then messing around with social media on vacation.

Tonight will have a Waxing Gibbous πŸŒ” Moon with 76% illuminated. The moon will set at 4:17 pm. The Hunter 🏹 Moon is on Sunday, October 29. The darkest hour is at 12:40 am, followed by dawn at 7:01 am, and sun starting to rise at 7:33 am in the east-southeast (105Β°) and last for 3 minutes and 1 seconds. Sunrise is one minute and 12 seconds later than yesterday. πŸŒ„ The golden hour ends at 8:09 am with sun in the east-southeast (112Β°). Tonight will have 13 hours and 17 minutes of darkness, an increase of 2 minutes and 43 seconds over last night.

Tomorrow will be mostly sunny 🌞, with a high of 69 degrees at 3pm. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 8 mph in the morning. A year ago, we had light rain in the morning with some clearing in the afternoon. The high last year was 59 degrees. The record high of 75 was set in 2017. There was a dusting of snow in 1962.❄

The plan for tomorrow is to drive down to Davis πŸ›» then to Blackwater Falls State Park and hike out to Lindey Point. Then poke around the village, 🏘️ and then ride Camp Seventy Road along the Black River to Canaan Wildlife Refuge. Then get milk, ice, coffee grounds and paper towels at the Stop and Shop Express or Dollar General, the only real choices you have here.

Today in 1973, President Richard M. Nixon agrees to turn over subpoenaed audio tapes of his Oval Office conversations. πŸ“Ό Nowadays politicians rarely tape themselves in preparation for writing books in retirement πŸ“ though apparently George Romney’s son is a profilic journal writer.

While so far every night I’ve camped has been below freezing in the High Country, there are 3 weeks until Average Night Below Freezing back in Albany 🌌 when the sun will be setting at 5:06 pm with dusk at 5:33 pm (Standard Time) here in West Virginia. On that day in 2022, we had partly cloudy and temperatures between 49 and 36 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 50 degrees. We hit a record high of 69 back in 1964.

Hang Gliders Cliff Ridgeline

The Catskill Wilderness Areas

Trees and Mountains

The text of today’s fodder is based on the Catskill Park State Lands Master Plan, as revised in 2008. Maps were rendered by myself, using Quantum GIS and DEC Lands and Forests data.

Big Indian Wilderness

(Formerly Big Indian – Beaverkill Range Wilderness Area)

This wilderness is located in the Towns of Hardenburgh, Denning and Shandaken in Ulster County. It lies generally west of Oliverea and the Frost Valley Road, south of Belleayre Ski Center, east of Seager and Hardenburgh and north of Willowemoc and Claryville. The area ranges in width from 1 to 5 miles, is about 19 miles long and contains approximately 33,500 acres of land. Elevations range from 1,500 feet in McKenley Hollow to 3,840 feet where the state boundary crosses Doubletop Mountain. The mountains in the northeastern portion of the area are quite rugged, while those to the south and west are more characteristic of high hills. Water from the area flows into three New York City water supply reservoirs and the Delaware River Basin. Nine mountains or ridges with elevations of over 3000 feet make up the area.

Peaks

Doubletop* 3,860′
Haynes 3,420′
Big Indian 3,700′
Spruce 3,380′
Fir 3,620′
Eagle 3,600′
Hemlock 3,240′
Balsam* 3,600′
Beaver Kill Range 3,377′

* Maximum elevations given are not necessarily located within the Wilderness Area.

The forest cover is predominantly hardwood mixtures in various associations. Spruce and fir, while present at some of the higher elevations, are less noticeable here than in other Catskill wilderness areas.

Interior facilities consisting of foot trails and lean-tos are generally considered adequate.

Area statistics:

Approximate Area 33,500 Acres
Roads (non conforming) 1.4 Miles
Foot Trails 29.4 Miles
Lean-tos 6
Designated Campsites 5
Parking Lots 5
Public Use (visitors/year) 4,500
Exterior Boundary Line 67 Miles
Minimum Elevation 1,500′
Maximum Elevation 3,840′

Non-conforming uses:

Motor vehicle use of Black Bear Road from the wilderness boundary to Fall Brook Lean-to.

A UMP for this area was completed in June of 1993.

