Fir & Big Indian - 4/2

[anddidthosefeet.]

After having finished all the Catskill 35 with trails last year, I decided this year would be a good time to spend some of the birthday cash, buy a compass and relearn the few orienteering skills I learned as a kid. I decided Fir and Big Indian would be a good first bushwhack - didn't look too steep on the map, and there was trail to begin and end the hike, and a nice landmark (the Biscuit Brook lean-to) to start the whack from.

I arrived at the parking area at 10, after a slightly snowy climb up Route 47. There was still about a 1/2 inch of snow on the ground. I made it to the lean-to no problem, and sat down to get a heading on Fir. This would be the last time I had a spot to sit down for 5 hours or so. I headed up Fir, keeping the stream to my right and losing it as it turned further away. I didn't check my compass as often as I should have going up here and ended up following the ground up to an area that looked more or less flat. I wandered around a bit in 4 or 5 inches of snow, and finally saw the canister off to my right. I was surprised to find footprints not five feet from the other side of the tree. They were mine and I had walked on the wrong side of the tree, about 10 minutes before. Oops.

I signed in and took a heading for the col. I should have taken an intermediate heading and headed north, so I ended up travelling around the side of Fir, at the edge of a very steep section, to reach the col, which was pretty obvious: it went up in front and behind and down to the left and right. I took another heading off to Big Indian and headed off slightly to the right of where the ground wanted to take me. Trudging through the snow and unleaved brush was tiring me out, but I pressed on, every little rise could have been the last, but of course wasn't. I finally looked up one little rise and saw the canister waiting right on top for me.

I signed in and set off for the trail. Never did find the "herd path" the map shows, but made it back to the trail (kind of hard to miss a line), then began the long descent. When I reached the lowlands, all the snow had melted; I didn't even recognize the spot where I had set off for Fir earlier in the morning. I made it back to the car at 5, about 10 miles in 7 hours, a little more than I had (optimistically) expected.

All in all, a successful first bushwhack. I did learn that I need to check the compass more frequently: I would have spent much less time walking around Fir trying to find the highest spot. Also, I need to set intermediate headings if a longer one would take me someplace I'd rather not go (like down and then up another cliff). On the whole, I was pleasantly surprised with my navigational skills and glad to be out in the woods. And glad there were no leaves yet.

[TFR]

You made it, and that's what counts!

As you probably know, a compass is useless if you do not know where you are, or at least if you don't know how to figure out where you are. And it becomes less and less important to keep following your original bearing if you are off by a little to start. You need to constantly re-assess your position and re-calculate your bearing. Near the top, your original bearing may be completely useless. You just need to use your brain to figure out where the top is. And you succeeded.

[catdacker]

Hi Anddid, If you found the land bridge going from Fir to Big Indian you had a great hike. The dead tree next to the canister on Fir does a nice job of hiding it. We did that hike 3/24 and there was no snow at all. Keep up the good work. Mike D.

[Mike S]

Nice report, glad you had a successful hike.

[Jay H]

The land bridge between Fir and Big Indian is where the term "DAM" was originally coined.. also known as the Drainage Avoidance Maneuver.. Good work Mr feet.

Jay

[Doodles]

Nice job on your first bushwhack.

The more you bushwhack the more in tune with the terrain you will become. Bushwhacking gives you many other routes to the top of the peaks, even to the ones with marked trails. When you are on a view point you will start to look for your next hike as you gaze across to the horizon.

[CatskillKev]

You start on the right mountain, you will end on the right mountain. Finding a canister on top of a mountain shouldn't really be helped by a compass, unless you know that the canister is on, say, the southern edge of the top. I see pretty much no need to look at a compass at all climbing a mountain, unless there are certain terrain features you want to avoid. You may alter the way you climb certain mountains with the experience you gain on said mountains, but I see no need for compass climbing, whether you know the mountain or not. Just go up. Of course, I suppose all that attention you gave going up may help you in the return. Isn't winter great that you can just follow your tracks on the return (with an out and back) and you have the winter views out through the trees? Winter is probably the easiest for orienteering. And its the only way you knew that you had passed the canister earlier. Sounds like you did pretty well, though. And you figured out that you needed a double bearing from Fir to Big Indian. You're well on your way!

[niceguyted]

Sounds like a really good day. IMHO, hitting the BI/Fir land bridge is a pretty tough bit of navigation. Keep working on your map/compass skills - their importance can't be stressed enough. Keep practicing, if only to get into the habit of checking your compass regularly.

