Outings

If you do not feel well, please stay home!

Click Here to download printable PDF of the rating charts.

OUTINGS RATING CHART

IS THIS OUTING RIGHT FOR YOU?

Please take care to match your physical condition, abilities and limitations to the stated length and elevation gain of the outing you choose and refer to the ratings chart above. The “level of effort“ is not the same for everyone. If you are new to hiking or unconditioned, a hike listed as moderate would be very strenuous for you. The outing leader may ask questions in order to determine if you can complete the trip safely. Please cooperate for your safety and the safety of the group. It is your responsibility to have appropriate equipment and clothing for an outing. It is in your best interest to let someone know if you have limiting physical conditions or are taking a medication.

OCTOBER

Tuesday, October 6: Harding Rd trail – Palenville  B

I seem to run this trip every couple of years.  We ‘discovered’ this trail New Year’s day 2023 as part of our Catskills All Trails quest. I fell in love with it then and thought it would make a good fall hike.  I’m hoping to catch some fall color.  If not, the trail at our feet will be colorful.  We leave from the Harding road trailhead in Palenville and follow the Harding road trail to the Sleepy Hollow horse trail and the Palenville overlook.  From there we descend via the little known Quarry trail back to the car.  The horse trail is a very good hiking trail and this section little used by horses. The loop is about 7 miles and 1500’. 

Leader: Leslie Siegard: lsiegard2@gmail.com or 518-577-3468  e-mail contact preferred.

                                                Tuesday, October 13 Boehme Legacy Forest C

A beautiful hike that includes walking along the Quackenkill and up Bunker Hill (1400’) for a great view.  (3.5mi; 500’ elevation gain)

Meet at the trail head: 319Jay Hakes Rd Cropseyville NY at 10AM with water, snacks/lunch, poles. Please contact leader to sign up.

Leader:  Sharon Bonk, scbonk@gmail.com;  917-864-7437.

Wednesday, October 14: Lulu Brook or Turner to Parker Brook Loop Hike - Pittsfield State Forest  B

We will either hike up the Lulu Brook trail, which is along the side of the Lulu Brook ravine OR up the Turner trail which is part wiggly mountain bike trail and part old fashioned straight up the hill trail - depending on conditions. Then we will continue over Berry Hill and enjoy the view towards the Catskills from Berry Hill overlook. We will walk down Circuit Rd, along Berry Pond, then take the Taconic Crest Trail to Tower Mountain, where there used to be a fire tower. Next, we will take an unnamed trail down to Tilden Swamp, which is actually a beautiful pond. (Depending on conditions, we may bypass Tower Mountain and take the Tilden Swamp Trail to Tilden Swamp.) From there we will hike down the picturesque Parker Trail, then make our way back to the cars on the Vosburg trail. Bring lunch, snacks, and plenty of water, plus poles if you use them.

The hike is 6 miles with 1200 feet of gain at a moderate pace. Contact leader for meeting time and location.

Leader: Martha Waldman, email: martha829r@aol.com

Friday, October 16: Hunter Mountain Traverse  A

 At 4,040 feet, Hunter is the second highest peak in the Catskills and has a fire tower.  Starting from Spruceton Trailhead off County Route 6, we'll start our hike on the Diamond Notch trail and return via the Spruceton Trail.  It will be an 8-mile hike with about 2,000 feet of climbing.

Leader & Reservations: David Pisaneschi, dapadk@gmail.com or 518-227-5630                          

Wednesday, October 21: Stony Ledge via Haley Farm Trail, B+

This hike begins at the Haley Farm trail head in Williamstown, MA, gains 1,475 ft. in the first 2 miles up to Stony Ledge, then heads down Sperry Road and completes the loop back to the trail head on the Hopper Trail. The hike is about 5.5 miles and is mostly downhill after reaching the Stony Ledge Summit. At Stoney Ledge, you are rewarded with a scenic panorama of the nearby mountains. Besides Greylock, which looks close enough to touch, the range includes Mounts Prospect, Williams, Fitch and Saddleball.

The hike should take about 3.5 hours.

Please contact leader for meeting time and directions.

Leader: David Dutra, email: ddutra@nycap.rr.com

Monday, October 26: Blackhead Range Traverse A

We'll spot cars at the Barnum and Black Dome Valley Road trail heads. The Blackhead Range is made up of the third, fourth, and fifth highest mountains in the Catskills: Black Dome (3990 feet), Blackhead (3940 feet), and Thomas Cole (3940 feet).  The Range is located in the northern Catskills (north of Hunter Mt) in Greene County. Total distance will be about 8.5 miles with about 2,000 ft of climbing.

Leader & Reservations: David Pisaneschi, dapadk@gmail.com or 518-227-5630

Friday October 30:  Prospect Mountain – Lake George B

We will hike Prospect Mountain from the Lake George Recreation Center. It is about 6 miles with an elevation gain of 1200 feet gain. There are a few steep sections near the top. There are great views of the lake and surrounding mountains and an area to have lunch at the summit.

Bring lunch, water and layers as needed. Contact leader for meeting time and location.

Leader: Jim Gorman, email: jimgorman102@hotmail.com

NOVEMBER

FALL LUNCHEON: Join us at the annual Fall Luncheon! See old friends, make new friends, enjoy a nice meal and an interesting presentation on the Deadly World of Raptors in our area!

• Where and when: Moscatiello’s Italian Restaurant, 99 North Greenbush Rd (Rte. 4), Troy, Sunday, November 8, 12:00 to 3:00 PM

• Cost: $25 per person. The Club partly subsidizes the meal.

• Meal: The buffet includes salad, rolls, penne marinara, meatballs & sausage, and eggplant parmigiana, followed by mini cannoli.

• Meeting, Elections & Speaker: After the meal we will have a brief business meeting followed by our feature presentation.

Speaker: Samantha Carouso-Peck, Head Ornithologist and Educator, Grassland Bird Trust

Presentation: The Deadly World of Raptors: Secrets of the New York Grasslands 

Forget everything you thought you knew about birds of prey - some of the most unusual, ingenious, and beautiful raptors live right here on the grasslands of Upstate New York. Meet the owl who hunts during the day, nests on the ground, and has the most peculiar courtship display. Learn about the hawk who hunts like a ghost, dances in the sky, and keeps a harem of females. See the world through the eyes of a tiny falcon who hovers like a helicopter, feasts on bugs, and can see in colors beyond human perception. Join Dr. Samantha Carouso-Peck for a fascinating inside look at the secretive lives of the birds of prey in our backyard.

Reservations: Use this link to pay online, via this website. Or you can mail your $25 check made out to “Taconic Hiking Club”, to: Taconic Hiking Club, c/o Margaret Parks, 9 Tokay Lane, Schenectady, NY 12309.

Due Date: Thursday, November 5.

Contacts: for on-line payment questions email martha829r@aol.com or for check payment questions email margaretparks213@gmail.com