Hunter – West Kill Wilderness

(Formerly West Kill – North Dome Wilderness, Ox Clove Wild Forest, and a portion of the former Hunter Mountain Wild Forest)

The unit generally lies within the following boundaries: New York State Route 42 on the west, the Shandakan Wild Forest and NYS Route 28 to the south, and NYS Route 214 on the east. The northern extent of the unit is County Route 6, and continues along a line 100′ parallel to, and south or east of, the edge of Spruceton trailhead parking area and the centerline of the Spruceton Truck Trail, to the junction of the Colonel’s Chair Trail. A corridor, 100 feet either side of the center line of the Spruceton Truck Trail, from the Colonel’s Chair Trail to the summit of Hunter Mountain, culminating in a circle 175′ in radius from the center of the chimney on the observer’s cabin shall be within the Rusk Mountain Wild Forest.

The unit contains approximately 27,000 acres of land, and inside it’s boundaries are found the named mountain peaks of Balsam, Sherrill, North Dome, West Kill, Sheridan, Hunter and Southwest Hunter. Hunter Mountain is the second highest peak in the Catskills at 4,040 feet, and portions of it’s summit, along with a fairly extensive area on the summits of West Kill, North Dome and Sherrill Mountains are within the Catskill High Peaks Bird Conservation Area, and are of special significance in that they provide habitat for high elevation spruce-fir inhabitants such as Bicknell’s Thrush and the Blackpoll Warbler, among others.

There are currently two lean-to’s on the unit, the Diamond Notch lean-to located just off the Diamond Notch Trail, and the Devil’s Acre Lean-to off of the Devil’s Path Trail. Waters from this unit drain into Schoharie and Esopus Creeks and then into the Schoharie and Ashokan Reservoirs, which are in the New York City water supply system.

Area statistics:

Approximate Area 27,000 Acres
Foot Trails 18 Miles
Lean-to’s 2
Parking Lots 5
Minimum Elevation 920′ Maximum Elevation 4,040′

Indian Head Wilderness

(Formerly Plateau Mountain – Indian Head Mountain Wilderness Area)

This wilderness is located in the Town of Hunter, Greene County and the Towns of Saugerties and Woodstock, Ulster County. It lies generally west of the east boundary of the Catskill Park, south of Platte Clove, east of Devil’s Tombstone Campground and north of Lake Hill and Shady. The area ranges from 1 ½ miles to 3 ½ miles in width, is eight miles long and contains approximately 16,800 acres.

Elevations range from 900 to 3840 feet and the four major mountains in the area are visible against the skyline from all directions. Echo Lake, the only natural lake in a Catskill wilderness, is located in the east-central portion of the area. Water from this eastern section flows into the Kingston and Saugerties water supply reservoirs, while drainage from the central and western section flows into two New York City water supply reservoirs. Six named mountain peaks over 3,000 feet in elevation dominate the area.

Peaks

Plateau 3,840′
Indian Head 3,573′
Sugarloaf 3,800′
Olderbark 3,440′
Twin 3,640′
Plattekill 3,100′

The forest cover varies from extensive oak stands on the eastern most slopes to mature spruce-fir on top of Plateau Mountain. An excellent mature stand of northern hardwood and hemlock occupies the slopes south of the Saw Kill.

Echo Lake, unique to the Catskill wilderness, is very popular for undeveloped camping. A small number of scattered primitive tent sites with fire rings have been established and public camping is limited to their capacities.

Public access is provided by several foot trails entering the area, including the old road from Meads to Overlook Mountain.

Area statistics:

Approximate Area 16,800 Acres
Roads 6.6 Miles
Foot Trails 24.1 Miles
Cross-country Ski Trails 5.6
Lean-tos 3
Designated Campsites 10
Parking Lots 1
Public Use (visitors/year) 8,000
Length of Boundary 33 Miles
Minimum Elevation 900′
Maximum Elevation 3,840′

A UMP for this area was completed in October of 1992.

Slide Mountain Wilderness

(Formerly Slide Mountain – Panther Mountain Wilderness Area)

This wilderness is located in the towns of Shandaken, Denning and Olive in Ulster County. It lies generally south of NYS Route 28, west of West Shokan, north of the Peekamoose Road (County Route 42) and east of the Frost Valley Road (County Route 47). It surrounds the Woodland Valley Campground and abuts the Sundown Wild Forest to its south. This area ranges from 1 to 10 miles in width, is about 13 miles long, and contains approximately 47,500 acres of land. The wilderness boundary is 118 miles long.

