Revenge Was Ours! Catskills Trip Report

“This trip ROCKED! I had soooooo much fun, it was a great time with GREAT company. It was beautiful, challenging, buttkicking, and any other cool adjective you can think of all rolled into one.

I'll do a full trip report later. Might not be tonight, but definitely by tomorrow night. But check out these KILLER pics, especially the icicle ones!

Artex's (aka Santartex) Pictures

Man, what a trip!! :-)”

“holy crap...that's all i have to say

oh yeah, and when's the next trip?”

“hay corp nasty, whats up with the glove?

they be looking a little familiar


great pics. glad you all are home safe!!”

“mapleleaf - can you believe that madness? what do you think - you up for that?”

“Neat pix. Amazing how the corporal can get away with risky things in the wild, but put him on level ground ...

Glad you guys had fun; glad I wasn't there. I started shivering looking at the pix!”

“sweet pics! The "bent pole" pic is a true classic! LMAO!”

“Sweet pics Santa! Your icicle shots came out super.

It was an awesome weekend and winter has definately arrived in the Catskills.

Like Santa, there will be more details tomorrow, including the scoop on how Buddha Bear ruined the trip. Sure you say... he was at TC2. Wrong, that was a clone!”

“Great pic's!!!!!

8)”

“Okay here it is:

Met Pennsy Hiker at the ending point and we left his truck there and took my car to the start point. It was cold out, temps in the teens, but clear skies and the snow and scenery was absolutely beautiful. We were greeted by Goretex at the parking lot who had come back to get something, and he led us about a quarter mile in or so to where him, Corporal Nasty, and WarrenNYC camped out the night before.

We then ascended the Jimmy Dolan Notch Trail, and noted a set of large bear tracks in the snow on the way up. Conditions soon called for crampons and we made it up to Twin. Beautiful views from here, as you can see in my pics.

We then went to the second peak on Twin and while descending we stopped and rested at a cave. Goretexx arrived a few minutes afterward, and appeared excited. Goretex is a pretty mild-mannered and quiet person, so I was interested to find out why. Turns out he said he was "skiing" down to the cave, sliding along on his boots. Sounded dangerous to me, but I took off the crampons along with everyone else and.. dude.. BIG fun! There was enough powdery snow so you wouldn't go too fast, and it was easy to control. Corporal Nasty chose to slide on his butt most of the time, I think because of his toe. This allowed him to go farther, and it looked fun! At one point Pennsy Hiker nearly fell off a 30 foot ledge, so we decided to knock it off. However, it was one of the fastest descents I think I've ever done. Mooohahaha!

A pretty difficult descent up Sugarloaf, and on the way down we came across some HUGE icicles that were AWESOME! You have to see my pics (link is on the first post)!

Pennsy Hiker, WarrenNYC, and myself arrived at the leanto between Sugarloaf and Platuea and met Jeff, who sent me an email after seeing the thread here on thebackpacker.com. Great guy and very funny. It was an absolute pleasure to meet him and I hope he posts here more often.

Darkness descended and there was no sign of Corporal Nasty or Goretex. Their pace was a bit slower than ours throughout the trip because of the Corporal's toe injury and Goretex didn't have crampons because his were broke. He did have Malcolm, his trusty ice axe though. Then, Jeff spots two lights near the top of Sugarloaf Mountain, visible from our campsite. It was really really cool watching their headlamps dance ever so slowly down the mountain from about a quarter or a third of a mile away! They soon arrived and we ate and drank, laughed and joked, then went to bed. The night was cold, probably well into the teens again, but I slept very well and was quite warm.

We woke up to another open sky but that would soon change. After we shoved off and ascended up Plateau Mountain, it began to snow lightly. The ascent was GREULING. Very steep and technical. It full-on kicked my butt. It felt great to finally reach the top, and walk along the mountains plateau-like top for a mile and a half through the snow-coated pines. VERY beautiful.

The descent was easy, and we were thankful for that. A bit later, Goretexx and Corporal Nasty reached the end and we shuttled back to our cars and bid eachother farewell.

This trip was my first true winter trip in super-cold winter conditions. These guys that went on the trip are the best, and it was awesome hiking with them again and meeting WarrenNYC. YOU GUYS ROCK!”

“Please forgive any typos and/or grammatical errors in my trip report. I'm tired as heck!!! :-)”

“That's funny, I just talked to Heck and he said he's tired as Artex.”

“thanks for the cool trip report and incredible pictures - glad everyone had fun and got back safe...”

“Incredible pics. Sounds like you guys had a fantastic trip.”

