Catskills, NY / Indian Head Mountain Loop: Panoramics

[EggbertEatsBugs]

Here are some pics I took this past Wednesday on a trip to the Catskills Region in NY. All of my hiking has been limited to the Rocky and Sierra Mountains, so I was excited to do my first Eastern US hike. The most notable difference was the lack of switch backs which make the grades less consistent. Eastern US trails tend to ascend very sharply in stretches, then follow with an easy rolling section, and then return back to a very steep section again, etc.

I chose to hike the Indian Head Mountain Loop...trailhead begins around 1800 ft elevation and the summit tops out at 3573 ft. I completed the 7.5 mile loop in 4 hours 20 minutes, including stops for eating and photography. Hard soles and hightop ankle support are a must for treading on the rocks and roots which make up the trail. Not a bad idea to bring some insect repellent as well.

Ground View Panoramic of Indian Head Mountain (center):






A small man made footbridge, and some easy going trail:






Devil's Kitchen Lean-to, basic shelter:






The trail was littered with trees that were uprooted, most were next to a water source:






Find the frog in the center:






This was the first scenic outlook on the loop. This 180 degree view includes Round Top Mountain, High Peak, Platte Cove, and Plattekill Mountain. Off in the distance you can see the Hudson River Valley:







As I was nearing the upper third of the mountain, I started seeing much more moss and fern...there were also many trees that were snapped in half, presumably from snow loads and wind:

[EggbertEatsBugs]

This was the most technical section, about a 50 ft ascent almost straight up, with 3-4 ft rocks to scramble with hands and feet. Very slippery if the rock are wet. The pics are views from the bottom looking up, then top looking down:






This was the second scenic outlook, Overlook Mountain, which is one of the mountains that separates Indian Head Mountain from the Hudson River Basin. Also about 180 degree panoramic:






The summit was very different from anything I've ever hiked in Colorado, California, or Nevada. Typically you can see from clear mountain tops on those western mountain summits, but not so here. The entire summit was one gigantic spruce forest. There were log walks, and fallen trees blocking the trail, almost daring you to stop paying attention and stray off the narrow path, and the strong smell of the spruce was like nothing I've ever experienced:







On the descent there were numerous birch trees with elaborate root systems. They wrap around the rock like an octopus, with visible roots easily extending 25 ft from the trunk.






Thanks to Rhonda and George Ostertag for their very precise guide, "Hiking New York", which was extremely accurate in describing markings and notable features.

[skijumpbump]

My family is from the area. I have done lots of climbing in the Gunks in Newpaltz NY which is in the area. If you are still there I recomend the Gunks as a great place to hike and climb.