News & Culture
Catskills hiking news, hiking product reviews, hiking tips, trail info, best practices, product reviews, history, culture, flora, fauna…
Should We Stop Bushwhacking the Catskills?
I asked, “How can hikers best use the mountains right now, in terms of bushwhacking? Should we cool it for a while?”
When Does Hiking Season End?
Learn how to extend your hiking into the most spectacular season of all!
12 Best Hiking Apps
The best hiking apps broken into four categories: navigation/planning, field identification, photography, and fun.
Arnold Guyot’s 1879 Catskills Map
Do you know where Bee Line Mountain is in The Catskills? You’re about to find out…
Patreon vs Amazon
I currently use Amazon affiliate links on this site, in my email newsletter, and sometimes on my @TotalCatskills story feed on Instagram. Patreon may offer a way out of that compromise.
Free Zoom Virtual Backgrounds: Catskills Summits
Please enjoy this collection of Free Zoom Virtual Backgrounds. This set contains 16 images of Catskills summits.
PB&J vs AB&N
We hikers love our PB&J’s, of course, but a super tasty (and slightly healthier) alternative is an AB&N
Trail Terms: Winter Lingo
Once the cold weather sets in, you’ll start to see and hear these winter trail terms online in forums and social posts. Here’s what they all mean.
Cidiot Episode 55: Hike Your Own Hike
What's the difference between a walk and a hike? How did my first bear interaction go? How about that time I almost died on Blackhead mountain? Click here to listen.
Your Favorite (Small) Hiking Moment
There’s no part of hiking that I don’t absolutely love — but, every time, this one moment really stands out…
It’s Official: Adirondacks 23% Harder Than Catskills
I thought it’d be cute to quantify exactly how much more difficult the Adirondacks are over the Catskills. Do we need this information? No. Does this information feel important? Yes.
Bramley Mountain Fire Tower (Kaatscast)
At Bramley Mountain, in the western Catskills, the fire tower was dismantled in the 1970s, but a local family has been keeping it safe in a nearby barn…
