7F at 8.30am and very bright sunshine through the hazy cloud, rising to 20F by 10.30am.
© J.N. Urbanski 10.30am
Daily Catskills: 02/12/16
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Daily Catskills: 02/11/16
A bitter 14F and overcast at 8.30am with face-gnawing wind.
© Jeff Vincent of Catskill Mountain Wild 10am
The Catskill 35 (W): Sugarloaf Mountain
© J.N. Urbanski
The Pecoy Notch trail must be magical in the summer because even in the winter, when it’s bare and cold, it’s charming in a way that other gaps and passes are not. The first 0.25 miles is a gentle incline and before you have time to be surprised at how quickly you arrived at it, you’re upon Dibble’s Quarry, a defunct quarry that runs down the side of the incline, on which someone has built a large stone stage and several over-sized stone chairs in which to relax. Behind the stone stage there’s a small room that looks like it’s on its way to becoming a small stone cabin equipped with stone picnic tables inside and out. Downhill, there are various lookout notches and seating built in the side of the hill from stone. The entire landmark is essentially a bluestone auditorium with a stunning view of Kaaterskill High Peak. Before you come to Pecoy Notch itself, which is a notch between Twin Mountain and Sugarloaf, you pass a frozen lake and then a frozen swamp, which adds an unexpected air of mystery. From the frozen swamp, you can clearly see the two mountains. The Notch from there to the next mile markers is a dense thicket of spruces with a soft forest floor covered in gnarly tree roots and fir needles. After the quarry, but well before the Notch, there’s a half-frozen, roaring waterfall that cascades across the trail and over the edge of the mountain. This stream is is a little tricky to cross, but shallow enough, and there are just enough boulders to help you pass.
Daily Catskills: 02/10/16
27F at 8.30am and mostly sunny.
© Jeff Vincent of Catskill Mountain Wild 10am
Daily Catskills: 02/09/16
Daily Catskills: 02/08/16
30F at 8.30am and overcast with a biting wind on the peaks.
© J.N. Urbanski 8.20am
Daily Catskills: 02/07/16
31F at 8.30 with hazy sunshine, rising to 43F by 3pm.
© J.N. Urbanski 12.50pm
Catskill Mountain Vodka: Union Grove Distillery
© J.N. Urbanski The Bar
It’s no secret that your humble correspondent is a big fan of both vodka and shopping locally. After much anticipation, Union Grove Distillery in Arkville, New York is up and running, producing vodka made from apple cider and wheat. Apples for the vodka were bought in Schoharie Valley at Terrace Mountain Orchards in Middleburgh. Vodka is, by definition in the United States, a spirit (made from a grain, fruit or any source) that has been distilled to 190 proof until it’s been thoroughly purified of all the remnants of the fermentation process. Distilled water is then added back in to dilute the liquid to a lower alcohol volume.
Daily Catskills: 02/06/16
22F at 8.30am with a layer of frost sparkling under a hazy sunrise.
© J.N. Urbanski 9am
Daily Catskills: 02/05/16
32F by 11am, with shimmering cloud and a bone-chilling, gusty wind, warming up to 36F by 1pm and more sunny. Update: 36F with clear skies by 3pm.
© J.N. Urbanski 3.30pm
© J.N. Urbanski 3.40pm
Daily Catskills: 02/04/16
39F at 8.30am and mostly cloudy with some sun expected later.
© Jeff Vincent of Catskill Mountain Wild 8.45am
Daily Catskills: 02/03/16
37F at 8.30am, overcast and raining.
© Jeff Vincent of Catskill Mountain Wild 9am
The Catskill 35 (W): Wittenberg
© J.N. Urbanski
A couple of accidents on the peaks – Kaaterskill and Sherrill – this past week remind us how treacherous winter hiking can be. It’s not only the cold, icy terrain that’s a threat; if you’re tired or hungry, circumstances can quickly go from uncomfortable to dangerous. Once fatigue sets in, an ordinarily innocent stumble on a boulder can easily turn into a fall or disable a knee or ankle. In addition, if your under layers are soaked in sweat a rest break could allow them to freeze. These are potentially fatal conditions. Listen to your instinct when it says you’re really too tired to attempt to climb up that 50-feet-high vertical pile of jagged rocks. Except, I didn’t.
