Kaaterskill High Peak

[Jay H]

OK, since I didn't actually finish on new year's day. Heck, I'm trying to get Winter#666 and so far, from David White, they're up to #626, so I thought I'd wait...

Anyway, I'm thinking of the weekend of Jan 14th/15th that I would plan on doing KHP to finish my winter peaks after bagging the other 8 I had to do this past week.

Anybody want to join me? Carol and I have thought about it already, she needs Blackhead and Fred may be available on sunday so thinking of doing it on sunday perhaps... 1/15/06

The more the merrier I guess!

Jay

[ajtiv]

I will see if Ic an get away it would be three weekends in a row not easily negotiated.
I will keep you posted
If I come up it would be just for the day
Al

[daxs]

I am in. BTW, are there any brook crossings I need to be concerned about? My boots are still damp....

[Jay H]

That is also MLK weekend, although I do not get off for MLK day, I do have that friday off.

I'll put down a date soon enough, the reason I was thinking of sunday was more so fred is free, as he is supposed to be in CT that day I think...

Jay

[daxs]

I have off Monday but do not have off Friday. But if we are not hiking Friday its not a problem

[MattC]

I'm in whatever day it is.

Matt

[cantdog]

I'm interested and I could be available Saturday, Sunday and Monday as long as Monday is not a very long day. However, I am planning on Windham & Blackhead two weekends later.

Two questions:

Does anyone already have an agenda for Saturday and Monday that does not include Windham or Blackhead? If not, I'll lobby for Slide, Panther, Balsam or two of them.

Would anyone be interested in splitting a heated/place to stay with hot showers on Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday nights? I'm not very fond of unnecessary winter camping.

[Jay H]

Well guess, what, I also found out I need to do Windham HP! Must have missed the second page of my tally sheet. I might have done WHP in winter but might not have recorded it.. In any case, we can do Windham and blackhead in one day as they are short hikes.

Julie, if you are available on Friday, I am off that day and can do anything you want. I know Carol and Matt want to do Eagle which is right by Balsam and very commonly joined together, so perhaps if you want, we can do Slide on Friday, it's a nice hike and I can show you my trail that I maintain (The Curtis Ormsbee trail, the nicer way to slide ) going to Panther in the same day would be more of a haul or a real early start, but we can discuss that in due time..

In fact, you should be able to do Eagle on monday as that is a short hike. I don't know when matt and carol are planning a Return to Eagle but I know they want to.

Jay

[Tmax]

Hey Jay,

Where are we celebrating after the hike?

[cantdog]

Originally Posted by Jay H

Well guess, what, I also found out I need to do Windham HP! Must have missed the second page of my tally sheet. I might have done WHP in winter but might not have recorded it.. In any case, we can do Windham and blackhead in one day as they are short hikes.

Julie, if you are available on Friday, I am off that day and can do anything you want. I know Carol and Matt want to do Eagle which is right by Balsam and very commonly joined together, so perhaps if you want, we can do Slide on Friday, it's a nice hike and I can show you my trail that I maintain (The Curtis Ormsbee trail, the nicer way to slide ) going to Panther in the same day would be more of a haul or a real early start, but we can discuss that in due time..

In fact, you should be able to do Eagle on monday as that is a short hike. I don't know when matt and carol are planning a Return to Eagle but I know they want to.

Jay

Sorry, but my third day of the weekend is definitely Monday and not Friday. Anyway, I am still eager to know what others are doing.

[Jay H]

Julie, OK, sorry, I thought you mentioned you were free on Friday. I'm not off on Monday so I'll be only able to hike on Friday thru sunday. Perhaps, email carol (daxs) to see if she is up for Eagle from McKenley hollow on Monday.

Terri, perhaps we can celebrate at "The Last Stand" in Tannersville. It's not far from KHP and we went there when we did the Escarpment Trail hike.

Jay

[daxs]

Of course I want Eagle. Just not via the Seger trail that this point. I am up for WHP and Blackhead on Sat and KHP on Sunday. If anyone wants to hike on Monday I still need Balsam and Panther for my " regular" 3500 so thats a consideration. If I do Balsam I may as well tag Eagle. But I would be up for anyhike except S-W-C, Balsam Lake or Graham.

[cantdog]

Originally Posted by daxs

Of course I want Eagle. Just not via the Seger trail that this point. I am up for WHP and Blackhead on Sat and KHP on Sunday. If anyone wants to hike on Monday I still need Balsam and Panther for my " regular" 3500 so thats a consideration. If I do Balsam I may as well tag Eagle. But I would be up for anyhike except S-W-C, Balsam Lake or Graham.

I'm looking at the map and it appears as though Balsam and Panther are two separate hikes. Is that right? How long a day would they make together? I'm just trying to estimate how late on Monday I would be leaving for home.

