Author: ml242

Spuyten the Duyvil’s Path

Posted on by ml242

A dissected plateau. That’s the official term for the Catskills in the unpoetic language of the geologists who coined the phrase. It makes sense when you stand on their summits and note the similar heights of the various peaks.

Devil's Path View

Still, the designation was clearly given by a scholar at a desk.  On the other hand, our hike, The Devil’s Path Traverse, was clearly named by those with boots on the ground.

I had the rough pleasure of hiking the traverse, which is also known as The Hardest Day Hiking Trail in America. At 25 miles and 17,000 vertical feet, it’s a sprawling journey of soaring views of the Hudson Valley and Catskills Park, replete with opportunities to scramble the climbs and cruise long downhills.

Continue reading →

Tagged: Backcountry, Catskills, Hiking, Hunter6 Comments

Spring Awakening at Seven Springs, PA

Posted on by ml242

I spent the day Monday watching the NWS radar in total disbelief: a huge, swirling, stalled storm was dropping snow on western New York and Pennsylvania. It was hard not to think, “why couldn’t this have happened in February?”

Seven Springs PA

But something was different about this “after the bloom” storm; there were shades of blue, grey, and white over the higher terrain, and up to 24″ was expected when things were said and done.

Seven Springs was tweeting that they were going to spin the lifts. My skis and boots came out of the closet in the afternoon, but I still wasn’t sure would drive west towards the snow. For years I’ve ranted about ski areas closing with perfectly good snow on the ground, and I felt the need to put my money, time and fuel where my mouth is.

Continue reading →

Tagged: PA, Powder20 Comments

The Mountains Less Traveled: Chic Chocs, QC

Posted on by ml242

This year I’ve taken a relaxed approach to the end of ski season. I’ve put storage wax on but left my the skis by the door. To some extent I’ve been right and wrong. Local hills have long since abandoned attempts to stay open and the lucky few who skied the recent dump in the Greens surely know that the curtain is lowering on winter.

My unhurried approach this spring is the result of a secret card I’ve had up my sleeve, a trip booked months ago to the far reaches of the Northeast, the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec. The area is home to the Chic Choc mountains, a backcountry paradise of huts and deep snow at the tip of the Appalachian range. What follows is my first taste of adventure in this exceptional place, although I am sure that this could easily become a yearly installment.

Continue reading →

Tagged: Magazine, Quebec