5 Winter Hiking Tips for Your First Time Out & So You’ll Want to Go Back
Hiking in the winter is a dazzling way to experience the backcountry. Besides there being fewer people, you’ll encounter a beauty that you obviously can’t find in the other seasons. However, for the first time winter back-country traveler, it can be daunting. Compared to other seasons your margin for error in winter is less; meaning the mistakes you make are magnified due to the harsh conditions. A few basic tips will help make your first…
Best Hikes: The Kaaterskill Rail Trail In The Catskill Mountains
Winter is upon us. With several snowfalls already there are hopes of a good year for snow related sports. We’ll keep our fingers crossed! A great addition to the trail system in the Catskills for both beginner snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and winter mountain biking is The Kaaterskill Rail Trail. The trail is located just to the north of the Kaaterskill Wild Forest for most of its length. The Kaaterskill Rail Trail is currently a 1.5 mile…
Getting Your Car Ready for the Trailhead
We have the 10 essentials, wilderness first aid, leave-no-trace and many other guidelines that are often talked about when referring to outdoor pursuits. One topic that gets a one line mention in some guidebooks is to have your car in good working order. This cannot be stressed enough in the 4th season A couple of years ago Chris and I were out hiking in the early winter. No snow forecast for the day, just sun, and…
Blog post: The Catskill’s Last Breath of Winter of 2016?
On April 2nd, I posted (here) how blah this past winter was with a relative lack of snow. I also posted about misconceptions about the Catskills which mentioned the unpredictability of weather (I did that here). Well, to prove my point Mother Nature has graced us with a spring snowstorm on April 4th. As I write this post we are at about 5 inches on the ground and the snow is still falling steadily. Why…
Best hikes: Blackhead Mountain day hike in the Catskills
Blackhead Mountain is a massive peak. When viewing it from the lowlands in the Hudson Valley, simply put, it’s huge. It offers some great views, just not from the summit but hiking it is an awesome experience. There are several things you’ll need to keep in mind when you hike in the Blackhead Range and in particular Blackhead. All approaches have steep sections, some approaches are long (here and here), and you’ll need microspikes/crampons in…