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March 22, 2004 |
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Overlook Mountain
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We love to entertain and play host to friends that want to get away from the city for a day or a weekend. We get a chance to showcase these terrific mountains to people from all walks of life, many of who come up to visit only a few times a year. Its almost as if we were travel agents for the Catskill Mountains - we get to decide or give choices as to what type of recreation will be done and where we will all go out for a meal and entertainment.
Last weekend we had five friends from the city come up who wanted to hike where they could climb a fire tower, enjoy scenic views, and perhaps even see a bald eagle. We explained that their first two wishes were easy to grant and we would have little control over the latter, but we’d do our best. We decided to hike Overlook Mountain on this warm and sunny day. Overlook is located in the Town of Woodstock on the eastern escarpment of the Catskills. Although only 3,140’ in elevation, Overlook was thought to be the highest peak in the Catskills by the early settlers and sailors because of its prominence when viewed from the Hudson River.
We parked at the parking area on Meads Mountain Road and unloaded the three dogs and packed up our gear. Being that this is such a popular trail, the parking area is often too small to accommodate the demand for parking spaces on most weekend days. We were lucky today though, and got the last spaces. Eleven of us signed in at the trail register and began up the red-blazed jeep road to the tower. There was still more snow and ice than we thought there would be. The 2.5-mile trail is full of switchbacks in order to make it possible for vehicular use (it was heavily used in the past for the fire tower and hotel, and is currently used to service the local television tower near the summit). Due to the orientation of the switchbacks, the south-facing portions of the trail were exposed - absent of snow and ice, but muddy.
As we climbed we encountered many other hikers, some going up and others already descending. After two miles, we approached the impressive ruins of the Overlook Mountain House, blanketed in snow. The combination of the bright sun, surrounding vegetation, and the concrete walls created a surreal setting. This legendary hotel has an interesting history worth reading about. At the highest elevation of any of the grand hotels in the Catskills, this legend eventually fell victim to devastating fires and the great depression. Next to the hotel is a large, modern communications tower that stands on Forest Preserve land but continues to operate under a long-term lease.
Just after the ruins, the blue-blazed Overlook Trail from Platte Clove enters from the north, and a trail sign indicates we are a half-mile from our destination. The trail skirts the southern face of the mountain as the fire tower comes into view over the stunted oaks.
We took turns climbing the tower, taking in breathtaking views of the Hudson Valley to the east, Echo Lake, the Indian Head Range, and Kaaterskill High Peak to the north, Cooper Lake and the central Catskills to the west, and the frozen Ashokan Reservoir and Shawangunk Ridge to the south.
We ate some lunch, snapped many pictures and then descended down the trail a bit to an open, but windless ledge where we spent time talking, soaking up the sun, and smoking cigars. The return hike to the cars was on the same trail, but less slippery, as the sun had melted much of the snow and ice in just a few hours.
Although we did not see any bald eagles, our friends returned extremely happy and satisfied with their fun outing. The cab of the fire tower is not open in winter, however it will be open again this summer thanks to volunteer interpreters from the Overlook Mountain Fire Tower Stewards, each weekend from June through Columbus Day. Be sure to visit!
- Aaron and Chris
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