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March 25, 2002 |
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The Western Catskills
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The western Catskills are not explored nearly as much as the 'high peaks region' in the east. The portion of the Catskill Park within Delaware County provides a more subtle, but equally beautiful environment. Characterized by rolling hills that seldom reach 3,000', this region is a 180-degree turn from the steep valleys and rocky headwater streams of Shandaken. With limited hiking experience this far west, we set out to explore the Middle Mountain Wild Forest located south of the Pepacton Reservoir in the Town of Andes.
While driving on Route 30 around NYC's largest reservoir, old bridges and roads were visible as a result of the current drought. The Pepacton Reservoir is currently well below normal, filled only to 47% of its capacity. We made a left turn onto Beech Hill Road, and then veered right onto Mary Smith Hill Road. The trailhead is located on this seasonal road at the crest of the hill two miles in. We first headed east, following the red-blazed Middle Mountain Trail. After zigzagging up a steep incline, views to the south became apparent due to the lack of leaf cover. In just under one mile, we passed the summit (2,975') of Middle Mountain. The summit forest is a common mix of deciduous tree species here in the Catskills - birch, cherry, and beech. Shortly after the summit, a viewpoint opened up to the east. Cabot and Mongaup Mountains filled the foreground with the Beaver Kill and Mill Brook Ridges completing the picture. In another half-mile, we found ourselves on the summit of Beech Hill; from here we decided to turn back.
After reaching the trailhead, we now headed west along the red-blazed Mary Smith Trail. Tall white pines and a few designated car-camping sites denote the trails' start. The trail quickly leads you straight up some 500ft in roughly a half-mile. The reward for this steep climb is a fantastic vista on the boundary between Forest Preserve and private lands. As we ate lunch, we peered out over Lewbeach and the Beaver Kill Valley. The trail continues on, leading up near, but skirting by the summit of this un-named, 2,942' peak. After a mile of walking along a ridge, we reached Mary Smith Hill and headed back. On the way back, we discovered a fantastic view down the Berry Brook hollow. This warm, south-facing spot was on top of a grass and moss-covered bedrock ledge. Yellow birch and black cherry formed the canopy.
These two trails are a part of the 559-mile Finger Lakes Trail, which connects the Long Path (in the Catskills) to the Allegheny Mountains in western New York. Because these trails are rarely used, downed trees and branches frequently litter them. Many of the popular trails in the Catskills have dedicated volunteers who maintain portions of them, however this clearly was not the case here. If you are interested helping to maintain or 'adopting' portions of our more local trails, contact our regional forest ranger, Patricia Rudge at 254-4126.
- Chris and Aaron
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