A high of 32F with fluffy snow continuing to accumulate, chest high in some areas. Snowshoes sink a foot into the drifts. Feet of snow turn a hemlock forest into a magical glade.
© J.N. Urbanski 3pm – Usage prohibited without consent
A high of 35F, overcast, still and bright with the sun occasionally glimmering through rippling cloud.
© J.N. Urbanski 8am – Usage prohibited without consent
A high of 24F, with bright sunshine and mostly clear skies.
© J.N. Urbanski 2pm – Usage prohibited without consent
© J.N. Urbanski 2pm – Usage prohibited without consent
A high of 21F, overcast with a bitter, driving wind and icy snow. Frigid.
© J.N. Urbanski 3.30pm – Usage prohibited without consent
32F at 9am and clear with hazy cloud on the horizon. A high of 42F by the afternoon.
© J.N. Urbanski 9am – Usage prohibited without consent
15F at 9am with a snow flurry glittering in the sun. 21F by mid-afternoon and partially cloudy with a bitter wind.
© J.N. Urbanski 9.15am – Usage prohibited without consent
A high of 19F, bright and cloudless with new snow on the peaks.
© J.N. Urbanski 3pm – Usage prohibited without consent
Bright sun poking through hazy cloud with a high of 20F and a continual flurry of glittering snow. Large puddles of mud with frozen crusts crack underfoot and trees creaking in the cold.
© J.N. Urbanski 1.50pm – Usage prohibited without consent
A frosty morning in the 20s and clear skies, rising to 43F by mid-afternoon, overcast and moody.
© J.N. Urbanski 7.30am – Usage prohibited without consent
A high of 46F, cloudless skies, snow melting in the blazing sunshine.
© J.N. Urbanski 9am – Usage prohibited without consent
38F by mid-afternoon and bitter with enough snow dropped at 4pm to transform the landscape to a winter wonderland.
© J.N. Urbanski 4.15pm – Usage prohibited without consent
34F by 2pm, overcast, gloomy, with mild overnight ice storm having left few inches of gravelly ice that were topped by six inches of afternoon snow on the peaks. Slushy, muddy valleys.
© J.N. Urbanski 2pm
17F by noon with a sky made of gray-blue glass and crunchy snow underfoot like chopped meringue.
© J.N. Urbanski
36F at noon, lightly overcast and chilly. The Spring (Vernal) Equinox is the time when the sun’s rays are perpendicular to the earth, as the earth’s northern hemisphere begins moving towards the sun, making it warmer here throughout the summer.
© J.N. Urbanski 3pm
39F at 11am and overcast with light snow. 35F at 2pm and more snow.
© J.N. Urbanski 1.50pm
43F at 8.30am with thick fog rolling off the mountains. Update: 54F by the afternoon with a mixture of cotton wool clouds of various colors. Down to 44F with icy snowy rain by 2.30pm. Back up to 53F by 4pm.
© J.N. Urbanski 8.30am
43F at 8.30am, with hazy sunshine, rising to 61F by 3pm and bright despite light cloud cover.
© J.N. Urbanski 2.30pm
43F at 8.30am, overcast with morning mist over the mountains. 55F by 2pm.
© J.N. Urbanski 2pm
40F by 8.30am with hazy sunshine, rising to 57F by 3pm.
© J.N. Urbanski 11.41am
© J.N. Urbanski Noon
© J.N. Urbanski
The trail to the summit of Bearpen is a long, gradual meander around a mountain, mostly on a part of a snowmobile trail that’s much longer than the walk to the summit and privately maintained. Unlike other trails to Catskills peaks over 3500ft, which are rocky, and perhaps because it’s so further afield than the others, the path is soft and grassy. There’s no tripping over boulders or sliding around on gravel. Most of all, there’s no clambering. If you like hauling yourself up over large boulders, this is not the hike for you. There are short lengths of the trail that are steeper, but they don’t last long. Bearpen is bearish, not bullish, if you like market metaphors. Yesterday, the trail was wet and that made the going very muddy with the boots sinking inches into thick banks of mud in some parts. There were long, round puddles that reflected another gorgeous winter day wearing the mantle of spring. On the ascent there are views through the trees during winter and at the summit, there are many breathtaking views. There’s also a large, rusting contraption that looks like an old ski-lift pulley converted from a car or truck, around which small trees have grown.
