Our friends at the Catskill Native Plant Society and the Mountain Top Historical Society have announced a hike that will be of interest to all who love wildflowers and other flora and to those who love history. The hike will follow the path of 18th century botanist and author John Bartram and his son, William, as they explored the Catskills in 1753. There will be a lecture Saturday evening. Click on the image to learn more.
Join with CMC board member Howard Raab for the fourth Annual Ephemeral Wildflower hike at Kelly Hollow.
This a chance to find and identify the beautiful Spring Ephemeral wildflowers which are so named because they appear above ground in early spring when they flower and fruit and then die back into the ground, all in a short period before the trees have had a chance to leaf out. Most hikers never see these flowers because they wait for late spring or summer to get into the woods. We will look for Trillium, Spring beauties, Trout Lily, Hepatica, Violets, Squirrel Corn, Dutchman’s Britches, Jack-In-The-Pulpit and many others. We may also find some early mushrooms. Continue reading
Join us as we venture off the beaten path. Natures spectacular beauty will greet us even before we arrive at the trailhead. The drive down Peekamoose Rd. is stunning with waterfalls pouring from the valley walls into the creek that parallels the road. We will follow the Long Path south, and then east up to Bangle Hill. The first mile or so of the hike will yield the majority of our elevation. Our effort will be rewarded with wonderful views across the valley towards Van Wyck, Table, and Peekamoose. The trail will ease as we turn east, then we will leave the trail behind for a gradual climb to the first of our trailless summits, Samson Mtn. From here we can expect (weather permitting of course) views to our north and west. Continue reading
Since John Bartram’s visit in 1753, Kaaterskill Falls, New York’s highest at 260′, has been the Catskills most famous waterfall. Painted by Thomas Cole, Asher B. Durand and numerous other members of the Hudson River School and invoked by writers of myth and nature such as Bryant, Cooper and Irving, Kaaterskill is an icon of American Romanticism.
Nearby, and so impressive that many visitors never get to Kaaterskill Falls because they are fooled by its majesty into thinking that they have arrived, Bastion Falls sits roadside at the curve in the road near the foot of Kaaterskill’s deeply carved gorge.
Kindred Spirits by Asher B. Durand – 1849
March 5, 2014 – CRISP is gearing up to educate the public about the problem of aquatic invasive species in the Catskills. Find out how you can help by volunteering for a few days this summer. You’ll be providing a public service and learning some skills while gaining valuable experience, too.
Click on the image for more information.
The DEC has announced that, beginning April 14, part of the parking area at Woodland Valley will be closed for at least two weeks to allow for the removal of ash trees infested with emerald ash borer, an invasive insect species that attacks and kills ash trees. For those planning to hike the Burroughs Range or on the Phoenicia-East Branch Trail, alternative parking is available at other parking areas. For more information see the April 14 update on the NYNJTC’s Catskills Hiking Trail Status and Conditions page.
Marck 1, 2014 – The DEC is proposing to make several improvements in the Bluestone Wild Forest. They are:
1) Construct and mark a new 2.5 mile mountain bike trail to be located within the Jockey Hill section of the unit.
2) Update the official trail network of the unit by designating appropriate trails and re-routing or closing inappropriate trails.
3) Manage Onteora Lake as a warm water recreational fishery.
We believe that the changes proposed by the NYSDEC are all very positive, and will greatly enhance this tremendous resource in the eastern Catskill Mountain region. These proposed changes will benefit the user groups that frequent these lands and waters, and likely invite additional users. We feel that the changes proposed by the NYSDEC will adequately balance this use and the protection of the natural resources within the Blue Stone Wild Forest.
March 1, 2014 – On Tuesday, February 25 the CMC participated in Catskill Park Awareness Day by traveling to Albany to talk with our representatives in state government. Along with delegates from 35 other organizations that have banded together in the new Catskill Park Coalition, four members of the CMC board went to speak on behalf of programs that are focussed on improving the economy of the Catskills and on the stewardship of the Catskill Park. Continue reading
“How Wolves Change Rivers” is a short video about the restoration of ecological systems. This beautiful video may give you a deeper appreciation of the connectedness in all of nature.
From Sustainable Man.