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Hiking the Catskills  Page

 

"Tell me you don't love it"

Lofty Goals - By Dave Morrison

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Taken from High peaks of the Northeast

The Catskill mountains are of an entirely different nature than the other high ranges of the Northeast.  They are a deeply eroded plateau of sedimentary rock, not a buckled and contorted range like the Green mountains nor granite intrusions like the Whites.  Visible proof of this is found from any high summit or overlook; the tops of the peaks are nearly all of the same height.  The dense vegetation keeps the Catskills from resembling the eroded canyons and mesas of the American Southwest.  Without the tree cover, the relief would be sharper and the landforms more bizarre.  The distance from the valleys to the summits in the Catskills is considerable, 2,000 feet or more in places; if bare and dry, this vertical rise would translate into some very dramatic rock scenery, in some ways resembling the Superstition Wilderness of Arizona.  But the Northeast is a well-watered place and hikers must scale the summits to the many perches of ledge to see this terrain for what it is.

Since the New York DEC also manages the Adirondacks, there are some similarities between trail systems in the two regions.  A number of Adirondack-style leantos exist in the Catskills, usually located well below the summits.  Camping is not allowed over 3500 feet.  Most trails are well-maintained and marked with plastic discs.  The Long Path, a blue-blazed trail that begins near New York City, crosses the heart of the Catskills and traverses a number of major peaks.  Hikers should note that water is scarce at high elevations in the Catskills.

Presented below is a list of the thirty-five Catskill Mountains that have to be climbed to qualify for the Catskill 35'er patch.  Note: four of the mountains have to be climbed in the winter as well.

While there are over a thousand people who have qualified to be 35'ers, less than 500 people (as of April '01) have qualified to be Winter 35'ers.  For this, all mountains must be climbed in the winter.
 

Climbing Party legend: DM - Dave Morrison, KM - Katy Morrison, SM - Sarah Morrison, JM - John Morrison, AB - Abner Berzon #1346, TP - Tricia Palumbo, JG - Joe Germinario, LG - Leo Germinario, DB - Dave Barnes, TM - Tim McHale, WM - Wendy McHale, DL - Donny LaClare, RL - Ryan LaClare, EN - Elisabeth Nason, BK - Bobby Konig, BJ - Barry Josten, NS - Nick Stoumpas, ZB - Zack Berzon, CB - Chelsea Butner, DP - Diane Pierpont, RP - Robert Pierpont, MP - Morgan Pierpont
 
 

Mountain	Elevation: ft	Date Climbed	Climbing Party
Slide*	4180	9/10/95 3/20/99	DM, KM, AB, TP DM, AB, JG, LG, ZB, NS
Hunter	4040	3/2/96	DM, KM, JG, LG, AB^
Black Dome	3980	9/93 7/7/01	DM, KM, BK, AB^ DM, KM, SM, JM, DP, RP, MP, AB
Thomas Cole	3940	9/93	DM, KM, BK, AB^
Blackhead*	3940	9/30/00 3/17/01	DM, JM AB^ DM, AB
Westkill	3880	4/18/98 11/20/99	AB^  DM, KM, SM, JM
Graham	3868	8/13/00	DM, KM, SM, JM, AB
Doubletop#	3860	11/7/99	DM, AB
Cornell	3860	9/9/95 3/20/99	DM, KM, AB, TP DM, AB, JG, LG, ZB, NS
Table	3847	6/28/97 3/19/02	DM, JM, AB DM, AB
Peekamoose	3843	6/28/97 3/19/02	DM, JM, AB DM, AB
Plateau	3840	10/96	DM, KM, AB, F, TM, WM
Sugarloaf	3800	9/27/97	DM, KM, SM+, JM+, AB, DL, RL+
Wittenberg	3780	9/9/95 3/20/99	DM, KM, AB, TP DM, AB, JG, LG, ZB, NS
Southwest Hunter#	3740	12/28/00	DM, AB
Lone#	3721	11/11/00 3/19/02	DM, AB DM, AB
Balsam Lake	3720	3/7/98	DM, KM, SM, JM, AB
Panther*	3720	11/8/98  2/17/01	DM, AB, JG, BJ  DM, AB
Big Indian#	3700	8/14/99	DM, AB
Friday#	3694	3/8/97 3/19/02	DM, KM, AB, DB DM, AB
Rusk#	3680	4/11/98	DM, SM, AB
High Peak	3655	4/25/98 6/26/99	AB^  DM, CB
Twin	3640	10/7/95	DM, KM, AB, TP
Balsam Cap#	3623	3/9/97	DM, KM, AB
Fir#	3620	8/14/99	DM, AB
North Dome#	3610	10/7/00 2/23/02	DM, AB DM, AB
Eagle	3600	11/6/99 11/7/99	DM^ AB^
Balsam*	3600	10/19/97 3/17/01	DM, KM, SM, JM, AB, TP DM, AB
Bearpen	3600	4/7/01	DM, AB
Indian Head	3573	10/7/95	DM, KM, AB, TP
Sherrill#	3540	10/7/00 2/23/02	DM, AB DM, AB
Vly#	3529	12/27/00	DM, AB
Windham High Peak	3524	4/6/96	DM, KM, SM, AB, TP, JG, LG
Halcott#	3520	2/19/01	DM. KM, AB
Rocky#	3508	11/11/00	DM, AB

 

 * Must be climbed twice; at least once in winter plus any other season.
    # Trailless summits
    ^ Solo climbs

For Further info on the Catskill 3500 Club write:

                                Catskill 3500 Club
                                41 Morley Drive
                                Wyckoff, NJ 07481

For Maps:  Contact the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference at:
156 Ramapo Valley Road
Mahwah, NJ 07430
201-512-9348 or e-mail at info@nynjtc.org
 
 

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