catskill peaks (nay), catskill trails (yea)

[Tom Rankin]

Not the day I did it, they weren't!

Bummer! I've been there many times, and the views have always been good to spectacular. Check these out:

http://viewsandbrews.com/IMG_3283.JPG - VFTT
http://viewsandbrews.com/IMG_3271.JPG - VFTT (View facing the tower)

And my favorite pic of the tower:

http://viewsandbrews.com/IMG_3252.JPG - Taken from the bottom, with the sun hitting it just right...

 

[Puma concolor]

My books can beat up your dictionary!!!!

A few quotes to chew on:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Written in Stone (Chet and Maureen Raymo) - p. 79:

"The erosion of the Acadian mountains built up a second great wedge of sediments, the Catskill Delta, within which can be found fossils of fish, which dominated the Devonian Seas, and of the first land plants."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hiking the Catskills (Lee McAllister) p.22:

"Geologically speaking, the Catskills are not true mountains but a plateau eroded down by millions of years of weathering. This area was beneath a shallow ocean during the Devonian Epoch (405-365 million years ago). As the North American and European continents moved slowly closer to one another, the buckling of the earth's tectonic plates caused the formation of the Appalachian Range. This went on for millions of years as water continued to run westward, forming an inland sea. The Catskill region was on the eastern fringe of this runoff and therfore retained coarse, resistant sediment buildup. The Catskills did not buckle with the rest of the Appalachians in the latter mountain building episodes, yet they stand nearly 2000 feet higher than the surrounding Appalachian plateau. It is believed the entire Catskill region uplifted during this time."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forest and Crag (Guy and Laura Waterman) p.xxxvii:

"Not a true mountain range, but properly speaking, an eroded peneplain, they seem less jagged and dramatic on top."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bottom line: a rose by any other name ....

 

[rondak46]

nice.......

"Bottom line:...a rose by any other name .... "

This, from another thread..

http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?p=67371#post67371

"When I was growing up we had a set of World Book encyclopedias. I thought these were the greatest books until, when I was around 20 and had become a hiker, I was habitually flipping through them one day. I came upon the entry for the Catskill Mountains. The first sentence said "The Catskills are really not mountains, but an eroded plateau". I was insensed and packed up my beloved books and donated them to some charity. The author had apparently not climbed them to get a View From The Top. "

The Catskills may be made of sediment, but my head is definitely made of Granite; I think I would end up arguing with "The Man" about this one.

 

[smh444]

I have a love-hate relationship with the Catskills. I love them because I spent part of my childhood living in Woodstock. The mountains were always "right there" - best memory was hiking from my house (with a friend ) to Overlook mountain (acually, we hitched up the mountain road with some hippies in the back of a beat-up pickup truck. Hiked all the way to the summit then bushwacked to the "cliffs" - not the ones on the summit but the huge cliffs you can see from Saugarities. Then hiked back up then down to echo lake, then back home. Must have been a long hike, but at 14 y.o. who knew any better. Kids probably aren't allowed to venture so far from home these days.

I HATE the Catskills because most of the summits are just a marker in the middle of the woods without any view. A few years ago I dragged my wife and kids up Slide Mtn. - I can't tell you how dissapointed everyone was at the summit - no friggin view whatsoever - not even standing atop of the rock. I sometimes wonder if this is why the Catskills are so often deserted.

That said, there IS something magic about the Catskills. The bears are managable and the porcupines comical. Great place to take the family for some fun hiking.

 

[Mark Schaefer]

am i recollectin' rightly? is the catskills where my favorite book of all time "my side of the mountain" takes place? yeah, it is. do yourself a favor, read it now.

I agree with Bruno's recommendation. I met the author, Jean Craighead George, at the Hudson Valley Raptor Center a few year's ago. She was giving a reading from her recently published My Side of the Mountain Trilogy which includes the original book and the two sequels On the Far Side of the Mountain and Frightful's Mountain. The last was written from the viewpoint of Sam's falcon, Frightful. All three books are set in the Catskills. Although labeled "children's books" they aren't just for children -- All three stories are interesting reads.

I have a love-hate relationship with the Catskills. I love them because I spent part of my childhood living in Woodstock. The mountains were always "right there" - best memory was hiking from my house (with a friend ) to Overlook mountain (acually, we hitched up the mountain road with some hippies in the back of a beat-up pickup truck. Hiked all the way to the summit then bushwacked to the "cliffs" - not the ones on the summit but the huge cliffs you can see from Saugarities. Then hiked back up then down to echo lake, then back home.

Thanks for sharing that adventure. Did you see any rattlers? I have lived in or near soggy Saugerties for the last 31 years. I have often gazed up at that impressive cliff, known as the "Minister's Face" (I don't know the origin of the name). The relatively short ridge off the summit to the cliff is known as the "short-off". The cliff is about 200'-300' high. Historically it was infested with timber rattlesnakes. There are several references for the Minister's Face listed in the index to Alf Ever's book The Catskills From Wilderness to Woodstock. Included is a mention of the 19th century Lown brothers who were producers and salesmen of "snake oil" - reputedly good for whatever ailed you. The den on top of the Minister's Face was their primary source of rattlesnakes.

There are still rattlesnakes on Overlook, but fewer in numbers from being so heavily hunted. I have seen several rattlers over the years on Overlook, and care should be taken when bushwhacking and scrambling on the mountain.

 

[rondak46]

My side of the Mountain...

I read that when I was quite young. It made an indellible impression on me.

I have seen a rattler in the Gunks.

Mike

 

[Mark Schaefer]

More info on the Minister's Face cliff on Overlook

Another book by Alf Evers Woodstock, A History of an American Town includes an account of the 1831 landslide at the Minister's face (thanks to Amazon for the online page). The landslide did not create the cliff, but increased its size.

 

[smh444]

No, I don't recall seeing rattlers that day (or any day during my many trips up Overlook). There was talk of rattlers back then. Now I'm intrigued - may have to go back and take a look!

 

[Tom Rankin]

There are still rattlesnakes on Overlook, but fewer in numbers from being so heavily hunted. I have seen several rattlers over the years on Overlook, and care should be taken when bushwhacking and scrambling on the mountain.

Yep, there is sign up near the summit that warns you to stay on the trail. You can see the firetower, but the road keeps going around the bend. *THATS* where the rattlers are!