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Confessions of a "Peak-Bagger"

General Topics about Hiking in the Catskill Mountains that are not trail related
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Sam
Posts: 71
Joined: Wed Sep 07, 2011 9:17 pm
Location: Rhinebeck NY

Confessions of a "Peak-Bagger"

Unread post by Sam »

Confessions of a Peak-Bagger

As I was driving home from work this evening I decided that I would write something, to wrap up my season of peak-bagging in the Catskills. It was nice to sit in my car after being on my feet for most of the day and listen to some "electric chill out" music as I began my drive home. As I climbed a small rise on the outskirts of Rhinebeck, I began to catch a view of the Eastern Escarpment and the sun hanging low in the western sky. This view lasted only moments, but was enough to get the creative juices flowing. That and the serenity that is induced through manual labor.

Back in the Fall I had entertained the thought of bagging enough peaks in the Catskills to become a "Winter 35'R". Fellow forum user Brian, or "Pathgrinder" provided most of the impetus for this endeavor. I had informally agreed to do it, but before long had reached the conclusion that I would not stop climbing peaks until I had met the requirements. Now these "requirements" are more or less the foundation that "peak-baggers" launch off of in pursuit of what it is they're looking for in the mountains. It's not just a list of peaks with elevations, and a place on the side to add an "X", or a check mark. That is the crude and rudimentary skeleton that gets us going.

Brian and I did succeed in climbing the peaks that we required to become "Winter 35'Rs" in about a month's time. A lot of the peaks we climbed together, but some were climbed solo, or with a different group of people. I can clearly remember my mental countdown until the Winter Solstice and the rising excitement. This was my first season of true winter hiking. And am disappointed that we are now at the tail end of such a great season to be in the mountains.

Looking at the sun set behind the Catskills today reminded me of the more subtle attractions of nature and the mountain world. I'm not just a "peak-bagger". "Bagging Peaks" is a great way to get into the mountains and really tour the landscape. It provides a clear and coherent agenda, that many are choosing to abide to for numerous reasons. Some have a list of museums, art galleries, cafes and eateries, parks, and the like to visit when they travel to cities here and abroad. Without such a list the trip may not be as rewarding. Then there is "down time", hanging around trying to think of what to do when you're at your destination. When you are where you want to be, isn't it best to be engaged in something exciting, interesting, maybe challenging, or unique?

Waking up, or more appropriately jumping out of bed, during the darkness of early morning and going through certain morning-motions is unbelievably exhilarating when you have a set destination for the day. Especially when that destination is going to require real physical and mental effort to get to. The highway approach is only part of the journey. Once you're finally out of the gas-guzzling beast and have your pack on and can maybe see a set point on the horizon, isn't it liberating to think "boy I'm going to walk there all by myself and may run into some danger along the way". Help isn't as close as it is back home, unless you live off the grid as a growing number of people are beginning to do. If you do run into trouble you may be on your own. Real fear may be a part of your hike at times; am I going to break a leg during this scramble, will I slip during this crossing and crack my head open, is that storm going to throw some lightning my way, will that dead tree fall on my tent tonight, and a myriad of other similar cases that do present the beholder with tangible fear. All a part of the experience for the outdoorsman/woman.

Growing up today presents the younger people and the elder people with many new hurdles that need to be surpassed in order for the outdoors to be enjoyed. Will the battery life of the electronic device, or cell service dictate the success, or failure of your next outing into the backcountry with your loved ones? Not pointing any fingers just addressing the fact. It is unsettling to think that a handheld device could replace the entertaining faculties of the natural world; flowing water, critters to be found, captured, and then released, terrifying thunderstorms, strong winds, blizzards, "rare" animals, neat rock formations, tricky terrain, "huge" mountains, and all that good stuff that was here and is still here in fragments. As a kid I never thought I would "bag peaks", learn how to cast a fly, try rock climbing, run a rapid, have to worry about bears, or go into the wilderness alone for the night. These things seemed far too much removed from my own capabilities, or not in sync with my personal endowments; reserved for the supermen and women out there.

