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The hike in via the direct route was pretty easy.
Coming out and down the other side was a bit trickier and much wetter.
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Steep, rocky some icy spots. Plane crash. Easy hike from Friday to Balsam Cap. Foggy day and warm.
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The hike out to panther mountain on a beautiful November day doesn’t disappoint. Panoramic views from giant ledge along the way and a good rocky catskill climb to 3700ft among the sweet scented balsam, lichen covered ledge and silhouettes of all the surrounding mountains.
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We went to Balsam Mountain and then this. The Giant Ledge is a rocky climb but the trail is very well maintained and the views on the top are far better than that of the Balsam.
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Nice day, sunny and 42 degrees. Slushy on the way back down, spikes were helpful.
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Nice day, sunny and 42 degrees. Slushy on the way back down, spikes were helpful.
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Excellent winter hike. Spikes up to great ledge. 1st time snowshoes to Panther
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Was dreading this hike a bit since I heard it’s the toughest bushwhack in the Catskills 35, but it isn’t bad at all IF you stay on the worn path! We veered off a bit on the way up to Balsam Cap but other than that found this one very enjoyable. Clocked in at under 4 hours, 7.15mi. Good views at both Friday and just before the Balsam Cap peak. Bring bug spray!
(Note: we didn’t start the recording until ~1 mi in, so the distance & elevation is more than this shows)
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Long and steep but very quiet and rarely hiked. Lots of wildlife. The scenic view at 3250 is excellent. And the north side of Panther’s summit is rich Catskills fun.
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Challenging bushwhack hike. This route cuts over to the site of a B-25 bomber crash site before heading up to Friday.
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Challenging but very fun hike. Moderately steep 3.4 miles to Wittenberg summit with epic 180 degree+ views. Continuing another mile or so to Cornell you must traverse a fairly tight scramble known as the Cornell Crack. I had no trouble but others in my party had reservations, so I dropped a rope to give them some assurance on the way up. Our dog also needed a boost up; it was harder for her on the way down. Cornell has very limited views. After the return trip down to Woodland Valley we had a nice birthday celebration in the parking lot. Note that parking at the state park is $6 per car. Bathrooms and water available there.
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