Sugarloaf 4/15/12

Crepuscular · 04-16-2012, 10:00 AM

Started around 9 on a beautiful spring day from the Roaring Kill TH. Lot's of pretty little flowers and other green things. Decided to take the left option up to Dibble's quarry. Wow...no one ever told me about all this. Looks like a must-return for a camping/ exploring weekend. The falls soon after were beautiful too.

We dallied quite a bit at each spot and the beaver dam as well. Once up on the shoulder of Sugarloaf, we soaked in views of Twin while eating or lunch. During a quiet moment, a bald eagle (who must have been riding a thermal along the cliff line) buzzed over our heads as close as could be. Emily, who was sitting closest to the edge was about 3 feet away and had to duck out of the way. Pretty special moment had us all aflutter.

pretty standard Catskill HP ascent IMHO. Once again, soaked up the stunning views and started our decent. Ice for the first time on our way down to Mink Hollow. Easily avoidable. The thought of using traction devices on this hike right now is laughable.

Had I to do this one again, I'd simply return the way we came. The trail out wasn't as exciting as the way in. Still beautiful though of course on a beautiful day. A little drizzle fell on the last 2 miles. I've recently fallen more in love with the Cats (after being a bit of an ADK snob

) and this trip sealed the deal. This is now my favorite hike in the region.

Cheers!

mountainmeijin · 04-16-2012, 11:13 PM

The DP Range will win anyone's heart, I think. How many of the 35 have you got now?

Crepuscular · 04-17-2012, 08:42 AM

I've climbed 7 so far. I'll just go ahead and put that back in my signature. Hunter, Blackhead, Black Dome, Slide, Twin, Indian Head and now Sugarloaf. Before this, Twin/ Indian Head was my favorite. Any recommendations?

mountainmeijin · 04-17-2012, 01:32 PM

The Burroughs Range as a whole is a great hike. You get Wittenberg and Cornell that way, but on top of it, Slide is much more fun when climbed from the east. Can be done as a thru-hike with car spot, or as a 15 mile loop.

Plateau's a great peak--long, cool shady ridge walk with some fantastic vistas at the northwestern end. And there's a nice loop to make with the new trail. Westkill is great too, especially if you come from the south and make the traverse all the way through Diamond Notch. Beautiful valley.

The bushwhack range (friday, balsam cap, rocky, lone) are great for exploring.

04-16-2012, 10:00 AM	#1
Crepuscular White Pine Enthusiast Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 441	Sugarloaf 4/15/12 Started around 9 on a beautiful spring day from the Roaring Kill TH. Lot's of pretty little flowers and other green things. Decided to take the left option up to Dibble's quarry. Wow...no one ever told me about all this. Looks like a must-return for a camping/ exploring weekend. The falls soon after were beautiful too. We dallied quite a bit at each spot and the beaver dam as well. Once up on the shoulder of Sugarloaf, we soaked in views of Twin while eating or lunch. During a quiet moment, a bald eagle (who must have been riding a thermal along the cliff line) buzzed over our heads as close as could be. Emily, who was sitting closest to the edge was about 3 feet away and had to duck out of the way. Pretty special moment had us all aflutter. pretty standard Catskill HP ascent IMHO. Once again, soaked up the stunning views and started our decent. Ice for the first time on our way down to Mink Hollow. Easily avoidable. The thought of using traction devices on this hike right now is laughable. Had I to do this one again, I'd simply return the way we came. The trail out wasn't as exciting as the way in. Still beautiful though of course on a beautiful day. A little drizzle fell on the last 2 miles. I've recently fallen more in love with the Cats (after being a bit of an ADK snob ) and this trip sealed the deal. This is now my favorite hike in the region. Cheers! __________________ Crepuscular Rays: Dissolve into evergreens

04-16-2012, 11:13 PM	#2
mountainmeijin CANNONBALL!!!! Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 846	The DP Range will win anyone's heart, I think. How many of the 35 have you got now? __________________ молоко хорошо, ну а водка ещё лучше.

04-17-2012, 08:42 AM	#3
Crepuscular White Pine Enthusiast Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 441	I've climbed 7 so far. I'll just go ahead and put that back in my signature. Hunter, Blackhead, Black Dome, Slide, Twin, Indian Head and now Sugarloaf. Before this, Twin/ Indian Head was my favorite. Any recommendations? __________________ Crepuscular Rays: Dissolve into evergreens

04-17-2012, 01:32 PM	#4
mountainmeijin CANNONBALL!!!! Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 846	The Burroughs Range as a whole is a great hike. You get Wittenberg and Cornell that way, but on top of it, Slide is much more fun when climbed from the east. Can be done as a thru-hike with car spot, or as a 15 mile loop. Plateau's a great peak--long, cool shady ridge walk with some fantastic vistas at the northwestern end. And there's a nice loop to make with the new trail. Westkill is great too, especially if you come from the south and make the traverse all the way through Diamond Notch. Beautiful valley. The bushwhack range (friday, balsam cap, rocky, lone) are great for exploring. __________________ молоко хорошо, ну а водка ещё лучше.

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