Mark Schaefer
08-22-2006, 12:34 AM
Only had time for a very short hike before work. Overlook Mt from Meads was the ideal solution. I noticed that construction of the large Buddhist Monastery is progressing. It is just a large concrete shell at present, but it should be very scenic based on architect drawings I have seen. It really dwarfs the tiny historic Episcopalian chapel that is only a few yards away.
Even on summer week days there is a steady stream of hikers and a few canine companions making the trek up. It was a leisurely 45 minute climb up (2.4 mile and 1400' climb). Saw one young garter snake a short distance before the hotel ruins, but no rattlesnakes today. It was breezy on the fire tower. Perfect views in all directions.
After the fire tower I took the path to the right of the Ranger's cabin down to the Overlook Cliff and then followed the unmarked cliff path back to the hotel ruins. This path parallels the trail which is always within sight (and earshot) of the busy trail. There are many viewpoints along the path, much 19th century graffiti, and a few blackberries. The blackberries were ripe, but a little dry. They will be gone soon as I did not see any more red or green berries.
South of the hotel ruins, between the 4th and 5th telephone poles, I took the unmarked old road (the original) which forks to the left off the trail. This road descends a little east of the ridge top. At one point through a stand of dead trees there is a view back to the Overlook summit and the cliffs below the fire tower. After passing two old cabins sites (one cabin still standing) the road ends on another old road. The left fork leads to the "Shandaken View" where there is not a cell phone tower and cabin, the right fork returns to the Overlook Trail, 1.2 miles from the Meads trailhead. These old roads are shown on the 1990 Woodstock USGS quad (http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=42.07807&lon=-74.10655&size=l&datum=nad83&layer=DRG) (shown in purple on topozone).
There are no trespassing signs on the fence surrounding the cell tower and on the cabin, however, this is part of the Overlook Wild Forest and you may hike here. The cell tower and the TV/radio tower near the hotel ruins have 99 year leases obtained when the state acquired the land in the 1990s. With the advance of technology I doubt that either cell phones or broadcast TV/radio will be in use 99 years from now. :rolleyes:
The Shandaken View has largely closed in, however, there is still a small opening offering a view of the "Shandaken Mountains" (the original name of the Catskills south of the Esopus). At one time the Shandakens were considered inferior to the Catskills (the mountains generally north of the Esopus). However, once Arnold Guyot established that Slide Mt was higher than any of the Catskills, the Shandakens were quickly annexed into the Catskills. There are views of the Burroughs, Bushwhack, and Big Indian Ranges - you just need to move around to see the different mountains through the narrow opening in the trees. The view would be more impressive with the leaves off the trees. Then you would see the once wide view that was cleared in the hotel days. The view is not significantly different from the summit fire tower view. I followed the ridge a bit farther south as an old map in Alf Evers' book Woodstock, History of an American Town shows a few more viewpoints south of the Shandaken View, but the ridge is entirely forested now and no more views were available. On occasions the DEC has talked about building an additional trail up Overlook from Lewis Hollow, but that is not in the immediate plans. This south ridge would be an excellent route, and perhaps the historic views could be reopened a bit.
Even on summer week days there is a steady stream of hikers and a few canine companions making the trek up. It was a leisurely 45 minute climb up (2.4 mile and 1400' climb). Saw one young garter snake a short distance before the hotel ruins, but no rattlesnakes today. It was breezy on the fire tower. Perfect views in all directions.
After the fire tower I took the path to the right of the Ranger's cabin down to the Overlook Cliff and then followed the unmarked cliff path back to the hotel ruins. This path parallels the trail which is always within sight (and earshot) of the busy trail. There are many viewpoints along the path, much 19th century graffiti, and a few blackberries. The blackberries were ripe, but a little dry. They will be gone soon as I did not see any more red or green berries.
South of the hotel ruins, between the 4th and 5th telephone poles, I took the unmarked old road (the original) which forks to the left off the trail. This road descends a little east of the ridge top. At one point through a stand of dead trees there is a view back to the Overlook summit and the cliffs below the fire tower. After passing two old cabins sites (one cabin still standing) the road ends on another old road. The left fork leads to the "Shandaken View" where there is not a cell phone tower and cabin, the right fork returns to the Overlook Trail, 1.2 miles from the Meads trailhead. These old roads are shown on the 1990 Woodstock USGS quad (http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=42.07807&lon=-74.10655&size=l&datum=nad83&layer=DRG) (shown in purple on topozone).
There are no trespassing signs on the fence surrounding the cell tower and on the cabin, however, this is part of the Overlook Wild Forest and you may hike here. The cell tower and the TV/radio tower near the hotel ruins have 99 year leases obtained when the state acquired the land in the 1990s. With the advance of technology I doubt that either cell phones or broadcast TV/radio will be in use 99 years from now. :rolleyes:
The Shandaken View has largely closed in, however, there is still a small opening offering a view of the "Shandaken Mountains" (the original name of the Catskills south of the Esopus). At one time the Shandakens were considered inferior to the Catskills (the mountains generally north of the Esopus). However, once Arnold Guyot established that Slide Mt was higher than any of the Catskills, the Shandakens were quickly annexed into the Catskills. There are views of the Burroughs, Bushwhack, and Big Indian Ranges - you just need to move around to see the different mountains through the narrow opening in the trees. The view would be more impressive with the leaves off the trees. Then you would see the once wide view that was cleared in the hotel days. The view is not significantly different from the summit fire tower view. I followed the ridge a bit farther south as an old map in Alf Evers' book Woodstock, History of an American Town shows a few more viewpoints south of the Shandaken View, but the ridge is entirely forested now and no more views were available. On occasions the DEC has talked about building an additional trail up Overlook from Lewis Hollow, but that is not in the immediate plans. This south ridge would be an excellent route, and perhaps the historic views could be reopened a bit.