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Escarpment Trail - Spring 2016 Hike

Kaaterskill Falls, North/South Lake, North Point, North Mtn, Palenville Overlook, Rip's House, South Mtn, Stoppel Point
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Saramac
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2015 10:40 am

Escarpment Trail - Spring 2016 Hike

Unread post by Saramac »

Hi everyone,

Looking for a little advice regarding a 3-Day backpacking trip I'm planning to the Catskills next Spring. Yes, I realize that next Spring is a long way away, but what can I say - I like to plan! :)

My partner and I have never been to the Catskills before (we're from MetroWest Boston), but we've done a fair amount of hiking and backpacking in The White Mountains and Maine. We also did an overnight trip in the Taconics last Spring (South Taconic Trail), which we really enjoyed. We're looking for a moderately strenuous hike - we're in pretty good shape, but I like to keep our daily mileage under 10 miles, and I'm not really looking for the most difficult hike (Devil's Path, for instance).

After some internet research, I think I've come up with a pretty reasonable plan to hike part of The Escarpment Trail the weekend of April 29th. I think the last weekend in April is best for this trip.  I absolutely want to try to avoid the black flies, which I know come out in the Spring.  Last year, our Taconics trip was in early May had no black flies whatsoever, so if we stay around that time or earlier, I hope we'll be good.  Also, the first weekend in May is Mother's Day, so we can't go that weekend (or all of our moms will be pissed off - and we have 4 of them!).  And going the weekend after Mother's Day is pushing it for the black flies.  I'm not worried about large amounts of snow on April 29th, because I think the Catskills are sufficiently South; and I'm not worried about it being too cold, because we can easily sleep down into 20-30 degree temps with our gear.   

This is my idea for a ~19-mile trip over the course of 3 days:
-On Friday night after work, we would drive out to the Windham, NY area (~3 hours from our house), and stay the night in some cheap motel or Air BnB place.  Normally I would just camp somewhere, but we'll be arriving quite late in the evening in an unfamiliar area, so I think I'd rather find somewhere to stay.
-On Saturday (Day 1) we would leave our car at the parking area at the end of Big Hollow Road, and take a taxi/shuttle service to the parking area on Schutt Road (this is not a loop hike, so we need to shuttle between points.  Then we would hike ~7.5 miles on the Escarpment Trail, to the area called North Point, and stay the night somewhere around there. 
-On Sunday (Day 2) we would hike ~7.8 miles on the Escarpment Trail to the lean-to at Batavia Kill, and stay the night there. 
-On Monday (Day 3), we would hike ~3.6 miles back to the car (using the Escarpment Trail, and then a side trail called the Black Dome Range Trail).  Then drive ~3 hours home, with the plan to be home no later than 3:00 PM to rest and relax before work on Tuesday.

Alternatively, I guess we could leave the car at Rt 23 on Day 1, and stay on The Escarpment Trail on Day 3.  If we did that, we could say we hiked the entire Escarpment Trail; however, I think that way is 5 miles longer.  Not sure if we want to hike an 8.6 mile day on Day 3, and still drive 3 hours home and everything.  Might be pushing it.

My questions for you guys are:
1. Can anyone recommend a cheap and clean place to stay near Windham on that Friday night?
2. Camping on Day 1 @ North Point - I know that camping is not permitted in the North-South Lake area other than at the campground (which will not be open yet on this particular weekend). So, I figured we would be able to find someplace to camp near North Point. Has anyone stayed in that area? Ideally, we are looking for a tent-site and access to water, but the water might be negotiable if we plan ahead.
3. Is mud a huge concern on the Escarpment Trail in April?
4. Can anyone recommend a taxi/shuttle service to take us from Big Hollow Road to Schutt Road? I have seen some hikers on the internet mention Smiley's? Also, what would this cost approximately?

Thanks in advance for any help/advice/info you can provide!
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Jon
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Location: Bangor, PA

Re: Escarpment Trail - Spring 2016 Hike

Unread post by Jon »

Here is my shameless plug of my hike of escarpment last year https://goo.gl/photos/rCwLUybspGHGqL9k6 If you hit the "i" button on those albums you can see my captions. We split the hike about 12 and 12, I remember camping 150 ft off the trail near the summit of Arizona. I would suggest a few things.

