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July 1, 2003 |
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Blackhead Mountain
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Each year we lead a hike for The Catskill Center on the first Saturday in June, celebrating National Trails Day. Each of the past three years we have hiked to some great places, enjoyed terrific company, and had fantastic weather. On June 7th we were only fortunate enough to have two of the three ingredients. We suspected that only a few of the nine people who registered for the hike would show up because of the soggy weather forecast, and four dedicated souls ended up meeting us at the trailhead at the end of Greene County Route 56 (Big Hollow Road). Two of them, however, dropped out because of the incessant rain before we even set off on the trail toward Blackhead Mountain.
So we crossed the Batavia Kill, signed in at the register, and began following the red-blazed Black Dome Range Trail north with our good friend Jack, a new friend Rick, and the dogs. As we hiked we noted the excellent shape the trail was in despite all of the recent rain, and the swift current of the small tributary along the trail. With every brush against a tree it seemed as though a bucket of water was dumped on our backs. We were prepared with waterproof gear, but everything - the trees, the ground, the rocks, the air, were all so wet it was impossible to stay dry.
After 1.2 miles (and 700’ vertical climb) we reached the junction with the blue-blazed Escarpment Trail (2,800’). This junction occurs between Acra Point and Burnt Knob, at the 17-mile mark on the Escarpment Trail (from the North Lake end). We headed southeast toward Acra Point and began a moderate climb through the wind-swept, stunted forest. Black cherry and yellow birch were common with scattered balsam fir and red spruce. At 3,000’, what would be a great lookout on a clear day to the south was not nearly as dramatic on this day. The low fog blanketed the impressive summits of the Blackhead Range, but we able to peer down the Batavia Kill valley from where we had ascended.
A short distance further we reached Acra Point, an open spot where exposed bedrock, blueberries, sedges, fir, spruce, striped maple, and mountain ash all co-exist, as they do along much of this ridge. We stopped for a snack after another mile at a lookout point to the east. We were actually looking down on the fog in the Catskill Creek and Hudson valleys below. After some hunting stories and a little off-trail exploration of a vernal pool, we reached our bailout point (3.75 miles in) where we could return to the vehicles along the yellow Batavia Kill Trail or continue on to Blackhead Mountain. We assessed our situation and decided that we couldn’t get any wetter, but because of the warm temperature we were comfortable and still in good spirits. As we pointed out the summit, carpeted in a wall of white fog, we made it quite clear to Jack and Rick that the climb ahead would be challenging and slow going, but everyone wanted to continue.
The trail to Blackhead’s summit is steep; climbing 1,100’ in one mile. Many ledges provided opportunities for breathers. The best one, at Yellow Jacket Lookout, didn’t afford a view this day. We entered the fog somewhere around 3,500’ and remained in it until our descent. We reached the 3,940’ summit (as seen in the photo of Jack and Piper) with hopes of a break in the rain and a pleasant lunch - but it kept coming down. We ate quick and headed over the summit along the red-blazed Blackhead Mountain Trail. The steep descent even in dry weather is difficult, so we were extra careful. Once we reached the col, we completed the loop back to the trailhead by following the Black Dome Range Trail north. A section of this trail was recently rerouted with a series of switchbacks, making the descent more pleasurable and less prone to erosion.
After the trail crossed the headwaters of the Batavia Kill several times, we returned to the trailhead - still drenched and in great spirits after this difficult but rewarding 7.5-mile hike.
- Chris and Aaron
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