Five Cascades - Nov 24th 2010

[mike]

When I got up this morning, my only chore was to decide what to do today. I could go to work; Or, I could work around the house; Or, I could go hiking. Around 9 AM I decided that I would stroll from Fawn's Leap to the Five Cascades. Too late to invite anyone else. If I got tired I would just turn around. Here are some pictures:

Fawn's Leap:


Last of 8 waterfalls for Buttermilk Falls (this one is 45-50' high):


Delmura Falls:


Delmura Falls:


Kaaterskill Creek:


Large Black Bear marks his territory:


When the other tree wasn't good enough, he took to this telephone pole:


When I got to Delmura Falls, I was just about out of time. Had a difficult getting to the top of the Falls. It was too risky to do by myself. Decided that I would wait for another day. So, I turned around.

Hiked a little ways up Lake Creek to see some of the "Bus sized" boulders in the creek. Some of them are 30' in diameter. Headed back to my car.

Great day in the wood.

[mtnclimber]

Great pictures. Would love to see pictures of the 5 cascades. I don't think I have seen them.

[rkugel]

Mike, thanks as always for sharing your experiences and photos. Where did you park your car when you began your hike at Fawn's Leap? The shoulder of Route 23A is way too narrow to safely (and legally) park. Also, were there any icy surfaces near the creek?

[mike]

There are two places where you can get quite a ways off the road. Here is a map of the hike:



It was above freezing, so there was no ice. You can follow old Rt 23a most of the way.

[Andrew]

Hi Mike,

I am very Interested in exploring Delmura Falls. Based on what I presume was a fairly limited view upwards from the junction of Spruce Creek and Kaaterskill Creek, would it be plausible to fix a rope from Route 23A (slightly farther up the road from the parking for Bastion Falls perhaps) and climb down to Kaaterskill Creek? I am comfortable (and experienced) doing full-blown, long rappels if necessary.

I'd hike up from your starting point, but I have a partially torn meniscus that limits my mileage, particularly with upwards of 30 lbs of camera equipment I would like to have with me.

I understand if you're reluctant to recommend or even acknowledge such a possibility, given the exceptionally dangerous terrain and the fact that I am a stranger with unknown capabilities. For what it's worth, I have significant experience canyoneering and to a lesser extent rock climbing. And am very familiar with the particularities of the Catskills, and their propensity for hidden dangers.

All the best!
Andrew

[mike]

The best way to get there is to drive up Rt 23a. When you start to approach the top of the hill, you will see a "Haines Falls" sign. Park by the sign. Walk across the road, and walk around the guard rail. This is the old Rt 23a (Rip Van Winkle Trail). The beginning of it is severely eroded. Once you get past that point, you will see the old road. Walk down the road. When you get down to the bottom, follow Lake Creek to Kaaterskill Creek. Then walk up Kaaterskill Creek. There is a trail that will take you to Delmura Falls. Getting above Delmura Falls is hard. When you start to get close to the base of the Five Cascades the route will get very difficult. That is a good point to stop. That is where private property begins.

Right now the water flow is very poor. Probably a bad time to take pictures. I would wait until we get a good rain so that the water is flowing again.