Black Chasm (Platte Clove) - Catskill Mountains

[TobiasTicetonyk]

In the middle of October 2011 I took a visit to Black Chasm. I ended up camping there for 2 nights. Two slideshows: one is of just the waterfall and stream and the other is of the entire hike and camping ordeal. Both, as usual with my posts, have a cumbersome amount of pictures, but hey that's my style. They end with a picture looking at the waterfall from the other side of Platte Clove, taken a couple weeks after I camped in the area.

Black Chasm:
http://cmd.shutterfly.com/commands/pict ... &album=425

Black Chasm & Hiking:
http://cmd.shutterfly.com/commands/pict ... &album=479

[Mitch]

Wow, awesome shots of the falls. I have to check out that spot. You're a brave man though, standing near the edge of the falls in some of those shots. My stomach would be doing backflips!

[TobiasTicetonyk]

Wow, awesome shots of the falls. I have to check out that spot. You're a brave man though, standing near the edge of the falls in some of those shots. My stomach would be doing backflips!

Yeah, I try not to look down and hold the camera as far away as I can! I think lots of skiing helps with the balance on steep slopes like that, I'm used to the right uphill weight distribution, and the sheer drops. If you go there, the safest way down is once you get to the top of the falls, go left (as if you are facing down stream) - west - and eventually the slope turns into a wide steep gully from an ancient rock slide - go down and up there. There are some posts online you can find about people going down the other slope, the eastern side. I highly advise against that. I went UP that, and it was nuts. I was literally squirming my way around clliffs and outcropping, idiotically thinking I could get down, once I looked down I realized its impossible to go back down, so I had to go all the way up and down that gully I mentioned. You can actually see the bottom of the rock slide in some of my pictures, on viewer's right side on the waterfall. I also made it about half way down to the bottom. It's nowhere's as insane as Hell Hole, not bad actually. You can get a pretty good idea of what its like most of the way by my pictures. I'd imagine it would get pretty steep towards the bottom, but nothing you can't handle if you made it down to the waterfall in the first place.

Hope that helps you get down there safely.

[mtnclimber]

I have been near the top, but have never gone to the bottom. You should hike with Mike. He is doing a water survey of all the waterfalls in the Catskill Mtns. You have some pretty good pics.

[mike]

We have only done the first two waterfalls in the Devil's Kitchen. We will get to the rest next year. I have been near the top of Black Chasm in the Winter. It is actually close to the trail. Very nice pictures.

[TobiasTicetonyk]

We have only done the first two waterfalls in the Devil's Kitchen. We will get to the rest next year. I have been near the top of Black Chasm in the Winter. It is actually close to the trail. Very nice pictures.

By first two, do you mean the top two or bottom two?

Here are some pictures some of the lower falls/pools (not in order of appearance). Access was much easier when I was a kid and the whole family would go. Now I feel like a villain every time I go in. Better off parking in some awful corner of the world far away from the bottom, and walking 4 tenths of a mile or so up the road until sate land begins. Then just tumble down from there, but watch out for the tires/washing machines/ cars/ mattress frames/ random iron spikes / millions upon millions upon trillions of shards of glass.















Probably the only grand waterfall gorge in the Catskills I don't have pictures is the UPPER upper Rondout creek, like the Picket's Brook / Balsam Cap headwaters area. Judging by the maps there is a strange tangle of state/private land on the stream. There has to be a reason the state aquired some parts of it. I've been told there's a flume and a pool back there, and from the new view on top of Peekamoose you can actually see a tense hemlock grove where the Rondout headwaters meets Picket's Brook. If I know my hemlocks and my hydro-geomorphology, that's the spot. Someday.... Someday..............

Here is what I'm talking about:



There's a book floating around google books called "history of trout fishing in the Catskills" or something like that. Talks a lot about the UPPER upper Rondout Creek - where the real peekamoose gorge is (that's on private land), and how its just one long canyon of 15 foot drops and pools that one couldn't get themselves out of. Apparently there were lots of old mills and homesites back there. Best way for us commoners seems to be either going up peekamoose mountain and down to it, or do go up Breath Hill?

I am very prone to rambling on and on and on.

[mike]

I have pictures and heights of the first two upper falls, Red Mill Falls, and Plattekill Falls. I have not photographed or measured any falls below Bridal Veil Falls. Seems that you have some nice pictures. I have heard of the one you are talking about on the UPPER Rondout Creek. I have seen a picture of one of the Falls. It has water flowing thru a rock and comes out the middle of the ledge. It is on private land. My guess the best way to some of those falls would be from Breath Hill. There is a nice road up to the top.

