Last time we did an Easter week hiking trip was four years ago when I had appendicitis and had an appendectomy when we returned home, so I knew that my appendix wouldn't get in the way of hiking adventures this time! :P We rented a nice little A frame in East Jewett that I found on AirBnB and were lucky to have our friends, Jay and Maureen, join us for two days. It was also our dog Murphy's first time hiking. We're all getting over various medical ailments as we age and I had never hiked with Jay and Maureen, so I figured Pratt Rocks would be a good tester the first day. I had heard about it for years, but had never seen it and it did not disappoint. You can take the easy way and veer right on the trail, just after the parking lot and go right to the carvings, or you can make your way up, just a bit higher and head to some nice viewpoints. The trail is not marked, but it's certainly not hard to figure out, as it is well-worn, though I did need to figure out a way down to the rocks from above, on a connecting trail, right near some barbed wire. We hit Windham the next day and I was surprised at how dry the trail was, considering a week or so prior, people over on the Catskill Trails Conditions page on Facebook were wondering "When is the snow going to disappear?". Maureen was getting a bit tired, fairly close to the top and needed a little encouragement to keep going. We rested a bit, ate a little and then a few minutes later, we were on the summit! Jay texted me later that Maureen was very proud of making it and now wants to get back hiking and exercising after some medical issues and I felt less guilty about pushing her harder than maybe she wanted to be pushed. We were so surprised how quickly Murphy took to the hiking! Wednesday, Jay and Maureen headed home, after we had breakfast at Selena's Diner and then we checked out Kaaterskill Falls from the viewing platform. We headed home to collect Murphy and we hit the Platte Clove Preserve to see the Clove and the Plattekill Falls and quite honestly, those falls are the best bang for your buck down there. They are breathtaking! Off to North South Lake day use area/campground. We walked in on the road to Ashley Falls and then went through the woods on the way to Mary's Glen and then back to the car via the Rock Shelter trail. It was muddy! Thursday, we hit Thomas Cole to help Jean get to #11 on the list and Murphy to two. It was hot and it was a tough day! Again, surprised at how dry it was, especially down low, though we did find some snow and ice up high, though we didn't need to use the microspikes. We had spectacular weather while we were there, though we wouldn't have minded it a little cooler. We didn't see any bears, but they must be out there, as Murphy would come to a standstill several times on Thomas Cole and Jim Bouton, who we missed by an hour on Thomas Cole, told me he had spooked one about an hour before we had arrived to the summit. We did see some bugs flying and hovering, but they thankfully took no interest in us. New gear tested on this trip was Murphy's Ruff Wear Palisades pack, which I recommend highly! He easily carried his water and some snacks and made it a little easier on me, not having to carry his water and he didn't mind it one bit! Dinners were at the Tap House Grille for a great burger and Mill Rock for yummy Chicken Parm(my fave). We had a spectacular time again in the Catskills.
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