Catskillmountaineer.com Forum

Hey all,

I planned a solo 2-night trip as follows,

Denning PA to Burrough's Range (Slide, Cornell, Wittenberg, back to Cornell), then the bushwhack range (Friday, Balsam Cap, Lone, Rocky).

I was stopped by the spruce thicket between Cornell and Friday. It was freaking impenetrable. I'm talking these spruce trees were all like 2 feet apart, with intertwining branches. The whole way. I've never been in woods that thick. I pushed my way about 50 yards before it got old, really old, and I had enough. I turned around, pushed myself back through to the trail, and decided to have an easy night along the Neversink, after that I didn't want to see another pine tree for the rest of the trip. My Thermarest is pretty shredded.

I've read it's easier going around the Neversink side (west) of "Dink," or, to approach Friday from the Slide-Cornell col. Confirmed? I don't mind steepness, I just could not make myself go through that spruce and tell myself it was a fun weekend.

Also, any other advice about bushwhacking in general, much appreciated!

Hiking from the summit of Cornell to Friday is a lesson on torturing yourself. People have done it, but it is fun. You should hike towards Slide, and then skirt around the thick Balsam Firs. Some people start in the col between Slide and Cornell. Hope this helps.

I wear my shatterproof lab goggles, leather gloves, and I have a long sleeve "Bushwacking Jacket" which is just an old Columbia shell that I don't care gets shredded.

Other than that it helps to go with someone else teamwork and cross motivation goes a long way. Good report!

-jon