Catskills Help! Visiting after snow storm.

[arnst19]

such bad timing for me I'm coming to Catskills for the first time 11/1-11/3 and had planned on doing some of Devil's Path, Becker Hollow Trail, Slide Mountain, etc but now it looks like you guys are getting up to a food of snow.

I grew up in Boston but have lived in Los Angeles for the last 4 years and have done all the hikes out here. Since I had to go to NYC anyway, I figured I'd do a detour to Catskills because I had never been there before. Granted it is past the foliage prime but still I was excited.

Now with the snow, I have no idea what to do when I'm up there. I really wanted to do challenging hikes but now it sounds like I might have to do more flat hikes, maybe do Kaaterskill.

Any suggestions/snow updates etc would be MUCH appreciated, I'm not sure what I should do.

[mike]

This unusually early for us to have a snowstorm. The snow will melt very fast. It is possible that by Tuesday, the snow will be gone, or close to gone.

Devil's Path might be tough. It will probably be wet and slimy. Becker's Hollow would be good. The road to Slide is closed, so forget about slide.

You should check out the Best 25 hikes in the Catskills: http://www.catskillmountaineer.com/hiking-CMBH25.html

You might consider:

Twin Mtn (Devil's Patch - easiest mtn on the range) - Great views
North Mountain - Great views from the top
Wittenberg & Cornell - Difficult and great views - Cornell Crack is tough but fun
Hunter Mtn from Becker hollow is good too. Fire Tower is fun
Kaaterskill Falls - 1 mile trip - nice near the end of the day. Water should be flowing good next week.
Plattekill Falls - 1/2 mile trip - can see after Twin - Be VERY careful below Plattekill Falls, if you wonder down from the falls. Very dangerous below there.
Poet's Ledge is great on a very clear day - Need to get to Poet's Ledge by late morning.
Anywhere on the Escarpment Trail is great - I think you can now drive into the campground for free. You can also do the loop.

Don't worry about the snow. Lots of good hikes. We hike every weekend in the Winter.

[arnst19]

Thanks so much for the response, feel better about my options now. I was starting to wonder if I'd need to try snowshoeing for the first time lol. The actual hiking days are Nov 2 and Nov 3. Nov 1st I drive up and will do Kaaterskill Falls later in the day which is when I am arriving up there anyway.

Should I bother renting microspikes or should I be fine with my normal hiking shoes? I have Merrell Moab Ventilators since I hike in CA. I wouldn't be opposed to buying a good winter shoe if necessary while in NY.

When you mention Twin Mountain (one that was already on my list) were you referring to this trail specifically? Because this looks like something right up my alley if you think it would be alright by Nov 2 or 3. http://www.catskillmountaineer.com/IH-twin.html

Hunter Mtn from Becker hollow is another one that was on my list. From what I have found online it is only 2 miles but it is steep.

I assume I can find the trail maps for these in the NYNJ Trail Conference's catskill map set which I intend on purchasing when I get up there.

I would be real happy if I could do both Twin and Hunter via Becker Hollow if you guys think its a good choice given the circumstance.

Your help is much appreciated.

[mike]

I don't think that microspikes will be needed by Nov 2 or 3rd. The sun is out and the snow is already melting. I should know more today or tomorrow. Have not heard how much snow is on the peaks.

Waterproof shoes would be good. If you don't have them, you can always use those cheap thin grocery bags over your socks to keep your feet dry. Works like a charm. Bring an extra pair of socks just in case.

Hunter from Becker Hollow is about 2.5 to 2.7 miles. It starts out level and the incline keeps increasing as you approach the top. About 2200' vertical. Make sure you check out the view point over Spruceton Valley. the view from the fire tower is pretty good too. You can see more of the hike here: http://www.catskillmountaineer.com/HWK-hunterBH.html

the NYNJTC map is the most commonly used map right now. VO maps is better, but they are now out of business. National Geo maps is good too. Any of those 3 would work.

[arnst19]

Thanks again, the info is much appreciated. I'm on the plane now and getting excited.

An update tmrw would be amazing if you happened to be on the forum.

I asked about the microspikes just because the main place I saw to rent them is off 87 south of Catskills on the way up, so if I WAS renting them I'd need to know on the morning of the 1st so I would be sure to stop.

Hunter via Becker Hollow, and Twin Mountain look like great choices (and of course the Falls on the way up).

I never thought of the plastic bag trick. Sort of ghetto but I'm sure it works great, I might have to try it. Even with my Merrell Moab Ventilators, you think the show will be ok if it gets wet along the entire way as long as I got the plastic over the socks?

thanks again.

[mike]

We just got back from the Catskills. They got 10-15" of snow. Half of it has melted in the valley. Still a good 7-8" now. The summits still had rime on the trees, so they might have snow on Wednesday.

Microspikes are usually good for ice and hardpacked snow. Most of this stuff is heavy wet snow. But, since I was not on the summit of some of these, you can never guess what you might find. It might be worth microspikes as insurance. If it stays sunny and warm, it will melt quickly.

The "Plastic Bag Trick" is commonly used in the NE. Everyone carries them. Just an easier way to ensure that you don't end up with frozen feet. In the Winter, you can break thru the snow into water, so it is important to carry them. They are light and don't take up much space. But, bring an extra pair of socks anyway. Never hurts to be careful in the cold months.

I will give you an update tomorrow.

[arnst19]

Thanks for the update. Plastic bag trick makes perfect sense. I'll check in tmrw.

[mike]

the snow melted a lot yesterday. But, last night it got cold and the snow harden pretty good. Today, it didn't melt much at all. I suspect that you will be hiking in snow on Wednesday. Probably not enough for snowshoes, but microspikes would be very good.

Bring an extra pair of sock, and plastic bags for you summer shoes.

Have fun and let us know how you make out.

[arnst19]

thanks for the update. We will rent microspikes on the way up, and will do Kaaterskill tmrw, Hunter via Becker Hollow wed, and Twin Mountain thursday.

Anything I need to know about microspikes or is it pretty straight forward, just attach to boots and walk I assume?

[mtnclimber]

Make sure you do the north access route. The south route is dangerous in the snow. The north can be tough in the snow, but is doable. Be careful on Hurricane Ledge and the NE ledge. Both can be dangerous if you slip off.