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Big Indian & Double Top 9/30

Balsam Mtn (3602), Beaver Kill Range, Big Indian Mtn, Eagle, Hayes, Hirams Knob, Fir, Hemlock, High Falls Ridge, Mongaup, Sand Pond Mtn, Spruce, Willowemoc, Winnisock Lake Mt,
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Jon
Posts: 324
Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2011 9:43 pm
Location: Bangor, PA

Big Indian & Double Top 9/30

Unread post by Jon »

I was planning on a Burrough's traverse for this weekend, but the guy I was gonna do it with got tickets to that Neil Young Concert, so the rest of us decided to wait for him before we completed that. Instead me and two buddies backpacked into Shandaken Lean-to and headed up for Big Indian and Doubletop. We were also going to attempt Grahm and Fir, but with the soaking wet and cold, only made it to two out of our 4 objectives. Still we had a lot of fun, despite the rain, and saw some spectacular foliage up high in the mountain.

Dan and Frank slept over my house, and we got up early to head out. We crammed into my coupe and took the long drive up the thruway and 28 and and around Belleyare mountain. It rained pretty much the whole time we drove up there, but we were ready for it. By the time we got to the parking lot (10:45) in Seager there was no one there, and the rain had stopped. It was still very cloudy, but the temperatures were steadily rising. We loaded up the backpacks and headed out for the 2 miles to get to the lean-to.
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Just as with Mike's pictures, the recent rainfall has done the Shandaken Creek well. All the cascades were loud and powerful, but the water was a bit silty downstream.
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We arrived at the lean to around lunch time, and started our fire. The wood was soaking wet, but there was a birch tree that had been undercut by the Shandaken creek and fallen across it just a few hundred yards upstream from the lean-to. I sawed off 1/4 of the limbs, and we obtained an enormous pile of birch bark from peeling all the sticks. Most of the tree is still left for anyone who wants it!
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I set my hammock up on the trees right by the creek. While laying in it, it sounded like the creek was flowing right under me. I admit it was a tad bit dangerous because if one of those trees was undercut, it would have pulled me to a watery grave.
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We hung out at the lean-to since it was the early afternoon and still misting, we just had a fire and played pass-the-pigs. We decided we would head up to the mountains first thing in the morning, and for now just eat, rest, and burn stuff. In the morning I got a bit of a chill around 6am and got up to re-light our fire.
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Frank stayed at the lean-to, he just wanted to read a book. Dan and I took our small light packs and headed out for Big Indian, and then the loop around to Doubletop.
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The climb up to Big Indian was easy. We passed 3500. This was Dan's first time climbing in the Catskills.
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After that we found the summit can without any issues.(and yes I was wearing obnoxious blaze orange) Signed in at the summit can and made our way down the other side.
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I had already called and asked permission for the private land access, and was hoping there would be some type of deer-path, or even posted signs that we could follow. Sometimes there are those yellow dots on the trees that signify the border of public and private lands. If there was any, then I didn't find them. Dan and I dove in for a full on bushwack.
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The forest in between Big Indian and Double top was at the brink of autumn. Some of the trees were exploding with color, some of the trees were evergreen, and some were just deciduous that hadn't lost their leaves. Most of the ferns were dead and rotting, but the prickers were still around. It was basically a few hours of me re-setting our azimuth, and tromping through scenes much like this:
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After the first mile, we approached the base of the mountain, and really started to climb. I navigated the way through several series of cliffs and those amazing hanging sedimentary rock monoliths that are slowly falling down the hillside. It was still a bit wet and we were on steep terrain so unfortunately I didn't pull out the camera. The only time we took to rest, we sipped some water and kept pushing upward. The elevation gain wasn't bad, with only about 500-600 feet that we had to climb from the col up to the summit.

I found us a route that lead more toward the southern "top" of double top. I figured the contour lines were a bit further apart on this approach, which should mean a little less steep. Also then we could go find a viewpoint and I could show Dan what all his hard work had earned him. I Always feel bad taking a New Jerseyian up to the Catskills for the first time and they don't get a view. Especially one that I had just tortured for several hours on an adrenaline pumping climb. We found the border of the public and private lands, and some small goat-trails that led around the mountain. I would follow them and they would peter off without leading to a viewpoint. If anyone can put a pin on the map as to where exactly the two viewpoints that are shown on the NY-NJ trail conference maps are, I would appreciate it. =)
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Eventually tired, exhausted, and defeated I said we'd give up on the spectacular Catskill views and go find the other canister. It only took us a few minutes to make it over to the other "top" and find the canister and sign in. We gobbled down some ready-to-eat tuna.
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The hike down was not much unlike the hike up. I took us down the big long northern spur that lead back to the trail and the Shandaken Creek. I figured this would be the easiest to follow, and also had the contour lines which were furthest apart and should be less steep.
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Within a few hours we were back at the lean-to and drying our stuff by the fire. We packed up all our gear and headed out for the 2 mile hike back to the cars.
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Crossing the Shandaken Creek.
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The waterfall under the bridge
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The next waterfall just downstream
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The canopy was just beginning to change
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Since the last time I was here, and climbed Eagle Mountain in August another tree had been undercut by the Shandaken, and it required you to scramble up the roots to get to the trail.
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Finally back to the car, and back to NJ.
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mike
Posts: 1442
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2009 9:20 pm
Location: Ravena, NY

Re: Big Indian & Double Top 9/30

Unread post by mike »

Nice trip report! At least you missed the rain. The Catskills seem to be the cut off point for the rain.

When ever I have been there in the summer, the neddles were terrible. They seem to be gone.

the only problem with Eagle, big indian, fir, and double top is the lack of good views. Always a disappointment for me.
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