The terrain is rugged and steep with elevations ranging from 1,100 to 4,180 feet. All water draining from the area eventually reaches three New York City water supply reservoirs by way of the East and West Branches of the Neversink River, Rondout Creek and Esopus Creek. Twelve named mountain peaks with elevations over 3000 feet exist in the area. Of these, six may still be considered trail-less to the extent that they have no marked and maintained trails.

Peaks with Trails

Slide 4,180′
Peekamoose 3,843′
Cornell 3,860′
Wittenberg 3,780′
Table 3,847′
Panther 3,720′

Trail-less Peaks

Lone 3,721′
Rocky 3,508′
Friday 3,694′
Van Wyck 3,206′
Wildcat 3,340′
Balsam Cap 3,623′

The forest cover consists of nearly every possible mixture and association of hardwood and softwood trees native to the mountain region. While hardwoods predominate higher elevations are often covered with red spruce and balsam fir.

This area receives more public use than any other Catskill wilderness. Superb vistas are found on Slide, Wittenberg, Cornell, Giant Ledge and Panther Mountains. Access via foot trails is available from the north, south, east and west.

Area statistics:

Approximate Area 47,500 Acres
Foot Trails 35.3 Miles
Lean-tos 3
Parking Lots 10
Designated Campsites 29
Public Use (visitors/year) 23,000
Length of Boundary 118 Miles
Minimum Elevation 1,100′
Maximum Elevation 4,180′

A UMP for this area was completed in March of 1987 and revised in October of 1998.

Windham – Blackhead Range Wilderness

(Formerly Blackhead Range, and North Mountain Wild Forests, and portions of Windham High Peak, and Black Dome Valley Wild Forests)

The combination of these Wild Forest areas creates the Windham – Blackhead Range Wilderness Area, which lies within the Greene County towns of Cairo, Hunter, Jewett, Windham and Durham. The classification of these former Wild Forest areas was changed to Wilderness because their combined area comprises approximately 17,100 acres and contains rugged, high elevation land that clearly exhibits wilderness character. This newly classified area has seven named mountain peaks over 3,000 feet in elevation.

They are:

Peaks Black Dome 3,980′
Windham High Pk 3,520′
Blackhead 3,940′
Stoppel Point 3,420′
Thomas Cole 3,940′
Burnt Knob 3,180′
Acra Point 3,100′

The unit also contains six unnamed peaks over 3,000 feet, which range from 3,040 feet to 3,540 feet in elevation. Of the five highest peaks in the Catskills, three – Black Dome, Thomas Cole and Blackhead – are in this unit. This concentration of 13 peaks over 3,000 feet, within an area of approximately 28 square miles, with limited access, structures and improvements (30 miles of maintained foot trails and two lean-to’s) make the Windham – Blackhead Range Unit an area with excellent wilderness character.

A fairly extensive area of old growth forest can be found on this unit at the higher elevations, along the ridge stretching from an area west of Thomas Cole Mountain to Blackhead Mountain, and on Windham High Peak. The presence of this old growth forest, with its distinctive flora and fauna, add to the wilderness character of the unit. The unit also includes the headwaters of the Batavia Kill and, to the south over the Blackhead Range, the headwaters of the East Kill. Both of these rivers flow into Schoharie Creek, and are an integral part of the New York City Watershed system.

The western boundary of this unit shall be the east side of the Elm Ridge Trail, Black Dome Trail leaving it within the Elm Ridge Wild Forest, continuing north along the drainage to the Catskill Park boundary. The southern boundary of the unit shall be the Escarpment Trail approximately one half mile south of Stoppel Point to a point on the Escarpment Trail where it comes closest to the eastern Forest Preserve boundary. Both North Point and Stoppel Point will be within the Wilderness area. Lands to the south of the south edge of the Escarpment Trail in this area, will be in the Kaaterskill Wild Forest.

Because the Windham – Blackhead Range Wilderness surrounds the smaller Colgate Lake Wild Forest Unit, and because they are linked together by public use, the Unit Management Plans for the two units shall be contained in one document.

