Blackhead Range overnight

After much planning and then re planning I headed back to the Catskills for a father/son overnight backpack with my son, Tom.  We decided to go back to the Blackhead Range and climb Blackhead, Black Dome, and Thomas Cole mountains.  The weather was beautiful, perfect for early summer hiking.

Blackhead, Black Dome, and Thomas Cole

We arrived at the DEC parking lot on Big Hollow Rd. (Country rt 56) about 3pm and planned to stay the night near the Batavia Kill shelter.  It is a quick hike in to the shelter, about 1.5 miles, and we made good time.  We hung out at the shelter for a bit before making our way up to the top of the ridge where we hung our hammocks and set up for the night. 

Tom hanging out in Batavia Kill shelter

Once camp was set up we had time to kill before dinner and we just relaxed in the hammocks and enjoyed the afternoon.  For dinner, we made the short trip back to the shelter to cook and refill our water bottles.  Mountain House Chili Mac went down good for me and Tom made a tuna wrap and then downed a Mountain House Spaghetti and Meat Sauce meal.  Both Mountain House meals were tasty and filling.  We agreed they were "keepers" and would make another trip with us in the future.  After dinner we refilled water near the shelter and made our way back to our stealth site.  It was a nice relaxing evening and we were both in the hammock before dark.  We heard a group of hikers pass by on the trail and make their way down to the shelter, and from the sounds of it set up camp there.  I was glad we opted to set up further away.

The morning dawned bright and sunny and we broke camp early, hoping to beat the afternoon heat. We ate a quick breakfast and made our way to the Escarpment Trail and began the climb up Blackhead.  From reading reports online I was expecting a steep difficult climb, and that is exactly what it was.  It is just under a mile to the summit from where we started and the climb gets steeper and more difficult the higher you go.  There is a nice lookout on the way up and other screened views as well.

Getting steep now

After the first views and as it got steeper and more technical, Tom really started to enjoy the mountains and hike.  I, on the other hand, began to run out of gas and was pretty tired by the time we reached the summit, at 3950ft.  We both loved the climb though, using both our hands and knees to get over obstacles, and the change in forest, to a Boreal forest, was awesome.  We both loved it.  We took a short break at the summit and drank and rested before exploring the top and seeing another lookout.

Camp Steel 1935

After hanging out on Blackhead for a bit we headed over to Black Dome.  The trail descends about 400 ft or so before climbing to the summit of Black Dome.  There was a great view on the way down and we stopped and took many pictures before the trees covered us again.

Looking at Black Dome

After the great views we made our way down to the trail junction in Lockwood Gap.  We decided to drop our full packs and hike Black Dome and Thomas Cole with only the cameras and water.  It made it much easier and we were glad to be rid of the weight.  The climb up Black Dome has some steep scrambles and there are a couple spots where both hands are required to make it up.  It goes pretty quick and soon you are cruising through the Boreal forest on top and the hiking is easy.  On the way up there is a lookout offering a great view of Blackhead and the valleys on both sides.  It was great and Tom enjoyed seeing the mountain he had just hiked up and over.

Climbing up Black Dome

We hiked up and over the summit of Black Dome, 3990 ft, with only one lookout.  This offered nice views looking south and west.  Hunter mountain stood out to me as we enjoyed the view.  We then started toward Thomas Cole mountain, which has no views from the summit.  Tom decided he would wait for me and I made a quick jaunt over and back to hit the summit.  Thomas Cole mountian is 3950ft  with a beautiful Boreal forest on the summit but no views out.  After reaching the summit I returned and Tom and I made our way back over Black Dome and down to Lockwood Gap to retreive our packs.

View from Black Dome

 After coming down from Black Dome we grabbed our packs and made the long descent down Lockwood Gap to the Batavia Kill and on to the car.  The trip down was long, with lots of loose rock covering the trail, making it treacherous.  Eventually the trail leveled out somewhat and the rocks were not as difficult to navigate.  We arrived back at the car at noon and headed home.  We had hiked 7 miles and climbed three of the Catskills 3500 footers.  It was a fantastic trip!

