Recommended Reads
12 Best Hiking Apps
The best hiking apps broken into four categories: navigation/planning, field identification, photography, and fun.
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.
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)
Plan, prepare and shoot the perfect sunrise or sunset photo. Here’s everything you need to know.
Identify Bobcat vs Coyote Prints in Snow
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?
35 Best Quick Tips for a Safe Winter Hike
These 35 tips for winter hiking will help keep you safe in the harshest conditions
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.
Hiking Safe 101
Yes, your planned hike is popular and even kids do it regularly — it still might kill you
Best Hiking Books for Hikers
These are the best hiking books I’ve found to date. Many were instrumental in getting me started, and giving me the confidence to hike the wilderness solo.
Storage Bins for Hiking Gear
I sorted my growing jumble of hiking gear as a fun weekend project. With all my regular hike gear in a single box, I don’t have to worry I’m overlooking or forgetting anything. I spend less time preparing — which means more time doing.
How to Buy a Hiking Headlamp
For hikers and campers, headlamps are essential pieces of gear. Whether you’re hiking out at dusk after a long day, or hiking in, in the pitch dark for a glorious summit sunrise, a headlamp will keep you on track and safe.
The Great Twin Reroute Controversy of 2019
Until the middle of 2019, the trail from Pecoy Notch to the summit of Twin Mountain included a rock ledge that required a semi-technical lift to pass. It epitomized the ruggedness of the Devil’s Path. Then, during the summer, a rock-slide tore the place apart.
Hiking Pace Formula
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.
