Catskills: Elm Ridge, 3/20/24

The forecast for our last full day in the Catskills called for potential snow squalls blowing through mid-afternoon, so we didn't want to venture too far away on the area's steep, winding roads. We decided to stick close to "home" and do a geocaching hike on the mountain bike trail network at Elm Ridge, a lower western spur of Windham High Peak. This has to be one of the best mountain biking trail networks in the region, with a variety of rides for all levels. The trails are also much used by walkers.

The network starts out on the Escarpment Trail, a 20-mile hiking route along the eastern rim of the Catskills. From Route 23 this trail crosses a wetland area on bridges and boardwalks, with a view of Windham High Peak in the distance.

Pleasant walking.

We branched off the Escarpment Trail on the Outer Loop mountain bike trail, which meanders through old pastureland grown to forest, with many stone walls.

Nice open woods.

Much of the forest here is a mix of hardwoods and hemlocks. Many of the geocaches we found in the Elm Ridge Series were hanging on hemlock branches.

Mountain bikers sure know how to have fun.

After a long wander we rejoined the Escarpment Trail and headed up it for another geocache.

 

Carol turned around and descended for more geocaches while I continued up the Escarpment Trail to the junction with the Elm Ridge Trail.

A neat cliff band borders the upper end of the gentle Elm Ridge Trail.

A visit to a trailless beaver pond on the SE side of Elm Ridge had been on my Catskill list for years, and today was the day. I branched off the Elm Ridge Trail on another mountain bike trail and descended into the basin that holds the pond. Through the trees I could see the entire Blackhead Range.

I bushwhacked down to the pond and skirted around the edge until I found a view of Thomas Cole Mountain (3953 ft.) and its spur, Camel's Hump.

With a bit of maneuvering I reached a vista towards Thomas Cole (R) and Black Dome (L).

I found a seat on a log along the west shore and had lunch while looking across the water to spur ridges of Windham High Peak. A peaceful spot.

Behind the pond on the SW is an amazing flat, open glade of hemlocks.

I climbed to yet another mountain bike trail that passes beneath a series of classic Catskill ledges.

Then I whacked up a beautiful little drainage back to the Elm Ridge Trail.

Before heading down, I paid a visit to the Elm Ridge Lean-To and checked out the woodland vista from the clifftop behind the shelter. If you only have a few hours, the mellow terrain of the Elm Ridge area is a good place for a mini-adventure.

 On our way home the next day, we stopped at the Stewart's Shop (iconic convenience stores in the Catskills and Adirondacks) near the town of Cairo for an impressive view of Blackhead Mountain looming 3500 ft. above. I was particularly interested in having a partial look at a slide on the NE face of the peak known as Arizona. It can be seen on the left, above the building. This slide, one of only a very few in the Catskills, fell during Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. The land below the slide is private, so it can only be accessed by a steep descent from the Escarpment Trail above or a long sidehill traverse from the Dutcher Notch area or the north slope of Blackhead. Maybe someday...