First you need to see how this winter progresses as far as mud season goes. North slopes were still pretty crappy and there was a lot of punching through ice heaved trails well into april 2015. Who knows how 2016 will be? It's El nino this year if you can at all figure out how that affects things.

Next, the escarpment trail actually goes further than you have planned. If you're in shape and used to hiking in Maine/white mountains then you will not be overwhelmed by the full 24 miles.

Also, I suggest to people hiking from North (rt 23) to south (scutt rd) simply because it's easy to get done with the 3500 ft peaks (Windham High Peak & Blackhead) on day 1 when you are fresh & well fed, then camp somewhere south of Blackhead. South->North is commonly done as well, but then you are climbing the higher peaks on day 2 when you may be more tired. The hike from scutt to North Point is very roundabout and silly. It goes up and down and actually doesn't take very long (from NP-> Scutt I did in less than 3 hours). So you might be underestimating your distance traveled on day 1.

You should have plenty of water options in the Spring. North point I don't know of any springs in particular but there will probably be plenty of surface flows that time of year. There is a good spring down about 1/4 mile east of Dutcher Notch, and the stream above Batavia kill lean-to is fairly close to the escarpment trail. Those are two places I remember filling up when we did it last year. Keep in mind that depending on how the snow melt and April rains progress it could possibly be very dry to the point where fires aren't even allowed.

I don't know much about taxis or lodging most of the time I camp out and we bring multiple cars for car drops. I think the thoughts you have should work though.
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mike
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Location: Ravena, NY

Re: Escarpment Trail - Spring 2016 Hike

Unread post by mike »

Let me start by saying that the Escarpment Trail is the best backpack in the Catskills. Exceptional view, and sections with excellent terrain. The trail is not rutted out like many other trails in the NE. While you are high up on the ridge line, much of the trail is flat or has little elevation gains or losses. But, this hike does have some things you need to be aware of:

1. First, I would hike it from North to South. Much better experience.
2. The entire route is 24 miles. You can break each day into about 8 miles each.
3. Water is an issue on this hike. Even in the Spring. In the summer months some water sources dry up. You need to plan this part well.
4. With the exception of Blackhead Mtn, the hike is pretty easy. Lots of easy or flat terrain.
5. Blackhead Mtn is steep going up, and steep going down. Good views.
6. Between Apr 15 and May 15, you cannot have a fire. It is typically windy and dry. Most of our forest fires occur during this period. You might be legal to have one in a fire ring. I'll have to check.
7. The eastern part of the Catskill Mountains have deer ticks that carry lyme disease. Luckily, deer very rarely use any part of the Escarpment Trail, so it is unlikely to be a problem for you. But, check yourself each day for deer ticks. If you find one, remove it. It is very rare that people get lyme disease if it is removed within 24 hours. You rarely get them on the trail. Bushwhacking is a different matter.
8. I would get a map. the DEC has a crude map that can be downloaded. We have them on-line here too. Or, you can buy a real map from NatGeo #755 or NYNJTC. the NYNJTC is coming out with a new map in the next month or two. It was just sent to the printer. I help with many corrections on this hike for the latest edition.
9. This hike is a gem for View Junkies. Many great view point all along the way. Some of the hiking terrain and trails are also excellent. Not as nice as the Highline Trail in GNP, but still pretty good.
10. Rules: You cannot camp within 150' of any trail, road, or water source. If a lean-to is full, then you have to make sure you are 150' away from the trail. If the Lean-to is next to the trail, then you have to move 150' away from the trail. The Windham Lean-to is 150' off the trail, so that one isn't a problem. But, the Batavia Lean-to is on the trail.
11. Unlike the Adirondacks, mud isn't that big of an issue. But, we have some years where it is a problem. But, by May 1st, I suspect that trail will be completely dry.
12. March, April, and part of May tends to be windy. Once the leaves come out around May 10th, the winds then stop. Expect windy conditions. It's a crap shoot on rain.
13. No rattlesnakes on this hike. But, there are a lot of garter snakes on WHP.