“great report and pics artex . . . looks like you'd better ask santartex for some new poles! 8)”

“Those pics of the icicles were cool, reminded me of the icicles coming off the roof of the house I grew up in. Sounds like you guys had fun.
What bag did you have Santartex?”

“Tango, it's a Mountainsmith Pursuit. Great bag, but I need a bigger one for winters. Otherwise, I love it!”

“My pics'll be here tomorrow, I'm too damn tired right now. The trip was amazing, my first snow and ice trip ever, it kicked my butt. The broken toe didn't help, but it didn't get in the way- Slowed me down quite a bit, but I still got my revenge on the Cats. I can now say I've wiped my butt with Twin mountain- My preferred method of traveling down snowy peaks, which also gave me the idea to invent a$$ crampons. I'll make millions.
Anyway, the first night was a killer for me, my feet were absolutely freezing all night long- Some toe warmers or a hot water bottle would have made the hammock quite a nice shelter, though. The next morning, we started out on the trail and I quickly learned that my crampons made my heels hurt for some reason, and kicking into the ice was not feeling too good on the toe. Goretex and I kept a nice slow pace- That guy's an animal. He might have been as slow as me, but that's because he literally had to crawl up most of the trail using only his ice axe to stop him from sliding. I don't know how he did it, it would have made me quit.
Pennsy almost died on the way down Twin- Artex heard a loud "THUMP" and when we reached him, he was clinging to a tree, basically hanging off the side of a scary drop. Artex wanted him to hold the pose so we could get a good picture, but for some reason Pennsy wasn't feeling very cooperative.
Sugarloaf is where the group really split up, with Artex, WarrenNYC and Pennsy way out in front, Goretex and I bringing up the rear. It started to get dark as me and Goretex were coming down Sugarloaf to the lean to, so we turned on our headlamps and slowed the pace down even more. It was a very cool, very scary experience- I knew we had to make it to the lean to, otherwise the others would send someone up looking for us- It wouldn't have been necessary, we weren't in any trouble, we were just being slow- But knowing these guys, they wouldn't have felt right leaving someone up on a dark icy mountain for too long. We established light contact with them, strobing back and forth, and since we figured they could see we were moving downwards (And not at very high speeds) it was safe to say they knew we were okay.
Once we reached the lean to, we met Jeff, who I right away probably insulted by saying he was Australian when he was actually a New Zealander. Very cool guy, very knowledgable, and he gave me some gummy candy. It wasn't long before I was in my bag and fast asleep- Pennsy saved my feet from freezing that night with some handwarmers.
The next morning, everyone got to see my Zip stove in action- It works fine in the cold weather, you just have to keep the battery warm and make sure you can get to some good dead wood. Artex saved me with some more handwarmers in my gloves for the hiked up Plateau, which for some reason seemed worse than the others- I think it was from exerting ourselves so much the day before. Goretex and I dropped to the back again, stopping to enjoy the scenery and catch our breath here and there. The hike along the top of Plateau was great- It started snowing while we were up there, making the scenery just perfect- On the way to the parking lot, we saw two of the funniest looking snowmen I have ever seen- I figured it had to have been Artex and Pennsy's work, but they said it wasn't. I think they're lying. I should have taken a picture.
Pennsy shuttled us back to our cars, and on the way back, we stopped at Arby's. It was so damn good. Hope you enjoyed your McDonalds, Artex.
This was the best trip I've been on yet, although it was quite dangerous at points and very cold. Crampons were definitely needed up there, and even then, I took some steps that felt pretty iffy.
BTW Maple, those are your gloves in those pics- Hope you don't mind me using them, especially using them for flipping people off- I'll get them back to you as soon as I can.”

“Glad to hear your toes made it out with you. Sounds like a rough weekend for toes in that neck of the woods.”

“Sounds like you all had a blast. Wish I could have gone. Well I won't miss FYAO.”

“cool pic's...... and thanks for sharing them! made one of the icicle pictures my desktop wallpaper.... hope you don't mind! it looks absolutely awesome too!

nice to hear 'yall had a great time together.....”

“Yes! Another TT'er uses one of my pictures as wallpaper! I'm honored, poisonivy.. glad you like.”

“Sounds like a great trip. The pictures are really cool. The icicles look like the mouth of that creature in the movie Aliens. Glad to hear Pennsy is still with us after a scary fall.”

“WOW!

I love that kinda wild adventure!

Did anyone have a thermometer?”

“great pics, cool report”

“You have to bring a thermometer on trips like this...not only does it give you bragging rights later, but it also serves to enhance the self-pity (pray for death to come quickly) and feeling of torture on those freezing nights. ;o)

Great pics. I love the visuals on trips like this.