Having the brief flash of clarity as I did on my way home from work this evening reminded me of what is important. Why do I adhere to a certain set of principles that keep me on the go and sometimes very uncomfortable. Always looking for a person as crazy as myself to do this stuff with etc. Having a firm connection to the natural world can and has been a love of a lifetime for many and many more to come. "Bagging-Peaks" is a quick and convenient term to use amongst people who understand what "bagging-peaks" amounts to. It can sum up the experience very quickly and bring to mind the multitudinous associations that come to mind with the term. Those whom I have met during my rambles and those that I will meet have always been nothing but interesting, healthy, robust, funny, intelligent, curious, unique, and driven in their own ways, to their own goals. Real goals though. Not a goal embedded in a haze of mist on the horizon that is too far away to embrace, or to love. Climbing a mountain, running a river, topping out on a cliff, setting the hook on a fat native trout and watching it slice through the water's surface as you play it to hand, or relaxing by the fire before you, are all very real, very rewarding things that can be attained in a single day, but last a lifetime. I'm very grateful for my experiences had in the mountains of New York and look forward to those to come, which I confess will probably come to be, under the guise of "bagging peaks.

-Sam
SNEAKers
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Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2011 3:30 pm

Re: Confessions of a "Peak-Bagger"

Unread post by SNEAKers »

Sam,

I thoroughly enjoy reading your posts, including this one! We are on the same page about loving hiking and always looking for someone "crazy" enough to go on adventures with, but are POLAR OPPOSITES on the season to hike!

As a kid I grew up in the Bronx, NY. I didn't leave that borough, save for weekly trips to grandma's house in Yonkers, NY (about a 7 mile drive) and yearly trips to Erie, PA to see my other grandma, until I was 13 years old! My 10' x 15' concrete "backyard" did not make much for outdoors experiences and my time in Erie was the only time I had ever really seen "the woods." My grandma would often take us places in her area like Wintergreen Gorge, "The Peninsula", Allegheny, and take me and my sister out to look for deer in the fields around her neighborhood late at night with a big spotlight. Those experiences stayed with me as I grew, but I never really had any true hiking opportunities back home.

It wasn't until I went to a friend's weekend house in the Catskills that I really was outside of the suburbs and around some true wilderness that I really began to explore. When we arrived at the house the first time it was well after dark and none of the mountains could be seen. When we were leaving in the morning I saw the towering (for me) Windham Range and I asked my friend if she had ever been to the top. She said, "no" to which I promptly replied, "I'm going to go up there next time we come up!" A few months later, I hiked Windham High Peak and absolutely loved the solitude, exercise and the general outdoors!

Since that day, I constantly want to be in the wilderness and am always looking for the next thing to do or place to explore. I have been making up for lost time in the past two years with trips to the Catskills on a regular basis (even during the winter when I rarely hike!), Yellowstone NP, Badlands NP, Zion NP, Death Valley NP, Redwoods NP & Jedidiah Smith Redwoods, Crater Lake NP and more! I just booked a flight back to Yellowstone for June to really explore around in a way that I couldn't last time I was there. Another trip is planned for May to go to Congaree NP in South Carolina to go kayaking then on to Biscayne NP to go kayaking, snorkeling and camping and a quick stop in Everglades NP. In addition, I'll be going to Shenendoah NP, Acadia NP and Algonquin Provincial Park north of Toronto in Canada!

Well this was way more than I had intended to write, but I blame being cooped up indoors for too long! :) I was looking at some old pictures today and found this one of Kaaterskill Falls from two summers ago. I am counting the days until the falls look like this again and can't wait to get back out there!

