2021-05-25: Richmond Mountain

 "Climbing Richmond Mountain is kind of like walking into an establishment where you're not welcome." - Eric Koppel

With an elevation of over 3220', Richmond Mountain is among the 100 highest peaks in the Catskill Mountains. Straddling the border between Conesville and Windham, the mountain has no paths to the thickly forested summit, although the Long Path wraps around it to an overlook. Peakbagger lists the mountain with only 23 logged ascents, making my trip to the summit something rare.

This small tributary of the Manorkill Creek runs parallel to the Long Path for some time.

The area around Richmond Mountain's summit is covered in extremely dense foliage, such as these hard-to-get-through beech saplings.

Mossy rocks along the trail, spotted through a more sparsely forested area.

A view below the summit looks ten miles southeast towards the Blackhead Range.

A view farther to the south spots central Catskills and the upper Schoharie Valley.

A seventeen-mile view of Kaaterskill High Peak (L) and Roundtop Mountain (R), looking gray from the humidity.

This view over Windham and Jewett includes the Indian Head Range (L) and Onteora Peak (C).

Two boulders jut out from a field of green ferns off the trail on Richmond Mountain. These rocks served as my waypoint during the bushwhacking portion of the hike.

A photo taken at the summit, showing the incredibly limited visibility on account of the thick foliage.

From above, these boulders appeared indistinguishable from the ground due to the soil and moss covering them.

Back on the path, a few ferns were caught in a beam of early evening sunlight.