MISSION of CATSKILL MOUNTAINEER

CatskillMountaineer.com is a group effort of several experienced hikers of the region. Some members of the group have close to 50 years of experience of hiking in the Catskill Mountains. After thousands of hours of work, the site was officially lifted on August 7, 2009. And even so, it continues to be a work in progress. We continue to add hikes and information to the site. The mission of CatskillMountaineer.com is to educate and help people enjoy and experience the Catskill Mountains better. Catskill Mountaineer is not about competition, becoming a club, catering to one group or purpose, ranking our members, selective membership, or making money. It is about providing the best information possible to any person or organization interested in the outdoors within the Catskill Mountains. This small group of avid outdoors people have spent thousands of dollars so that you can have a better experience in the Catskill Mountains. We hope that you find the site informative and get a change to enjoy the Catskill Mountains the way we do. While we try to get the information on CatskillMountaineer.com as accurate as possible, there are always mistakes. You should always rely on multiple sources and maps to plan your outdoor fun. Conditions can change in a matter of minutes, so be aware that just because someone traveled down the path a few minutes ago safely, does not mean that you will not have an incident at the same location. Hiking is dangerous, and people die up in the mountains almost monthly. Always exercise safe outdoor procedures. Getting to the top of a mountain or achieving a goal should not be more important then arriving and departing safely. We are an Educational Site dedicated to help residents and visitors enjoy the outdoors of the Catskill Mountains. The Catskill Mountains primarily encompasses Greene, Ulster, Delaware, and Sullivan Counties in the state of New York. We are also a News organization that is only interested in outdoor news pertaining to other people who share similar interest. We are not interested in sensationalism or providing "juicy" stories to increase readership. In the event that an incident or trajedy occurs, our first and primary interest is the family of the victim. Our web site is divided into two major sections. The first section is about information on the outdoors of the Catskill Mountains. The second section is the Forum where anyone can participate in discussions or questions about the outdoors of the Catskill Mountains. We are more interested in quality conversations on the Forum, then meaningless conversations about nothing. We also want everyone to be civil and treat everyone equally. We expect our users to not engage in favoritism or degrading others because "they are not good enough". The forum should be an enjoyable and educational experience.

USE OF IMAGES FROM CATSKILL MOUNTAINEER

CatskillMountaineer.com does allow limited use of images from our site to News Organizations, other Hiking Forums, Universities and Colleges, and Individuals. Other organizations and commercial interest should contact Catskill Mountaineer for permission. In ALL cases, use of images outside this website, the following rules apply: Any use of images must have at least one of the following: (1) notice of the ownership of the image with this wording, "Courtesy of CatskillMountaineer.com" directly below the image; (2) Clickable image link to our website where the image was taken. That is, if you click on the image it will take you to our page where the image was taken; (3) The following words put onto the image with Photoshop in 10 pt type, "CatskillMountaineer.com". The color of the font must be reasonably readable. You may NOT use any image that already has a copyright notice to another owner other then CatskillMountaineer.com, or the image is credited to an individual. CatskillMountaineer.com is not degraded by the use of the image. The images may NOT be used on any website including, but not limited to, (a) websites of a sexual nature; (b) websites promoting violence and degrading context; (c) or any website that will degrade the quality of our image or reputation. In ALL cases, please Email us that you have lifted the image with a clickable URL where the images is located on your website. In most cases, you will not hear back from us. If you do hear back from us, we may ask that you take the image down. If you are uncertain if we would approve of the images use, please contact us first. We do have thousands of images in high resolution tiff or jpg format. If you have a particular situation where you need an image, please contact us by Email.

