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A long and hard (but do-able) hike over six tough Catskills peaks
Hiking Trail Description
I was nervous to go on this long and demanding hike. The Catskills 6 crosses six mountain summits and covers some of the gnarliest terrain in the region.
Friday Mountain is always hard, but Rocky and Lone are in another league, the two prickliest peaks you can tackle in the Catskill Park. Tackling this route as part of a group hike made it a fantastic experience. In our group of eleven, every single one of us bled. It was awesome.
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Group Hike
I did this hike in 2019, as a relative noob to hiking. I was concerned about my ability to keep up with a group of more experienced hikers. But our group leader, Marv Freedman, assured me I could absolutely do it. I’m wasn’t the strongest hiker but I’d been on a few previous hikes with Marv and knew I could trust what he said.
If you want to do this hike, a group hike is a great way to tackle it. Keep an eye on the 3500 Club’s hike schedule and sign up as soon as the hike is posted.
As it turned out, The Catskill 6 was completely do-able. We took regular breaks, nobody felt pressure to hurry, and we even finished a little under our expected time.
Hiking the Catskill Six
The first and last parts of this very long hike — starting with Friday and Balsam Cap and finishing with Table and Peekamoose — are covered more deeply by other posts.
Informationally, this post focuses mostly on Rocky & Lone.
The Catskill Six Hike Time
Allow 10-12 hours for this hike.
The Catskill Six Elevation Gain
The elevation gain for this hike is 4000 feet (apx 1225 meters).
Friday Mountain
Balsam Cap
The hike from the pregnant tree on Friday to Balsam Cap is pretty easy, and super pleasant. Lots of classic Catskills moss, rocks, and roots.
This is the canister on Balsam Cap. Painted gray at the time, they have since been repainted bright orange to make them easier to spot.
Balsam Cap to Rocky
From the canister on Balsam Cap, the herd path runs southwest, descending into a col.
Very quickly, I realized things had kicked up a notch…
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The parent mountain for this hike is Friday.
If you do this hike, LMK how it went…
Trailhead Info for this Hike
Two medium sized lots. Requires a car shuttle.
Google Maps Location: 41.983949, -74.327439
The map below shows the exact topographic location of the trailhead
Cell Service
Patchy throughout, some service up high. My network is Verizon. YMMV.
