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#17453 - 12/08/05 09:35 PM

Best Winter hikes/climbs

Spiderman
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Registered: 12/23/01
Posts: 178
Loc: Long Island N.Y.
(209.139.110.117)

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Where in the cat skills can some one get the full exposure to mountaineering?

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#17454 - 12/08/05 10:13 PM

Re: Best Winter hikes/climbs [Re: Spiderman]

Mike Rawdon
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Registered: 11/29/99
Posts: 3494
Loc: Poughkeepsie
(69.121.107.146)

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Go to the junction of Routes 23A and 214 just west of Tannersville. You can approach this spot from Phonecia which is along Rt 28, about 12 miles south.

Now go about 300 miles northeast to Pinkham Notch NH and hike up into Huntington Ravine.

Seriously, there is nothing remotely resembling the "full exposure" of true mountaineering in the Catskills. A bunch of trails to snowshoe, and some short, delightful water ice routes to climb...but that's about it.

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#17455 - 12/08/05 10:29 PM

Re: Best Winter hikes/climbs [Re: Mike Rawdon]

Spiderman
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Registered: 12/23/01
Posts: 178
Loc: Long Island N.Y.
(209.139.110.117)

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I will take what ever I can get It is better for me to start small. I guess I don’t need the ice ax yet.

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#17456 - 12/09/05 11:15 AM

Re: Best Winter hikes/climbs [Re: Spiderman]

Kevin
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Registered: 11/17/99
Posts: 192
Loc: Eastern Dutchess County / CT b...
(129.42.208.182)

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Check out the Blackhead Range area in the Northern Cats... Three very nice peaks with quite a bit of exposure... Not like say in the Presis kind of alpine exposure, but enough to make you hurry in some windy conditions. Actually the most exposure you would find is in the cols between the peaks, not entirely on the actual peaks as two of the peaks have summits that are covered almost completely in forest, the other weekend there was a great smell of balsam that really was nice...

There is some nice rock scrambling that is required on almost all three peaks, with Blackhead having some ladders even. There are some areas up there that you will definitely want snow shoes, crampons and possibly an ice axe depending on your comfort and skill level.

The peaks are the third, fourth and fifth tallest peaks in the Cats and do not see as much traffic as say the Burroughs Range Trail of Wittenburg, Cornell and Slide.

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#17457 - 12/09/05 11:26 AM

Re: Best Winter hikes/climbs [Re: Kevin]

The Lisa
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Registered: 04/26/05
Posts: 237
Loc: Da Bronx
(66.9.147.90)

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I agree with the recommendation of the Escarpment Trail/Blackhead Range areas. I backpacked the Esc. Trail this past weekend and while snow cover was only about 2 inches, the staircase and ledges down the north side of Blackhead Mountain were covered in thick ice.
I had my ice axe out only because I carried the damn thing the whole weekend and wanted it to be more than just a pack ornament.
Hopefully after the recent snow there is much more of the white stuff to play in.

The Wittenberg, Cornell and Slide loop out of Woodland Valley is also nice and exposed in areas.

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