LEGAL MATTERS and TERMS OF SERVICE for CATSKILL MOUNTAINEER

The content of this web site is the exclusive property of www.catskillmountaineer.com ("Owner"). We may use outside services to host, maintain, and support this web site. You access and use this site according to all local, state, and federal laws. The content and pictures are property of www.catskillmountaineer.com, and it is copyrighted and trademarked under Title 17 Federal Law. Catskill Mountaineer is a Trademark of this web site. Any unauthorized use, or similar likeness, will constitute Trademark Infringement. Additionally you are subject to the following terms and conditions: The primary mission of Catskill Mountaineer, herein referred to as "CM", to provide education and news about outdoor activities in the Catskill Mountains and the surround region. Much of the information on CM is provided by volunteers, and those volunteers are not associated with CM. By visiting this website (www.catskillmountaineer.com) or any associated site, you agree to use the information contained on this website at your own risk, and you agree to release this website and any associated individual for any and all liability claims, losses, and/or damages for personal injuries or death which may result from use of information provided on this web site. Further, you agree not to sue or bring any claim against CM or any of its employees, officers, directors, members, volunteers, or agents for injuries, death, or damages suffered as a result of information provided by this web site. This web site has in excess of 1 gigabyte of information. It is impossible to verify all the information on this web site is correct or appropriately presented for your use. Many volunteers provide information on this web site. CM does not check the validity or correctness of this information, or determine if it is appropriate for your use. What works for one person may not work for you. You should do your own research from other sources prior to embarking on your outdoor activities. You are ultimately responsible for your safety. If you cannot make the proper determinations for your safety, you should hire a New York State Licensed Guide for your outdoor venture. You should be aware that under the "Recreational Use Act" in New York State that you cannot sue any public and private landowner for any injuries and death that you encounter while using their land for recreational use, such as, hiking, skiing, climbing, hunting, etc. Exceptions are willful and wonton acts to intentionally harm you (like pushing you off a cliff). Almost all states, including New York State, has Recreational Use Laws. Should you attempt to ignore the Recreational Use Act and sue a land owner, you should expect to have the lawsuit dismissed, and the Defendants may sue you for Malicious Prosecution after your lawsuit is dismissed. This Site is provided on an 'as is' and 'as available' basis. Owner makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, as to the operation of this Site or the information, or content included on this Site, nor for the content of linked websites, or the representations or actions of their owners. You expressly agree that your use of this Site is at your sole risk. Owner does not warrant that this Site, its servers, or e-mail are free of viruses or other harmful components. Owner will not be liable for any damages of any kind arising from the use of this Site or any information on this Site, including, but not limited to direct, indirect, incidental, punitive and consequential damages. Under US Federal Law, 47 USC Section 230 under the Telecommunication Act of 1996, you cannot hold individuals and website owners liable for information provided to websites. This website is provided immunity from this law for information provided to this web site which you may use. CM, and it's administrators, moderators, volunteers, employees, sponsors, users, and members provide information to this website and you accept the content AS IS for entertainment purposes only and you should not rely on the information for your safety. Use of of the CM web site implies that you have read, understand, and agree to these Terms Of Service: 1 HIKING, BACKPACKING, FISHING, BOATING, CAMPING, SNOWSHOEING, MOUNTAINEERING, ICE CLIMBING, ROCK CLIMBING, BUSHWHACKING, KAYAKING, SKIING, PHOTOGRAPHY, ETC ARE INHERENTLY DANGEROUS ACTIVITIES which may result in damages, injury or death. You agree to use the information contained on this website at your own risk and you will not depend on the information contained on this website for personal or your group's safety, and you will not use it to determine whether to attempt any hike, climb, route, or activity described herein. 2 CM MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, OF ANY KIND REGARDING THE CONTENTS OF THIS WEBSITE, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTY REGARDING THE ACCURACY OR RELIABILITY OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THIS WEBSITE. CM IS NOT RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, PUNITIVE, OR OTHER DAMAGE RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THIS WEB SITE. 3 CM does not check or verify the reliability or accuracy of any information on this website. In many cases, you may see very detailed information listed, but you should not assume that the information is correct, or even remotely accurate to what you will find upon visiting the location. Remember that conditions and trails are constantly changing. 4 The Catskill Mountains are very rugged and more rugged then most mountain ranges in the United States. Furthermore, New York State official and unofficial trails do not follow the same trail building rules that the National Parks do. Additionally, certain regions have certain dangers that are not always obvious or logical. There are many regions of the backcountry that are wild, remote and sometimes unforgiving. The terrain in the Catskill Mountains are constantly changing, so what is true today, may not be true tomorrow. 5 The Catskill Mountains have certain weather events that are unpredictable and can change in unpredictable ways. Some weather events are excessively dangerous and can result in injury or death. The Catskill Mountains has received hurricanes, thunderstorms, snow storms, blizzards, massive flooding, etc. Furthermore, weather in the Catskill Mountains is difficult to predict. The conditions you encounter in the morning may be substantially different then what you encounter later in the day. You may encounter life threaten events, but not limited to, wind, temperature, water, ice, snow, wild animals, or visibility issues. This can cause you to get lost or make movement difficult or impossible. 6 CM also has one or more forums that allows users or members to engage in conversations about the outdoor activities in the Catskill Mountains. The forums has additional rules on conduct. Those rules can be viewed here. 7 Users should be prepared to handle any conditions they may encounter while in the outdoors. And, they should have adequate gear to extract themselves out of whatever situation they find themselves in. This may include current maps, GPS, PLB, whistle, ropes, climbing gear, proper footwear, proper clothing, crampons, microspikes, snowshoes, etc. CM cannot adequately recommend or prepare you for your outdoor event. You need to be able to determine what gear you need for your outdoor event. 8 You may encounter information on this website for official DEC trails, non-DEC trails and bushwhacks. Some information and routes may require extensive knowledge on route finding, route orientation, or led you to dangerous height exposures that could result in injury or death. You need to be able to determine what you and your group are capable of handling safely. If you find terrain or weather that is beyond your ability and gear, you need to be responsible and cancel the rest of your trip to prevent the risk of injury or death to you or another individual in your group. 9 The most common cause of injury or death in the Catskill Mountains is falling off a ledge or waterfall. Waterfalls requires special skills that you may not have. Even if you are an experienced hiker or climber. The Catskill Mountains have regions of "rotten rock", slippery rocks, water algae in streams, loose rock capable of causing rock slides, mud slides, extreme wind events, etc. 10 The Catskill Mountains do have Timber Rattlesnakes, Black Bears, Coyotes, and Wild Boars. All of these animals can cause injury or death. Occasionally, other dangerous species of animals do visit the Catskill Mountains. You are responsible on how to handle encounters with any dangerous animals. Animals can be unpredictable, how you handle a dangerous animal encounter can change from one situation to another. All legal venues and jurisdiction shall be held in State or Federal Courts of Albany, New York (Albany County).