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Snake Mountain in a Snowstorm

Andy | December 28, 2009

I was up in Addison, Vermont to watch the demolition of the Champlain Bridge and I figured while I was up there I would go for a hike in the afternoon to see some of the beautiful vistas of the Champlain Valley. I have only been hiking once before on the Vermont side of the lake, and never down in this part of the Champlain Valley.

I really was hoping for a nice clear day with blue skies. What I got instead was heavy snow squalls and cold winds whipping along the mountain. I am sure things would have been quite beautiful if that was the conditions. Yet things where just a bit snowier throughout the day. This is what it looked like 3 PM when I was done hiking and reaching my truck to return back to Albany.

Regardless, it was a beautiful hike up the mountain with the trees being snow covered and the trail easy to follow. Everything looked so fresh from the morning’s snow, and the on-and-off sometimes very heavy snow throughout the day. As you can see, the trail is easily accessible on foot in the summertime, and in the winter by cross country skis or snowshoes.

There are occasional trail markers up the mountain, including signs on turns for the Summit, but a few side trails so you will want to make sure you have a map. Fortunately, you can get one from Vermont DNR with on Snake Mountain WMA. One thing with that map is it doesn’t include a lot of the switchbacks, so you might think you have gotten off the trail even though you haven’t. For the most part, it’s not bad, as it’s an old woods road.

The view off the summit of Snake Mountain is one of the most remarkable ones (so I’ve been told on the Internet), but not a day when it’s snowing. You can see a little of the farm fields below when the snow let up a little bit, but it pretty much was a blind view. I was seriously disappointed, after driving up to Addison from Albany, NY and seeing neither the demolition of the bridge or off Snake Mountain from the snow.

At times walking around the Summit of Snake Mountain I couldn’t really tell if it was snowing as much as I was up in the clouds. It was cold and the wind was whipping around, and visibility was really poor.

It’s winter out, and it is snows in Vermont. The moral of the story is while hiking is delightful in fresh winter snows, it also means that visibility off the mountain really isn’t all that great.

Stony Ledge at Mount Greylock

Andy | December 13, 2009

For about two months now I’ve been really itching to go out hiking on Mount Greylock. I have wanted to say I’ve “conquered” yet another peak. Last Sunday I decided it was time to go. I realised though with the short days and the snow predicted for the afternoon, I would not be able to make it all the way up Greylock, but would have to settle for Stony Ledge from the Hadley Farm.

Hadley Farm is a working beef cattle farm, and while the cows where in the barn, you can smell the livestock in the barn. The farm is privately owned, Massachusetts Department of Conservation Resources (DCR) owns a parcel of a land directly to the south of the barn, an old field that is snowploughed to allow parking.

One of the first views directly to the west of the trail-head is the beautiful Deer Ridge, a set of lower mountains directly to the west of Mount Greylock.

For a while the Hopper Trail is co-signed with the Money Brook Trail. Along the Money Brook they allow dispersed camping, which is not allowed in other areas. This portion of the Hopper Trail is relatively flat, with some climbing, but nothing too major.

The trail I took up with the Hopper Trail, an old woods road that connects up with the camp ground on Stony Ledge. As I had gotten a fairly early start hiking up, the sun had yet to rise over the high mountains, so things where still in a shadow. The deep valley I am in is called the Hopper.

When you reach the Sperry Road Campground (free primitive backpack/horseback/snowmobile campsites), here is the sign for The Hopper / Hoper Trail. In Massachussets they sometimes get a bit carried away with all the words they use on their signs.

Here is Sperry Road / Campground. Right now it’s being used as a snowmobile trail. In the background is the side of Mount Greylock, some 1,000 feet above Sperry Road.

Here is Campsite R6 at Sperry Road. All of the campsites have picnic tables, the tiny little fire pits that are standard issue by MassDCR, and a hitching post for horses.

