Schunemunk

 Seasonal Notes for Schunemunk

There are three important considerations to hiking Schunemunk Mountain in the late spring through summer and fall.

1. Unlike Catskills peaks, which are all treed-in, Schunemunk Mountain’s upper ridges offer a lot of open rock — and therefore hikers have a lot of exposure to contend with. In warmer months, it means hiking across scorching hot conglomerate rock bed for hours. This is definitely a place where you’ll want extra sunscreen, as well as strong SPF clothing. You’ll also want to bring lots of extra water and electrolytes. The terrain is mostly mild, it’s true, but the amount of time you’ll spend out on the open ridges will wear you down. In my case, I really felt these effects. It took a full 24 hrs to recover completely from my first Schunemunk hike.
2. Schunemunk is home to many timber rattlesnakes, as well as some copperheads. If you are aware, and leave the snakes alone, they will leave you alone too. Schunemunk is a very popular mountain. There have been lots of rattler sightings, here, but no fatalities reported.
3. Lastly: while the trail blazing on both ridges is mostly very good, there are a lot of intersecting trails and unmarked woods roads. And sometimes the blazes are non-existent. It can be confusing. There are seemingly hundreds of helpful cairns on Schunemunk, but there are definitely patches where you’ll have to best-guess your way, or consult your map and compass. Your backcountry navigation skills should be strong. I would not venture here without quality maps and the skills to use them.