11,12,13 - Blackhead Range
Catskills 3500
Water Song by Hot Tuna
11 July 2023
The Blackhead mountain range is the northernmost range in the Catskills. Blackhead, Black Dome, and Thomas Cole Mountains make up the over 3500 foot peaks in the range. This is where my Catskills experience got real. It’s rocky, with plenty of ledges to climb up and around. The most fun I’ve had while wandering in the Catskill Mountains.
The ride up route 23A from the town of Catskill is curvy as it climbs the mountain. I drove past multiple streams rumbling down the ravines off the side of the road heading to North-South Lake Campsite. Water gushed through the stone barriers on the side of the road. The rain had persisted for days before. Water flowed everywhere. I’ll be on slick rocks in the mountains tomorrow morning, I thought. Great.
Life is impossible without water. It is both life-giving and nourishing. But it’s also destructive. It will take your house. You can drown in it. Scarcity of water causes wars. Poets, priests, and plumbers think about water a lot. The rest of us take it for granted until we’re thirsty, or it rains for three days straight. The earth is covered with water; it’s stored in the seas, oceans, and rivers of the world. The water that you’re drinking and that I’m currently worrying about is billions of years old. It constantly recycles in a process called the water cycle. Water in a lake evaporates and later falls as rain, for example. It takes different forms. It’s a liquid (water), is a gas (steam), it’s a solid (ice). Water is everywhere. It does more than quench your thirst. It’s everything.
Unloading my gear at the campsite, I saw that forgot my trekking poles at home in the rush to get on the road. Setting up camp, I rode back down 23A to the Walmart in town. I bought some food and a cheap pair of poles from the sporting goods section and headed back.
I got a late start the next morning. I arrived at the trailhead around 10AM. As i pulled in, another carload of hikers joined me, right behind a NYS Park Ranger SUV. I got my stuff together and headed up. The two rangers also entered the woods. As I hiked in, I heard them chatting behind me. They caught up to me and we stopped and Chit Chatted for a bit. Hiking for pleasure, they also checked trail conditions after the deluge while off duty. After some time, I noticed the chatter behind me stopped. They deviated from the trail to climb Blackhead using the Batavia Kill trail. That trail (which I hadn’t even considered) is a bit longer and a lot steeper. It’s easy to see that if you look at the maps and pay attention.
I worked my way up the trail towards Lockwood Gap. On the ascent, a moss-covered boulder dripped water profusely.
Multiple spots on that rock were draining water from above. Unsettled, I couldn’t deny how interesting it was and stopped momentarily to gaze dumbly. The trail splits at the Gap; Left up to Blackhead and right to BlackDome and Thomas Cole. The plan was to go left towards Blackhead, then return to Lockwood before heading up to the other two peaks, forming a “T”. I started up Blackhead Mountain.
The trail broke into a clearing, a perfect spot to rest. When I turned around, I gasped. Blackdome mountain was in full view from this spot. It rose up majestically across from me. Breathtaking is the right word.
I used it to measure how far up Blackhead I had climbed. About two-thirds, it looked like. Some flat rocks were wet and slippery, so I moved carefully. Finally, I reached a particularly wet rock. It’s often tricky to get up and over that rock. The slippery rock makes it even more challenging. I thought about a plan, when I noticed a piece of rebar in the ground right next to the rock, making a perfect hand hold to lift myself up. I negotiated that part and headed up to the summit.
Despite its small size, every time I’ve stood on the summit of Blackhead it was always bustling. The Grand Central Terminal of the Catskills. There’s a few spots where you can sit for a lunch break. The first couple of hikers who popped onto the summit from the other approach surprised me. Subsequently, a continuous stream of hikers approached from both trails, joining me for a break on the summit. Shortly thereafter, the two Rangers popped up as well. There was a party going on up there!
I proceeded down Blackhead with caution and care, especially on that wet rock. At Lockwood Gap, I chatted with the Park Rangers from the summit. One told me about the rescues they’ve performed, mostly to aid unprepared hikers. It’s a warning that I heed. I carry the “ten essentials” with me whenever I’m in the woods. What are the ten essentials? More about this later.
The rangers headed back down to the trailhead, and I headed up Black Dome. The second trail posed a greater challenge. You didn’t just climb the rocks, you clambered over.
There were magnificent tree roots protruding from the hillside that helped lift me up.. It’s amazing what you can see in the mountains. Everything wants to live, and it will adapt to whatever it needs to adapt to.
Up ahead on the trail, I found a clearing to the side. A boulder resembled a sofa made of stone. took a break to catch my breath. Moving closer, I noticed a large opening with a full view to the East. I saw one side at first, then Blackhead mountain appeared. It felt like I was on top. It’s a full view from the Lockwood gap up. It was stunning. I was just on top of that mountain, and now I saw it from the other side. I searched for something familiar. No. It was an enormous mass of rock and trees. Right in front of me. The view was too nice to leave. Another hiker was making his way down and we both just sat there, enjoying the view. Silently. It looked other worldly. Yet there it stood, in front of my eyes. I was just there. I could finally see where these hikes led me. Normally, it seems abstract. Spend an hour or two walking uphill on a trail. And then go back down. But this was sure proof I was actually climbing mountains.
I continued on to the summit of BlackDome and then nearby Thomas Cole mountain and returned down towards the trailhead. The cheap Walmart hiking poles bent and slipped as I was balancing myself on a ledge. I recovered by grabbing onto a tree branch that miraculously held until I could straighten myself out. Trekking poles are especially useful when descending; it lightens the load on your knees and helps with balance. I’d have to do without them for the rest of this trip. You get what you pay for. I made a short stop at the lookout spot on the way out. Seeing the mountain in its glory rejuvenated me. As i roamed, anticipation grew for the surprises that awaited at the next summits. I needed to reach the trailhead first. One step at a time. Enjoy every moment. I was tired and inspired.
