This Page Needs More Prominence! Highpointing & Peakbagging Don't tell anyone, but this is perhaps my favorite pursuit. Moreso than museums. If I had the time, I’d devote a lot of time to these lists. As life would have it, what with two little kids and a job and all that, these are pretty much life-long … [Read more...]
Blackhead Mountain (Winter)
Blackhead Mountain, 3940 Feet March 19, 2015 4.4 miles solo via Black Dome Range and Blackhead Mountain Trails #5 on the Catskills 3500 List Finally. Finally, with my fourth and last required Catskills winter summit, I hiked in ideal winter conditions. This doesn't mean, of course, I'll never hike the Cats … [Read more...]
Sherrill Mountain
Sherrill Mountain, 3,549 Feet October 6, 2014 ~6 miles solo from the Route 42 D.E.C. Lot at Shaft Road #31 on the Catskills 3500 List The time had come. My first Catskill bushwhack. There are bunch I must do to become a Catskill 35er, so I figured I should get going with them at some point. I’ve never been … [Read more...]
Balsam Mountain
Balsam Mountain, 3,610 Feet October 6, 2014 5.2 miles solo from Rider Hollow parking lot #28 on the Catskills 3500 List I would guess that the majority of Cat35ers probably like to climb the 4 mountains that require two ascents differently each time. Not me... not this time anyway. Although I had “just” … [Read more...]
28b. Balsam Mountain (Winter)
Balsam Mountain, 3,610 Feet February 21, 2014 5.2 miles solo from Rider Hollow parking lot. #28 on the Catskills 3500 List Having completed my hike up and down Slide Mountain, I drove over to continue my day of snow-shoeing the Cats. I missed the turn off of route 28 initially and wasted a good 20 minutes … [Read more...]
Slide Mountain (Winter)
Slide Mountain, 4180 Feet February 21, 2014 5.4 miles solo via Pheonecia East Branch and W-C-S Trails # 1 on the Catskills 3500 List # 68 on the Northeast 111 (115) List I made the decision years ago to not go crazy with the writing on my Catskills pages. And when I write up the four required winter climbs (of … [Read more...]
Panther Mountain (Winter)
18a. Panther Mountain, 3,720 feet (Winter) March 8, 2012 6.3 miles solo via Phoenicia-East Branch Trail and Giant Ledge - Panther Mountain Trail # 18 on the Catskills 3500 List One of the unique things about the Catskills 3500 Club is that it requires completers to summit four of the climbs twice; with one hike … [Read more...]
Thomas Cole Mountain
Thomas Cole Mountain, 3940 Feet October 9, 2010 9.8 miles solo via Black Dome Range and Blackhead Mountain Trails #4 on the Catskills 3500 List Many mountains in many lands are named for the profile they cut (Sleeping Giant, Indian Head), the contrasting conifers on the summit (Blackhead, Black Dome), their … [Read more...]
Black Dome Mountain
Black Dome Mountain, 3980 Feet October 9, 2010 9.8 miles solo via Black Dome Range and Blackhead Mountain Trails #3 on the Catskills 3500 List Less than 1.5 miles of hiking to summit a 35’er? Well, yeah, if you’re coming over from Blackhead like I was (CTMQ hike here). There are, of course, other ways to … [Read more...]
Blackhead Mountain
Blackhead Mountain, 3940 Feet October 9, 2010 9.8 miles solo via Black Dome Range and Blackhead Mountain Trails #5 on the Catskills 3500 List A hiking cliché that really should be a rule is “Hike your own hike.” When thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, for instance, this is imperative. When peakbagging in the … [Read more...]