Daily Catskills: 02/02/16
37F at 10am and mostly sunny.
© Jeff Vincent of Catskill Mountain Wild 10am
Daily Catskills: 02/01/16
48F at 8.30am, overcast and gloomy with most of the snow and ice melted. Muddy.
© J.N. Urbanski 10.30am
Daily Catskills: 01/31/16
28F at 8.30am, rising to 45F by mid-afternoon. Ice and snow melting quickly off the peaks and 53F reported in some areas.
© J.N. Urbanski 1.50pm
The Catskill 35 (W): Westkill
© Urbanski
Westkill is not one of the peaks you are required to ascend in winter, but it is one of the most beautiful during this time. Diamond Notch Falls’ rumbling cascade is a gorgeous place to sit and meditate in the summer. Go here to read our account of Westkill during the summer. It’s a difficult hike, with two miles that are a challenging, thigh-busting uphill battle, but the views from the summit make it all worthwhile. Yesterday’s light was utterly extraordinary. Plus, the drive on Spruceton Road, on which you’ll find a motel, farms and a church with a small graveyard, is just as beautiful as the hike up the mountain itself. At about 3pm, the sun came out, which pleased the horse (pictured bottom) no end.
Daily Catskills: 01/30/16
32F by 11am and overcast with periods of brightness. 40F by 2.30pm with snow rapidly melting on the peaks.
© J.N. Urbanski
Daily Catskills: 01/29/16
28F at 10am with light but persistent snow throughout the morning: a white out on the peaks. 34F by 2pm.
© J.N. Urbanski 1.40pm
Catskills Weekend: Friday’s Events at the Winter Hoot
A few days ago, I wrote about this weekend’s festivities at the Ashokan Center in Olivebridge called The Hoot. It’s the 4th Annual Winter Hoot this weekend from January 29 to January 31, 2016. The Hoot “welcomes the community, one and all, for a spirit-raising good time in mid-winter” being three festive days of music, dancing, food, film, art and nature activities for all ages. Here’s tonight’s schedule of events:
EVENT SCHEDULE
Friday
Daily Catskills: 01/28/16
32F at 8.30am with clear skies: bright and sunny. 35F by 3pm and densely overcast.
© J.N. Urbanski 12.20pm
Daily Catskills: 01/27/16
35F at 8.30am and overcast with a chilly wind blowing the odd snowflake. Scattered snowstorms by mid-afternoon.
© J.N. Urbanski 11.30am
Catskills Weekend: The Hoot in Olivebridge
© Tom Eberhardt-Smith
It’s about time for the 4th Annual Winter Hoot at the Ashokan Center in Olivebridge this weekend from January 29 to January 31, 2016. The Hoot “welcomes the community, one and all, for a spirit-raising good time in mid-winter” being three festive days of music, dancing, food, film, art and nature activities for all ages,
The Winter Hoot is always a “pay what you can” event. The suggested donation is $30 to $60 per adult for the weekend. The Winter Hoot is an indoor event and space is limited. Advance tickets offer guaranteed admission and may be purchased online or at the Woodstock Music Shop.
Daily Catskills: 01/26/16
36F at 8.30am, calm, humid and overcast rising to 46F by 2pm with high winds.
© J.N. Urbanski 2.20pm
The Catskill 35: Slide Mountain
© J.N. Urbanski
A return to the stunning Slide Mountain for the second time this year, ascending into the seductive clutches of a dense forest of snow-laden conifers, with a copy of John Burroughs’ In The Catskills. A commemorative plaque to Burroughs is affixed to a large rock at the summit under which the writer frequently camped. Slide is so named because of a landslide that occurred in the early nineteenth century on its north face where the scar is still apparent after having been refreshed by another landslide in 1992 and the entire area was thoroughly traversed by the writer.
Daily Catskills: 01/25/16
20F at 8.30am with hazy sunshine, rising to 30F by 11am.
© J.N. Urbanski 10.20am
Daily Catskills: 01/24/16
A hair under 16F at 8.30am. Clear and sunny, rising to 28F by 2pm. Thick snow on the peaks.