Image
Paul_H
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Joined: Thu Dec 13, 2012 8:09 pm

Re: Confessions of a "Peak-Bagger"

Unread post by Paul_H »

So i am kinda new to this forum, but enjoy it, I grew up in the city, now live on long island. I have done some light hiking and plenty of skiing around the catskills and the northeast in general. I fish in saltwater ALOT, so i am no stranger to the outdoors, though a little different. I have a good offer in on a house in Shandaken, with great access to some high land (north dome) from my property, crossing only state or city land (hint, hint). I love the catskills and can't wait to get rolling on the house, the improvements, and some outdoor adventure. maybe some hunting too ! I like the peak baggin mantra, and I hope to bag a few myself, and contribute to this fine thread ...
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Sam
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Joined: Wed Sep 07, 2011 9:17 pm
Location: Rhinebeck NY

Re: Confessions of a "Peak-Bagger"

Unread post by Sam »

Paul,

Thank you! That's great that you had the opportunity to connect with the Catskills at a young age, especially being a "city boy". I grew up in the Hudson Valley, always with plenty of land to roam through. But my fascination stemmed from my father's love for the outdoors. Which had me collecting reptiles, amphibians, insects, rocks, and the like around the Wallkill River in Gardiner and other places we lived. Not exactly high-endurance activities. Those began during my adolescence, in the South West - Utah in particular. Since then I've been hooked on non-motorized outdoors sports in a big way!

Sounds like you're going to be doing a lot of park hopping! I've been to a few of the big parks and some of the smaller ones, but have only just begun to scratch the surface of what is out there. Hiking in the North East has definitely been a fantastic primer for terrain in other places, and I continue to find challenges here in our native hills; Catskills, Adriondacks, Whites, Berkshires, and the lesser ranges as well.

That picture of Kaaterskill Falls is awesome! I have to admit I've never been behind the falls before! Next time for sure!

Don't get me wrong I love being outside during all seasons of the year. I'm counting down the days until April 1st so I can once again begin wading the rivers and streams in the area w/ a fly rod, box of flies, and a day pack. Also once all this ice and snow is gone the rock climbing crags are going to start opening up. Then you've got spring run off kayaking, foraging for mushrooms, and leeks.....etc etc. Tons of stuff to do in Spring.

I've been sea-kayaking near Savannah Georgia before w/ an outdoor club (from when I was going to school down there). Can't recall the exact place, but the experience was great! There were porpoise(s)? surfacing all over the place and the tidal flat ecosystem was very cool to paddle through!

Good luck on the project in Shandanken, sounds like fun!

Keep on posting stuff!

-Sam
Last edited by Sam on Wed Feb 27, 2013 8:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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mike
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Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2009 9:20 pm
Location: Ravena, NY

Re: Confessions of a "Peak-Bagger"

Unread post by mike »

Welcome to the forum Paul.

Lots of good hiking in the Catskills. North Dome can be a difficult climb. On the east face, it is quite steep. Quite a bit easier if hiked from Sherrill Mtn. I think there are 387 peaks to climb in the Catskills. A little bit of everything can be found. There are still places that few people have ever hiked. There are also lots of hikes where you can hike as a group too.
SNEAKers
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Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2011 3:30 pm

Re: Confessions of a "Peak-Bagger"

Unread post by SNEAKers »

Thanks Sam, I love being up there behind the falls. Relatively few people venture up behind them (compared to the people who swim in the pool) and its nice to get a different perspective!

I will certainly keep the reports coming once I get back outdoors. I'm really looking forward to this Yellowstone trip because I'm going to do some more hiking than last time. Because we only had a day in the park we hit the big tourist areas like Old faithful, the geyser/thermal pool areas and the lower falls, which are just a walking on boardwalks and up and down staircases.

Foraging for mushrooms sounds really awesome! Wish I knew more about them, I'd probably poison myself!
TrunksWD
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Joined: Mon Mar 26, 2012 3:38 pm

Re: Confessions of a "Peak-Bagger"

Unread post by TrunksWD »

That was a great read. Thanks for sharing. I'm slowly working on my Winter peaks. I've only gotten two peaks in this Winter (Fir and Thomas Cole) to bring my total up to nine. One of my 2 hiking buddies had shoulder surgery in late January, so I haven't had a lot of opportunity to get up there that much.

