imarchant
Active member
This past weekend I was camping with our boyscout troop at North Lake. As I have for 4 of the last 5 years, I did a five mile hike with the 1st year scouts as advancement requirement. Our group consisted of 19 Scouts, leaders, parents and family members. We started at the Scutt rd trailhead. Following the Escarpment trail, with a quick detour to view Kaaterskill Falls from the top. We continue at a slow to moderate pace, taking our time to learn/teach basic map & compass skills. Review plant and wildlife identification and enjoy the views. We enjoyed lunch at Boulder Rock. While we were eating lunch another group of Scouts from Massachusetts arrived. We continued on to the popular Catskill Mountain House site
Here I meet up with 4 scouts who where a year or two older, but had not yet completed the 5 mile hike requirement. At this point all but two of the scouts from the original group left with the other leaders/parents, to return to the campground. One of these two scouts was doing his first of 5, 10 mile hikes for the hiking merit badge. After a brief break and refill of water at the beach area we continued on the hike. I had researched this section of the hike in Bob Gildersleeve's book Catskill Mountain House Trail Guide: In the Footsteps of the Hudson River School. We followed the route described as "Hike #6" to the Palenville Lookout. The route follows a well marked horse/snowmobile trail. I was surprised how easy it was to follow. It did share the characterisit of the Kaaterskill High Peak snowmobile trail with several very wet spots, but not as muddy.
The views from the lookout are unique. It is a 1,000 drop to the valley only about 1/3 of a mile distant. The valley is populated so you are looking down onto rooftops, roads and back yards, but still very picturesque. By contrast by looking west up the Kaaterskill clove the views toward Point of Rocks (AKA Indianhead/ Profile Rock) is rugged and wild. I had considered bushwacking from here to Point of rocks, but it was a bit latter than I had plannned so we backtracked a 1/2 mile to a trail junction that took us steeply up in a westerly direction. We flowed the horse trail until it joined the Longpath, leading to the Escarpment trail. At the old Kaaterskill Hotel Site I had orginally intended to hike back to the Scutt Rd Trailhead, but due to having more passengers than seats, I opted to hike back to our campsite, since it was only a slightly longer distance.
We arrived back at camp at a reasonable time. The weather was almost perfect. The views were good and everyone had a good time. I was glad to have visited another place I had not yet seen.
a few pictures
Here I meet up with 4 scouts who where a year or two older, but had not yet completed the 5 mile hike requirement. At this point all but two of the scouts from the original group left with the other leaders/parents, to return to the campground. One of these two scouts was doing his first of 5, 10 mile hikes for the hiking merit badge. After a brief break and refill of water at the beach area we continued on the hike. I had researched this section of the hike in Bob Gildersleeve's book Catskill Mountain House Trail Guide: In the Footsteps of the Hudson River School. We followed the route described as "Hike #6" to the Palenville Lookout. The route follows a well marked horse/snowmobile trail. I was surprised how easy it was to follow. It did share the characterisit of the Kaaterskill High Peak snowmobile trail with several very wet spots, but not as muddy.
The views from the lookout are unique. It is a 1,000 drop to the valley only about 1/3 of a mile distant. The valley is populated so you are looking down onto rooftops, roads and back yards, but still very picturesque. By contrast by looking west up the Kaaterskill clove the views toward Point of Rocks (AKA Indianhead/ Profile Rock) is rugged and wild. I had considered bushwacking from here to Point of rocks, but it was a bit latter than I had plannned so we backtracked a 1/2 mile to a trail junction that took us steeply up in a westerly direction. We flowed the horse trail until it joined the Longpath, leading to the Escarpment trail. At the old Kaaterskill Hotel Site I had orginally intended to hike back to the Scutt Rd Trailhead, but due to having more passengers than seats, I opted to hike back to our campsite, since it was only a slightly longer distance.
We arrived back at camp at a reasonable time. The weather was almost perfect. The views were good and everyone had a good time. I was glad to have visited another place I had not yet seen.
a few pictures