Here is how I would hike it:

Day #0: You can either hike the 1.3 miles up to the lean-to at night or dusk with a headlamp. Many people do it that way. Or, you can stay at a motel/hotel. If you motel it, my recommendation would be Winter Clove Inn http://www.winterclove.com/ The Lean-to near the PA on Rt 23 in Windham is very nice. There is also a legal campground in back of the lean-to. NO water at the Lean-to. So, you will need to bring water for that night, AND the next day. There is a stream as soon as you walk across Rt 23. Collect all the water you need for that night and tomorrow.

Day #1: Hike from Rt 23 (or the Lean-to) to the summit of Windham High Peak (WHP) -> Burnt Knob -> Acra Point -> Base of Blackhead Mtn (Batavia Lean-to). I would camp that night at the Batavia Lean-to. It was a water source. There is a stream next to the Lean-to. There is NO water from Rt 23 to the Batavia Lean-To. There are porcupines at this Lean-to and bears visit from time-to-time.

Day #2: Fill up with water for the next 3-4 miles. You will collect water again at Dutcher's Notch. Hike up the Northeast side of Blackhead Mtn. It is steep!. Then head south down Blackhead Mtn again. Nice view points south of the summit. Then hike the 2 miles across Arizona Mtn. Pretty much a flat hike. Beautiful trail. Nice view point near the end of the flat walk over the East Kill Valley. Then you will hike down into Dutcher's Notch. The trail is steep. Once at you reach Dutcher's Notch, you will detour down the east side about 1/4 miles. There is a water source there. You can walk past it, so pay attention. Collect enough water for the other half of your hike, as well as, that evening and part of the next day. You will then hike back up to Dutcher's Notch. Then hike to Stoppel Point. Pretty easy hike with minor elevation gains. Then hike to North Mtn. More easy hiking. Pretty much flat terrain. You will come to a Lookout #2 (before North Point - Lookout #1). Once you reach Lookout #2 (overlooking North-South Lake). Back up on the trail about 100'. Then bushwhack along the rim for about 1/4 mile. You will find a beautiful campsite on the rim overlooking North-South Lake. Very few people know about this secret campground, so you will have it to yourself. I have the GPS location somewhere. Again NO water there or anywhere close by. If the weather is good, you can just sleep in your sleeping bag. There is a fire ring there. Remember to be careful with your stove. It is fire season.

Day #3: On this day it is almost all downhill or flat. Hike down to North Point (Lookout #1). Walk down the steep hill to the trail junction. Then take a LEFT and continue on the Escarpment Trail. Many nice view points along the way. You will pass Newman's Ledge. Nice view. Then you will come down a steeper section. There is a side trail (yellow markers) for Bear's Den (DEC sign calls it something else). Make sure you take this side diversion. Once of the nicest views in the Catskill Mountain. I would consider the trip ruined if you didn't take this side trail. When you get to the bottom of the ridge you will be at North-South Lake. I would get water here for the remainder of the trip (3-4 miles). The water may or may not be turned on at the campground, so you may have take water from the lake. Filter it! You can continue down the Eastern Escarpment. Or, take a short cut to the Southern part of the Escarpment Trail. You don't want to skip this section. It follows the rim of Kaaterskill Clove. Nice views. You will need to map to understand where the short cuts are.

You can come out at the bottom of Laurel House Road or move to Schutt Road. Laurel House Road is shorter. They are redoing both parking lots, as well as, Kaaterskill Falls (231'). You can also come out at the outlet of South Lake if you really want to shorten the day. This PA is inside North-South Lake campground. Since the campground doesn't open until May 15th, you get inside the campground without paying. There is cell phone reception at all 3 parking lots. Here is a link for lodging, transportation, etc: http://www.catskillmountaineer.com/blogs.html . The PA at the end of the hike are pretty popular, so you might find someone to take you back to your car without a taxi. There is a taxi in Tannersville and Windham. Both will work for you . Both are expensive.

