Minister's Face(Overlook Mountain Wild Forest-Catskills)

3140 foot Overlook Mountain is quite possibly one of, if not the busiest trails in all of the Catskills and deservedly so.  An easy climb up an old carriage road, beautiful mountaintop views, old hotel ruins, a firetower and cabin...this mountain has it all.  The part of the mountain that has always intrigued me the most, however, is the steep east face of the peak, where a small public easement on Lewis Hollow Road does allow hiker access to state land higher up.  The east side of Overlook Mountain is one of the steepest areas in all of the Catskills, and its nearly vertical rocky profile has earned it the name the Minster's Face.  We spotted a car at the traditional trailhead along Meads Mountain Road, and then drove down to Lewis Hollow Road to get started on our traverse up the Minster's Face and eventually onto the summit.  Elevation at the small easement is 950 feet and a sign instructs the explorer to stay on the old woods road until arriving at DEC land.

We got started by crossing this unnamed brook on a beautiful June morning with a light breeze keeping the bugs at bay.

The old road climbs moderately at first, up through an old quarry before coming to a stream that drains the east slopes of the mountain.  Our wet spring provided several picturesque falls along the way.

The pretty drainage we followed on our ascent through Lewis Hollow.

We stumbled upon this old hunting campsite lost in the steep terrain of Lewis Hollow.

As we gained elevation, the slopes became much steeper and filled with loose rock.  Hidden within these jumbles of loose rock we were told...are rattlesnakes.  So we proceeded with vigilance, stepping lightly and carefully.

Emerging from the forest canopy at about 2300 feet, we first laid eyes on the Minister's Face.  Very impressive!!

The loose rock below the Minster's Face made for very slow going, as we cautiously ascended.

Suddenly, almost without warning, Jim saw a rattler!!  This guy meant business too, as he rattled away to keep us away.

We were both stunned and in awe at the sheer size of this snake. 

This snake didn't seem to want us around as we kept rattling for several minutes, as we gently made our way around him....giving him a wide berth.

There is almost no safe route directly up the face, so we slowly made our way north, picking our way through the jumbled piles of rock...watching each step VERY carefully.

While the rattlesnakes had us "rattled",  the surrounding views were drop dead amazing.  The valley floor literally drops away from this vantage point.  This is a south view towards the Ashokan Reservoir.

As we made our way around the face, we enjoyed a nice view of the steep face.

Almost every route up was filled with some form of danger...loose rock on steep slopes, or rattlesnakes hidden between the jumbled rocks.  Just when we thought we were safe, we spotted two more rattlers, both rattling and agitated and both way too close for comfort!  We quickly(and safely) made our way out to the rocks and back into the hardwoods.

Once into the hardwoods, we relaxed a little bit, but still paid very close attention to where we stepped, as we arrived at the bottom of the Minister's Face.  This was a long flank to the right(north) around the vertical walls, until we found a small, steep chute up.

A very steep, hands and knees climb up the chute brought us up to the far north side of the face.  From there, just above the surrounding tree tops, was a spectacular view towards Plattekill Mountian and Codfish Point.

The woods were absolutely gorgeous and teeming with life.  Mountain Azeleas were on full display, showing off their brilliant blossoms.

Edging along the steeps near the top of the Minster's Face, we managed to find this small ledge that provided an up close and personal view of the rocky prominence itself.

After clawing and climbing to the top of the Minster's Face, we finally sat down to enjoy a much needed break, and some jaw dropping views of the Hudson Valley.

Once atop the Minister we thought it would be easy...only to run into thick mountain laurel much of the way up the remaining half mile to the summit.

Arriving at the herd paths and marked trails along the summit was a welcome relief after the blood, sweat and tears it took to get here.  It didn't hurt that conditions couldn't have been much better.

The clifftop views from the summit area of the mountain stretching south all the way down towards the Burroughs Range.

 

Arriving at the crowded summit was actually anticlimactic today.  We said hello and chatted briefly with the folks up there, including DEC personnel, before continuing up to the summit.  We opted to take a pass on climbing the firetower and began our descent back to the car on the marked trail.

What hike to Overlook Mountain would be complete without a shot of the hotel ruins?  A haunting, yet beautiful spot.

Passed by at least two dozen people heading up the mountain on the trail as this proved to be a tale of two hikes.  6 miles total for the day with over 2400 feet of ascent.  Our route is shown below with the blue being bushwhack and black being the trailed portion.

