Fu Jow Pai
New member
Party - Myself and 2 Jack Russell Terriers (now formally known as Parson Russell Terriers) Dino and Trixie
General Weather conditions - Cold, Windy, Sunny
9:15 - Start from Prediger rd. A little later than I hoped...couldn't find my only balaclava had to take some time to throw a hissy fit and wake up the wife before breaking out the comparable necessary gear...that's what I get for not getting gear together the night before...
10:50 Summit Twin. Donned cramp-ons just before reaching the cole. Some icy spots on the way up, requiring some pooch pitching (that's taking a JRT and pitching them up over tricky ledges). Great views mostly clear. Thoughts on summit: A) Can't believe I haven't been up this mountain in almost ten years, one of the best in the Cats. B) really have to sharpen these Kahtoola cramp-ons, they're just not cutting it today. C) How cool is Gore-tex, the wind is ripping and all I feel is the pressure, no cold air circulation.
Some tricky doggie down-loads (that's when you have to position yourself, sometimes precariously, to get dogs down icy ledges) on the way back down the moutain. Turns out dogs are like people, they can pysch themselves out of feats well within their prowess. Ran into a group of Asian hikers mostly older, upon return to Prediger noticed they had signed is as "US Mtn."... Has anyone else noticed a proliferation of Asian groups of winter hikers in the Cats recently? or is it the fact that I rarely hike on the weekends and rarely run into anyone.
11:50 Summit Indian Head. A little more snow on this summit than Twin, which virtually had none, maybe an 8 inch base with maybe 3/4 inch of fresh snow. Thoughts: A) almost looks like winter up here, although mid-Feb the last couple of winters would have been more like a 4ft snow base. B) (see B from Twin summit). Continued the loop down the moutain. Ran into 3 more hikers who were turning around after getting to a rather steep technical spot just off of the summit. Contemplated getting myself down as well as pooches. Didn't want to think too long and pysch myself out, so onward it was, and well worth it as views on Indian Head were yet to come and completely awesome. A bunch more tricky doggie downloads, which sometimes requires going up and down the same technical spot several times, all good practice I guess. Fortunately we were on a South facing trail and the ice is softening just a little bit and my dull cramp-ons are getting better traction, unfortunately we were on a South facing slope that gets more melt and therefore there is more ice in general... Thoughts on the way down to the trail confluence A) Dull cramp-ons are a little like ice skates, unfortuanetly I'm hiking not playing hockey. B) I'm going to have to get a pair of those really aggressive cramp-ons everyone else I hike with has...but no Yellow straps, only Red or Blue... C) The Catskills never fail to leave me humbled by nature and truly microscopic in the scheme of life, which makes me feel completely empowered somehow...D) no mountain lion sightings, darn
2:05 Return to Prediger rd. Thoughts: cant' believe I'm out of the woods so early why didn't take more time...oh that's right, it's cold as hell and there's always next time.
General Weather conditions - Cold, Windy, Sunny
9:15 - Start from Prediger rd. A little later than I hoped...couldn't find my only balaclava had to take some time to throw a hissy fit and wake up the wife before breaking out the comparable necessary gear...that's what I get for not getting gear together the night before...
10:50 Summit Twin. Donned cramp-ons just before reaching the cole. Some icy spots on the way up, requiring some pooch pitching (that's taking a JRT and pitching them up over tricky ledges). Great views mostly clear. Thoughts on summit: A) Can't believe I haven't been up this mountain in almost ten years, one of the best in the Cats. B) really have to sharpen these Kahtoola cramp-ons, they're just not cutting it today. C) How cool is Gore-tex, the wind is ripping and all I feel is the pressure, no cold air circulation.
Some tricky doggie down-loads (that's when you have to position yourself, sometimes precariously, to get dogs down icy ledges) on the way back down the moutain. Turns out dogs are like people, they can pysch themselves out of feats well within their prowess. Ran into a group of Asian hikers mostly older, upon return to Prediger noticed they had signed is as "US Mtn."... Has anyone else noticed a proliferation of Asian groups of winter hikers in the Cats recently? or is it the fact that I rarely hike on the weekends and rarely run into anyone.
11:50 Summit Indian Head. A little more snow on this summit than Twin, which virtually had none, maybe an 8 inch base with maybe 3/4 inch of fresh snow. Thoughts: A) almost looks like winter up here, although mid-Feb the last couple of winters would have been more like a 4ft snow base. B) (see B from Twin summit). Continued the loop down the moutain. Ran into 3 more hikers who were turning around after getting to a rather steep technical spot just off of the summit. Contemplated getting myself down as well as pooches. Didn't want to think too long and pysch myself out, so onward it was, and well worth it as views on Indian Head were yet to come and completely awesome. A bunch more tricky doggie downloads, which sometimes requires going up and down the same technical spot several times, all good practice I guess. Fortunately we were on a South facing trail and the ice is softening just a little bit and my dull cramp-ons are getting better traction, unfortunately we were on a South facing slope that gets more melt and therefore there is more ice in general... Thoughts on the way down to the trail confluence A) Dull cramp-ons are a little like ice skates, unfortuanetly I'm hiking not playing hockey. B) I'm going to have to get a pair of those really aggressive cramp-ons everyone else I hike with has...but no Yellow straps, only Red or Blue... C) The Catskills never fail to leave me humbled by nature and truly microscopic in the scheme of life, which makes me feel completely empowered somehow...D) no mountain lion sightings, darn
2:05 Return to Prediger rd. Thoughts: cant' believe I'm out of the woods so early why didn't take more time...oh that's right, it's cold as hell and there's always next time.
I attempted Plateau from Mink Hollow on Presi's Day and found my crampons had magically turned into skates too! Tough lesson to learn as you come off the side of a mountain! And, I passed by a group of eight Asian hikers that day who were doing the entire taverse. Interesting...
