I decided that, since I live near the Catskills anyway, I might as well try and do the Catskill 35ers and try and join the Catskill 3500 Club. On President’s Day (02/19/2024) I decided to hike Slide Mountain. I had read that despite being the tallest of the Catskill High Peaks, it is a relatively easy hike and it is also one of the four peaks that the 3500 Club requires be climbed twice, once in winter. So two birds with one stone, really. My wife and I have done some pretty hefty hikes recently, so I was pretty confident that I could handle the nearly seven mile, almost 2,000 feet elevation hike without too much difficulty.
The hike did indeed prove to be fairly easy (though super enjoyable!) We had some snow in New York last week and it’s been cold since then so there was still a fair bit of snow on the ground, but snowshoes were not required. I did wear microspikes the entire time though. Other than that, trail conditions were good and it was a stunningly beautiful day, with crystal clear blue skies and sun throughout the hike keeping me so warm that I never once felt cold even in 17F weather. The views from the summit were mostly blocked by trees but there are some lookouts just prior to the summit with some pretty epic views.
Overall it was a beautiful hike and I can’t wait to do it again!
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