Catskill Mountaineer is in the process of creating a page for the entire Eastern Escarpment Trail. Should be up by the end of the year. It should have a lot more information.
Saramac
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Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2015 10:40 am

Re: Escarpment Trail - Spring 2016 Hike

Unread post by Saramac »

You're right - I don't think we would be overwhelmed by the full 24 miles. My concern is this - given the location of the overnight camping options, completing the whole 24 miles would probably result in a fairly long day on Day 3 (which we want to avoid). I find that keeping the final-day mileage to a minimum really helps us in terms of getting home at a decent hour with enough time to rest and recover for work the next day. I don't want to hike any further than 5 miles on Day 3 if we can help it.
Thank you for the suggestions regarding which direction to hike (N to S/S to N). I have pre-ordered the new NYNJTC trail map that's coming out soon, so I will plan to take a closer look at the exact route when the map arrives, and make a decision then.
Also, if there is reliable cell coverage at the Parking Areas (good to know!!), I may just wing it and try to find someone willing to give us a lift back to the car. We can always call one of the taxi services if that doesn't work out, but it's worth a shot.

Thanks for all of the info!! Appreciate your taking the time.
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mike
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Location: Ravena, NY

Re: Escarpment Trail - Spring 2016 Hike

Unread post by mike »

You can cut out the southern part (Kaaterskill Clove) of the Escarpment Trail. This would trim it back to about 20 miles. From North Mtn, it is virtually downhill the entire way. But, there are some rocky sections. When you get to North-South Lake Campgrounds, you can cut through the campgrounds to get to North Lake Road where a taxi could pick you up. If you left camp early, you could be on the road back to Boston by noontime.

Cell phone service is limited in the Catskills, but you can get a signal at North-South Lake region. Since the campgrounds will be closed on May 1st, the Taxi can drive into the Campgrounds to the parking area at the outflow of South lake. If you are interested in this, I can give you instructions of where to leave the Escarpment Trail, and how to get to the South Lake PA.

If I recall the taxi ride is about $75. You can call them and ask them approximately how much it would cost for a ride from North-South lake to the PA on Rt 23 between East Windham and Windham.

Do you have a GPS?
Saramac
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Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2015 10:40 am

Re: Escarpment Trail - Spring 2016 Hike

Unread post by Saramac »

Well, the winter passed quickly and practically snow-less (at least it did here, West of Boston). Now it's only 5 weeks until my planned Escarpment Trail hike, and I'm really starting to get excited!

I received the new NYNJ Catskills maps a couple of months ago, and I'm pleased with the detail and clarity, per usual.

I've decided to proceed with Mike's suggested hike above (North to South, starting at Route 23), but I will be shortening the route on Day 3 so that we can make it back to Boston fairly early.

Mike - thanks so much for all of the detail you have provided. I really appreciate that you took the time! I did have one question regarding the secret campsite near North Point, that is reached via bushwhack ~100 feet prior to "Lookout #2". I'd love to stay there on Day 2, but I want to be sure I am understanding how to find it (since I've never been on this trail, and I don't use a GPS).
You will come to a Lookout #2 (before North Point - Lookout #1). Once you reach Lookout #2 (overlooking North-South Lake). Back up on the trail about 100'. Then bushwhack along the rim for about 1/4 mile. You will find a beautiful campsite on the rim overlooking North-South Lake.
It's not clear to me from the map where exactly "Lookout #2" is. On the main map, there are two *stars* - the first one is on the Left side of the trail (if you're heading South), and the 2nd one is on the Right side of the trail. I'm assuming that you are referring to the second star, on the Right side of the trail, which I believe would look out over the Lake. But, when I look at the inset map of the same area, there are actually FOUR *stars*, with the first one being on the Right side of the trail, and the second being on the Left, so that has me really confused now! I can just picture myself at the end of Day 2, pretty tired & hungry, trying to find the bushwhack, second guessing myself, cursing, etc... hahaha, I'm sure you know what I mean... :)

If you have access to the new map, and can take a look and let me know where I'm supposed to back up the 100' feet to bushwhack, I would really appreciate it. Other than that, I think everything else is very straightforward.