I am curious for anyone who has done some of the mountains with a lot of rock scrambling, how hard is it with snow and ice?
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Sam
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Joined: Wed Sep 07, 2011 9:17 pm
Location: Rhinebeck NY

Re: Confessions of a "Peak-Bagger"

Unread post by Sam »

Paul,

That sounds like my trip to Yellowstone. We were staying in Jackson and hanging out around the Tetons, didn't get to do much in either park. Just drove up to Yellowstone for the day and went to "Old Faithful" and the thermal pools. The scenery is so different than it is here, so just being there and driving around in the car with the family was fun! Next time I'm in the area I'd like to be with some fit folks who can step beyond the tourist ribbon!

Trunks,

Depending on the snow pack some of the scrambles can be pretty doable. Micro spikes, crampons, and snowshoes are usually what I carry in my kit unless I know for sure that the current conditions will only warrant the use of certain gear. For example; if there is a ton of powder then the crampons will probably stay at home, but the micro spikes will come along for the ride just in case. Vice Versus, if there is hardly any snow and it's been cold enough for ice to form then expect ice! haha. Crampons, micro spikes, and possibly an ice axe would all be reasonable things to carry. The snowshoes could stay home.

My buddy did the "Cornell Crack" back on New Years Eve when we had a ton of unconsolidated powder in the Catskills and was able to walk up it with snowshoes. Going down he had his stomach facing the crack and slowly kicked the crampons of his snow shoes into the crack for purchase. When I did the crack I had micro spikes...Conditions will definitely dictate what type of scrambling you will be doing up there.

For our "Grand Finale" we did a partial traverse of the Devils Path. Starting at the col between Plateau and ending up on Prediger Rd. We climbed Plateau, Sugarloaf, Twin, and Indian Head on this day. There was maybe two inches of snow tops! So we carried crampons, spikes, and ice axes, which all were used at different times of the hike. This area is known for its floes of ice! Now the type of ice also makes a big difference! There was some stuff that was easy to walk up with just spikes, while the "boiler plate" stuff that is blackish/iridescent required the use of crampons and an ice axe. It is good to take your time during these sections (Scrambles) and know that with little steps you will get to the summit and back safely.

I'm trying to refrain from saying how difficult it may be, because it is just so subjective. For a young guy who wants to climb the peak and knows what he's doing and has the right gear it is probably very doable....

Hope that was helpful.

-Sam
mtnclimber
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Re: Confessions of a "Peak-Bagger"

Unread post by mtnclimber »

All the peaks can be climbed in the Winter. Some have challenging water crossing.

Slide Mtn - Can get 2' deep, but you can usually cross it on top of the rocks if you have microspikes
Balsam Mtn & Eagle - Numerous stream crossings - Can be challenging when the water is open and high.
Westkill - Right now the bridge is out, so this can be challenging
Rocky - If you follow the stream up, instead of climbing over Lone.
Big Indian - One stream crossing can be difficult at high water.

There are others, but they usually have an alternate route to avoid the water crossing.

Unfortunately, this Winter has not been the best for Winter hiking. But, we got a lot of snow on the peaks this week. So, there should be plenty of snow to hike on this weekend. Most of the valley towns got 1' of snow yesterday. I would guess that there is 2' of new snow this week.
TrunksWD
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Joined: Mon Mar 26, 2012 3:38 pm

Re: Confessions of a "Peak-Bagger"

Unread post by TrunksWD »

Sam,

Thanks, that was very helpful. I have the proper clothing, microspikes and snowshoes for winter hiking. I got to add an ice axe and crampons to my list of gear to purchase. My 2 usual hiking buddies don't have ice axes, so it would be good for at least 1 of us to have them.

Mtnclimber,

I can't believe there is no bridge at Slide Mountain. It is right by the parking lot and is one of the most popular trailheads in the Catskills. The first time I did it there was no way for me to get across without getting wet feet. Also not sure if you have done Balsam mountain since they rerouted the trails. The trails took a lot of damage from Irene. From McKinley Hollow there is a new bridge over the first stream crossing now. The trail was also rerouted on the other side and there is a new bridge.

I hope the Westkill bridge is rebuilt soon. Though I'm thinking of hiking it next week alone if we get a clear day. The only time I've hiked it, it was too foggy to see anything at the lookout. I've been itching to get another winter peak in.

-William

PS if anyone has been up in the Catskills in the last few days how are the water levels and how much snow is there right now?
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