Touch-Me-Not Mountain/Little Pond/Cabot Mountain
|
DISTANCE: 7.5 miles TYPE: Lollipop TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN: 730 feet MAXIMUM ELEVATION: 2,970 feet DIFFICULTY: Strenuous HIKING TIME: 4.5 hours |
The western section of the Catskill Park is—not surprisingly, simply given its remoteness—far less trafficked than other areas that boast taller mountains and more trail space, but the solitude you’ll experience here is absolutely one of the region’s highlights. The lightly travelled 584-mile Finger Lakes Trail meanders through the region, traversing some of the more prominent hills and mountains, featuring several vistas from which to view the expansive countryside below. The hike described here takes you to two of these viewpoints and over two of the taller mountains in the Delaware Wild Forest system. While certainly busier than the rest of the trail, the segment following the stream feeding into Little Pond rewards hikers with a look at the history of the area.
GETTING THERE
Follow NY-17 northwest, taking Exit 96 toward Livingston Manor. Turn right onto Debruce Road, and follow it for half a mile. Turn right onto Old Route 17, and then veer right onto Beaverkill Road in 1.3 miles. Follow Beaverkill Road for 8.8 miles before turning left onto Beech Hill Road. The parking area will be on the right, on the edge of a field in about 2.5 miles.
GPS SHORTCUT
Set your GPS to “2282 Beech Hill Road, Andes, NY” and your GPS will navigate you to the appropriate trailhead.
THE TRAIL
From the parking area, head east along a grassy road toward the edge of the woods. You should pick up the red-blazed Touch-Me-Not Trail. The Finger Lakes Trail follows this grade across the entire ridge. The trail can be tricky at this point, as there are several boulders and a number of roots that threaten to trip inattentive hikers. After about a quarter of a mile, begin walking steeply uphill on a leafy dirt path. You’ll ascend about 650 feet over the course of the next half mile, after which the trail begins to level off significantly. In 1.3 miles from the trailhead, reach the summit of Cabot Mountain, which offers good views looking south from a stone ledge. You’ll be able to catch sight of Little Pond in the distance below even when the foliage is thick.
Continue to follow the red blazes heading east. You’ll begin to lose elevation shortly, winding through some interesting rock formations. In 0.8 mile the yellow-blazed Little Pond Trail will meet with the Finger Lakes Trail on the right. Stay on the red-blazed trail. This is the col between Cabot Mountain and the shoulder of Touch-Me-Not Mountain. The trail here levels for a short distance before beginning to climb roughly 300 feet, although much less steep than the ascent up Cabot.
In 0.4 miles you’ll reach the junction of the Campground Trail, a well-defined blue-blazed trail coming in on the right. Turn here and follow the trail onto the relatively narrow summit of Touch-Me-Not Mountain. The hillside to your right drops off fairly quickly, and depending on the foliage, you may be able to catch a view of the pond or Cabot Mountain through the trees. Over the next mile, begin descending until you come to the southern tip of Little Pond. There is a parking area here, as well as several picnic tables.
Stay on the right side of the pond, following a wide, flat gravel path. This is the southern terminus of the Little Pond Trail. Again, the markers for this trail are yellow, and although they may be somewhat scarce around the pond, the trail is extremely easy to follow. As you walk, you will pass a good number of campsites available for rent along the shoreline, many of them equipped with bear boxes. After about a quarter of a mile, reach a stream feeding into Little Pond and turn right. You will head uphill on a fairly easy grade, passing through sparse tree stands. As you continue, the tree cover will gradually begin to thicken overhead. In a little more than half a mile, an old forest road will meet up with the yellow-blazed trail, coming in on your left. Veer right and join the road grade, continuing to follow the yellow blazes. The canopy opens up as you enter into a grassy meadow, which contains a small weedy pond and the ruins of an old farm. A little further on, there are excellent, wide views to the southeast. There is a lot to take in here, so be sure to set some time aside to explore the area.
When you are ready, reenter the woods on the other side of the meadow, gradually climbing, and rejoin the Finger Lakes Trail in a quarter of a mile. Turn left and head back up and over Cabot Mountain, and down the other side by the way you came, to return to your vehicle.
PANORAMIC VIEW ABOVE LITTLE POND STATE CAMPGROUND
