Recent reports (8)
A comprehensive peakbagging guide for the Catskill 3500 Club, describing routes, difficulty levels, and strategic pairing of 33 publicly-accessible Catskill peaks above 3,500 ft. The guide covers single peaks, pairs, triplets, and multi-peak challenge routes with no specific trail conditions reported.
adk-balsam-lake,
adk-hunter,
cat-balsam,
cat-balsam-cap,
cat-bearpen,
cat-big-indian,
cat-black-dome,
cat-blackhead,
cat-cornell,
cat-eagle,
cat-fir,
cat-friday,
cat-halcott,
cat-indian-head,
cat-kaaterskill-high,
cat-lone,
cat-north-dome,
cat-panther,
cat-peekamoose,
cat-plateau,
cat-rocky,
cat-rusk,
cat-sherrill,
cat-slide,
cat-sugarloaf,
cat-table,
cat-thomas-cole,
cat-twin,
cat-vly,
cat-west-kill,
cat-windham-high,
cat-wittenberg
Route description for a north-side approach to Bearpen and Vly from a col, featuring a long road walk, partial trail and bushwhack sections, with modest summit views. The author characterizes this route as slightly less undesirable than the southern approach but with greater elevation gain and distance.
bushwhack
A day hike up Vly and Bearpen in misty, wet conditions. The air was cool and moist with everything wet from overnight rain, creating a rainforest-like atmosphere with limited views due to persistent clouds that didn't burn off until descent.
high-waterlow-visibilitywet
This is a curated collection of user-submitted trail condition reports for Catskill peaks spanning from late 2021 through April 2025, covering seasonal conditions including snow, ice, mud, trail quality, water availability, and wildlife/bug activity across multiple routes and elevations.
adk-hunter,
cat-balsam,
cat-balsam-cap,
cat-bearpen,
cat-big-indian,
cat-black-dome,
cat-blackhead,
cat-cornell,
cat-eagle,
cat-fir,
cat-friday,
cat-halcott,
cat-indian-head,
cat-kaaterskill-high,
cat-lone,
cat-north-dome,
cat-panther,
cat-peekamoose,
cat-plateau,
cat-rocky,
cat-rusk,
cat-sherrill,
cat-slide,
cat-sugarloaf,
cat-thomas-cole,
cat-twin,
cat-vly,
cat-west-kill,
cat-windham-high,
cat-wittenberg
blowdownbreakable-crustbug-heavycoldcrampons-requireddeep-snowdryerodedexposedfrozen-groundhard-icehigh-windicelow-visibilitymudmud-deepovergrownparking-fullpostholingrainrime-icerotten-snowslushsnowsnowshoes-requiredspikes-requiredsteepverglaswater-availablewater-drywater-scarcewetwet-rockwhiteout
Hiked Bearpen and Vly on February 18, 2023, encountering patchy ice and hard ice layers from refrozen melt. Microspikes were necessary, especially on Vly where hard ice made it difficult to get good traction, though the hike was completed without incident.
bushwhackhard-iceicespikes-required
A hiker completes the Catskill 3500 grid (all 35 peaks four times) on August 21, 2022, culminating on Kaaterskill High Peak with friends. The post reflects on a seven-year journey of responsible stewardship, trail maintenance, and deepening appreciation for the Catskills, emphasizing conservation and community over competitive speed.</summary>
<parameter name="confidence">High
An evergreen route guide for Belleayre via Lost Clove, featuring a relentlessly steep ascent through Lost Clove followed by a ridge walk with occasional views of surrounding peaks and the Belleayre Ski Resort. The route has no technical challenges but is marked difficult due to the sustained steep grade.
overgrownrockysteep
A route guide describing the bushwhack trails up Vly and Bearpen in the Catskills, noting that both are easy, unscenic hikes suitable for families. The author rates them as the "boring" Catskill 3500 peaks with minimal natural features, though Vly features modest ledges and a clear herd path.
bushwhackovergrown