Super Bowl Hike to Echo Lake

Sunset on Overlook

You can also meditate at the Buddhist Monastery before or after

Lots of ice on the way up

The old hotel

Spooky

A pretty walk

Echo Lake and Overlook

Somewhere in those trees a stream drains out

Echo Lake Lean-To

The Fire Tower

Stabilicers!

Ice

Sunset over Cooper Lake

Indian Head caked in the clouds

The hotel ruins and the trail up can be seen in the foreground

Ashokan Resevoir with some of the sunset's reflection

The colors change every moment

Echo Lake

Even if it's just Cooper Lake, sunsets are better over water

For the first time in 18 years, I get to watch my 49ers in the Super Bowl.  I never thought I'd see the day ever again.  So I figure today would be the time to start a ChrisHiker tradition.  A Super Bowl Hike.

Since I haven't been to Overlook this winter, I thought that would be a great destination.  Then I thought why not also go to Echo Lake.  Deciding to go to Echo Lake brought back some memories.  The only time I have been there, I missed a middle aged couple having sex.  When my friend and I arrived, I could tell we spooked them.  The woman had to put her top back on.

I also thought about the first time I attempted to go to Echo Lake.  This was before I had ever hiked in the Catskills and I had no idea there were trails all over the place.  For whatever reason, I was looking at the state map and I spotted Echo Lake.  I thought, "that'd be cool to go there."  I saw there was a stream that flowed from it.  So I drove to the closest point of the stream.  I followed an old woods road for a bit.  Soon it petered out and it also seemed a bit too private.  Not wanting to get chased off the land, I turned around and headed back.  While driving back, I passed the parking lot for Overlook.  To my surprise, there was a trail to Echo Lake.  About 2 years later, I would traverse much of the Catskills.  And also to my surprise, I wouldn't need the NYS Road Atlas (there are trail maps!).

Today would be a little less memorable. Despite it being quite frigid, there were quite a few other hardy souls out here.  I made up to the hotel pretty quick despite the ice (yeah, Stabilicers).  There were a couple of people inside taking lots of fotos.  I'd like to really roam around in there some time.  The sun started to come out, so I thought about heading to the fire tower first.  But since it was already after 3, I went to Echo Lake first.

The trail was not as steep as I remember.  I only had to negotiate a handful of icy sections.  After a half hour of walking, I met the trail junction to Echo Lake.  This half mile trail was almost exclusively ice.  This would have really have been fun without Stabilicers.  On the way back up, I met a solo female going down to the Lean-to to camp out for the night.  She did not have any traction device.  Fortunately, there is not much ice off trail.

On the way down, I envisioned walking across the lake.  To my surprise, there was some water along the edge.  There was no way I'd chance it.  Still it was a great place to stroll around and hangout and admire the scenery.  I also thought about Simon Beck.  He's an artist that creates patterns by walking in the snow.  Echo Lake would be a perfect spot.  Then people from the Overlook Fire Tower could admire the designs.

While walking back up, I thought about skipping Overlook and heading straight down.  One look at the sunset quickly changed my mind.  Although overcast, there were some marvelous colors shining through.  By the time I reached the summit, some of the colors had vanished.  Despite that, this happened to be one of the better sunsets I've seen in a while.