So, Kaaterskill on Sunday and Windham Saturday?
Is it possible and reasonable to add Black Dome and Thomas Cole to Saturday?

Someone suggested the Cobblestone Motel so I called looking for vacancy, but I got their machine.
Has anyone stayed there before?
Is anyone interested in staying there next weekend?
Can anyone recommend alternate lodging in case they call me back and it's a no-go?

[imarchant]

Originally Posted by cantdog

I'm looking at the map and it appears as though Balsam and Panther are two separate hikes. Is that right? How long a day would they make together? I'm just trying to estimate how late on Monday I would be leaving for home.

They are separate hikes, but they can be done in one day. I did them both in March at the end of last winter (2005). They are each about five miles. I did Panther from the hairpin turn on Rt 47. I did Balsam from Rider Hollow as a loop.

[Jay H]

Julie, there is a hotel in Palenville that Fred (fritz on VfTT and Jade) stayed at when we did the Escarpment trail, that would be convienient for the locations like KHP, Windham, etc. I'm pretty sure the name is Red Ranch Motel and it is on Rt 32 south in palenville. I think it is reasonably inexpensive and is in a good location.

http://www.travelhero.com/prophome.c...d/7/index.html

Anyway, if you get a room with 2 double beds, I'm sure we can get 2 others to split. I will only need a room for saturday night as I have to leave on sunday.

As far as saturday, it is most convienient to add Windham to Blackhead, it would also work to add Thomas Cole to Blackhead but if you do that, you might want to do a car spot and do Blackhead from Big Hollow Road and then west to Thomas Cole and to Barnum road. Adding Windham to this is ambitious, but you could do either one.

My proposal as of now stands as:

Saturday: option 1: Windham high peak & Blackhead either as a traverse or two out and backs.

option 2: Blackhead Range traverse from Big Hollow to Barnum Rd doing Blackhead, Blackdome and Thomas Cole

Sunday: Kaaterskill High Peak

Monday: Eagle/Balsam or Panther...

Panther from the switchback that Ian mentions is shorter than from Fox Hollow but perhaps a little steeper in places. I know the trail from Fox Hollow is long but gradual. At a good pace, doing just eagle from McKenley is a pretty quick day assuming good snow conditions, as you'll find more people going to Balsam since it's a winter peak.

Jay

[cantdog]

Sadly, I just called and found out the Red Ranch is closed for the season. However, I'm still waiting for a callback from the Cobblestone.

Depending on what I find out from them, I'm ok with the suggested agenda as long as I don't hurt Tom Rankin's feelings by doing Blackhead too soon. :p

[Jay H]

Julie, well you could do Windham and then go to the viewpoint on Blackhead... Thereby skipping the summit. I think TFR can handle that.. or you don't have to tell him that you hiked it already

Trail descriptions:

http://www.catskillguide.com/hike-1.htm

The trail to blackhead is fairly steep and crampons may be very useful, perhaps more so than snowshoes because as a winter peak, this trail from Big Hollow typically is packed out early and in some of the real steep sections, crampons is better anyway. Windham is fairly gradual and may be fresh snow, although there is a bit of illegal snowmobiling done from Peck Rd and/or Rt 23. They typically don't go as far as Windham HP though.

If you can't find an open place in Palenville, you surely can find one in Tannersville. However, you kind of want to avoid tannersville I think cause it's close to Hunter Mtn which is the most popular ski resort in the Catskills so hotels there may be pricier than say Palenville.

I know I crashed in a place there after the Devil's Path hike 2 years ago. I typically camp out somewhere so I'm sorry, I'm not much help for good places to hotel, but I'm looking for places near Palenville that's not a B&B ($$$).

I'll post what I find..

Jay

[daxs]

I guess as long as the price is reasonable I'd be willing to split a room. It looks like Windham and Blackhead on Sat, KHP on Sun. If I do Balsam on Monday, I'd like to tag Eagle as the same time since its from the same trailhead.

[daxs]

I've done some searching (price only) and most places around Tannersville are 100+ a night. Another consideration is its MLK weekend. Lodging may be booked becasue of skiiers taking advantage of the long weekend. We should prob make reservations if someone finds an open place. What would be everybodies max out of pocket for a room? I'd prob go fro $40/night. Julie, if we both are hiking I'd be willing to split a room on Sun also. Is our fall back the Batavia Leanto? Stealth camping at North-South?

[Jay H]

Seems like the cheapest one I've found is a Howard Johnson's which has a room available from 1/14 to 1/16

http://www.expedia.com/pub/agent.dll...s=1/eapi=23708

I checked their availability and found a room for Saturday and Sunday night.

for $79 on Saturday and $89 on sunday and has 2 double beds.

It is on Rt 32 in Saugerties but isn't far from palenville and must be somewhere near the Red Ranch in which is probably just a bit south of there cause it is also on Rt 32 but has a Palenville address....

Jay