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Highlight Hiker Blog
February, 2021
The Catskill Mountains: Bellayre, Devil’s Path and more
It had been a few long, hard months. Between covid isolation and the hammering of one day after another of cold, wind and snow I was starting to get stir crazy in my house. That’s the way it is with the outdoorsy type, I suppose. I had discovered something new about myself in the winter, which is that wind damage makes my whole face swell up like a plump grapefruit. So while I don’t mind hiking in the cold months, I do mind when my eyes are too puffy to open in the morning after my cold hike.
Needless to say, I am learning to be cautious with my sensitivity to the cold, and this particular winter took it easy.
But here’s the rub: four years earlier I had received snowshoes as a gift and because the previous winters had been so mild, or without any significant accumulation of snow, I had only used them once.
My birthday is in February and 2021 marked a milestone birthday. Because of the pandemic I couldn’t celebrate with a traditional party, so instead I opted for a family getaway in the Catskills so I could try out snowshoeing. The kids were in virtual school and the hubs was working from home virtually, so… why not? We could do all those things remotely. The whole family agreed. Even the dogs. Though the dogs aren’t a fan of driving long distances.
I digress…
We had a nice place (thanks to the generosity of family who own a house near Bellayre) to stay and away we went just before the crush of a Nor’easter. Appropriately snowed in at The Catskills, it took a few patient days before we were plowed out enough to explore.
I was able to snowshoe twice: once on Devil’s Path in the Hunter-West Kill Mountain Wilderness, and once in the shadow of Bellayre on their natural trails. I had only been to Bellayre twice before and both times we focused on skiing, so this was my first time exploring trails. There is a lot to explore! Because I was hyper aware of my sensitive skin, I only did short missions on snowshoes, but it’s definitely a wonderful way to experience the outdoors in the winter. I did X-country ski as a teenager, and I think I would appreciate it even more as an adult, but for now…. I’m a snowshoeaholic!
One cool thing I got to do in the Catskills for the first time ever….? Sign a trail register! It’s the small things, isn’t it???
I also got to drive around with a kid in the afternoons for a little one-on-one time as we explored Indian Head Wilderness, and the Windham Blackhead Range.
My husband took time off of work and we spent about four hours in the car just exploring the region one day, which was a great introduction to the Catskills.
Mostly, the experience gave us some decompression time, which was just what the doctor ordered. We got out of our home and the mundane routine and were able to try new foods, see new sights, get buried under snow and enjoy being together. Funny how a pandemic will do that to a family!
I also decided to make a few changes to my website. You’ll see them in upcoming posts. Hope you enjoy the updates! For now, just kick back and enjoy the gallery. Hopefully this won’t be my first time exploring the trails in the Catskills, and certainly l I hope to return in the warmer months when I can backpack and stay in shelters and really get to know the territory a little bit better.
Catskill Mountains
Snowshoeing Devil’s Path & Bellayre XC trail A
Total Mileage:
3.25 miles
Total Elevation:
368 feet
We drove up frantically before the big snow storm which left northern NJ under several feet of snow. The Catskills received their own dump of snow, but not as much as there was at home.
After years of mild winters, seeing this much snow was a delightful curiosity.
A short walk up and down the road where our rental house was located near Bellayre Ski Resort.
The Mountain House was tucked away and a perfect getaway for the winter with gorgeous views of Bellayre Mountain.
For my birthday, my sister gave me these cute shoe plates that were custom printed just for me!
Little critters have to survive in the snow, too!
See what I mean about depth of snow???
But the Mountain House was cozy, comfortable with every amenity you could want or need right at your fingertips. If you have to be snowed in somewhere, this was a luxurious place to be snowed in!!
Before the snow plows arrived, I took some time to shovel and clean off the front porch. The snow was soft and powdery, but the sheer depth of it made it quite a workout!
Still snowing, but at least this time you can kind of see Bellayre from the porch.
My son and I took the scenic route to the grocery store in nearby Margaretville. We drove up and over Bellayre Mountain to Dry Brook Road, where we just had to stop for a middle of the road photo op. This is looking in a northerly direction on Dry Brook Road.
This is looking southerly on Dry Brook Road.
Bellayre Mountain from the Mountain House living room.
We didn't have many sunny days while we were there, but the sky was still stealing the show.
My daughter and I took a scenic drive on Oliverea Road to Rt-47 and we stopped at the Phonecia East Branch parking area to look around. The snow was piled up so high that I was postholing up to my thigh to get these few pictures! I never made it to the actual trail!
