Peekamoose Mountain Trail, NY

For the first time I can remember, skiing barely crossed my mind as I drove into the Catskills. After one of the most perfect springs in years, summer turned the page by burning it off the calendar.

Peekamoose-Stream

Multiple days over 90 degrees had me and my friends feeling the heat. With a rare midweek opportunity to hit the trails with a car full of company, we jumped at the chance.

With a group of mixed experience, I scoured my maps to find something easy with advantageous lookouts and a lack of crowds, that would also be close to some cool options for after the hike. After weighing endless options, I settled on the trail up Peekamoose Mountain, for selfishly, I had yet to hike it and wanted to see Wittenberg and some of the reservoirs from that side.

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High Life on the Long Trail

“There’s gold in those hills!” As I pulled into the parking lot for Camel’s Hump state park, it was evident that fall was upon us. Autumn is a magic time of year in the Northeast. The days get shorter quickly, so it’s important to squeeze every drop of life and light from the sun.

Camels Hump via Long Trail

We knew in advance that there are two trails on the West side of Camel’s Hump to attain the Long Trail, the Forest City and the Burroughs. We saw no one parked at the lower elevation Forest City parking lot, but we did notice a few cars coming down from the Burroughs lot.

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The Peaked Mountain Pond Trail, NY

The Peak Mountain hike at the northern end of the Siamese Ponds Wilderness is normally reserved for clear days, to take advantage of sweeping views from the summit. But with forecasts calling for thunderstorms later in the day, I was looking for a close-to-home hiking option, so I could be at the trailhead early.

Twin Pines campsite on 13th Lake.
Balm of Gilead from Thirteenth Lake

I hadn’t been up the Peaked Mountain Pond Trail in several years, so I decided to go for it. The morning dawned clear, and I had visions of snagging fleeting views from the top. I made it to the trailhead at the end of the Beach Road at 7am.

As I walked along the shore of Thirteenth Lake, I could see that Balm of Gilead summit was in and out of the mist, and I knew the odds of seeing anything from the summit of Peaked were slim.

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