Catskill
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here
are spectacular views from the mountaintops in the
Catskills. From Wittenberg's 3780 summit one can view
the blue waters of the Ashokan Reservoir and the hills
of New England. From the highest Catskill peak, Slide
Mountain, one can see the Hudson Valley, the Green
Mountains in Vermont, and the Berkshire Hills in Massachusetts.
It is easy to understand, when standing on these peaks,
why the Indian's called the Catskills the "Mountains
in the Sky."
Formed during two eras
of the earth's growth, most of the Catskill's were
formed during the Devonian Period, 300 million years
ago. Erosion from high mountains in New England moved
soil, gravel and sand into an inland salt-water sea,
covering western New York and Pennsylvania. Ages later
this sea bottom lifted to become a vast plateau.
20,000 - 50,000 years
ago when the Catskills were completely covered by
glaciers, this plateau was carved into valleys and
peaks by erosion and stream action. The titanic action
of the ice masses caused vital changes in the mountains.
Huge lakes were temporarily created. Deep crevices
(cloves) were cut. Small and large boulders were dropped
upon the surface and glacial debris reformed the courses
of streams.
The geology of the Catskill's
helps explains the deep, stony cloves and rugged mountain
terrain. It also helps explains why the mountains
are of such uniform height, ranging from Slide's 4,204
to Acra Point's, 3,085. 18 of the 35 highest Catskill
Peaks are in the Slide Mountain, Big Indian and West
Kill Wilderness Areas.
Some of the areas included
here are Wilderness areas. Wilderness is an area where
the earth and its community of life are untrammeled
by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not
remain. Unlike the Wild Forest Areas here, which are
managed for a higher degree of public use, wilderness
is managed to offer outstanding opportunities for
solitude.
Your wilderness experience
my include day hiking, backpacking, camping, hunting
and trapping, fishing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing,
observing and photographing nature and enjoying solitude.
Because wilderness challenges
you to be self-sufficient, motorized equipment or
vehicles (such as ATV's or snowmobiles) and mountain
bikes are not permitted.
The Wild Forests here
are designed to provide a higher degree of human recreation;
they resemble parks. Mountain bikes and snowmobiles
are allowed in these areas. There are usually more
people here; they are less remote than the Wilderness.
The
Catskill's Loftier Summits
(Stated in feet above sea level)
- Slide - 4,204
- Rusk - 3,680
- Hunter - 4,025
- Kaaterskill High Peak
- 3,660
- Black Dome - 3,990
- Balsam Cap - 3,623
- Black Head - 3,937
- Fir - 3,619
- Thomas Cole - 3,935
- North Dome - 3,610
- Big West Kill - 3,925
- Balsam - 3,592
- Cornell - 3,906
- Indian Head - 3,585
- Graham - 3,890
- Halcott - 3,537
- Double Top - 3,875
- Dry Brook Ridge - 3,510
- Plateau - 3,885
- Rocky - 3,508
- Table - 3,847
- Windham High Peak -
3,505
- Peekamoose - 3,843
- Stoppel Point - 3,425
- Twin Mountain - 3,782
- Belleayre - 3,420
- Wittenberg - 3,780
- North Mountain - 3,300
- Panther - 3,760
- Mt. Utsayantha - 3,213
- Balsam Round Top -
3,723
- Burnt Knob - 3,150
- Lone - 3,721
- Overlook - 3,150
- Big Indian - 3,721
- Wildcat - 3,140
- Eagle - 3,700
- Acra Point - 3,085
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