LOOK!!! A TRAIL REGISTER! A REAL LIVE TRAIL REGISTER!
Phoencia East Branch Trail. I love the trail signs, don't you?
If you look closely, you can see how the plows piled the snow onto the trail area, making it nearly impossible to get to the actual trail.
Lost Clove Road leads to the trailhead for the Lost Clove Trail. It was unplowed and buried under snow, but the view from the bridge crossing Birch Creek wasn't too bad from the car!
Near the end of the week, there was finally a break from the weather and everyone went out to enjoy it! I decided to snowshoe on Devil's Path to Diamond Notch Falls. I was successful reaching my goal, but there was so much snow, you couldn't see or even hear Diamond Notch Falls!
All ready to go with my Osprey pack, my Montem poles, and famous goat hat! C'mon... you gotta be pretty hardhearted not to love a hat with a goat on it. It wasn't far from here that I signed a trail register for the first time ever! It's the little thrills in life, isn't it?
I was fortunate enough to have two snowshoers lay down tracks before me. The path was easy to follow, though their footsteps were much wider than mine, so many times I was creating my own trail. But the track was really very pretty along West Kill.
Devil's Path along the banks of West Kill.
The sun cast such gorgeous shadows and all along the path you could hear the gurgling of West Kill.
It was warm but breezy and I had to change layers multiple times depending on the wind to keep from getting too hot or too cold.
Snowshoers weren't the only ones using the trail!
Before reaching Diamond Notch bridge, you could hear smaller falls beneath the melting snow.
The water turned the snow into interestingly shaped pieces of art.
I can just imagine in the lush green of summer how beautiful this stretch of trail must be!
Devil's Notch Trail is supposed to be one of the most challenging of the Hunter-West Kill Mountains, but this gradual uphill along West Kill was barely perceptible.
Happy tree growth towered above me in every direction. In the summer, this trail would be blissfully shaded and cool.
After about 1.25 miles of work, I finally reached Diamond Notch Falls!
The only trail that had been used before me was the Diamond Notch (blue blaze) ahead of me. I wasn't interested in going further with my sensitive skin, so I crossed the bridge, took some photos, and headed back the way came (which was gleefully downhill).
Diamond Notch Bridge.
Crossing Diamond Notch Bridge. I guess there are falls here...? I couldn't see or hear them with the heavy snow cover.
I wasn't particularly keen on climbing up West Kill Mountain , no matter the view.
One last look over West Kill before crossing back over the bridge and heading to the car.
West Kill from the middle of the bridge.
SNOW SHOES!
Until next time, Diamond Notch Bridge!
The next day I only had a short time to explore, so I headed close to the Mountain House to the base of Bellayre to snow shoe on the trails. These trails are not on the NY/NJ Trail Conference map #142. They are managed solely by Bellayre and remain natural (ungroomed) Xcountry trails for skiiers and snowshoers.
Because of time constraints, I only walked the A trail.
It was another gorgeous day in the Catskills. There was hardly a breeze and I was able to wear two layers and be perfectly warm.
The often heard but rarely seen Highlight Hiker.
The parking lot for these trails is massive. It is located behind the maintenance building at the base of the mountain off 49A.
Woodchuck Way!!! Don't you love it???
I doubt those are woodchuck prints, but a hiker can dream, can't she?
The circular path was really lovely with interpretive signs along the way.
The sun over Bellayre Mountain.
On our last day, we explored by car, and stopped at the world famous Devil's Notch on highway 214. This area is the midway point for hikers who are attempting the Devil's Path (yes, the same which I snow shoed on previously).
I liked this sign very much.
This is where either the fun or the work begins, depending on how you look at it. Where you'll climb hand over hand up rocks approximately 1,000' in about 1/4 mile. I had neither snow shoes nor the time to try it. But you can bet that come summer, this challenge would be the first on my list!
See the dude in the car? The parking lot wasn't full. He saw me lining up to take a picture, and then he pulled in and parked right in my view. Then he got out of his car and vanished down the trail in boots. The snow was soft - he was bound to be post holing and ruining the tracks. Not a lot of self awareness, this one.
I still got a nice shot of the notch, though. The road was originally contracted in 1935. Pretty amazing feat, if you ask me. And that concluded my (first) hiking-intended visit to the Catskills. With as close to home as it is, I will most certainly be returning for some awesome backpacking adventures soon!