There some ravines you may not be aware of: Lucas Kill Ravine. Lots of waterfalls, and very steep. Rattlesnakes and Copperheads possible too. Buttermilk Ravine is pretty rough too. Upper Kaaterskill Creek is also on private land. I have seen all the falls on the Santa Cruz Ravine, but have not measured the bottom of Santa Cruz Falls yet. I have not done the Gulf either. I also want to do the ravine on Blackhead too. I think there are some waterfalls there too.

I am hoping to get to the rest of them next year.

[TobiasTicetonyk]

There some ravines you may not be aware of: Lucas Kill Ravine. Lots of waterfalls, and very steep. Rattlesnakes and Copperheads possible too. Buttermilk Ravine is pretty rough too. Upper Kaaterskill Creek is also on private land. I have seen all the falls on the Santa Cruz Ravine, but have not measured the bottom of Santa Cruz Falls yet. I have not done the Gulf either. I also want to do the ravine on Blackhead too. I think there are some waterfalls there too.

I am hoping to get to the rest of them next year.

I have not heard of those I've been through the kaaterskill clove and near buttermilk falls and the wildcat falls area. Where are Santa Cruz and The Gulf? And is the ravine on Blackhead "trout brook" that comes down the escarpment?

Edit: Could Santa Cruz/Gulf be those streams that come down into Kaaterskill? Along the escarpment hike, those views have some pretty good persepctives into ravines smashing down with some awesome falls. I have not really been in there much for some reason.. My family always went to Peekamoose and Devil's Kitchen. I've walked through the entire Kaaterskill a couple times when I was in high school, but with limited times to hike I always decide to go somewhere familiar, and explore a new spot when I am absolutely sure I'll find something. Now I have a list.

And about the UPPER Rodout creek (I wish I had a better name), the guy who told me about it was randomly going up Black Chasm while I was there, from the bottom. He told me that the tributaries of the Rondout that go up Lone and Balsam cap are full of waterfalls. He was there in April. My guess is that the higher headwaters of that area are very similar to my "Stone Hollow" falls (the seasonal falls off of Hunter above Notch Lake). The actual headwater of the Rondout, flowing from Balsam Cap, actually forms a pretty deep V-cut valley in that area. Such a weird entanglement of private/state land in there.

[mike]

Lucas Kill Ravine is in between Huckleberry Point and the Kaaterskill Amphitheater. There is actually a trail to it. I have only been to the top 3 waterfalls. The larger ones are below these. Pretty steep terrain.

Santa Cruz Ravine is on the east side of Twilight Park. 3 of the 4 waterfalls are on Private Property. But, you can hike up to the base of Santa Cruz Falls (about 250' high) on State land. Just have to stay on the east side of the creek to be on State land. State land runs out as you approach the base of the Santa Cruz Falls.

The Gulf is below the Escarpment Trail. Between Palenville Overlook/Indian Head and Inspiration Point. You can see one of the waterfalls from Rt 23a

There are about 10 waterfalls on the Hillyer Ravine. 5 waterfalls on the Wildcat Ravine. 10 drops on the Buttermilk Ravine. Buttermilk Waterfalls has 7 drops with a total of 549'. Extremely rugged terrain. Rope & Harness kind of stuff.

Yes, Trout Brook is below Blackhead. Have not been up that ravine yet.

Didn't know of any waterfalls up the Neversink.

I have not been down the creek below Balsam Cap. Didn't realize that there were waterfalls there. Will have to check it out.

I think I know the guy you are talking about on Black Chasm. He is on the forum, but rarely post anything. Knows the Devil's Kitchen really well.

Here is a map of some of the waterfalls in the Kaaterskill Clove:

[TobiasTicetonyk]

Awesome, thanks! If you want better directions to some of the places I've posted, ask. When I meant waterfalls off of Balsam Cap, I meant the part that drains into the Rondout, not the Neversink. I don't think there are any waterfalls there. That guy I'm talking about (wish I knew his name!) was talking about it during one of his long ago trips in a long ago April, so I think they are seasonal falls that drain into the central Rondout headwater stream.

Gotta be honest, I kinda neglected Kaaterskill in my upbringing here. My family must have brainwashed me into Peekamoose/Platte Clove. I think it's because in order to get to Kaaterskill, we would have to pass by Devil's Kitchen.... and who in their right mind would pass by Devil's Kitchen?!?!?