Windham High Peak

Took advantage of the great weather. Hiked up Windham High Peak this afternoon. Temp stayed right around 30 deg. Clear blue skies and no wind. Stayed cold enough to keep the mud stiffened up. Trail was in great shape. Went up the Escarpment Trail from Rt. 23. Just slight traces of snow near the summit and ice right on the peak. Views from the top were haze free and went on forever. Saw 6 hikers and two dogs out on the same trip. Great day. Great hike.

That is a charming little mountain isn't it? Especially on a clear day. With sun out, it's a nice dramatic contrast walking into those dark stands of Norway Spruce along the trail. Last winter I was up there with sunlight glaring off snow and it was like walking into a dark building on that section of trail.

Matt

mcorsar said:

That is a charming little mountain isn't it? Especially on a clear day. With sun out, it's a nice dramatic contrast walking into those dark stands of Norway Spruce along the trail. Last winter I was up there with sunlight glaring off snow and it was like walking into a dark building on that section of trail.

Matt

Click to expand...

I love that section! It reminds me of Mirkwood in the LOTR.

Here's a shot of me just before re-entering the forest.

http://home.hvc.rr.com/trankin/dark.jpg

When it's foggy, the effect is even more pronounced!

Amazingly, it's a winter shot (1/1/5), but there is 0 snow visible. Given this year, why does that surprise me!

This may be a bit off the wall question, but can Windham be hiked in snowshoes up the ski trails? Not questioning if the area will allow it, but if the trails head up to or near the correct side/place to summit.

bubba said:

This may be a bit off the wall question, but can Windham be hiked in snowshoes up the ski trails? Not questioning if the area will allow it, but if the trails head up to or near the correct side/place to summit.

Click to expand...

Windham High Peak and Windham Ski Resort are on different mountains!

Go figure!

Figures. I'll get to know something about the Catskills one of these days. I keep seeing the same Mtns -- Hunter and Windham. I'll be there this weekend.

Cave Mountain

Bubba, I have not climbed Cave Mt (Ski Windham), however, I do recall reading a trail report in the Albany-ADK chapter newsletter several years ago of a non-winter hike up the ski trails of Ski Windham followed by a relatively short bushwhack to the summit. I don't recall which ski trail they used. There is a ski trail map on the Windham Mountain (formerly Ski Windham) website. The 3100' Cave Mt. summit is a bit east of the top of the ski slopes. It is probably the summit depicted on the far left of the ski map. My state land maps show the summit to be on state land, and it appears to be directly adjacent to the ski center property.

So Ski Windham is actually on the north face of Cave Mtn, which looks to be a bit "castlelated" if there is such a word .

I guess Ski Windham sounds more pleasing that Ski Cave, take the name from the town rather than the mountain in this case.

I'm not a downhill skier so I've never skied any of the resorts in the catskills..... How come plattekill isn't on Plattekill Mtn?

Jay

Doodles, sounds like you had a very nice hike. Windham HP is a great mountain. Several nice views from the summit, which as you found are more open and clear in winter. There are five (three on the Escarpment Trail) Norway Spruce reforestation areas on the western slopes of Windham High Peak. The other two are on private land at the Peck Rd trailhead and largest is further east of Peck Rd. These were planted in the late 1930s on old farm fields, stone wall fences still visible. Many consider them unnatural mono-cultures and in this case a non-native tree, but I think they are quite attractive and a nice contrast to the random first and second growth on the mountain.

I apologize that we have hijacked your thread a bit to discuss Catskill HH peaks. Jay, Ski Plattekill is on the north summit of the Delaware County Plattekill Mt. The first published list (Guide to the Catskills, 1974, Walking News) of the 98 Catskill 3000' summits called these two peaks North Plattekill (3340') and South Plattekill (3260'). Only the 3260' summit is labeled Plattekill Mountain on the Hobart USGS quad. Not to be confused with the 3100' Plattekill Mountain in Greene County.

The Bobcat Ski Center is another ski area on a mountain of a different name: Mount Pisgah, 3345', in Delaware County, not to be confused with the Greene County, 2912' Mt. Pisgah on the northern Long Path. Lots of reused names in the Catskills. The Ski Centers are probably good approaches to Cave, the Plattekills, and Pisgah.

which looks to be a bit "castlelated" if there is such a word .

Click to expand...

Jay, I don't know the word, but if it means there is a fairly large pitch at the top after the uphill lift that one would have to negotiate, then I understand!

Mark, thanks for the information. It looks fairly easy to get to once one gets over the steep.. Maybe I should carry my board and slide back down.

Doodles: same here about pirating the thread. No doubt I was the initial pirate -- Arrrgh!!. It sounds like you did have a nice outing. Good to know that they exist in the Cats.

Tom Rankin said:

I love that section! It reminds me of Mirkwood in the LOTR.

Here's a shot of me just before re-entering the forest.

http://home.hvc.rr.com/trankin/dark.jpg

When it's foggy, the effect is even more pronounced!

Amazingly, it's a winter shot (1/1/5), but there is 0 snow visible. Given this year, why does that surprise me!

Click to expand...

Here's Jay H in said woods on 1-14-05, only snow on the peak that day;

http://www.shutterbook.com/photos/06364168005_13281.jpg

Nice picture Chip, I was just thinking I probably should of got out my umbrella just to make a fashion statement.

Bubba, yeah, I've heard the term, in refererence to the castellated ridge in the Whites:

http://hikethewhites.com/jefferson.html

Click on the castellated link there for a picture. I just spelled it wrong, apparently.

It appears that Cave has multiple peaks from west to east, there's a 3020' one dropping very slightly then up to 3040 then a larger drop to 2800' to 3100'. However, nothing like a big drop like between say Sherril and North Dome such that Cave must look like a castle with the battlements on top.

Jay

No problem to all about pirating or hijacking my thread. I was glad to see my trip report generated such an informative reply / discussion.

Matt / Tom, I agree that section of pines was awsome. Like entering a dark forest in some fairy tale.

Looking forward to getting out again this weekend.

George