Pennsy, I can't believe you couldn't cling there for a few more seconds to provide extra amusement to your TTers at home. Party pooper. (glad you're ok)
;p”

“well done. wish I could have come but I wussed out b/c I don't have crampons and wasn't sure if my 25 degree bag would suffice. from the pics, it looks like i need gaitors too. glad it was a safe an enjoyable trip.”

“Sounds like a great trip and a great time! Thanks for the report and the pics - I also have the icicle one as wallpaper at home.

It's hurt me to sit for the last week after sliding most of the way down a trail - no hairy moments like Pennsy's (>eek!<), but my butt is some colorful!”

“Times like this call for a ZERO sack just to be safe.

On last year's FYAO we had temperatures of 11 and 8 in the mornings.

And except for a face-plant or two and a real bad blue underwear scare, there was no real element of danger.”

“Ooo, colorful butt, huh?

Well, post some photos!”

“Hey no falling off of cliffs, Pennsy. That is taking comedy way too far. Glad that you are safe (and sound?). Nice pictures, Artex, but I really love your Colden Lake pic too much to exchange it for a new wallpaper. As your den mother, I want to ask you guys to be a little more careful on your future trips through the freezer aisle, 'kay?”

“I would TomT, but there ain't a lens wide enough to get it all in, LOL...”

“As for the thermometers, I have one on my watch but I bet Helen Keller could shoot a soda can off a fence post with better accuracy. Pennsy Hiker and Goretexx both had small mercury thermometers, but they both questioned how reliable they were. I did notice Goretex's saying 17 degrees Saturday morning at about 8:30am though..”

“Ooo hoo hoo
He he
Ha ha

Quick with the self-depricating wit, oh yeah!

twigeater-You MUST come along on the FYAO III.”

“deprecating”

“i wanna bring this thread back to the top - because these guys kicked some major catskill behind!

I'm proud of ya crazy fools!”

“Sounds like a great trip, sorry I missed it. Nice pics too. Catch ya next time around!”

“Friday 3pm.
Print yahoo directions from Morristown NJ, to Prediger road Platte Clove.
Friday 5pm.
Out of work and into my aging Toyota and onto Rte 287 North. Usual 2 mile clog at the intersection of Rte 80 then clear. Stopped at Rte 17 to fill up with gas as it is cheaper the NY and much cheaper than the thruway. Stopped again at the 2nd service area to change from work to hiking gear, exit at Saugities (exit 20).

Continue to follow road directions until I come to an icy hill with a large and conspicuous “Road Closed” sign. Oh Sh1t, drive back to a diner and confirm that this is Platte Clove rd and return. Take a run up at the hill, doing OK until I hit a patch of ice, wheels spin and then start sliding backward, into reverse, sledding backward steering like a boat as the car is picking up speed tobogganing back down the hill. I do stay on the road and regain control after sliding past the closed sign. Now what? Do the others have four wheel drive?, or will they reroute to Mink Hollow? I decide on Mink Hollow and follow 212 past Woodstock, turn into Mink Hollow rd and have no trouble getting to the traihead.

The 8 inches of snow on the ground means I can shed 4.5lbs and leave the snowshoes behind. Change into boots and on the trail at 9pm, trailhead register then 10 minutes walking has me at the first creek crossing. Plenty of water, cold water, with ice on the rocks. Globs of ice form instantly on my hiking pole basket. I probably spend 10 minutes looking for a better alternative to crossing here but find nothing better. Did not get wet and continued up right side of creek, next crossing was a lot easier and then climbed away from the creek reaching the lean-to at about 11pm.

It was very cold and I decided to sleep in my tent rather than the LT for additional warmth. Stamp out a patch, set the tent out with deadmen in the corners and stakes on the sides. Bear bag line is set up. Into the LT to crank up the Svea, a hot chocolate and some jerky has me feeling almost human so into the bag and sack out at about 1am. Luxury items are a 2 inch Thermarest LE and a –20 REI down bag.

Saturday 6am. Wind, sounds nasty, back to sleep.
Saturday 7am. The true motivation to get out of the sack is not great deeds, nor hunger, but the bathroom is not to be denied. Find the Mink Hollow crapper is out of business, a new type of floorless shelter, with a lonely seat hanging from the far wall over ‘the pit’.

9am. Finished eating, I notice the bear bag is too visible from the trail (as in overhanging) so I relocate to a spot round the back. With the pack set for the day I set out to find water. There are springs within ½ mile on Devils Path, and the bush trail down to Elka Park. I can find neither. I started with 2 liters, drank ½ walking in, ½ dinner last night, ½ breakfast, so have ½ left. Not enough. Back to the lean to, fire up the stove and start melting snow.

