NEW YORK - Catskill Trails - Slide Mountain. De Bouton Memorial Shelter a Slide Mountain y descenso a Oliverea Rd, ruta NY-47

⇐ Enlace a la etapa anterior: NEW YORK - Catskill Trails - Peekamoose Mountain y Table Mountain. De Peekamoose Road a Bouton Memorial Shelter

Recorrido por el sur de la Catskill Forest Preserve, en el estado de Nueva York (Estados Unidos), siguiendo el Peekamoose - Table Trail (en su descenso desde Table Mountain), seguido de un tramo del Phoenicia East Branch Trail, del Curtis Ormsbee Trail y del Wittenberg - Cornell - Slide Trail, coincidiendo en buena parte de su trazado con un segmento del Long Path.

El itinerario comienza en el Bouton Memorial Shelter, muy próximo a la cima de Table Mountain, y finaliza a orillas de la rama oeste del Neversink River, junto a la ruta NY-47, Oliverea Road, alcanzando, en su cota más alta, la cima del Slide Mountain (4.180 pies), pico más alto de la región.


Inicio de la etapa. Bouton Memorial Shelter

La etapa discurre íntegramente en el interior del Sundowm Wild Forest, magnífico espacio natural de 122 kilómetros cuadrados, situado en la zona sur de los Catskills, con multitud de ríos y arroyos, cascadas y diez montañas de altura superior a los 2.000 pies.


Vista panorámica hacia el este, desde una plataforma rocosa próxima a la cima del Slide Mt.

Realizamos esta marcha en compañía de siete experimentados montañeros de Nueva York, Nueva Jersey y Connecticut, miembros del grupo BLAZE.

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Trail Description(to the top of Slide Mountain) - [New York - New Jersey Trail Conference]

0.00 A trail leads left to the Bouton Memorial Lean-to. About 500 ft past the turn-off to the lean-to is an excellent spring.
0.35 Begin to climb over a small knoll. The way down includes four sharp drops that are separated by gentler sections.
1.15 The descent is interrupted briefly by a second small knoll.
1.95 Two DEC campsites are indicated with yellow tent markers.
2.00 The trail drops into the broad, flat flood plain of the East Branch of the Neversink River.
2.10 Pass the flood plain of the East Branch of the Neversink River. At the crossing of Deer Shanty Brook, two new log bridges have been constructed where crossings at times of high water were formerly a problem.
2.25 Climb out of the flood plain and ascend gently.
2.40 Reach the yellow-blazed Phoenicia-East Branch Trail.* To continue, turn right and follow the yellow markers. To the left, it is 1.2 miles to the parking area at the end of Denning Road.
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2.40 From the intersection of the Peekamoose-Table Trail with the Phoenicia-East Branch Trail (it is 1.2 mi from Denning Road to this intersection) proceed north on the yellow-blazed Phoenicia-East Branch Trail (a woods road). The trail rises gently but steadily through hardwood forest, crossing a few small streams.
2.95 Pass a spring to the left of the trail.
3.25 Cross a stream on a wooden bridge. The trail runs along the shoulder of a steep slope, with the rushing water of Deer Shanty Brook below to the right.
4.15 Turn right onto the blue-blazed Curtis-Ormsbee Trail. The yellow-blazed Phoenicia-East Branch Trail continues straight ahead, reaching Ulster County Route 47 in 1.5 miles. Near the junction is a DEC campsite, and a stone monument in memory of William ("Father Bill") Curtis and Allen Ormsbee, both of whom died in a snowstorm on Mt. Washington on June 30, 1900. The trail is named in their memory. The Curtis-Ormsbee Trail leads up the ridge of the Burroughs Range, which comes into view just before the trail junction. The ascent is sometimes steeply up rock ledges, and alternates between hardwood and spruce forest.
4.80 About 500 feet past the sign marking the 3,500-foot elevation, a short side trail leads right, to a ledge with a spectacular lookout. Table Mountain (with its long, flat top) and Rocky and Lone Mountains are clearly visible. The ascent continues, with level, swampy stretches and steep climbs.
5.80 Turn right onto the red-blazed Wittenberg-Cornell-Slide Trail. The trail ascends gently through dense spruce trees.
6.05 Reach the summit of Slide Mountain (marked by a concrete slab, a remnant of a former fire tower). At 4,180 feet in elevation, this is the highest point in the Catskill Mountains. In another 300 feet, an outcrop on the left side of the trail offers an excellent view to the east, with the Ashokan Reservoir visible below in the distance. The Burroughs Plaque, commemorating John Burroughs, is set into the side of this outcrop. The descent from Slide is steep and rugged, with wooden steps provided in the steepest section. Several good views are possible along the way.
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Índice IBP: 71 HKG
Distancia total: 14.2 Km
Desn. de subida acumulado: 628.75 m
Desn. de bajada acumulado: 951.41 m
Altura máxima : 1237.39 m
Altura mínima : 645.95 m
Tiempo total : 6:00:22 h
Tiempo en movimiento: 4:16:46 h
Tiempo parado : 1:43:36 h
Velocidad media total: 2.36 Km/h
Velocidad media en movimiento: 3.32 Km/h


Índice IBP. IBP index es un sistema de valoración automático que puntúa la dificultad de una ruta recorrida