halia and flammeus
New member
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2007
- Messages
- 149
- Reaction score
- 12
Our 34th of the 35 started with a healthy dose of trepidation. Driving out to the trailhead, it seemed that closer we got, the nastier the weather looked. Elsewhere in the Catskills, the sun shone, but out west the mountains looked snow-covered, and clouds sat atop summits threatening viewless cold and damp peak bagging.
At the trailhead, two older (than us) gentlemen readied themselves for the trail. I was interested because they didn’t look like hikers, but they also clearly were not hunters.
They headed off, and we followed a few minutes behind them. Of course, because I’m nosy , I checked the register to see who I was sharing the mountain with – and I was delighted to discover that one of those men was Michael Kudish – author of Catskill Forests, whose work is well known to many who post here.
We caught up with Dr. Kudish and his hiking companion just past the Flat Iron Brook crossing. His friend, Dick, weighed in on the Mary Smith Hill question (I asked for Jay H). Mary Smith was a settler in that area. Dick said he met her when he was a little boy. He says her son, Percy, sold the land and moved to Delhi years ago, and recently died (6 or 7 years ago).
We travelled with Dr. K and Dick for about another half mile or so, through half inch deep snow, on the woods road. At the plank bridge, we said our goodbyes: Dr. Kudish was headed for Pigeon Notch, where he was planning to do some vegetation studies, for updating the book. He was taking elevation bearings using a beautiful brass barometer and doing the calculations. Dick sent us up toward the north summit of DT and the canister.
It was just plain up. Side hilling to the max. Saw tons of mouse footprints, and heard chickadees galore. At approx 3500 ft (I’m guessing) we went through an area of frosty trees. Very pretty, but a little ominous – it was getting chilly and breezy and I was soaking wet from the climb. The snow was about 2 inches deep at its deepest – Dr. K. told us it was from yesterday’s squall.
Up top there seemed to be a maze of herdpaths. We eventually found the canister, but I was frozen at that point. We signed in, ate a quick snack, and I changed out of all my wet clothes. I’m pretty sure I saw snowshoe hare tracks all around the canister area.
And then we zipped back down. I was disappointed – I had heard about a stunning view from a ledge just south of the summit – but there were no views while we were up there. We were in a cloud – totally socked in. Oh well – another day. I am a fairly small person, and get cold quick, but Flammeus is a beefy 200lb guy - and when I was trying to take a few photos of the frosty trees, his hands went completely numb. It was a raw nasty cold up there.
Back at the Dry Brook, the half inch or so of snow from 3 hours earlier had all melted. It was probably 15 degrees warmer down by the brook. That was good because on the last brook crossing, Flammeus decided to go for a dip – big splash and water up to his knees . He squelched back to the car and dry socks and shoes.
And so Doubletop is done. We’re almost there…
photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30705651@N02/
At the trailhead, two older (than us) gentlemen readied themselves for the trail. I was interested because they didn’t look like hikers, but they also clearly were not hunters.
They headed off, and we followed a few minutes behind them. Of course, because I’m nosy , I checked the register to see who I was sharing the mountain with – and I was delighted to discover that one of those men was Michael Kudish – author of Catskill Forests, whose work is well known to many who post here. We caught up with Dr. Kudish and his hiking companion just past the Flat Iron Brook crossing. His friend, Dick, weighed in on the Mary Smith Hill question (I asked for Jay H). Mary Smith was a settler in that area. Dick said he met her when he was a little boy. He says her son, Percy, sold the land and moved to Delhi years ago, and recently died (6 or 7 years ago).
We travelled with Dr. K and Dick for about another half mile or so, through half inch deep snow, on the woods road. At the plank bridge, we said our goodbyes: Dr. Kudish was headed for Pigeon Notch, where he was planning to do some vegetation studies, for updating the book. He was taking elevation bearings using a beautiful brass barometer and doing the calculations. Dick sent us up toward the north summit of DT and the canister.
It was just plain up. Side hilling to the max. Saw tons of mouse footprints, and heard chickadees galore. At approx 3500 ft (I’m guessing) we went through an area of frosty trees. Very pretty, but a little ominous – it was getting chilly and breezy and I was soaking wet from the climb. The snow was about 2 inches deep at its deepest – Dr. K. told us it was from yesterday’s squall.
Up top there seemed to be a maze of herdpaths. We eventually found the canister, but I was frozen at that point. We signed in, ate a quick snack, and I changed out of all my wet clothes. I’m pretty sure I saw snowshoe hare tracks all around the canister area.
And then we zipped back down. I was disappointed – I had heard about a stunning view from a ledge just south of the summit – but there were no views while we were up there. We were in a cloud – totally socked in. Oh well – another day. I am a fairly small person, and get cold quick, but Flammeus is a beefy 200lb guy - and when I was trying to take a few photos of the frosty trees, his hands went completely numb. It was a raw nasty cold up there.
Back at the Dry Brook, the half inch or so of snow from 3 hours earlier had all melted. It was probably 15 degrees warmer down by the brook. That was good because on the last brook crossing, Flammeus decided to go for a dip –
big splash and water up to his knees . He squelched back to the car and dry socks and shoes.And so Doubletop is done. We’re almost there…
photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30705651@N02/
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