Reaching Stony Ledge. I’m tired. I sit down at the picnic table, and take off my snowshoes, and look down at the Hopper and the Taconic Mountains in the distance. The snow had largely blown off the face of the mountain.

Here is the pass between Mount Greylock and Mount Prospect. The “wrinkles” in the mountain, and the stony-nature of Stony Ledge just seemed so perfect for this rapidly greying day.

I didn’t spend much time at Stony Ledge. Shortly after reaching Stony Ledge, it started to sleet (ice pellets) pretty hard. My left-cleet came apart on my snowshoe, so I decided I’d better head back. I wanted to find the pieces that fell off my snowshoe, so I returned the way I went up the mountain.

Part of the descent down on Hopper Trail was quite steep and icy. With my broken snowshoe, which I later found the parts for on the trail, it was a slippery descent. The old roadbed was covered with a thick layer of ice, made slipper from the sleet, and at an almost 45 degree angle to the roadbed, because of drifting snow.

Looking up towards the Cut Off to Money Brook around 1:30 PM as the snow was rapidly flying around and coming down. It wasn’t quite whiteout conditions, but it was very white. It would change from ice pellets/sleet to snow then to ice pellets, and finally back to non-freezing rain.

By the time I made it back to my truck, it was pouring rain out. Much too wet to get the camera out for sure. I hopped in the cab of my truck, took off my thermal overalls, and got warm. It was a long drive home on very slippery roads, but it was worth it.

Here is a map of the route, in blue.

View Hikes of 2009 in a larger map

Hunter Mountain via Mink Hollow

Andy | April 10, 2009

On Friday I hiked up Hunter Mountain, the second tallest peak in the Catskills at 4040′ elevation above sea level. From the trail head you clime 2020′ feet in elevation, about doubling your height, but it’s not that bad when you consider the climb is over 2.5 miles via the Becker Hollow Trail.

It was a beautiful sunny day, although I was well aware that rain was expected by afternoon. I had gotten a late start, not reaching the trail head until about 9:30 AM. It was quite hot going up, in part because there was little shade to hide out under.

The first part of the trail was relatively modest, but it quickly got steeper. It didn’t seem that bad, but I could feel the elevation, and with the sun it was quite warm. I took frequent breaks, stopping for lunch, pictures, water, and just to cool down, especially where I could find shade under the pine trees.

Around 3500 elevation marker, the trail headed south and got snowy and icy. It was a steeper hike, but not any worst then any other of the Catskill peaks. Then the yellow trail split off the blue trail, and it was a 1/4 mile up to the fire tower.

The fire tower is in the middle of the Catskills, so the surrounding mountains block the view of the valley except for a few views, such as down the Palenville Clove. Westerly views are the best, as are some of the southerly views.

The top deck of the fire tower of is missing the safety screen. Not that it matters much as the railing makes it pretty unlikely to fall, but I still have enough of a fear of heights to be extra careful. Stupid, sure.

A little ways to the south on the blue trail, about 1/2 mile, there is another view that overlooks the south-west, including West Kill Mountains, Slide Mountain, and Belleayre, all clearly identifiable.

This hike is definitely worthwhile when things are green out, if you enjoy looking at mountains. But it was awful gray out, especially by the time I reached the top, and it had clouded over. The lack of views of the Hudson Valley and the river was somewhat disappointing, but not surprising.

I slipped on some ice on the way down, slide about 10 feet and certainly felt it the next day. Other then that, it was a nice descent, much easier then going up. It started to pour, just about the time I reached my truck.

Be sure to see the Central Catskills Photos, where many are from Hunter Mountain.

Hikers – Trail Head
Purple Line – Becker Hollow Trail
Flag – Hunter Mountain Firetower
Balloon – Hunter Mountain South-West Overlook

View Hunter Mountain Hike in a larger map

Overlook Mountain

Andy | April 5, 2009

This past weekend’s Catskill Mountain hike was a return to Overlook Mountain, the first hike I took when I was working on my Hiking Merit Badge back in Boy Scouts. I also chose it because it was a quick hop down Route 9W or Thruway from Albany.

