Recommended Reads

12 Best Hiking Apps
The best hiking apps broken into four categories: navigation/planning, field identification, photography, and fun.

33 Best Restaurants in the Catskills
This up-to-date list of the best Catskills cafes and restaurants will help make your next pre- or post-hike chow extra-awesome.

Camping in the Catskills: a Beginner’s Guide to Backcountry Campouts
Camping in the Catskills? This comprehensive list of resources, regulations and gear tips will help get you ready for your first Catskills campout.

Best Hiking Boots of 2022
If you’re looking for a new pair of hiking boots, this list of hiking boot brands and models will get you started with great recommendations.

7 Amazing Scenic Catskills Views You Don’t Know
The best scenic Catskills views? Often, they’re not the ones you'll find in any guidebook.

Best Camera Settings for Photographing Sunsets & Sunrises (40+ Tips)
Dawn and dusk: there’s no better time of day to shoot landscapes than when the sun is low on the horizon. Here’s everything you need to know to plan, prepare, and pull off the perfect sunrise photo shoot.

Identify Bobcat vs Coyote Tracks: Key Differences Explained
One of the most exciting things to discover on a winter hike is a set of bobcat or coyote tracks in the snow — but which is which?

Solo Hiking Advice for Women: Persist
Solo women hikers often face pushback from friends and family who’s anxiety is triggered by the suggestion that a woman might be heading into the wilderness alone. It’s time to call that what it is.

35 Best Tips for a Safe Winter Hike
These 35 tips for winter hiking will help keep you safe in the harshest conditions

Winter Hiking Essentials
Winter hiking essentials — crucial gear and intel to hike safely this winter.

How Windy is Too Windy To Hike?
I moved my hike from a windy Friday to a less windy (but much colder) Saturday. 80% of my online followers agreed with me. Here’s why.


How to Plot Your Hiking Route with GaiaGPS
Watch as I plot a trailed route in the Catskills using GaiaGPS on my phone — after which, I plot a bushwhack route up Sleeping Lion and Halcott Mountain.

Windham High Peak in 3 Minutes (Walk-Thru Video)
This is one of my favorite hikes to do in The Catskills. This video walks you through the trails and junctions from trailhead to summit, giving you a clear sense of just how lovely this hike is.

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.

Hiking Safe 101
Yes, your planned hike is popular and even kids do it regularly — it still might kill you