DEVIL’S PATH Feedback

[notbad]

Devils Path in the Catskills region of NY has been on the radar for awhile. I see it’s spoken of as relatively short but worthy challenge! Reaching out if anyone has thoughts or experiences to share?

[cmoulder]

Tons of stuff online. Such as https://www.nynjtc.org/hike/devils-path-east-section#dialog-hike-description

The east end is the significantly harder part. However, while you're doing it, keep in mind that the whole thing has been done in less than 5 hours (https://www.mountainpeakfitness.com/blog/2015-devils-path-fkt-ben-nephew)! :eek:

[Starchild]

It's a rough, but well marked trail with many up's and downs, some scrambles and the few views are well earned and appreciated. There is a wonderful piped spring between Platuo and Sugarloaf which is about the 1/2 point. The challenge many hikers take on is to do it in a single day.

As opposed to do it in a single day, it does make a very nice challenging backpack. A note on Mike Hallow lean too, and the catskill regulations in general. Catskill regulations require one to camp inside the leantoo, or camp a set distance from it, any trail, water, or road (IIRC 150 ft). The mink hallow lean too is haunted by a well known, not so well loved, ranger who goes there regularly early morning, before most campers get up, to hand out tickets for not following the camping regulations.

[Another Kevin]

It's very rough - about 9000 feet of elevation gain. The east half is harder than the west. The scrambles are comparable to what you might find in northern New England. Allow as much time as you would for comparable mileage in the Whites or Mahoosucs - don't think you'll make the same kind of time that you would on the AT farther south! Also, you had better have at least some head for heights, because there are a couple of spots on that trail that are "you fall; you die." Easy enough to NOT fall, but some people freak out.

Carry enough water over Indian Head, Twin and Sugarloaf, because you don't want to lose elevation to fetch it. That spring between Sugarloaf and Plateau is the only water source between Devil's Kitchen and Stony Clove that isn't 1000 feet of vertical down a side trail.

If you are in no hurry, and you carry enough water to dry camp, there's a sweet unofficial campsite on an unmarked trail that starts out going south from the intersection in Jimmy Dolan Notch. FIre pits, rock chairs, a nice view, everything but a water source.

The views from the fire tower on the summit of Hunter Mountain are worth the side trip, and the Hunter Mountain trail is easy. If you have time, you might even want to loop the Spruceton bridle path and stay at the John Robb shelter, which has a great view as well. The view isn't quite as nice from Devil's Acre, but the shelter has a good spring. If it's full, make sure you camp downhill, because it's right at the 3500 foot line.

Don't bother with the side trip to Southwest Hunter unless you're going after 3500 Club. It's viewless, and the only real attraction is the canister with the log book.

Starchild is right that the Catskills have the unusual rule that it's illegal to camp near a lean-to. Only the inside is authorized for camping. But there are plenty of marked campsites at Mink Hollow. There are a few across the MTB trail from the lean-to, and more down the hill on the trail to the north If you're in that area, look for yellow marker discs saying CAMP HERE. It's not hard to find a spot except maybe on summer weekends. And anywhere that's 150 feet from a trail or watercourse, and below 3500 feet elevation, is fair game for stealth camping, but you might be hard put to find a flat spot!

The mile and a half from the summit of Plateau to the first of the Orchard Point overlooks is gorgeous - a totally silent, level walk though fragrant balsam forest. A pity that you can't camp up there. And the overlooks themselves have great views.

Camping above 3500 feet is illegal March 21-December 20. There are signs on the trail, but you can tell anyway, because that's where the maples and beeches can't live any more, and you start seeing just spruce and balsam with the occasional struggling gray birch.

Check out the descriptions of the individual peaks (Indian Head, Twin, Sugarloaf, Plateau, Hunter, West Kill, Saint Anne) on catskillmountaineer.com for a lot more information.

[Starchild]

...

Carry enough water over Indian Head, Twin and Sugarloaf, because you don't want to lose elevation to fetch it. That spring between Sugarloaf and Plateau is the only water source between Devil's Kitchen and Stony Clove that isn't 1000 feet of vertical down a side trail.
...

Under almost all conditions there is water a short distance down the saddle points on the DP between Indian Head and Twin (very short distance) and Twin and Sugarloaf, not a nice piped spring, but harvestable water not that far down.

[notbad]

Thanks Cmoulder, Starchild, and Another Kevin. Appreciate the time you have taken to lay down such rich descriptions! Gotta do it now....Hopefully I can make it over for some fall colors.

[Another Kevin]

Under almost all conditions there is water a short distance down the saddle points on the DP between Indian Head and Twin (very short distance) and Twin and Sugarloaf, not a nice piped spring, but harvestable water not that far down.

Can you tell that I hiked it the first time in a dry summer? (Which this year has NOT been.) There was nothing down the stream bed in Pecoy Notch until almost to the beaver pond - and I forgot that stream altogether until you reminded me. It's the first time that sticks in the memory.

Of course, another time I did Sugarloaf and Plateau, there were LOTS of water sources because it was raining the Heavens down. The trail down the west side of Sugarloaf was a babbling brook. Thank Heavens the sandstone is grippy, because Sugarloaf is steep.