Full Moon Backpacking in the Catskills is a special experiences that you’ll want to bring friends along and repeat. Our take on this amazing experience goes off-trail and navigates a fun route to an amazing remote campsite. The camping location is next to an open summit that (weather permitting) will allow fantastic views of the full moon. Please book in advance so that we can take take maximum advantage of timing of the full moon.
This full moon backpacking is definitely off the beaten path (pun intended) and is a Catskill bucket-list experience. It is strenuous covering 9 miles and 3000 feet of elevation gain over the 2 days while carrying overnight gear. Clear skies not guaranteed, but this is a fantastic trip even without the moon.
Continue reading
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.
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”.
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. 
Our group of 6 bushwhacked North Dome and Sherrill mountains on a late winter day that featured a mix of sunshine and occasional flurries. The deep snow allowed for plenty of horseplay glissading down the snowshoe track that we repacked.