snow

Yeah for the Snow

Today marks the second day of the winter when we’ve had snow. That’s good, because until this point it’s been largely a snowless winter, and last year was pretty snowless.

Snowshoe Path

But snow is both essential to the economy, the environment, and way of life in New York State. It provides a surface for skiers, snowmobilers, and snowshoers to get back into the woods.

Climbing out of the Ravine

It refreshes the natural environment, by insulating the ground, while killing off excessive deer, mice, and ticks.

Snowmobile Tracks

… So yeah, to another snowy day!

Elm & Longwood

41 Degrees

Today’s average high is supposed to be 41 degrees.
Much warmer then the cold weather of recent.

Snowy Day!

41 degrees may not be warm
but it’s warm enough to be melting the snow.

Watching the Snow Melt

Exposing the bare ground
and showing the first signs of spring.

Frame 59

It may be cold and snowy today,
but spring is most certainly just around the corner.

Hunter Mountain via Spruceton Horse Trail

On Sunday, February 21, 2010 I got up at 5 AM and started out on the Spruceton Horse Trail to Hunter Mountain around 8 AM. Previously I went up Hunter Mountain using the much steeper Mink Hollow Trail, which in a couple of parts would be challenging to snowshoe for a novice like myself. The Spruceton Trail is 3.5 miles and an accent of 1,900 feet versus Mink Hollow Trail at 2.1 miles and 2,200 feet accent.

 Deep Pond Trail

Here I am starting up the mountain, with trail-less high peak Rusk Mountain in the distance.

Starting Up the Spruceton Trail

The Old Hunter Road (abandoned 1937) is straight, wide, and modest ascent. With the sun rising, I had issues with snow blindness, but it offered some interesting broken views of West Kill Mountain in the background.

Westkill Mountain from Hunter

About half-way up the Mountain, you reach the “saddle” between Rusk and Hunter Mountain. After snowshoeing for a little over an hour, with this sign telling you there is 1.7 miles to go, an accent of 1,100 feet is a bit discouraging, but so be it.

1.7 Miles to Hunter Tower

After about 2 hours of snowshoeing I reached the spring. The past half hour of hiking, from the saddle up to the spring, may not be a long distance at 1/2 mile, it is a vigrous but not not steep 500 foot ascent by an old but wide abandoned truck trail.

Looking Down a Steeper Trail

The AMC’s Best Day Hikes in the Catskills and Hudson Valley suggests that one has to be careful with drinking out of this spring, because thirsty horseback riders sometimes bring their horses back to give them a drink too, ignoring the sign.

Spring

Going a little bit farther past the spring, you come across the trail down to the John Robb Lean To. About 1/4 mile and 100 feet below the Spruceton Trail, after going a narrow little rock crevice, there is the Spruceton Leanto.

From the Lean To, it’s approximately 1 mile to the Hunter Fire Tower. The next mile is either flat or a slight ascent, until you reach the last 1/4 mile of the trail where is ascent quickly with switchbacks, but again, not steeply.

One Mile to Hunter Fire Tower

Finally after about 4 1/2 hours of snowshoeing (including breaks and taking photos), I reached the Hunter Mountain Fire Tower. By now it had clouded up, and it reminds one of a picture out of a movie.

Approaching the Fire Tower

It felt good to get the snowshoes off, stop, and have some lunch for an extended break.

Snowshoeing Down the Trail

Looking North off the Fire Tower towards the Catskills famous TriMount-range aka Thomas Cole, Black Dome, and Black Head Mountains.

North from Tower

To the due east one can see Catskill’s Sunset Point, the upper Hudson Valley near Catskill, and in the distance, the Taconics, including the other Sunset Point in the Taconic State Park.

Sunset Point in the Catskills

It was frigid on the fire tower with the winds blowing. Off the tower it wasn’t quite so bad. After spending a little time relaxing at the picnic table, and putting another layer of clothes on, I headed south along the blue trail to the Hunter Mountain Overlook which overlooks the South-Western Catskills.

Boreal Forest

Reaching the Hunter Mountain Overlook, the views where quite amazing, showing mountains from Mount Tremper to the east to West Kill Mountain in the West.

South

The saddle between Hunter and West Kill Mountain. It was amazingly beautiful.

Westkill Mountain from Hunter

After taking half a dozen photos at the Overlook, I headed back to the Fire Tower, and went up it once again. Here I am looking to the North West towards Blenheim Mountain and Schoharie County. The former Hunter Mountain Ranger’s cabin is in the foreground, with a snowboarder who snowshoed with board on back from Hunter Mountain Ski Resort on the balcony.

Ranger's Cabin

Here is South Hunter Mountain, looking due South.

South Hunter Mountain

Heading back down the trail, looking at Rusk Mountain.

Looking Towards Rusk

I arrived back to my truck around 4 PM. I was tired, as snowshoeing is a lot more work then hiking. Snowshoes kind of drag on the snow, and the cold just makes everything a bit more tiresome. Yet, the beauty was amazing even at a balmy 22 degrees.

Balmy 24 Degrees

Make sure to browse all of the amazing photos from the hike up there. Also, see my April 12, 2009 trip up to Hunter Mountain via Mink Hollow.

Co-Signed Spruceton Trail

Here is the map of the Spruceton Horse Trail up Hunter Mountain.

Five Rivers in the First Snow

Two Sundays ago I decided to go for an hour hike at Five Rivers. Nothing fancy, I just wanted to try out my snowshoes for the year, get a little pratice, and get some pictures of the first fluffy white snow of the year.

Vermont 2020 Presidential Election

It was a cloudy day, a pretty quiet day. There was a lot of people out walking around, and in many places the trail was quite slushy.

Frozen Puddle

Some of the ponds at Five Rivers where very much frozen for the first time this year.

Frozen Lake

The trees where all covered with a pretty layer of snow, as seen with this pine tree against a grey sky.

Coniferous Tree

As I walked around the back field it was truly a beautiful winter wonderland.

Field

Heading past the DEC Barn off the North Loop Trail / DEC road.

Barn

Here is a map of the route, in pink.


View Hikes of 2009 in a larger map