Van Wyck Mountain(Sundown Wild Forest & Slide Mountain Wilderness-Catskills)

Whoever said parenting was easy never had kids...it's completely exhausting and very time consuming.  It's been quite a while since I've been able to get out hiking but Monday finally presented a chance so I took advantage by revisiting 3206 foot Van Wyck Mountain, one of my favorite Catskill Hundred Highest peaks.  The mountain is trail-less meaning it would be a bushwhack hike, which also meant I'd probably have the woods to myself.  I parked at the Trailer Field parking area between where Bear Hole Brook and Rondout Creek cross Peekamoose Road(Elevation 1200 feet).  From there I headed north into the woods, quickly picking up a good woods road, which climbed high above Bear Hole Brook.

Woods roads zig zag the lower slopes of Van Wyck, and I even stumbled across a large old stone foundation.

I followed the woods roads until they petered out and then began more typical Catskill bushwhacking.

Once above 2500 feet, the first spotty snow began to appear and the terrain really began to level out.

Further north along the ridge I came upon the remnants of a 1977 plane crash, where all of the occupants perished.  This isn't typically something I go out of my way to find, but it is still interesting to see.

Just below the summit, the slopes get extremely steep-almost vertical.  I decided to tackle it head on as there were enough boulders and trees to aid in my ascent.

After scratching and clawing my way up the steep slopes, it was just a little further to the open ledge near the summit, with some of the best Caskill views to be had anywhere.  Table and Peekamoose Mountains look close enough to touch just east across the valley.

To the south, the southern Catskills dominate the view with the long ridge of snowy Samson and Bangle Hill(E-W running in the center)as well as the multiple peaks of East Mountain in the Sundown Wild Forest just beyond.

From the ledge looking NE, with Slide Mountain now visible in the distance(far left).

A very short distance from the ledge sits the nondescript 3206 foot summit of Van Wyck.

Instead of heading straight down the vertical slopes I had come up, I headed west along Van Wyck's summit ridge, skirting cliff bands with decent views to the south.

To the SW, Woodhull Mountain(right) and Red Hill(distant center) can be seen.

From one small ledge, I found this neat view of Van Wyck's south ridgeline.

After a bit, the steepest cliff bands ended and it was time to carefully weave my way back down the mountain.  This was where I began my daunting descent, but once beyond this drop, the terrain eased up considerably. 

Open hardwoods made for a nice and easy hike back down the mountain and to the woods road I had been on earlier.  I decided to pay a visit to picturesque Bear Hole Brook, which sits in a deep ravine below the woods road.

Several small falls and cascades made for a very pleasant walk along the brook.  Unfortunately, the terrain became too difficult to explore so I had to claw my way back out of the ravine and back onto the woods road-which lead me back to the car.

Hiked about 7.5 miles RT(all bushwhack), with over 2000 feet of ascent.  Didn't see another soul on a picture perfect early spring day.

Map attached.  Red P=Parking  Red X=Summit