Area statistics:

Approximate Area 18,0000 Acres
Foot Trails 30 Miles
Lean-tos 2
Parking Lots 1
Minimum Elevation 980′
Maximum Elevation 3,980′

Looking Back I Have Some Regrets About by 2017 Road Trip to West Viriginia

One year out, here’s what I regret about my 2017 trip to West Virginia.

I regret not spending enough time in the more southerly portion of the Monongahela National Forest, maybe driving down further south to see some of the coal mining towns and learn more about that part of the state. I did visit Corridor “H” and the Mount Storm Power Plant and saw some of the coal mining operations there, but I would have liked to see more.

I would have liked to visit some more of the impoverished parts of state — although I guess Thomas and Davis, WV aren’t exactly wealthy nor are the communities I’ve driven through in Sweedlin Valley and Morefield. But I guess growing up in rural, essentially Appalachia, near Greene County, New York I wouldn’t have noticed that.

I also think I made a mistake not to drive up Spruce Mountain, the tallest in the state. There were some really nice views from the top of the mountain state. I liked camping on the Gandy Run in 2015, and driving that back road through the forest, but that got missed this year. And there is so much of the Monongahela National Forest that I haven’t seen.

I did enjoy my drive the Blue Ridge Parkway northbound from Otter Peaks. But honestly, I think much of Virginia is a tourist trap, and I don’t know if I want to deal with the traffic or developed campgrounds the next time I take this big autumn trip. I prefer the wild country where there aren’t people out there checking to see if you paid your tribute for the tiny little campsite crammed against otheres.

I think I want to camp at Dolly Sods next time I come to West Virginia. Not the developed campground on the summit but maybe the road along the way up there. It’s a short drive or a longer walk up to the top to watch the sun set or rise. And then maybe do some of the hiking trails in the wilderness.

I also think the night I spent at Ohiopyle was a waste. But at least I know what the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania are like. Ohiopyle, with the natural peninsula is kind of interesting and the water falls are neat. But the campground is tightly packed, enforcement is aggressive (hide your beer!), and $26 a night seems steep even with taking a hot shower both before bed and getting up. Ohiopyle wasn’t as wild as I expected. Too much of a tourist trap downtown. The farms and the landscape of the Laurel Highlands could easily be much of Upstate New York or Pennsylvania.

I hate losing two days in both directions going up through Pennsylvania and Maryland to get to and from West Virginia, but I’m really unwilling to make the trip in one day. I don’t like driving more then 4 hours a day total, not including stops and parks. Anything more then that gets tiring for me and means I’m rushing to get camp set before darkness sets in early.

I probably won’t be back to West Virginia until October 2019. But I have some ideas what I will do differently — spend the bulk of the week in West Virginia, exclusive of the weekends for travel. There is much of West Virginia I would like to explore — and I could definitely pass on all the commotion and craziness of Virginia.

 Nestled Between The Mountains

Went Down to Huntersland

Today, I decided I wanted to go snowshoeing in the extreme back-portion of Partridge Run, west of Bradt Hollow Road. I followed the ski trails and Long Path from where it crosses Bradt Hollow Road on down to the swamp in the back. I hadn’t been back there in years.

View Larger Map

After the snowshoe hike, I decided I wanted to drive down to Huntersland and poke around for a bit with my truck. Took High Point Road, then Canaday Hill Road down to Huntersland – and remember what beautiful country it is down by Huntersland. It might be generic Appalachian hills, as is seen in a lot of the Southern Tier, but the hills around Middleburgh tend to be particularly high and steep, leading to some remarkably beautiful views.

The Catskill Mountains and Adirondacks are beautiful. But I think little compares to the Appalachians in their beauty – how the tall, often rounded hills, shroud the deep hollows. Run-down houses and farms are often perched on the hills, often overlooking sometimes fast-moving creeks – or as they call them in most of Appalachia – runs.

Huntersland Hollow

On some of the hills, you see more and more large and cabins and houses. On Canady Hill Road there were a few amazingly big mansions, probably owned by wealthy folk who find you can buy rural land in the mountains for real cheap – and get some great views and hunting opportunities to boot.

Exploring a little bit of appalachia, not all that far from my home in Northern Schoharie County.