Mountain Meaning
John Muir
“Over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity.”
— John Muir
Hi! Bonjour! ¡Hola! 안녕하세요! Ciao! Hallo! Dia dhuit!
The Classic High Peaks
The Traditional List of Catskills Peaks Above 3500’
Most people start hiking the Catskills by climbing a few High Peaks: Indian Head, Slide Mountain & Balsam Lake are popular starting points. Here are the 35 summits you’ll need to bag if you want to join the 3500 Club.
The Best/Easiest Mountain Hikes
The Very Best Hikes You Can Do in the Catskill Park
These lists are a curated selection of the most rewarding hikes you can do in the Catskills: the best of the High Peaks, the best of the lower peaks, the best trails and bushwhacks. It’s an awesome time, every time.
Wilderness Safety Basics
Planning Tips, Kit Lists, Emergency Numbers
Start safely, hike well, and finish in one piece. Here’s everything you’ll need: your clothing, your kit, how to plan a safe hike in every season, the best apps, what to eat, what to bring. It’s all the advice in one place.
Or Start Here…
With hundreds of miles of hiking trails and countless bushwhack routes, there are so many ways to hike the Catskill Mountains
Apart from the two lists above — the Classic High Peaks and the Best Catskill Hikes — you can also view a list of All Catskills or go directly to Easiest, Moderate, Difficult or Hardest peaks
Sorry I can’t make new mountains — but I add new hikes every week
Recommended Reads
Trail Terms: Mountain Terrain
Trail Terms: a glossary of the most important mountain hiking lingo. This page tackles basic mountain terrain jargon.
Hiking Pace Formula: How Long Will My Hike Take?
One of the simplest things you need to know about any hike is: how long will it take? Knowing a planned hike’s duration is crucial to being able to figure out what to bring in terms of safety supplies, water and food.
Kit List: The Ten Essentials
The ten essentials is a list of items you should carry on every trip into the backcountry. This essential gear can keep you safe and on track. In an emergency, it might save your life. You may not need these items on every trip but, if you only ever need them on one trip, you’ll be so relieved you packed them.
The 3 Best Ways to Not Die in the Catskills
Every month, people get into trouble in the Catskills, almost always because they are under-prepared. Here are the three best things you can do to stay safe on your hike, while making sure you’re prepared in the event of an emergency.
Backpack Basics
Your backpack is a fundamental and very personal choice. There are lots of excellent brands to choose from. Take your time. Do the research. I started with a small, cheap, generic pack but, very quickly, my needs outgrew it…
Kit List: Basic Mountain Hiking Gear
While hiking gear can change from trail to trail, and from season to season, the following items will serve you well on every hike. They are a fleshing out of The Ten Essentials (the absolute bare minimum you should pack for every hike).
Hiking News & Culture
The Great Twin Reroute Controversy of 2019
Until the middle of 2019, the trail from Pecoy Notch to the northern summit of Twin Mountain included a difficult rock ledge that required a semi-technical lift. The lift itself depended on a single tree root as a handhold. It was super fun.
Catskills Hemlocks Under Threat
Spend any time in the Catskills and you’ll see how special our hemlock groves are, and how unique their micro-environment is. Learn about Hemlock Wooly Adelgid and how you can help.
COVID-19: New York Pushes Back Opening State Campgrounds until June
According to the DEC’s 2020 Campground & Day Use Area Schedule, all state campgrounds will remain closed until at least June 1. ”To reduce potential community spread of COVID-19, all campgrounds, and pavilions are closed to overnight visitation through May 31.
The Best Hiking Apps for 2020
These are the best hiking apps I’ve come across to date — broken into four categories: navigation/planning, field identification, photography, and fun. Whether you enjoy easy scenic trails or challenging mountain hikes, these apps will help you plan, plot and prepare for your next adventure.
Best Places to Eat in the Catskills for Hikers 2020
This up-to-date list of the best Catskills cafes and restaurants will help make your next Catskills hike extra-awesome I love Phoenicia Diner on Rte 28 for a glorious post-hike chow. So many great dishes, and their Bourbon Milkshake is such a fantastic adult treat.
New Permission System for Doubletop & Graham in 2020
After many years as head caretaker for the Gould Family, Bill Scholl has recently retired. The new caretaker is Bill Fiedler / (607) 221-1277 If Mr Fielder doesn’t answer, leave a polite voicemail with your full name and number, requesting permission to hike on Doubletop and/or Graham on whatever day you plan to go.
Mountain-Hiking.com
This site is currently an early version of what I hope will become a valuable resource for hikers and walkers over the next few years.
My immediate next actions for the site are…
- Finish adding hike posts so that every Catskill High Peak has at least one associated hike ✅
- Add hiking gear reviews — particularly winter hiking gear ✅
- Add other kinds of content
- Best places to eat for hikers ✅
- Best hiking apps ✅
- Best beginner hikes ✅
- A list of kid-friendly Catskills hikes ✅
- A list of Catskills nature walks ✅
- Catskills news ✅
- Posts on hiking health, Catskills history and geology, and climate change
- Integrate feedback from early users ✅
- Add a lot more photography to all posts
- Add brief mountain notes to all mountain header pages
- Add more hikes for lower Catskills peaks
- Add more hikes so all mountains have an increasing number of alternate routes
That’s my plan for now, which will keep me busy until spring.
Okay, hope to see you out there…
Sean