Not getting as early of a start as I would have liked, I arrived at the trail at around 8 AM. There was only one other car when I got there, it was packed by the time I leftbe aware if you plan hiking there. It was a nice clear morning on Sunday, and I made it up to the Catskill Mountain house around 9 AM, and to the fire tower around 9:30 AM. It was an easy hike up, following a well maintained authorized-vehicle only road, although somewhat more difficult psychologically, as you could see a quarter mile or more of the road, as it sloped uphill, sometimes at a 10-15% grade. It was not particularly warm at this hour, but I stopped frequently to snap pictures and stay hydrated.

The ruins over the Overlook Mountain House (2.0 miles from parking area on Meads Mountain Road), was bigger then I last remember it. It was too bad it burned, although it’s kind of neat how the general public can inspect it and think how grand it must of been in the 1920s when it opened, and people drove up there in their Cadillacs of the era. I walked around and snapped some pictures. Then I went up to the fire tower, about 1/2 mile further. It was windy, and it appeared there was a gate closing it off, but I pushed it open and went right up. I didn’t go all the way to the top at first, because I have a little bit fear of heights remaining. I snapped several dozen of pictures.

There also is a trail with southerly view, allowing you to sit and look out over the Hudson River, Woodstock, mountains South of Overlook, and the Ashokian Reservoir. I can’t imagine how beautiful it must look in summer with everything nice and green. I took some notes, pictures, and just gazed at the landscape.

I then decided to head down the mountain. But it was early, around 11 AM, so I decided to go for a hike down to Echo Lake. It looked pretty from the fire tower. I had forgotten I had been down there, during the Boy Scout hike, until I reached the turn off for the Echo Lake trail. The trail from the fire tower to Echo Lake trail turn off, also known as the Overlook Mountain Blue trail, is a gentle descent, following a long abandoned old woods road, complete with extensive grading for travel by automobiles. It’s no longer passable by cars, but remains of the fairly extensive cut and fill can be seen. Some snow and ice where on the trail, and parts where muddy, but no part too bad. This section is 2.0 miles.

The yellow trail down to Echo Lake is somewhat steeper. You descend a lot of altitude in 0.6 miles. Echo Lake is relatively small, but pretty. There is a lean-to down there, along with an established camping area near the lake. The lean-to appeared to be well used and older. It arrived there around noon time. Spend about a half hour there.

The trail from Echo Lake back up to the fire tower was not a bad hike. Passed several hikers, and made it back to the fire tower around 1:30 PM. It was amazing how much the light had changed in 3 hours. It went all the way up the tower this time, as the wind wasn’t blowing so hard, and also to the overlook. Around 2 PM, descended the trail and headed back to the truck. I arrived back around 2:45 PM. It was an easy hike down, although you had to keep holding yourself back.

See more photos from this hike in the Central Catskills Photos Series.

Hikers – Trail Head
House – Catskill Mountain House Ruins
Flag – Overlook Mountain Fire Tower
Tent – Echo Lake Lean-To

View Overlook Mountain / Echo Lake Hike in a larger map

Ground Hog Day

Andy | February 2, 2009

Today is Ground Hog Day, when Punxsutawney Phil is pulled out of his den to find out if he has a shadow, and to forecast the rest of the winter season. We all hope that he does not see his shadow, so that by some act of nature the spring will come six weeks earlier. It’s unlikely though, especially in the northeast.

It’s been awful snowy all winter, including one bitterly cold burst during January. You can argue it’s been worst then most years. The good news is that the worst is beyond us, and mud season can only be a dozen or so weeks away. Some how getting your truck stuck in the mud and muck beats this terrible winter weather.

We all want this season will come to an end. It was fun at first, but not so much now. Things will get warm, and it will be wonderful spring then summer. We will be sweating once again outdoors, and spending long nights looking up at the moon, sitting around the campfire. But for now, enjoy the cold.