2019-11-15: Ashley Falls

In mid-November, I took a day off from work, intending to hike to the summit of Stoppel Point in Jewett NY. I began my trek at the North-South Lake campground in Hunter, which was gated off for the winter, necessitating a mile-plus trek to the trailhead. I followed a poorly-marked trail through Mary's Glen as far as the Ashley Falls, but icy conditions kept me from following the trail any further. I spent the next hour wandering around the glen, exploring the forest halfway to the top of nearby Newman's Ledge. Following this, I took a drive through Ulster and Delaware Counties, stopping at an overlook in the town of Andes.

View of the lower portion of Ashley Falls. The waterfall was almost completely frozen by the late autumn weather.

Maple and hemlock forest near the falls, covered in the previous night's snowfall.

The upper portion of the falls, frozen crystals of ice in the mid-morning light.

This bright white hole atop an upper ledge was the only place where I could find liquid water in the waterfall.

The waterfall looked as though it had flash-frozen, the cascading water suddenly stopped in its tracks.

View from atop the western wall of Mary's Glen. The glen was enclosed by steep slopes and cliffs on the west, north, and east, with the campground to its south.

Oblique morning shadows stand out on the previous night's dusting of snow. Beyond this ledge you can see the bottom of the glen.

Frozen little stalactites of ice cling to moss-clad bedrock near the glen's center.

I spent maybe two hours wandering around the countryside of the Catskills before happening upon this overlook near the summit of Palmer Hill in the town of Andes.

A westward view from the overlook shows portions of the Palmer Hill Trail and the forests of Little Pisgah Mountain.

Unusual autumn humidity made this view towards distant Graham Mountain rather hazy.

These state-owned fields are part of the Palmer Hill Unit, home to the Palmer Hill Trail which I neglected to hike, being already somewhat tired.

Closeup on the transmission tower atop Cole Hill. The hills in the background are two High Peaks, Doubletop (L) and Graham (R).