Becker Hollow Trail - Hunter Mountain

Becker Hollow Trail is the shortest, steepest, and most challenging ascent to the summit of Hunter Mountain in the Northern Catskills. 2.2 miles covers 2,210' of elevation gain.

A fire tower waits next to a cabin in a clearing on the top with 360 degree views of the surrounding landscape.Hunter Mountain is an hour south of Albany. I was on the road by 5am and most of the drive was in the dark. Loud music, windows down, and sugary coffee shook me out of my 4 hours of sleep. I arrived at the trailhead off Rt. 214 around 6:30 as the sun was coming up. Sticky air, warm sun, and a constant incline made for an uncharacteristically balmy September hike. I carried a daypack with first aid, 2 liters of water, knife, map and compass. I didn't know what to expect, so overpacked a bit. Next time I'd wear running shorts, trail runners, carry a bottle of water and race to the top as fast and stripped as possible.

Leaves changed from green to yellow and from the outside it was like a kaleidoscope shell. From the outside it's hard to imagine the trails on the inside. On the inside I've forgotten what it looks like from the sky, from the ground, from the road driving up. It's two different worlds, the mountain from the outside and the trails, leaves, wood, rocks, and fields on the inside.

There is stillness on the bottom. I climb higher, higher, the branches whoosh, the leaves rustle and the trees sway slowly left, now right. The wind carries sounds above me and I hear animals around me. Scared of me? Bears are scared. Squirrels are crazy. Frogs are camouflaged. I wonder sometimes if I've ever stepped on a frog.

A clearing at the top let me catch my breath. I rip-roared my way to this point, making fast time. Aerobically, I was pushing it. I made two miles in an hour andfound myself at the cabin and firetower an hour earlier than I expected. The climb was steep but the terrain not nearly as technical as the climb up neighboring Plateau and Twin via Devil's Path. A workout, maybe a run when my foot heals.

On top of the mountain.

Snowy Mountain - Central Adirondacks

"Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean." -J.M.

View from Snowy Mountain looking west from the summit.



Snowy Mountain lies just to the west of Indian Lake in the Central Adirondacks. At 3,899', it's the tallest mountain outside of the High Peaks region and its 2,000'+ elevation gain to the summit is greater than many mountains in the High Peaks.

 

On Sunday night we camped at Lewey Lake State Campgrounds five miles south of the Snowy Mountain trailhead. We wanted the lean-to six miles west of the campground, but didn't have time to hike the six miles back to the road in the morning and were up against the clock on Monday: we needed an early bird start. We didn't stand a chance in that lean-to.

 

  

The trail began with 200 yards of steep, rocky hiking before it flattened out for 2 miles. Most of the hike was dirt singletrack with rock steps and root ladders up hills. The trail followed a stream and we crossed it a half dozen times. The weather was dry, but the ground was muddy, so that where there weren't natural footholds, 4x6's were laid out to protect the land and prevent erosion.

  

 

 

Only one section of stream was deep enough to justify a stretch of footbridge. His heart is awed by all the wild things in all the wild world.

 

With 3/4 of a mile remaining to the summit, we still had 1,000' feet to climb. We inhaled the first 3+ miles in less than two hours with gradual ascent, but the final climb was still in front of us. Technical terrain required consideration and concentration. A root trail marked the start of the scramble to the top.

Looking back I could feel the elevation we were hitting, and I saw views of northeast mountain ranges behind trees. When we thought we were at the summit we found unspectacular views, mostly shielded by pine trees. But it wasn't the top. So we explored the false summit and realized we still had to push more to the true summit.

 

This rocky cliff was the the finish line: we had to go over it. Or around it. We went around it.

At the top was a far away view to the east. The lake stretched itself out out, further out, south toward Lewey Lake and only just missed it by two lanes of blacktop and two metal guardrails. Or the skinny finger lakes actually burst asunder from beneath bridge and pavement, metal and paint congesting Lewey, and charged north, coming together to make Indian Lake at the foot of Snowy Mountain.

The mountains to the west were grand. The wind was sharp and triumphant and I liked it. The skies splashed forward and the clouds were infinite and the green mountains rolled forever and were countless. We ate granola bars and were wild mountain climbers taking respite from the wild-ness all around us. The trek down was a slow exhale and the ground was a little more sure and the colors a little less vibrant and our feet hurt but not too much and time flew but really it went slow and for at least a minute it didn't go anywhere at all.

Eastern Section of Devil's Path - West to East

The Devil's Path is a 28 mile trail through the Catskill Mountains. I hiked the 13.4 mile eastern portion, described as the "classic Devil's Path" from the west heading east, covering 12,000' of cumulative elevation change. Considered to be one of the most difficult trails in the eastern U.S., it summits 4 mountain peaks: Plateau, Sugarloaf, Twin, and Indian Head.

I dropped my car at the eastern trailhead at Prediger road off of Platte Cove and got a ride back to Devil's Tombstone at the base of Hunter Mountain where I camped for the night.

Sunday morning brought overcast skies and a cell phone that wouldn't turn on. I carried my tent, sleeping bag, 100' of rope, knife, map, compass, first aid, headlamp, mp3 player, ~3 liters of water, trail mix/granola, base layer, light rain jacket, and running shoes. Started out in Fivefinger KSO's, running shorts and tech shirt.

The trail reached a rocky chute and I spent the first 2 miles climbing climbing climbing. I was winded early and slowed a bit until I found a pace. Made some minor adjustments to my pack and felt strong. Crossed paths with another hiker at the top of the mountain and continued across to the other side where I began the descent.

About 4 miles in I put my fifth toe on my right foot into an immovable object and hobbled for two miles before switching to my running shoes. By the time I finished, my toe would swell up, turn purple and red, and creep up green along the top of my foot: broken? Once I laced up my running shoes the pain was less.

The terrain was varied: mostly rocky scrambles on the ascents and descents with minimal switchbacks, making for lots of grabbing and climbing up/down steep inclines. The most challenging aspect of the 13.4 mi was finding the safest way to navigate the technical terrain, which became more difficult when the rocky climb was wet from the rain.

The first four miles took me 3.5 hours and I had to pick it up to make it back to my car before sundown. I had my headlamp and gear to spend the night in one of the lean-tos along the way, but wanted to make it back that night.

As I climbed a chute up Sugarloaf I felt the ground shake beneath me and heard the sound of a horse galloping next to me. I figured it was a bear so I sang the rest of the way to avoid surprising another one. Mostly sang about love lost.

Summits that should have offered views of upcoming mountains and conquered miles were instead covered in mist. At every summit the air was thick with moisture. Above 3,600' felt like Ferngully.

My time on Twin and Indian Head was spent entirely under rainfall and I wore my Buff because the wind had become intense. But I seemed to be getting more energy with every step and by the last 2 miles I increased my pace to a jog: the terrain had finally flattened out.

The drive home was strange. I thought of my foot and the race I've been training for the last 3 months. I thought about the rain and the rocks and I felt my face with my fingers. I saw my reflection in the rear view mirror. I listened to Superwolf on repeat. I thought I would find a bar and have a beer. But I went to sleep.

Monday I woke up to a redblackswollen toe. I stood up and felt my thighs screaming gloriously: burn burn burn. I tested my weight on my foot. It felt used. I threw on yesterday's running shorts, laced up my beaten Nike Katana's and stepped out into the cool 60's for my Monday morning recovery run.