West Kill
The Devil’s Path and St. Anne’s Peak
August 25, 2007
by Larry Allen (#1277) and Kevin Wagner (#1283)
The morning opened to offer a tantalizing day, and we anxiously agreed to its terms. The forecast was to be clear with possible late afternoon showers and humidity at its peak for this summer day with temperatures near ninty. As usual, Larry Allen (#1277) and Kevin Wagner (#1283) made last minute adjustments to the hiking plan up until departure from Binghamton. We invited eight along on the hike, expected five, and had an aspirant, Chris High, accept. With the pups, Zephyr and Uli, we make our quota of a party of five for a loop hike from Spruceton Road to Spruceton Road along Diamond Notch and The Devil’s Path.
We all depart Binghamton in a single vehicle on a hike originally planned to use two vehicles. It wasn’t until we were well on our way east on I-88 that the consequence of our decision fully struck us: we’ve just added an extra three and a half miles onto our hike, all road walk. Things could be worse (and usually are).
Normally, climbing West Kill would be a moderate day hike from Spruceton Road past Diamond Notch Falls, a refreshing place to cool off on a hot summer day. Just past the falls, the path to West Kill crosses the Diamond Notch bridge that shares both red and blue trail markers. After crossing the bridge, the trail is a steady and a constant climb until you reach the first of two false peaks of West Kill. After crossing the three quarters of a mile length of the mountain, the trail reaches the worthwhile vantage point at the Buck Ridge Lookout, just a tenth of a mile from the summit.
The last three times we climbed West Kill, we’ve approached the traipse as an out-and-back. This time was to be different, though. Our itinerary was to continue from West Kill summit along the red-blazed Devil’s Path and hike to its terminus on Spruceton Road. This route is not only along a section of the Devil’s Path that we have yet to travel, but also presents to us our first intentional peak of the Catskill hundred highest summits.
Now, as we turn onto Spruceton Road for the second time this month, we drive past where we had planned to park our second car. Continuing along the road, we watch as the miles tick past: first one, then two, now three… At just past three miles, we arrive at the end of road where the closed gate tells us this is the last parking area on Spruceton Road. As we gear up, we listen to Zephyr whine, her typical way of telling us that she is ready to hike.
Water rushing over Diamond Notch Falls has enticed a group of young three-day hikers to rest and cool off under the red and blue-blazed trail bridge. As we leave the blue Diamond Notch trail behind and pick up the red Devil’s Path, it quickly becomes obvious that we are the first hikers of the day. The lead hiker of our group removes spider webs spun across the trail as he climbs, clearing the path for the two laggards. Chris in the lead stops and notices that he has lost the protective end of his walking stick, but Kevin finds it hidden among the nettles.
As we near the top of the steady climb, we hear hikers approaching from behind. We pause on the narrow trail to let them pass, but Marcia and John choose to join our party instead. Now a real party of five and two dogs, we continue the relentless ascent.
The feeling of nearly reaching our personal destination unit vanishes as the false peak teases us and the 3500 foot sign reminds us that we still have almost four hundred feet left to climb. Knowing what lay ahead, we pressed onward.
Buck Ridge Lookout offers grand views of The Slide Wilderness Area, Hunter Mountain Wild Forest, and the Indian Head Wilderness Area. Today was no different, only slightly dimmed by the haziness of the humid day. After pausing for a Kodak moment and an instructional lesson on Rip Van Winkle and bowling (or were the old timers having a bit of fun), it’s onward to the only summit in the Catskills with a wooden sign and a cairn marking the summit of West Kill (3880’). All five of us spend time getting acquainted as we eat lunch. Marcia and John are friendly, inquisitive, and informative. Our chats flow like old friends meeting again. At times, dual conversations cross in mid-air. No lulls or pauses, just an exchange of banter and information.
Marcia, a member of the 48ers, having climbed the forty-eight peaks over four thousand feet in the White Mountain National Forest of New Hampshire, shows us that she is an avid, dedicated, and serious hiker when she tells us that she completed the Whites in just two seasons. John, who’s favorite Catskill Peaks are Rocky and Lone, shows his appreciation for a bushwhack well-done and his glutton for punishment.
Lunch finished, conversations and jokes give their end to a picture of new friends under the West Kill Summit sign. Marcia and John leave West Kill to relax and bathe under the Diamond Notch falls, and we continue toward St. Anne’s Peak (3420’), also known as the western peak.
The trail is treacherous, burdened with slanted rocks, smooth and slick with moss and moisture. Small crags and drops slow us down as we slip and slide down the mountain trail.
At two miles from the summit of West Kill, we are surprised by an unexpected steep climb of almost one hundred fifty feet to the summit of St. Anne’s Peak. An innocent looking rock baits Larry. He falls on his side, gashing his arm and bruising his hip. Being ahead of Chris and Kevin on the trail, he assesses the damage and finds he is ok and continues the climb. Within a few moments, Larry notices he has lost his eyeglasses. Larry and Kevin retrace the trail back down into the col in search of Larry’s glasses. Kevin returns with a pair of sunglasses he has found, and not the right prescription for Larry. St. Anne keeps what is hers.
The descent from St. Anne’s Peak is steep and seemingly ceaseless. Tired hikers are now more susceptible to the pitfalls of slippery rocks. Just when we think we are nearing Spruceton Road, a trail sign reveals that we have come just three miles from West Kill and still have one and a half miles to Spruceton Road. This information is a blow to our morale as we are tormented by the knowledge that we are still five miles from the truck. To add insult to injury, we can start to hear thunder rumbling off in the distance. This could be bad. The three of us have been caught in a thunderstorm before, on a hike to Huckleberry Point, but that’s a story for another day.
Spruceton Road. Finally. Chris and Larry trudge wearily along on the pavement. Kevin trots ahead with the pups to sign out and retrieve the truck. To call this bit of road hiking uncomfortable is an understatement. The sun is beating down on us. Without the benefit of tree canopy, we start to feel the effects of the nearly ninety degree temperatures.
At the narrowing of Spruceton Road, we all meet again and drive back to the Devil’s Path parking area to relax and decompress. With this portion of the Devil’s Path completed, Kevin needs only from Prediger Road to the intersection of the blue-blazed Overlook Trail, and Larry needs only a small portion to the top of Plateau to complete the DP(R) trail system.
As we sit on the tailgate talking about the hike to unwind, our discussion touches on just how hard the last part of the hike had been. “Why would anyone start from here” and “I bet hardly anyone does this part of the trail system” are uttered. Kevin walks back up to the register and discovers that in the past week, twenty-six hikers have signed in here with the intent of either hiking to West Kill and/or Hunter. One hiker’s destination actually showed Prediger Road, thus hiking the entirety of the Devil’s Path in one sitting. Quite an accomplishment, indeed.
We now realize our hiking goals are expanding. It began simply to top a peak, then grew to complete the '35' to earn a patch and join a club. Now, we find we’re trying to finish the Devil's Path, walk the whole Escarpment, challenge the "100's", learn the Catskill's in more detail, and find the elusive Blarney Stone.
We have a ways to go and other unknown Catskill goals ahead.