Motorcycle season can be relatively short in the Catskills. There are some folks who are much more hardcore than I who have been riding since early April. We sneaked in one lap around the Pepacton in late April on an unseasonably warm evening. But it was quick, with no real stops and we both got pretty cold. For Britt and I, the first week of May was the first instance this spring when the weather was finally warm and dry enough to suit up and roll out for a “real” ride. Continue reading
Seems like the rain may have stopped for a minute, so it might be safe to post this now. TL;DR– scroll down for a video of springtime Catskills greenery in the rain.Continue reading
The rain has been no joke, this spring. The last two weekends in April it rained almost every day in our corner the Catskills. The last two weekends of the month, precipitation seemed merely to oscillate between drizzle and downpour, with little or no actual break. While this is awesome for all of the greenery that it starting to come out, I am not hardcore enough to get out for my typical outdoor activities when it is coming down like that, especially when the temps are still in the 30s and 40s.Continue reading
Welp, as they say- you can’t win ’em all. We had a bit of warm weather leading up to the first weekend of April and decided to check another peak off of B’s dwindling list of 3500s by hiking Sugarloaf. We had successfully hit the adjacent peak a week earlier, and were expecting slightly better trail conditions based on the recent warmer temps.Continue reading
Awash in B’s Vapor Trail During Rapid Ascent to the Peak on Plateau Mountain
Welp, here we are at the endish of March. A few things of note from the past few weeks–Continue reading
The Author Lining up a Run | Photo Courtesy of B. Maschal Private Collection
After a notably light winter in terms of snow accumulation on the East Coast, early March has gifted us with a couple of decent storms already.Continue reading
B, Improving on Her Reaction to “Babe, Let Me Get a Snap” While She is Navigating Some Difficult Terrain.
Why hit a single summit on your hike when you can do three?!?!? For President’s Day 2023, B led me on a hiking trifecta. Continue reading
Left: B Taking a Quick Break to Apply Crampons | Right: Babe in the Woods
As this unseasonably warm winter weather continues, so does the hiking content on Jake.News, haha. Superbowl Sunday, we decided to do a quick and easy hike. The weather was couched as “cloudy” by the iPhone app. In reality, there were some high wispy clouds diffusing a very strong sun (A/K/A pretty sunny). The temp was reminiscent of late April.Continue reading
Left: The Author at the Halcott Peak Canister (courtesy of the B. Maschal Private Collection) | Right: Waterfall Near the Parking Area
Okay, yes, there is a lot of hiking content on this rag, as of late. There is a reason for this. B is chasing membership to one of the elite Catskills hiking clubs. In order to gain entry, one must complete a multitude of hikes to the highest peaks in the park. Some of them have established trails to follow. Others do not. Cue the “bushwhack”. Yes, it is exactly what it sounds like.. schlepping straight up a mountain over whatever terrain and accompanying flora stands between you and the canister at the peak.Continue reading
On a recent snowy weekend, B and I hiked West Kill peak. It starts on a trail head that we have hiked many times in the past. Notably, it is the trail on which Diamond Notch Falls (see above photo) is located. The peak was mostly socked in. But the scenery along the trail was worth the effort. Continue reading