Friday and Balsam Cap Mountains are two of the “trail-less” peaks required for Catskill 3500 club membership. The hike from the parking area to Friday is one of the steepest in the Catskills climbing over 2600 feet in two and a half miles. Although there are “herd paths” on Friday that have become more pronounced over the past couple of years, good navigational skills are still required. We will guide you to both summits and Continue reading
Catskill 3500 Bushwhack Series – Fir and Big Indian Mountains – Sunday June 3, 2018
Join us for a guided hike of two of the trail-less Catskill 3500 foot peaks. This is a combination trailed hike and bushwhack. Both Fir and Big Indian Mountains require off-trail Continue reading
Back Country Skiing – Hunter Mountain – March 9, 2018
The recent heavy snowfalls in the Catskills have provided excellent conditions for snow shoeing and skiing. We skied Hunter Mountain to the fire tower via the SprucetonTrail and found deep powder conditions and amazing scenery. It’s March, but better late than never for some true winter conditions.
Eastern Outdoor Experiences guides adventures in our region year round. We can help you meet the Catskill 3500 challenge or plan a relaxing outing.
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Olderbark and Plateau Mountain Bushwhack
On a chilly November day MountainSister3, Nimblefoot and I bushwhacked Olderbark Mountain and Plateau from the southern end of the Mink Hollow Trail. When we arrived at the trailhead parking there were a couple of other vehicles present, perhaps belonging to hunters.
We followed the trail for just a short distance from the parking area. A little past the “dollhouse” (the guest house on the private parcel on Mink Hollow) and before the significant creek crossing we turned left off of the trail. We had discussed heading for the col between Olderbark and the first sub-summit on the ridge south of Plateau, but elected a bearing more or less directly towards the Olderbark summit, perhaps missing a little to the north. Continue reading
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love my Compass
An embarrassing camping moment…
With all due respect to Stanley Kubrick, this is a tale about what happened when I failed to follow plan C (for Compass).
I was backpacking with my son’s Boy Scout troop in Harriman State Park and it was a beautiful moonlit night in mid-November. Most of the boys were camped in the lean-to and a few were in tents right next to it. As is our practice the adults were camped separately, on this occasion about 200 feet away.
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Friday and Balsam Cap – June 12, 2016
We led a mixed group of Catskill 3500 Club aspirants and ADK members to these two “bushwhack” summits. The day started out quite warm in the morning but got progressively cooler and windier, especially at the summits where temperatures were in the 40’s when we got there.
Trail Maintenance on Big Slide Mtn with Long Island ADK – May 26, 2016
We participated in a day doing trail maintenance work on the Brothers Trail on Big Slide Mountain. The Long Island Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club adopted this trail decades ago and has been organizing annual work trips ever since. The results of their efforts are obvious when you hike this well maintained trail with spectacular views of the Great Range from “The Brothers”.
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Experience Franconia Notch – June 23 – 26, 2016
*** This trip is now full ***
Explore Franconia Notch
4 Days/3 nights of day hiking the summits and exploring in and around Franconia Notch, one of the premier destination areas of the White Mountains. We will spend one night in the AMC Lonesome Lake Hut after hiking North and South Kinsman Mountain, then two nights in a very nice hostel. This trip is for advanced hikers. The itinerary also includes the classic Franconia Ridge Loop.
Hunter Mountain Firetower – March 21, 2015
We led a small group to the Hunter Mountain fire tower on the last day of calendar winter. For M, this counted towards his winter 3500 list. It was a beautiful day for a hike, sunny at times, cloudy at others, but always clear enough for great views from the rime encrusted tower.
Balsam Cap and a Winter 3500 Finish on Rocky – March 15, 2015
We hiked Rocky via the slightly less traditional route of an out and back from Moon Haw Road. Passing over Balsam Cap in both directions was a nice addition, but Rocky was the prime objective for this hike because it was G’s 35th for her winter round. Continue reading