© J.N. Urbanski Noon
The Catskill 35: Big Indian
© J.N. Urbanski
Winter hiking in the Catskills is mostly magical, tranquil beauty but uncomfortable if you’re ill prepared and occasionally terrifying. I’ve been conveying my winter hiking experiences here under the Outdoors section on Upstate Dispatch. Or, rather, I’ve been writing about what could possibly go wrong should you decide to attempt a Catskills high peak when it’s 10˚F and weather conditions are a fickle master. True to my British nature, I seem to have created A Pessimist’s Guide to Winter Hiking or a Pessimist’s Guide to Conquering Winter Summits. Last year, I decided to attempt to hike all 35 Catskills peaks over 3500ft in order to join the Catskills 3500 Club and there are four extra peaks required in the winter. What I discovered after having hiked those four is that you can see a lot more of the landscape when it has lost most of its foliage. You literally get the lay of the land. So I’ve been continuing down the list instead of doing the sensible thing and waiting for the spring thaw. However, winter hiking is not for the uncertain.
Daily Catskills: 01/23/16
18F at 9.30am, as cold as a stone wall and overcast, rising to 27F by noon. Snow remains on the peaks.
© J.N. Urbanski 2pm
Daily Catskills: 01/22/16
21F by 11am, with hazy sunshine, shimmering cloud cover and snow remaining on the peaks.
© Urbanski 3pm
Daily Catskills: 01/21/16
21F at 9am and mostly sunny.
© Niva Dorell 10am
Daily Catskills: 01/20/16
25F by 10am with a mixture of sun and clouds.
© Niva Dorell 10.30am
Daily Catskills: 01/19/16
10F at 9am with a mix of bright sun and clouds.
© Niva Dorell 9.30am
Daily Catskills: 01/18/16
16F at 9am with shimmering blue-white cloud and a thick layer of snow rising to 18F with cloudless, hazy skies.
© J.N. Urbanski 8.30am
Daily Catskills: 01/17/16
32C by 11am, dull and overcast. Snow on the peaks laying thickly on branches.
© J.N. Urbanski 1pm
Daily Catskills: 01/16/16
38F at 9.30am and foggy with 2 inches of powder dripping off trees loudly onto the forest floor.
© J.N. Urbanski 9.50am
© J.N. Urbanski 10am
Daily Catskills: 01/15/16
30F by 10am and partly cloudy and sunny, rising to 38F and overcast by 4.30pm.
© J.N. Urbanski 4.30pm
Catskills History: Sybil Ludington
“[Paul] Revere was a renowned silversmith and a courier for the Massachusetts Assembly carrying messages to the Continental Congress, a man in his forties riding 12 miles of well-traveled country roads near Boston. Sybil was 16 years old, and her path led 40 miles through dense woods that harbored ‘cowboys’ and ‘skinners’. The Cowboys were pro-British marauders who roamed in and around Westchester County plundering farmhouses and stealing cattle they later sold to the British…”
Daily Catskills: 01/14/16
14F at 8.30am with still air, shimmering sky and with the barest of flurries.
© J.N. Urbanski 8.30am
Daily Catskills: 01/13/16
16F at 9.30am with shimmering clouds and a layer of powdery snow on the ground. 19F with drive-by clouds at 3pm.
© J.N. Urbanski 3pm
Local Grass-Fed Beef: Hubbell Family Farms
© J.N. Urbanski
Local grass-fed beef is now available at the Hubbell Family Farm on 46124 Route 30 near Halcottsville, New York. Call in at their machine rental business, Catskill Rentals, where you can also pick up eggs and maple syrup. Grass-fed offerings are porterhouse, sirloin, short ribs, bones, burgers, brisket, and more, that was butchered two weeks ago and available frozen. You can also put your name down for heritage pork coming up in a few weeks. Talk to Andrew, John or Cheryl. Eat locally raised meat and support your community.
© J.N. Urbanski
Daily Catskills: 01/12/16
19F at 9.30am, overcast and lightly snowing.
© J.N. Urbanski 11am
Daily Catskills: 01/11/16
20F at 8.30am and lightly snowing with isolated snow flurries moving across the landscape.
© J.N. Urbanski 10.30am
Daily Catskills: 1/10/16
45F by noon with fog, mist and rain. Continual rain with a brief gap in the clouds at 2pm and then Winter Storm Hera at about 2.30pm.
