Very misty start
Summit of Westkill. Still a bit of snow and ice.
Waterfall in the Spruceton Valley
Moss on the trail. Spring brings much green.
Spring has sprung!
Sw Hunter and Westkill
The Spruceton Valley
Walking the ridge on Hunter
Minor avalanche. I'm glad I wasn't present!
Steep descent to Devil's Tombstone
Hunter
Central Catskills from Plateau
Mirek & Rich having a snack on Plateau
Tannersville and the Escarpment
North Lake
Plateau
Kaaterskill High Peak
Coming up Sugarloaf
Tri-peaks
Big Rock
Algae water
Sugarloaf
Overlook
Hudson River Valley
Ashokan Resevoir and Mohonk
Overlook, Hudson River and Kingston
Hudson River and Kingston Rhinecliff Bridge
Rocky terrain which is what the Devil's Path is!
After 25 miles of a beeat down from the Devil, I felt like a King!!!
Considered one of the toughest day hikes in the U.S. by Backpacker Magazine, at 25 miles with over 9,000 feet elevation gain, the Devil's Path provides a beat down. Is it the toughest day hike in U.S.? Probably not. But, at least it is a legitimate trail, unlike some of the others which are a combination of different trails.
This hike would be done with the Hudson Valley Hikers. We started at 6:22am at the western end of the trail in the Spruceton Valley (one of my favorite spots in the Catskills). It was about 40 degrees and misty. A torrid pace was set. The first 2 miles were knocked out in well under an hour. A took a brief stop to take some layers off, drink some water and take some photos. I would not see the lead group again.
I made my way up Westkill, surprised to see so much ice and snow left. This made some of the easier sections of the trail a slow go. But, it was a beautiful sight, seeing how beautifully the balsam and spruce leaves sprinkled themselves on the snow. The summit provided no views, since the mist and drops of freezing rain blocked visibility. The walk down Westkill was tricky in spots, but ultimately led to a nice waterfall.
The next 2 hours would be spent climbing up the side of Hunter. This area was nice to see. I realized that spring colors can be as enjoyable as fall colors. It was so beautiful to see the different colors of green unraveling after the harsh winter we had. The walk down Hunter was steep with quite a few switchbacks. Finally, just in time for lunch, a few of us arrived at Devil's Tombstone. The almost halfway point.
From here, one of the steepest climbs in the Catskills awaited us. It was a slow go. And to top it off, to get to the view point, you had to do a bit of scrambling. Normally, this wouldn't be so hard. But, when exhausted, it took almost all I had. The views from Plateau replenished me. Or was it the cognac (courtesy of Mirek) I sipped? Rich also gave me some goodies high in Carbs. It's hard to believe we can find stuff like that since EVERYTHING seems to be labeled "low carbs."
After enjoying the view, it was time for the 3 mile walk on the Plateau. Like Westkill, this was slower than it should have been, since there was much ice and snow. Again, it was beautiful! And with great views into Tannersville, the Tri Peaks and the Escarpment.
The descent down Plateau was slow moving. Pretty much from here on out, every step was thought out, as the trail was steep and rocky. Here, I met Ben, who hiked the entire A.T. in 2006. This is the 2nd straight long distance hike that I've met a thru hiker. We shared our stories. I think we helped each other along, forgetting temporarily the exhaustion setting in. The climb up Sugarloaf was relentless.
The descent down Sugarloaf and the ascent of Twin, although short mileage-wise, was not in the least short on energy expended. Going up Twin, I knew would be rough. At this point, I was tired. My feet were fine, but my quads had taken enough of a beat down. Plus, I didn't have enough to drink. I stopped and drank at one of the spots on Twin to catch some of the drips. This helped. I also me Duncan, who was carrying a 70 lb pack. We talked a bit. Finally, I reached the summit. Here, I ate one of the tastiest grapefruits I've had. It's by far my favorite trail food.
I now had gotten a second wind. I moved down Twin at a nice clip. The ascent of Indian Head was at a blistering pace. The descent was slower, since there were some tricky spots and very muddy. The views, as always, were awesome. Platte Clove, the Hudson River, the Ashokan Resevoir and Overlook were all in view.
Barely making it out without having to use my headlamp, it felt great to finish. I was spent. It is always such a high finishing one of these big hikes. This had been a goal of mine for awhile.
It has been said, that you know you're in the Catskills when there are two stones for every dirt. The quintessential hike in the Catkills, the Devil's Path has that feel. Two stones for every dirt. That's what makes the Devil's Path so special.