A Night at Upper Goose Pond

I made the time over this Easter weekend to enjoy a night in the woods and hike the next day.  My friend, Mark, and I decided to hike from Rt 20, Lee to Tyringham Rd in Massachusetts, with a night spent at Upper Goose Pond.  We were dropped off at the hiker parking lot on Rt 20 a little after 6pm and were on the trail soon after.  It was a beautiful evening as we crossed the Mass. Pike and made our way up the hill toward our camp. The trail climbs a little from the highway but soon levels out and is smooth hiking. It is about 1.6 miles to the Upper Goose Pond cabin and we arrived about 7:30pm

There was two other hikers staying at one of the campsites as well and we chatted for a bit before choosing our spot and setting up camp.  The light was fading fast as we both set up our hammocks and did camp chores. Once finished setting up, I cooked dinner, a Mountain House Beef Stroganoff meal, that was quite tasty and filled me up nicely.  I was hungry and wolfed it down pretty quick. Then it was a quiet night of conversation and looking at the stars.  The temps were starting to drop and we decided to turn in around 10pm.

Overnight the clouds came in and the morning dawned grey.  We took our time as we broke camp and cooked breakfast.  We were packed up and moving at 9am.  The trail snakes around the pond and we stopped to watch a flock of ducks take off flying low over the water away from us.  Then it was time to get down to hiking and we made good time the 3.6 or so miles to the other end of the Goose Pond management area.  The trail goes through hardwood forest with a few Hemlocks sprinkled about and a few swampy beaver ponds as well.  We made it to the first road crossing, Goose Pond Rd., and continued on without a break.

Once we crossed the road the rest of the hike went pretty quick.  The trail goes past some old stone foundations and many stonewalls as it slowly climbs up Baldy Mtn. topping out at 1900 ft.  Then it's a steady downhill to Tyringham Rd.  There are no real views along this section of trail, it's just a nice walk through the woods.  There are a few spots that are very rocky and can be a little challenging and tiring to hike but for the most part there is no difficult terrain.  

We hiked just under 8 miles and arrived at the car at 1:15pm.  It was a nice relaxing hike with great weather and no bugs yet.  Mark can check off another section and I finally got out for a little camping.  I am already looking forward to the next trip.

Easy Backpacking meal

I always enjoy tweaking my backpacking stuff.  Whether it is gear, technique, or food I find it fun to play around with how I do something.  This weekend I tried a new meal for the trail.  I know that using Knorr sides is not new, and I have tried one before, but never really took to carrying it with me on trips.  But as I was shopping the other day for an upcoming camping trip with the Boy Scouts I passed them in the store and thought I might give it another try.  I also knew I needed to add something more to it, so I picked up a can of chicken.  My plan was to make a one pot meal that tasted good, had a good amount of calories, and would not be a pain to cook.

I bought the Knorr Creamy Chicken flavor Rice and Pasta Blend and Great Value Chunk Chicken breast at the local Walmart.  I wanted to try this at home just in case it didn’t work out so I set up my camp stove, for this time I used a Primus backpacking stove and my GSI soloist cookset.  The recipe calls for 2 cups water and optional 1Tbsp. butter.  Bring contents to a boil and then simmer for 7 min.  I drained and added the chicken when it started simmering.  After about 5 min. I turned off the stove and let the contents simmer for another 3-4 min. covered. 

It made a good amount, about 4 cups worth and depending how hungry you are may be enough for 2 people.  The rice and pasta had cooked well and had thickened up nicely, it was not soupy at all.

Now it was time for the taste test.  

It was very good.  I liked the flavor of the sauce.  The rice and pasta were cooked through and had a good texture.  The chicken was hot and tender.  It was a good meal.  I enjoyed it for lunch as did my son, who helped in the taste testing.  We both agree that it would be a nice meal on the trail.  Calories for the entire package, which had 2.5 servings is 600 and with the 12.5oz can of chicken adds 270 calories for a total of 870 calories.  Cost for the meal was about $3.  The only down side I can see is you have to wash your pot.  I’ll have to work on cooking this in a freezer bag for a wash free meal.

I plan to use this meal on my next overnight trip, it is cheap and easy and tastes good.