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December 31, 2001 |
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Windham High Peak
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As part of The Catskill Center's year-round hike, lecture, and recreation series, we lead hikes for members (or potential ones) throughout the Catskills. We try to spread out the events over the seven counties in the Catskill region. On December 8th, our destination was Windham High Peak in Greene County. The hike started from the trailhead along NY State Route 23, east of the village of Windham. Four people joined us, and we embarked on what we knew would be a great day for hiking and fantastic views.
The blue-blazed Escarpment Trail begins here and ends 23 miles later at North Lake. We would only be following it for 3.2 miles to the top of Windham High Peak. This trail also serves as the northern portion of the Long Path in the Catskill Park. The Long Path is a 300 mile-long trail leading from the George Washington Bridge to John Boyd Thatcher State Park near Albany. Windham High Peak is 3,524' above sea level, and we begin the hike at exactly half that - 1,750'.
After checking in at the trail register, a gently sloping trail led us through the oak, maple, birch, and hemlock forest common on lower slopes. Above 2,000' the slope increases, and at 2,400' we reached the saddle between Windham High Peak and Elm Ridge, a mile from the start. A junction sign is here, indicating the yellow trail leads south into Black Dome Valley. We continued east where the forest abruptly changes, as we entered a pure stand of Norway spruce. The Civilian Conservation Corps likely planted this non-native species back in the 1930s because of its ability to grow quickly, replacing the once-cleared landscape. The Elm Ridge Lean-to in the spruce grove provided a resting place and an outhouse. Uniquely situated on a ledge of bedrock, this lean-to is a fabulous place to camp.
As we ascended Windham High Peak, we passed through two more spruce plantations where virtually no sunlight reaches the forest floor. Root mats cover the dark and damp ground keeping your feet out of the mud. As we climbed, the Blackheads loom off to the south, and we could see that Hunter Mountain's snowmaking operation was in full swing. Just below the summit (3.0 miles in) some other viewpoints appear. First, a view northwest that looks over the Catskill Creek valley and Route 23; second is a close-up look at the Blackhead range. The summit comes and goes without hikers knowing it, but we continued on for a while until we reached one of the most awe-inspiring places in all the Catskills.
On the northeastern face of the mountain, a rock ledge let us see further than we imagined. Looking north past the Catskill Creek, beyond Albany's Alcove Reservoir and the Helderbergs, were the towers of our capital city, over 40 miles away! Even further was the blue outline of the Adirondack Mountains, to the northeast were the Green Mountains of Vermont, and looking east over the Hudson were the Berkshires. For the people who joined us, this was their first winter hike. Throughout the day we had explained the many benefits of winter hiking and by the end of the day the Catskills had some converts.
- Chris and Aaron
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