Slide - catskills

Had posted this in error out in trip reports.

Planning to do Slide this Friday. I plan to hike via the most direct route the Woodland Valley-Denning Trail southwest to its junction with the Burroughs Range Trail.

Looking for information regarding the trail, anything of interest I should consider while on the trail or should look for etc.

Also wondering the following:
1- how is the summit situation in the cats for ice/snow
2 - how does this trail compare to the becker-hollow run for Hunter ?

Thanks
Medic 108

Not sure what you mean by Woodland Valley Denning trail. If you are looking to do just Slide then you may want to start out at the Slide Mt Trailhead. From the lot you will take the Phonecia East Branch trail to the Wittenburg Cornell slide Tr (Burroughs range Tr) This is my guess on what you mean by Woodland Valley Denning trail. You can also go the longer rout via the Denning Trailhead. This will start on the Phonecia East Branch, although it is a good 4+miles one way. If you start at Woodland valley you will have to go over Wittenburg and Cornell and then Slide This is the Burroughs range trail also know as the Wittenburg Cornell Slide trail. For this you need 2 cars unless you do the 14 mile loop.
If you go from the Slide Parking to Slide summit it is not that bad of a climb, one of the easier hikes to a 3500ft summit. If you come from Woodland Valley it is very tough, one of the hardest in the catskills. As for snow looks like it is clear as of now or at least that is what the reports say.

From county 47, I highly recommend that you do not make a left off the Phoenicia-East Branch Trail that goes up the Burroughs Range Trail but continue to the stone marker (Curtis Monument) indicating the Curtis-Ormsbee Trail (Long Path) and ascend Slide Mountain using that route. By continuing on the Phoenicia-East Branch Trail further south, you continue to go up to the height of land, so you do not lose any elevation and you add an extra .5 mile. The east ascent of Slide via the Wittenberg-Slide Trail is an old rutted wood road used as a jeep trail 50 years ago when a fire tower existed on the summit of Slide Mountain. A much more interesting ascent is the Curtis-Ormsbee Trail, which is a pretty hiking trail. Definitely worth the half-mile extra. If you are just climbing Slide, you can descend via the W-S Trail creating a nice circular. I would do the circular in a counter-clockwise direction. At this time of year, I would not try to include Wittenberg & Cornell into my hike as the days are too short for such an endeavor as a day hike, unless you really can move.

Compared to the Becker Hollow Trail, the Curtis-Ormsbee is comparable. Wittenberg-Slide Trail is tedious and rutted.

Trail

Thanks for the responses and advice.

What I am attempting to do is to accomplish slide via the Shortest route and return within a time constraint.

The trail info I posted above was from the DEC site where it appeared that there was about 2.5 mile one way hike to the summit that was a steeper run but not quite as steep say as the becker-hollow trail on Hunter...

I must admit I am a little confused...am I mistaken that there is such a trail for Slide ? (Obviously I have not climbed slide before !)

Thanks so much for your help - you guys and this site is invaluable

Yes, both snowshoe & I understood you clearly as for your route. Just that you will never see a sign Woodland Valley-Denning Trail which are the two ends of the footpath part of the trail. Its official name is Phoenicia-East Branch Trail.

As for your intention, it sounds like you are trying to bag 4,000 footers in the simplest and most direct way. Thus you did the Becker Hollow up Hunter and now you are asking about Slide. My response is the same, for an extra 1.1 mile (additional distance correction over previous post on this thread) you get a nice circular on a much more enjoyable ascent route.

According to my Catskill Trail Conference Map. You are starting on the Phoenicia-East Branch Trail at a trailhead on County Route 47, which is a road that comes south from NY 28 at Big indian. The trailhead is 1.2 miles past Winisook Lake which is also on your left (coming south). You follow the yellow-marked Phoenicia-East Branch Trail .7 mile, passing an excellent spring on your left at .6 . Then make a left on the Wittenberg-Cornell Slide Trail (Burroughs Range Trail) .7 mile in and your climbing starts in earnest. Although i recommend continuing another .8 mile to the start of the Curtis-Ormsbee Trail which is 1.6 mile in length. There is a phenomenal view on a rock ledge on your left one mile up the Curtis-Ormsbee Trail. Remember, you don't lose any elevation going the additional .8 to the next left. From the junction it is 2 miles to the summit. At the 1.3 mile mark along this trail you come to the upper end of the Curtis-Ormsbee Trail, thus .7 mile to the summit from the upper junction. Total distance is 2.7 miles (each way) or 3.8 mile ascent via Curtis-Ormsbee Trail.

This trail was named after two gentlemen (William Curtis & Allen Ormsbee) that lost their lives on Mt. Washington in a snowstorm in June 1900.

If you are going to CR47 from Big Indian to the Slide Mtn parking area that Aaron describes. Be aware that in bad weather, snow, ice, etc. There is a Huge Ass Hill before you get to the parking area right past the switchback and the parking lot for Giant Ledge/Panther that you'll have to go up.

Don't think you'll have a problem for Friday or this weekend, looks like rain in the catskills today, but just a FYI.

Jay

Trail

Allright, I am following you now - as I am looking at my trail map...I see your point - excellent idea !

Thank you very much for your help. I will be sure to post comments following my trip.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Medic 108

Thanks

Thanks - I saved this thread and will use the info when we hit Slide which will actually now be later in December since we decided to do T. Cole and Blacks.

Thanks again for your help.