Catskills in Jan?

“I am not going to be able to go on FYAO but I want to do some winter backpacking. Anybody interested in a January trip to say Giant Ledge or someplace else in the Catskills. It would be pretty cool to camp on top of Slide Mtn. You can't do that in the summer.”

“interested, but don't think i could handle Slide Mt.

I am a wussy :(”

“Why not in summer?

I'm goin' some-dang-where January 16-17-18-19.

West Virginia.....Dolly Sods, Roaring Plains, Otter Creek...

There may be too much snow on the plateaus.
If so, then Otter Creek.

The Catskills are about the same distance from Baltimore as the above mentioned.
I could dig goin' there.”

“TT you can't camp above 3500' in the summer due to impact on the enviroment. You can in the winter because of the snow.”

“Put up some dates.”

“Put up some ducks!”

“as long as its not your liver”

“Nothing on the Trips page yet.

Waiting......

Waiting......

Waiting......”

“Jeez give me a bit! I need to check things out. I was just seeing if there would be interest.”

“Monongahela National Forest, mid-January?

Catskills???


Some place wild!”

“HAHA


patient is a venture”

“LT, did 3 trips up there last winter, love to get a few weekends in.

From Slide down the East Neversink there are 3 of the trailess peaks that will probably be a lot easier in winter.”

“Maple you mean virtue don't you?

Monogahela forest is a cruise from CT. I have been there before and it is great.
The Cats are pretty wild even in the summer.
Maple Slide isn't much tougher than the ADKs. If Overlook had a route up other than the fire road it would be fun. I hate fire roads.”

“hmmm then this interests me. any idea for dates?”

“Manuka, I will have to check my maps about that. I have always just thought it would be really cool to camp right on top of Slide. Or just off the top.”

“LtHiker, how far is the Catskills for you?

mistletoe leaf, lookin' for dates?”

“TT the Catskills are about 3 hours from me. Your in MD that is about 5-6 hours depending on where in MD.”

“If someone can give me a lift from the city - I would definately do this trip.

Snowshoes baby!”

“I'm only interested in hiking the Catskills on days that end with Y.

DUH! Of course I'm interested. January is wide open for me at this point. I'd love to camp out on top of Slide. We were going to do that last New Year's Eve but a rain storm washed the trip out.

I've done Slide from the Wittenburg / Cornel side and it's a steep climb. But I think it's fairly tame from the other side.”

“Damn you all. Damn you all to hell.”

“Yo Artex - You really don't want to hike in the Catskills, do ya? You'd probably break another zipper and bail again.

moohaahaa”

“Hey, I got my due revenge! :-)”

“....unfortunately I'll be in Death Valley hiking in some really deep slot canyon, scaling big arse dryfalls, bagging a peak or so, flying down a sand dune like a banshee.....nope....can't make it to the Catskills....looks like Pennsy is up for it though....you go girl...

Artex....that line is from the Planet of the Apes....Charleton Heston at the end of the movie...am I right? I'm on it dude...”

“Not sure, stratusloop. It'd be sheer coincidence if it was. :-)”

“...like that's the line....damm bloody apes....that was always one of my favourite movies....”

“Ha ha ha! My father proposed to my mother at a drive-thru movie that was showing "Planet of the Apes". Little wonder they're divorced.”

“LtHiker, it is about 250 miles from Baltimore to the Catskills.
That's about how far Monongahela NF is for me.

What???
Hike with Pennsy uh-gain?
I suppose I could stand it!”

“some of the worst movies ever made.”

“.....thanks for the input man....nice to see you love those too...

BTW....some old wise man told me one day whilst waiting for the tube said "Son....that's why there's 31 flavours of ice cream"”

“Slide Mt is about 15-20 mins for me. Don't like camping on top in winter because it is so much more pleasant out of the wind.”

“hey catskhiker - how much snow do you have up there? Enough for snowshoes or is it still bare bootable?”

“What's with that flatlander from florida chiming in......??

From the other side of Slide you can tunmble down the hill to the camp site in the cole. That's pretty much how I found it the first time I did it in the winter”

“Yeah there are supposed to be several spots just off the peak. I'll post a trip tomorrow.
This is just one idea. Pennsy it would also be fun up on Plataue, mtn”

“Damn you, sirpete! :-)”

“Too late Artex - he was damned years ago.

Lt - Here's a pic of the trail on top of Plateau from our trip last December.

I love the Catskills in winter so you can count me in on wherever you decide.”

“The ground at my house (1700') near the Neversink Resovoir has about 4". Rumor has it that possible rain & warm weather will shrink that level tomorrow. My wife has been in the hospital, so I can't tell you what it is like at higher elevations but should be more. I usually bring snowshoes from this point (bushwhack) untill the snow is gone. If you're going to stay on the trails (especially slide) it is usually heavily packed. Slide also has some heavy balsams off to the right at the elevation marker.”

“LT, I would love to go...but I have two weekends already blocked blocked away.... 16th and the 23rd.”

“Pennsy that picture of Platuea Mtn likes great like a winter wonderland.
I bet that there would be some nice sheltered spots up there.
Devils Path hike in the winter?”

“My schedule for January is pretty crazy, I’ll be going back and forth to the left coast a few times. If I’m home I’ll go on this trip.”

“Rich B wants to hike the Cats in deep snow, and curse like a sailor.

;-)”

“LtHiker,

I don't do backpacking in cold weather, but I love to car camp/day hike in the Cats during winter. Would like to join youans for some of that if possible. Keep me informed or post on the Trips Page. Thanks.”

“There had better be some snow!
?”

“I still need to go over it with the boss(a-hem wife). I am waiting to catch her in a good mood.”

“LOL Mister M! However, I bet he goes on the trip to get his revenge.

Lt - I don't recall seeing any places to camp on Plateau, but then again I wasn't really looking. We did part of the Devil's Path last winter. We started up Predigar Rd and went up the Jimmy Dolan trail, bypassing Indian Head Mt. We did Twin and Sugarloaf, and camped at Mink Hollow. The following day he went up Plateau into the winter wonderland and ended on 214 at Devil's Tombstone.”

“Whic mtn was it that had the cliff that you had to go down. I remember we wandered around up ther for a while looking for the trail. Lots of Animal paths. Then I think it was Mrs Adv. that said oh #&%!$ the trail goes down here.

Anyway that mtn had lots of clearings at the top.

Another hike might be to reverse the Devils path and end at 214. Although we wouldn't get as many vistas we could stay around the Hunter leanto.”

“Was I with you yet when you went down this cliff? You guys talked a lot about Sugarloaf so I wonder if that's what you mean?

A reverse DP might be a good idea. Camping at or near a lean-to in winter is always nice. It would be a shortish hike to 214 on Sunday, so a hike to Hunter peak could be had.

I was thinking about heading up this weekend but I bet the trails will be a real mess.”

“Surgar#&%!$! as amy calls it”

“It's too early for me to join any overnight trips at this point. I just found out yesterday that the surgery I had in mouth isn't healing. So it could be another month of treatments and maybe a skin graft surgery before this whole mess is fixed.”

“OUCH! Good luck Rich, hope to see you on the trails soon.”