Sitting just west of the village of Margaretville in the western Catskills, is Cole Hill, a small, trail-less 2365 foot peak. NYC DEP protects a large chunk of this mountain and it even looked like it may have some views to offer, so I thought I'd give it a look. I parked in a small pull off along Delaware County 6(Dunraven-New Kingston Road), with fine views of my destination straight ahead to the east. Elevation to start was 1370 feet and I was happy to see the foliage still looking good here!
A nice and easy walk through a chest high meadow brought me onto Cole Hill's steep west slopes. Golden ferns and peak colors made for fun going.
Much of the slopes were steep and covered in dark conifers. Footing wasn't really an issue though, so I made good time heading straight up.
As always, there are a ton of woods road nestled on the slopes on Cole Hill but I basically stuck to bushwhacking my way up, forgoing the woods roads.
Nearing the top I hit an open area of hardwoods.
After the steep push up the west slopes of Cole, it was quite a letdown when I arrived at the 2365 foot summit to find a radio tower.
From the summit, I basically dropped due south down to a nice viewpoint. While not completely unobstructed, it is a nice look south towards the unnamed ridge south of Route 28/30 junction (commonly referred to as Huckleberry Ridge)
Dropping down the steep slopes beneath the summit, heading generally SW, I came to a large meadow, with some vibrant colors holding on.
Enjoying a screened view back towards Cole Hill's summit, as I made my way through an open fern glade.
The woods really are beautiful this time of year. I stayed below the steepest slopes, as I made my way back.
I was a bit surprised to stumble across this small pond. Bodies of water in the Catskills are sometimes few and far between.
A light mist began to fall as I made my way back to the car, only seeming to enhance the autumn ambiance.
Hiked about 3 miles total, wandering around the mountain, checking things out. A little over 1000 feet vertical. Rough route is captured below. Red=Ascent Blue=Descent
Although it was late in the afternoon, I was in no hurry, so I took my time exploring the back roads of the Catskills on my way back home. Even on a gloomy day, the colors were quite nice! Irish Mountain, a hundred highest Catskill peak, showing off its foliage.
Near the hamlet of Denver, the views of Hog Mountain are excellent.
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