Holtz Logging Railroad and Brant Fort

[rkugel]

Saturday October 8, 2011 was forecast to be a genuine “Indian Summer” day – crystal clear skies and temperatures in the 70’s. It was too much for me to pass up. After purchasing a copy of “Where did the Tracks go in the Catskills” by Mike Kudish, I decided to try and find the remains of the Holtz Logging Railroad, which ran for about a half a mile south of Brant Fort (located at the base of Round Top), paralleling a stream and terminating at a sawmill.

I arrived at the Platte Clove parking area a little before 8:00 am and headed up the Long Path. The morning air was cool and refreshing – more like summer than October. After arriving at the unmarked trail to the Mohawk Indian Camp, I turned west and followed the trail to the campsite and then bushwhacked another few hundred feet to the Snowmobile Trail. From there, I followed the snowmobile trail to the plane wreck and then to the cairn marking the south access to Hurricane Ledge on KHP.

The Snowmobile Trail was essentially one long mud hole, only interrupted with large pools of standing water. Further complicating matters was the fact the nettles were still in force. I thought for sure they would no longer be a menace so late in the season and wore shorts – not a good decision on my part.

I plodded through the mud and puddles along the Snowmobile Trail (“waded” may be a better word) until I reached a point directly north of Brant Fort. Thanks to my newly-acquired GPS, I knew the precise location of Brant Fort. I then bushwhacked south down some rather steep slopes and arrived right at Brant Fort. From there, I descended another 75 feet or so to the swamp located adjacent (southeast) of Brant Fort. It is here the logging railroad began.

Several sources actually place Brant Fort down in the depression along the swamp. Truthfully, I do not see how this could be. The area is very muddy and subject to flooding. I cannot imagine anyone erecting a structure of any kind in the area.

From the swamp, I followed the stream south searching for traces of the railroad. While there were no “Eureka!” moments, I did find faint traces of the right-of-way. My suspicion is most of the right-of-way was erased during decades of flooding, with some flooding events being catastrophic – the most recent being Hurricane Irene.

Regrettably, I did not find any artifacts along the right-of-way. Mike Kudish mentions finding pieces of strap metal used for rails, but none were to be found. On the other hand, I did find the site of a saw mill, located about a half a mile from the swamp and the terminus of the railroad. The site appears to have been cleared fairly recently and may have been intermittently used in the decades following the railroad’s abandonment.

After exploring the railroad, I returned to Brant Fort and then walked a short distance west to the site of the Mohawk Long House settlement. From there, I bushwhacked back up to the snowmobile trail and retraced my steps to the south cairn for KHP.

Since it was before 2:00 pm, I decided I had time to see Hurricane Ledge and so I headed up the south access trail. A large group of young hikers was descending as I made my way up. I reached Hurricane Ledge around 2:30 pm and stopped for a well-deserved rest. Much to my surprise, the crankshaft that I reported back in October of 2010 was still there. I would really like to return it to the crash site, if not for the fact it weighs close to 200 lbs. Sadly, the fall colors were disappointing, likely due to the warm temperatures and heavy rainfall since late summer.

From Hurricane Ledge, I walked to the actual summit of KHP and then descended the north approach back to the Snowmobile Trail and then the Long Path. Just after arriving at the Long Path, I met a very friendly young couple who were heading up to KHP for the first time. I gave them directions to Hurricane Ledge and assured them it was worth the hike. They thanked me and continued on their way.

The walk back to my car was uneventful, though a bit painful. I am still out of shape from not hiking all summer, plus my bare legs were still feeling the effects of hundreds of nettles stings. I returned to my car at 5:30 pm and called it a day.

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[mike]

Nice report Rich. We will have to return sometime when the leaves are down. Maybe a metal detector would pick up the old tracks.

The SMT is pretty much ruined. The only good time to walk it is in the winter when ever thing is frozen. And, the nettles don't help anything.

The views from Hurricane Ledge looked really nice. It was hazy on Monday from Huckleberry Point.

[rkugel]

Thanks Mike.

Yes, a metal detector would certainly help finding any artifacts. By the way, do you correspond with Mike Kudish? I'm wondering if he could join us when we decide to explore the area.

I wholeheartedly agree the Snowmobile Trail is pretty much ruined. Between the mud, standing water, nettles, and high grass, the trail will be completely unusable in a couple of years. Even now, parts of the trail are so deplorable that it is not even self-guiding. Honestly, I've walked many unmarked or unofficial trails that are in much better shape.

This is really a shame, as the Snowmobile Trail "could" be one of the most beautiful trails in the Catskills. Besides the lack of steep ascents, the trail also offers beautiful views of Round Top and KHP when the leaves are down.

Rich