Catskillmountaineer.com Forum

GOOD NEWS! - Most trails in the Catskills are now OPEN!.

BUT, please beware that there will be trees down, bridges out, and damaged trails on some trails. Please see our PDF at the bottom for more details. Some trails have not been checked yet, so expect more challenging conditions

Please be advised that trails status can change at any time. If you see a Closed sign at the Trail Head, then the Trail is closed. If you don't see a Closed Sign then the trail is open.

Here are some of the trails still closed:
1. Ashokan High Point - CLOSED - Bridge out
2. Colgate Lake - CLOSED - Cannot get to Parking Lot
3. Lower Kaaterskill Falls - CLOSED - Trail washed away & dangerous
4. Lost Clove - DEC Parking Lot destroyed
5. Oliverea-Mapledale - Road closed to parking lot
6. Seager-Big Indian - Road closed & trail damage

Road Closings
Big Hollow Road, which provides access to the Batavia Kill Trailhead at the head of Black Dome Valley (Greene County, Windham Blackhead Range) is damaged and can’t be accessed, preventing access to the Black Dome Range Trail, the Batavia Kill Trail. NOTE: Can get there by Rt 296 -> Rt 23c -> then up to Maplecrest.

Spruceton Road in the Spruceton Valley is damaged, preventing access to the westerly Devil’s Path Trailhead, the Spruceton trailand the Spruceton side of the Diamond Notch Trail

Ulster County Route 47 form Big Indian south to Winnisook Lake is closed due to storm damage.

Dry Brook Road in Delaware and Ulster County is closed to all but local traffic.

Campgrounds
1. Bear Spring - Closed for season
2. Beaverkill - Closed for season
3. Devil’s Tombstone - Closed for season
4. Kenneth Wilson - Opening on 9/16
5. Little Pond - Opening on 9/16
6. Mongaup Pond - Opening on 9/16
7. North-South Lake - Opening on 9/16
8. Woodland Valley - Closed for season

You can read the complete updated list here: http://www.catskillmountaineer.com/pdf/ ... 110915.pdf

Dave,

Thank you so much for the update. It's great to know most of the trails are open. I'm hoping Route 47 south of Big Indian will be re-opened in time for the fall foliage in early October. The view of Woodland Valley from Giant Ledge at the height of fall color is incomparable. I've attached a few shots from early October 2009. The first 3 shots are from Giant Ledge. The 4th shot is from Panther Mountain looking south. Giant Ledge is on the right and Slide Mountain towers in the background.

Rich

Nice pics Rich. Like the one from Panther the best.

I was told that the DEC parking lot below Colgate Lake was destroyed by the overflowing of water from Colgate Lake. I wouldn't think that the Colgate Lake Trail is destroyed, because it is so flat. Mike told me that you can hike in from the Church from Onteora Park on the small strip of land to RT 25. Then you can take the old Colgate Lake Road down to the lake. Then cross above or below the lake? Mike? Maybe 1.5 miles one way? Then you can get to the trail. Really would like to get out on the trail this Fall.

What are they going to do with the Kaaterskill Falls Trail?

Been hearing a lot of things about Colgate Lake. I would have to presume that the lake did overflow and this would have done massive damage to the road and PA. I presume this is what the DEC is talking about. Have not been there quite yet.

Yes, you can park by the stone church and walk down the old road. You can cross before the lake, but it is swampy. You can cross after the lake thru the stream at low water. Then walk up to the TH. The TH from Roundtop has been open for 2 weeks. I presume the DEC closed it because of the road and PA damage. I would guess it is about 1.5 miles to the lake.

Heard nothing on the KF trail. At the top of the storm, the water came up to the top of the bridge. So, I have to assume that the trail is destroyed, and will have to be rebuilt. Hopefully, they will use the upper route.

Colgate lake didn't overflow, but came very close.

They are using the lower PA for construction. But, the PA for the Colgate Lake Trail is perfect. The Colgate Lake Trail is also open, even if the report states that it is closed. You can drive down Colgate Lake Road to the end.

Actually NOAA no longer uses all of the temperature records to determine normal temperatures. For Albany the CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD is 1981 TO 2010.