Page 1 of 1

Recent overnight trip from Schutt Road to Dutcher Notch

Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2020 10:55 am
by BigDaddyCocoaButter
Greetings all,

My son and I hiked from Schutt road to Dutcher Notch shortly after the Isaiah storm in early August. We spent the night in the North Point area and were visited by a doe in the morning. This is the first time I have hiked the Escarpment (I have been a long time Appalachian and Western hiker) and I have to say it was fantastic, every bit as enjoyable as the forums here and elsewhere report. Water was plentiful due to the storm so in that respect the hike was comfortable. Not having hiked the trail previously, I don't know its general condition. But I suspect all the water Isaiah deposited took its toll as the trail was washed out significantly in places. It was also a more challenging hike than I expected (good for me, not so much for my young son!) with frequent steep rock scrambles, especially approaching North Point from the blue trail. We had originally planned on two nights but a boot failure left me without a sole on my right shoe so we had to bail out at the Notch. The trail east, from the Notch to Stork's Nest road also took a heavy hit from erosion during the storm, or perhaps it has just not been maintained. I don't know. A final note, the water at Dutcher Notch along the eastern exit was delicious and cold. I collected a few liters, then filtered with a Sawyer. Elsewhere I collected water from overflowing rock outcrops and filtered. Given how historically dry this trail has been reported to be, I no doubt had an unusual experience.

I am back home and recently purchased a new pair of Lowa Tibet's, a perfect boot for the rocky trails of the Catskills!

Re: Recent overnight trip from Schutt Road to Dutcher Notch

Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2020 8:54 pm
by dave
In my opinion, the Escarpment Trail is the fav of many. It's a good backpacking trip. Prior to the storm, it was pretty dry. Glad you enjoyed it. The entire 3-day backpack is excellent.