okay next area, skiing trails in the catskills

[ADackR]

alright everyone, this is going to require a coordinated effort... i do not have internet access on the weekends so i'll need everyones expert opinions by the end of the day....

i'm looking for some x-c - back country ski trails in the cats....

criteria:
rolling to hilly terrain
hiking trails to obscure trails
10-15 mile round (total trips)


so far i looked at the maps and have hunter mtn. via spruceton road in mind. i would most likey add diamond notch with this trip. balsam mtn. (bellayre(SP?) backside).

that's it so far, any others that i should think about....ask away or add... i'll be here all day folks

thanks, and bring the SNOW!!

 

[Jay H]

Not sure how good the trails would be for skiing. A local would know better but the last time I was on a trailed hike in the catskills, conditions would not of been good for XC skiing there.

But, the Phoenicia-East branch trail from Denning to the Slide Mtn parking lot is about 10 miles round trip. People ski down the main trail from Slide but that's more of an AT style trip and you mentioned rolliing hills.

If by the backside of Belleayre Mtn, you mention from Lost Clove, that is an option, there I think are actual ski trails from the XC ski area at Belleayre but you could go in from Lost Clove Rd (off of Rt 47, south of Big Indian) and that would be a decent climb to Belleayre that gets steep right at the leanto. (skins might be useful). Once you get to the false summit of Belleayre (where the tower used to be) you could venture to the top of the ski lifts or take the left to head towards Balsam. I think there are a couple of chutes just past on the trail to Balsam you might have to take the skis off but once the trail levels it would be a nice ski to get to Balsam. (The trail is very faint and overgrown at some points, this isn't a very popular trail). Once you get towards Balsam though there is a steep climb you might have to take the skis off again.

Another option I see is perhaps skiing to Overlook from Prediger Road, via the Devil's Path to Echo Lake to Overlook.

There are also some good ski trails in the SW catskills by Mongaup Pond that I'd love to check out. I don't know the ski conditions on the trails. The last time I was on a trail was doing Lone/Rocky on Dec 26th and the conditions then were awful, icy and just packed. They should have a little more snow now because they've had some moderate snow recently, but it's still over thick ice. The last hike I did was Friday/Balsam Cap but that was a bushwack.

Another option I think could be going in from Biscuit brook off of Slide Mtn Rd (47) and going north towards Big Indian/Fir. You'd have to cross the brook itself by the leanto but that is a nice ski and is not overly popular.

I'd be prepared to carry skis in spots. This weekends snow storm is in fact going to hit us here down in southern NY/NJ more than the catskills, they say 3 inches in Kingston and up to 6 in my neck of the woods, which means I'll probably be skiing down here.

P.S. This should be in the Q&A section since it has to do with the NE.

Jay

 

[Rob S]

I agree with Jay about the current conditions. Not the best for XC skiing.

If, .... I mean, when, we get more snow, another area that I would recommend, and an area I've always wanted to ski, was the woods road up to Balsam Lake Mountain. Don't have my maps here at work and I can't remember the name of the trail, but the approach from either the north or south would be good.

Weather.com is predicting snow for the Cats from late Saturday morning thru Monday night. Hope we get a lot.

Rob

 

[Jay H]

Balsam lake from the shortest way would be steep.

Balsam lake from Alder lake would be nice, there's actually a short loop around the lake that's advertised for beginners a lot in guide books and that trail to Balsam Lake is rolling hills and not that popular. (except for the hunters). Actually, that might be an interesting idea. You could also ski down to the Seeger trail(?) and then go to graham via the old access road.

Jay

 

[AOC]

There is a nice cross-country ski trail starting at Preideger Rd. off County Rt. 16 (trailhead to Indian Head and Twin) that leads to Echo Lake. Very enjoyable rolling terrain.

The summit of Windham Mt. is easily reached on skis as the slope (from 23-B) is gentle all the way to the top, with the exception of one steeper section about 1 mile in.

 

[Mark Schaefer]

I agree that current Catskill conditions are not good for skiing. Even with the powder that is predicted many trails will just have that powder over rocks and branches rather than over a frozen base.

One area that I like when conditions are marginal is North Lake State Park. All or most of the park roads are closed in winter. About 6 inches of powder on top of the asphalt roads will provide good conditions. You can endlessly loop around the lakes and on the many campground roads. It is all fairly level, but with some hills. You will likely share the trails with snowmobiles. The trails in the South Mt area are also good. If you have the NYNJTC map #40 you will see a couple of old roads that can be skied to do a loop of South Mt. There are also some horse trails in the area that can be skied. Some sections of the Escarpment Trail are skiable, others may require you to take your skis off. Be careful of the cliff areas.

The snowmobile trail that circles Kaaterskill High Point and Roundtop can be skied.

Another skiable mountain is Bearpen, 3600', via Ski Run Road and the ridge road to the summit, although it is very popular with snowmobiles.

 

[ADackR]

thanks everyone, storm totals are all over the place for this one... i've seen (for heldebergs, catskills and south) any where from 8-14 inches of snow.

looking good for the weekend, hope everyone gets out>>>