gorgeous mixed hardwoods and ends at a series of rock ledges with amazing views of the PC, Hudson River, and out onto the Hudson Valley beyond. From the parking area, follow the Long Path out of the back of the lot for approximately one mile to a junction with Huckleberry Ledges Path. The trail here is a four-wheel drive access road and is very nice for skis. Go right at the trail junction, and it’s another 1.4 miles to the viewpoints.
A longer option off the Long Path heading north is to continue past the Huckleberry Point trail junction and out to High Peak. Turn the aforementioned hike into a burly adventure by continuing up the Devil’s Path to the summit of Indian Head Mountain, down into Jimmy Dolan Notch, and then out to Prediger Road
on the Jimmy Dolan Trail. This 4.5-mile loop is quite rugged and lends itself better to snowshoes than skis, as there are a number of steep rock ledges that must be crossed, forcing one to take off and put on the boards at least a couple of times. It’s also steep!
It’s another 2.4 miles to reach the 3655’ summit of High Peak, which has a series of great viewpoints looking southwest back into the PC and over towards the Indian Head/Twin Mountain ridgeline. Except for a final short but steep section, this area offers a nice gradual gain in elevation and crosses a three-mile snowmobile loop that is wonderful on skis.
The PC road itself makes for a wonderful tour as well. By parking at the bottom of the clove in West Saugerties, you can ski up the road—getting a great work out and some of the best views in the our region—and then
OUTDOORS
make a fantastic cruise back down. This is a really brilliant tour, a real gem that has always stayed under the radar.
What makes winter in the PC truly shine is its ice and mixed climbing. The area
is jam-packed with some of the finest winter climbing in the Northeast. There is something for virtually everyone here. Just below the road is the Devil’s Kitchen with its densely packed array of hundred-foot pillars, terrifying hanging daggers, and dark rock caves. Though access to the base of these climbs is easy, climbing them is anything but. Some of the routes in this tight ravine are truly groundbreaking in the sport. Ice climbing has evolved from simply bashing our way up frozen pillars and waterfalls into combining frozen patches, blobs, and hanging daggers with steep rock edges, cracks, and seams; this is mixed climbing. No place in the Catskill region has evolved along with cutting-edge climbs of this genre like the PC, especially the Devil’s Kitchen.
For those looking for some tamer ice climbs, along the Platte Kill itself are a series of moderate waterfall climbs that
can be combined by hiking down the creek bed and rappelling several times. The lowest falls are called Japanese Falls. Next comes Bridal Veil and then Platte Kill Falls itself. All combined, there are six or more falls that—
visitvortex.com
Huckleberry Ledges makes for another fine and moderate objective on either skis or snowshoes. The trail passes through
117