39F at 8.30am, with clear skies and a light breeze. 57F at 1pm.
© J.N. Urbanski Noon
© J.N. Urbanski 12.50pm
43F at 11am with a mix of sun and clouds, breezy and warm. 48F by 2pm.
© J.N. Urbanski 1.15pm
30F at 8.30am and overcast. 55F at 1pm, brighter and with less cloud.
© J.N. Urbanski 10.15am
21F at 8.30am and mostly clear with hazy sunshine. 42F by mid-afternoon.
© J.N. Urbanski 12.30pm
© J.N. Urbanski
There’s something magical about the valley through which Vly Creek runs and possibly it’s the wealth of great people who live there. Downstream from the Vly headwaters that originate alongside the trail to Vly Mountain, you’ll find Morse’s maple syrup, Vly bottled water and delicious, cream line milk from the DiBenedetto farm where the product is sold on the age-old, country honor system. As you drive along Route 37 crossing from Delaware County to Greene County, to get to the trailhead on Route 3, you’ll pass house after beautiful house in vibrant colors in a cozy, well-lived valley and photo opportunities galore with classic cars hidden behind barns, registered landmarks, and ancient houses. It looks like a movie set; Route 3 would make a riveting long walk in itself for this reason.
47F at 8.30am, overcast, raining and breezy.
© J.N. Urbanski 8.40am
57F by 2pm with hazy sunshine through wispy cloud cover.
© J.N. Urbanski Noon
19F at 8.30am rising to 34F by late afternoon. Clear and sunny.
© J.N. Urbanski 1.45pm
21F at 8.30am, lightly snowing, a fresh layer of powder and beautifully overcast with a shimmering sky.
© J.N. Urbanski 9am
50F at 8.30am and mistily overcast with the ground squelching underfoot from last night’s heavy rain. Continual rain in the afternoon contributes to the raging tributaries.
© J.N. Urbanski 2.50pm
34F at 7.30am and wet with rain melting two inches of overnight snow into slush. Heavy afternoon rain. Update: heavy rain, thunder and lightning storms throughout the evening.
© J.N. Urbanski 2pm
© J.N. Urbanski 2.40pm
32F by 8.30am and bright with clear skies and warm in the sun.
© J.N. Urbanski 7.30am
43F by 11am, overcast, but still bright. 45F by 2pm.
© MAU
50F by 11am, clear and sunny except for a few lonely clouds.
© J.N. Urbanski 1.15pm
14F at 8.30am with the sun rising through a veil of cloud. 32F and overcast by mid-afternoon.
© J.N. Urbanski 1pm
17F by 8.15am and still, with clear skies apart from dashes of cotton wool cloud.
© J.N. Urbanski 10.15am
25F at 8.30am and overcast with a crunchy layer of frosted snow. Large chunks of ice flowing downstream and thick snow dumped on the mountain peaks only.
© J.N. Urbanski 1.50pm
Still only 8F by 11am with high winds, a few more inches of overnight snow, fast-moving snow squalls and a shimmering sky. Down to 2F by noon.
© J.N. Urbanski Noon
7F at 8.30am and very bright sunshine through the hazy cloud, rising to 20F by 10.30am.
© J.N. Urbanski 10.30am
A bitter 14F and overcast at 8.30am with face-gnawing wind.
© Jeff Vincent of Catskill Mountain Wild 10am
© 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.
27F at 8.30am and mostly sunny.
© Jeff Vincent of Catskill Mountain Wild 10am
30F at 8.30am and overcast with a biting wind on the peaks.
© J.N. Urbanski 8.20am
© 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.
22F at 8.30am with a layer of frost sparkling under a hazy sunrise.
© J.N. Urbanski 9am
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
37F at 8.30am, overcast and raining.
© Jeff Vincent of Catskill Mountain Wild 9am
© 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.
48F at 8.30am, overcast and gloomy with most of the snow and ice melted. Muddy.
© J.N. Urbanski 10.30am
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
© 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.
32F by 11am and overcast with periods of brightness. 40F by 2.30pm with snow rapidly melting on the peaks.
© J.N. Urbanski
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
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