Thanks again!

-Sara-
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mike
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Re: Escarpment Trail - Spring 2016 Hike

Unread post by mike »

I don't have access to the new map right now. But, we did finally get the Escarpment Backpack section done. Finding the campground is explained better there.

http://www.catskillmountaineer.com/BP-ET.html
Saramac
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Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2015 10:40 am

Re: Escarpment Trail - Spring 2016 Hike

Unread post by Saramac »

Wow, thanks Mike! The Escarpment Trail page is fantastic. All of my questions and concerns have been addressed.

Happy Hiking!
Saramac
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Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2015 10:40 am

Re: Escarpment Trail - Spring 2016 Hike

Unread post by Saramac »

Our hike of the Escarpment Trail last weekend went well! We had some challenges, but overall it was very enjoyable.

We stayed at an Air BnB listing in Saugerties on Friday night, and drove to the Parking Area on Scutt Road early Saturday morning. We left our car there, got picked up by Smiley's Taxi, and went up to the trailhead in Windham. The taxi was very reasonable - picked us up at 7:00 AM, $45 + $2 for the 2nd person (plus tip).

First day of hiking was great - cool weather & cloudy skies, but no wind to speak of. When we reached the lookout just before the summit of Windham High Peak, my boyfriend dropped to one knee & proposed! I was very, very surprised (but said yes, of course). We stayed at Batavia Kill shelter the first night. For some reason, I wasn't able to find the tentsites on the hill behind the shelter (probably because I was so tired and distracted by the engagement). A group of gentlemen arrived later in the evening and took those spots, so I eventually found out where they were.

On the 2nd morning, we awoke to a cold rain, which only worsened as the day went on. The climb up Blackhead was really grueling, and icy. In fact, the whole day was grueling. The cold rain turned into sleet/freezing rain, and the wind really picked up. We were prepared with appropriate rain gear, but the temperature was only in the high 30s, so we needed to keep moving constanting to keep hypothermia at bay. I tried to locate the secret campsite on the rim near North Point, but wasn't able to. Also, the weather was so bad at that point that staying on the rim seemed like a very bad idea. So, we backtracked a little bit and found a nice sheltered spot in some trees, a few hundred feet in from the trail on North Mountain. We arrived there around 3:30 PM, put on all of our remaining dry clothes, got into our sleeping bags, drank hot tea, and hunkered down for the night. The sleet and wind howled well into the early morning hours, but we were cozy in our tent.

On the 3rd morning, the rain had thankfully stopped, and the wind had died down. We packed up and headed on to North Point. There, we lost the trail for a few minutes (the trail markers and signs are confusing at that spot), but eventually we figured it out and started descending. We decided to head back to the car, rather than complete the rest of the Escarpment Trail. So we took a right onto Mary's Glen Trail (red blazes), then another right onto Rock Shelter Trail (yellow blazes), which dumped us out near the gate to North South Lake Campground and the Parking area in 2.1 miles. It started pouring rain and thundering during the last mile to the car, but by that point we didn't really mind since we were so close to finishing.

So, all in all, a great experience. Didn't get as many views as I would have liked because of the weather, and I could have done without the icy climb up Blackhead. But I would definitely recommend this route, what a great trail.

Thanks for the help, everyone!

-Sara-
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mike
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Re: Escarpment Trail - Spring 2016 Hike

Unread post by mike »

Congratulations on your engagement! I bet that was unexpected.

The tent site is only at the Windham Lean-To. There isn't one at the Batavia Lean-to.

Sorry to hear about the rain on Day #2. Generally Day #2 is the one that most people like the best. But, in bad weather Blackhead Mtn is tough mountain. The climb up to the summit is difficult. As you well know. If it was sunny, you wouldn't mind so much.

You leave the trail for the hidden camp site is about 1/4 mile before North Point. There isn't a trail to it. But, considering your day, any place would probably be great.

I was up there last weekend. We actually hiked around the entire rim of North Mtn. We were looking for a new bog, and we found it.

Wish the weather was better for you.
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