Nowadays, I mostly use my gps, but having spent A LOT of time navigating with just map/compass, I'm much more comfortable in the woods because I know I'll be ok if something happens to the gps. Anything can happen: batteries can die, it could fall off the clip when I'm not looking, or it could just break. Parenthetically, I have zero natural sense of direction. Couldn't find my way out of a paper bag. I carry my compass when I go into NYC - no joke.

Anyway, do you have an altimeter? I found that third data point (elevation) to be invaluable when I'm m/c navigating. I picked up an Altitech Highgear a few years ago and used it till I lost it. Then bought another. (Then bought a gps and gave it to my sister.) Needs to be calibrated regularly (at the PA, at the summit, etc.), though it's generally not off by a whole lot. One of the best gear investments I made back then.

So yeah, again, great job navigating that b'wack - it's a tough one. Best of luck with the rest. Maybe we'll bump into each other in the woods.

[TFR]

Originally Posted by niceguyted

Anyway, do you have an altimeter? I found that third data point (elevation) to be invaluable when I'm m/c navigating.

+1 for the Altimeter! I always carry one, a watch model in my case.

[mountainmeijin]

Good work! Fir was one the hardest bushwhack peaks for me to complete, but once you get the hang of it, bushwhacking becomes a pleasure. IMO, Rusk or Halcott (in the right season) are probably the easiest bushwhack peaks.

[anddidthosefeet.]

Originally Posted by niceguyted

Anyway, do you have an altimeter? I found that third data point (elevation) to be invaluable when I'm m/c navigating. I picked up an Altitech Highgear a few years ago and used it till I lost it. Then bought another. (Then bought a gps and gave it to my sister.) Needs to be calibrated regularly (at the PA, at the summit, etc.), though it's generally not off by a whole lot. One of the best gear investments I made back then.

Maybe this needs to be higher up on my list of things to get. My compass has a clinometer (?) that supposedly lets you measure the slope of a hill. And with a little bit of trigonometry, figure out elevation. But there's no way I remember trigonometry and doubt I'd be able to see through the trees enough to really get an accurate reading on how steep the slope is. Maybe in the winter with the leaves down.

[anddidthosefeet.]

Originally Posted by mountainmeijin

IMO, Rusk or Halcott (in the right season) are probably the easiest bushwhack peaks.

Thanks, mountainmeijin. I will think about getting up to Rusk next. Fir wasn't too bad, no real cliff bands or big stands of fir (ironically enough). It was just finding the canister once I got to the top that was the challenge.

[PA Ridgerunner]

Originally Posted by mountainmeijin

Good work! Fir was one the hardest bushwhack peaks for me to complete, but once you get the hang of it, bushwhacking becomes a pleasure. IMO, Rusk or Halcott (in the right season) are probably the easiest bushwhack peaks.

This thread is well-timed for me. Fir and BI is the only whack left for Fran and me for our first round, and we plan to do it by ourselves...eager to put our navigation skills to a more substantial test. The only others we have done without experienced "guides" are Halcott and Rusk...yup, pretty easy navigation on those.

[anddidthosefeet.]

Originally Posted by PA Ridgerunner

This thread is well-timed for me. Fir and BI is the only whack left for Fran and me for our first round, and we plan to do it by ourselves...eager to put our navigation skills to a more substantial test. The only others we have done without experienced "guides" are Halcott and Rusk...yup, pretty easy navigation on those.

Glad I could help!

[mountainmeijin]

And always make sure that you pronounce "Halcott" correctly. It's "hawk it." Or "haw cut" depending on how much you emphasize the second syllable. You'll sound like a native that way.

[cantdog]

This thread is well-timed for me also. I hope that (in)famous stream crossing won't be a problem the day I plan to go. Anyone besides Steve and Fran interested? I'm looking at possibly 4/28 or 4/29 unless I can recruit Connie to join me during the week sometime soon. I have sufficient vacation time to use on this one if the boss ok's the short notice.

[anddidthosefeet.]

Originally Posted by cantdog

This thread is well-timed for me also. I hope that (in)famous stream crossing won't be a problem the day I plan to go. Anyone besides Steve and Fran interested? I'm looking at possibly 4/28 or 4/29 unless I can recruit Connie to join me during the week sometime soon. I have sufficient vacation time to use on this one if the boss ok's the short notice.

No bad stream crossings as of Monday. I guess maybe you are talking about the crossing right after the lean-to? Or the Biscuit Brook crossing further on? That one had stepping stones placed in the creek, but I see how it could be a problem if the water level had been more than a few inches higher than it was when I was there.