© J.N. Urbanski 2pm
The Catskills 35 (W): Blackhead Mountain
© J.N. Urbanski
There’s a part of the final metres of the ascent to Blackhead Mountain that is a vertical climb and one from which you should not look back down if you suffer the slightest vertigo or you will invite a case of the wobblies. It’s even worse now that it’s entombed in ice. My husband and dog hopped up it like mountain goats and I was left in the metaphorical dust, grappling with uncertainty, stabbing my spikes into the ice and, finally, hoisting myself up over the rocks with the roots of an aging birch tree. As I finally managed to haul myself over the top, I wondered if there was such a thing as hand crampons attached to a set of gloves because they would have made the job much easier.
Daily Catskills: 01/09/16
34F by 10am and overcast with fog and mist, rising to 37F mid-afternoon.
© J.N. Urbanski 2.50pm
Purple Mountain Press in Fleischmanns, New York
© J.N. Urbanski
Purple Mountain Press in Fleischmanns, New York publishes hugely popular books of local New York State literature and history including John Burroughs’ book of essays In The Catskills. The office is a smaller structure adjacent to the building that houses the press on Main Street in Fleischmanns. I sat down with publisher Wray Rominger, who is now semi-retired, about the storied publishing house’s achievements and the life of a printer.
JN: How long have you lived in the Catskills?
WR: Since 1973.
What brought you here?
We lived in a school bus and came to Woodstock.
Where did you live in a school bus?
We came from Austin Texas, where I was a graduate student from Austin University. We were on the road for two months and I knew a fella in Woodstock that offered us a cabin. He didn’t tell me that the former tenant had had a fire and that there was a hole in the roof. So we had to live in the school bus for another four months until the roof was repaired.
Daily Catskills: 01/08/16
25F at 8.30am and still wiith marbled skies and a hazy horizon.
© J.N. Urbanski 12.45pm
Daily Catskills: 01/07/16
20F at 8.30am with hazy cloud cover fading with the dawn.
© J.N. Urbanski 8am
Daily Catskills: 01/06/16
18F by 8.30am, with clear skies and frosty air, rising to 28F by 11am.
© J.N. Urbanski 9.30am
Daily Catskills: 01/05/16
0F at 7.30am and still, with some areas reporting as low as -11F at dawn. Clear skies to the horizon, rising to 15F by noon.
© J.N. Urbanski 11am
The Catskill 35 (W): Slide Mountain
© J.N. Urbanski The summit of Slide Mountain with zero visibility over the edge
Hillsound sent me two pairs of crampons – or “spikes” – to try out and my life hasn’t been so thoroughly changed for the better since I got my juicer. They must have taken pity on me because they read that I’m hiking the Catskills 35 in a pair of fifteen-year-old snowboarding boots that I bought in an emergency, during a torrential downpour on 14th Street in New York City, when I was on my way to meet a client.
Daily Catskills: 01/04/16
A hair over 10F at 7.30am and still with clear skies. Not much warmer by noon.
© J.N. Urbanski 7.45am
© J.N. Urbanski Noon
Daily Catskills: 01/03/16
30F by 9.30am with flurries of snow mid-afternoon and a few inches of snow on the peaks.
© J.N. Urbanski Noon
The Catskill 35 (W): Panther Mountain
© J.N. Urbanski
Oh, the joy of crampons. It’s nice to muster a decent pace with a good, long stride on the Catskills trails and I’m talking about the sort of stride that confirms the saying “to stretch the legs”, which British people call going for a walk. The only way you can do that in is in the winter on long stretches of iced mud, wearing crampons or “spikes”. Most Catskills trails are rocky, and I understand when I hear about hikers who go barefoot in good weather, because it’s easy to lose your footing if it’s wet or mossy. In the autumn, when the trail is covered with leaves, it’s too easy to slip between rocks and turn an ankle, especially when you’re on your descent and tired. Crampons are inadvisable other than when it’s icy or snowing because otherwise you’ll punch up the trail. They and snowshoes both make winter hiking rather special. Hillsound make a fabulous set for a reasonable price and I wore a pair yesterday for the very first time. Hillsound had sent us two pairs to try out for free and I love them.