Gore Mountain(Gore Mountain Ski Area-Adirondacks)

Headed north today with two things in mind...hike something with a lot of mileage and ascent.  Gore Mountain would fit the bill just fine!  The scenic Shaefer Trail is a long hike at just under 5 miles to the summit, and starts pretty low, meaning there is over 2500 feet of ascent to the top.  Cool, breezy, and even brisk conditions greeted me as I pulled up to the trailhead located in the North Creek Ski Bowl in the early morning.  Elevation to start was only 1070 feet, and with a summit elevation of 3583 feet, I knew I would be getting a good workout!

The trail starts off fairly benign but soon enough becomes incredibly scenic, hugging the right bank of Roaring Brook and a multitude of waterfalls as it climbs steadily. 

 

The sound of rushing water accompanies you along much of the first couple miles of the hike, with several easy photographic opportunities as the trail literally brings you alongside the brook.

There are so many different falls and cascades along the way that it is hard to pick a favorite.  These falls were so scenic that it took my mind off the steady ascent, proving to be a great distraction.

The trail does pass over a couple of ski area access roads along the way, reminding you that no matter how wild the woods feel, you are never far away from the touch of man.  I found this watchful owl near one of the access road bridges over the brook.  Who goes there?

After nearly 2 miles and over 1100 feet of climbing, the trail arrives at a corner of the North Creek Reservoir.  Dark, ominous clouds began to move in over the ridges above, but within minutes...

.....the skies had cleared back out.  This powerline crossing provides a glimpse up to the blue skies above.  Keeping my fingers crossed that it would stay this way as I got up towards the top. 

At about 3.4 miles in, I arrived at a spot known as Ives Dam.  This was an old impoundment but today is mostly a dry meadow with a small stream flowing through.  A tailings pile from the old Barton Mines can be seen high up int he notch, dating back nearly a century ago. 

I found this stream crossing to be a bit tricky with the water being a little deeper than it first appeared.  I had to find a way around by heading right about 15 yards and finding a large rock to jump across to.

Once back on the trail, the woods change considerably, becoming much more coniferous and getting much steeper.

Just a few yards off trail I stumbled upon this old relic...well maybe not that old.  Hop in...we're going to the top!

A little over 4 miles in, and a little over 3000 feet, the trail leaves the woods and hits a ski area access road.  Not really what I was hoping for, especially with a light rain and darker clouds moving in again.  I even noticed some flurries mixing in and spritzing down.

Luckily the rain stayed very light and even stopped within a matter of minutes.  One of the best parts of hiking a ski area is the guarantee of nice views.

A spectacular vista to the north with sweeping views all the way towards the High Peaks, over 30 miles distant.

A zoom view towards the north with the rocky ridge line of Moxham Mountain clearly visible in the foreground and the High Peaks forming a jagged horizon far beyond.

Although I'm sure this is a busy spot in the winter, it was peacefully quiet today.

Changeable skies quickly brought clouds and showers in from the west, concealing some of the distant mountains to the NW.  The Barton Mines are easily visible as well as Big and Little Thirteenth Lake Mountains with Peaked Mountain just beyond.  Blue Mountain can be seen in the distance in the clouds.

A look across towards one of the other, slightly lower summit bumps and one of the ski buildings at the top.

Great views abound.

Storm clouds moving in to the north, obscuring distant views.  Still, a very nice vista.

From the top of the ski slopes, the views are incredible.  Here is the view SE, with Oven Mountain Pond(L) and Windover Lake(R) and a thin ribbon of Peaceful Valley Road running between them.

A zoom view even provides a glimpse down towards Huckleberry and Crane Mountains.

The ski lodge at the summit. I fully explored the entire summit area in search of a summit survey marker but unfortunately had no luck finding it. 

A thermometer located atop the mountain showed what I had already known...it was darn right cold for June!  44 degrees with a stiff wind, meaning wind chills in the low 30's.  At least it kept the black flies away all day!!

The descent was much quicker and fairly uneventful.  As a steadier light rain moved in, the winds really began to ramp up, making me quite glad to be off the open ski slopes above.

Arrived back at the car feeling great.  Not as tired as I thought I'd be for 10 miles RT and nearly 2600 feet of ascent.   Actually felt pretty darn good!