11am. 2 liters in the pack and the stove buried in snow to stop another ½ liter from freezing, and I am on the trail to Sugarloaf. Crampons are needed almost as soon as I start to go up. With crampons it is a steep but easy walk with 2 or 3 sections where you need to pay attention. 12:30 I am on top, on a trail with a bunch or trees and no view. Start back and see a set of old footprints going toward the West. I check it out and it leads to a ledge with a great view over Mink Hollow, Plateau MT, Cooper Lake, Beartown and Woodstock. Great spot for lunch.

1pm. Start down, meet 2 hikers heading to Prediger Rd., and a solo going for a day hike up and back to Elka Park. Easy walk down and back to the LT for coffee break. I am unsure how the crew are doing, did they get to the trailhead ? Are they still coming to Mink Hollow or are they staying at the cave on Twin? How many?
It is much warmer so I decide to pack the tent and move into the lean-to. No sooner get finished than a backpacker arrives, 1 of 3. I ask if this is Santartex and get a “No”. It was in fact WarrenNYC closely followed by Pennsyhiker and Artex. There is plenty of room but Pennsy wanted to try out his Bat-Ray. He used the pre-flattened patch where I tented the night before. Artex also set up a tent but out back. Bat-Ray needed an ice axe for hole making as it uses a million pegs.

Apparently there is no problem getting to Prediger road, but only from the North via Tannersville.

It was dark before we could see the headlamps of CplNasty and Goretex about 800ft up on Sugarloaf slowly making there way down. Artex strobed them with his P/Tek Aurora and got a responding signal that they were OK. We were making Morse Code Jokes reading their strobe signal “send crampons, now”. Nasty trip down with no crampons, worse in the dark, but an hour later they were in camp.

Stove trivia. In the group there were 2 Whisperlights, and 1 each of: Svea, MSR XKG, Sierra Zip, and an Esbit. All worked OK for cooking, but the Esbit is not up to the job of melting snow. Cries of “Snowboy! More snow” punctured the peace for what seemed like many hours. The rest of us B/S-ed. The only other entertainment was the antics of the Bear-bag tag team who shall remain nameless. I think the bag ended up dangling over the trail.

Guess who could not wait until morning, the dreaded midnight call, Ha, Ha, Ha, it is cold outside?

Sunday. Up, packed, eaten. Discussed hiking over Plateau with the group but they had 1 pickup truck at the trailhead. Six people with packs would be a little tight, also I was on the opposite side of the mountain from the rest, sort of miles out of the way. I bailed and walked back down Mink Hollow. Tracks showed that 3 people and 1 dog had been up the day before, this was confirmed by the traihead register. I was puzzled when I saw the parking lot, had to be 8 trucks there. Hunting season, they all belonged to hunters.
Home in NJ by 3pm.”

“Sweet, great to hear from you Manuka! Hope you can join us on more trips in the future.

Yeah, strobing Goretex and Corporal Nasty with the headlamps was really cool, in a surreal sort of way. It was neat watching the lights dance down, and I was stoked when they confirmed they saw me setting my headlamp to strobe and they knew we were contacting them.

Great trip report! :-)”

“Sounds like a great trip wish I could have been there. I’ll check out the pics later.”

“Corp' - where are the pictures!!!??? Inquiring minds want to know.”

“Twinkle toes, huh? nICE. Here they are-My Pics
But, I just finished posting the last one, best to try it out in like half an hour or so.”

“again I say - holy crap.”

“SWEET pics, Corporal Nasty! Wermon, LOL!!!

That shot of Goretexx climbing with his ice axe is AWESOME.”

“Wow, nice country. Might just hafta get to the Cats one of these days.”

“There's more.
I might post some more tomorrow night, glad y'all liked 'em.”

“I want my friggin gloves back you swine!!!”

“You'll get them back. I'll hide a stapler in each one of them, though.”

“Corporal, that'd be killer if you posted more pics.

I'm a photographer, dammit, I'm supposed to take pictures of people!

Dude, my sides were hurting from laughing so hard when we were resting at that cave! You are the master of the 13th Warrior quotes!

Oh yeah, got an email from Pennsy Hiker, he said he was working on his pics so I imagine he should be posting his pics soon.”

“so please tell these kind floks how you took such good care of them.....


(hint they are the gloves in ALL the pictures)”

“Yeah, her gloves kicked major butt- They kept my hands warm through most of the trip, even when they got wet. Artex, I still don't get how Pennsy didn't remember ANY of the lines from the movie. I think he has the 13th warrior and 3 Ninjas mixed up somehow.”