NEW YORK STATE of mind

Suzy Pope ventures to the Catskill Mountains to find the wild in upstate NY.

Don’t get me wrong; I love New York City. But after a few days of crowded subway carriages and being shoulder-barged by finance bros, I start to crave fresh air, open space and a horizon that stretches beyond the next row of skyscrapers.

Just two hours north of Manhattan, the Catskill Mountains offer exactly this. My base in Woodstock is at the foothills of the Catskills. Made famous by the eponymous music festival, Woodstock is almost a pastiche of itself as tie-dye T-shirts flap in the breeze outside wooden shopfronts, a chalkboard at the weekly flea market advertises a community drum circle, and a shirtless troubadour strums a battered acoustic guitar.

The pace is undeniably and blissfully slower here, and just past the last wooden house bedecked with windchimes, civilisation seems todisappear completely as the Catskills stretch before me in waves of forested ridges. This is what the Dutch settlers who arrived in the region more than 400 years ago might have seen: a vast wilderness of forest and rivers unfolding beyond the edge of the known world. Hiking boots laced, I’m ready to explore.

"A vast wilderness of forest and rivers unfolding beyond the edge of the known world"

The out-and-back trail to Kaaterskill Falls is the most popular route in the Catskills. Approaching the overflow car park, it’s like a sliding puzzle as hundreds of hulking SUVs, vans and cars vie for space. The fairly easy trail is no doubt beautiful – a gentle uphill through cool forest where decades of hiking boots have worn away at gnarled old roots bursting through the path. Wooden bridges cross a babbling river, and 181 steps cut into the hill lead to the brilliant white cascade of Kaaterskill Falls. Reaching the falls is not the pioneering fantasy I had in mind, though, as 50 or so other people are snapping photos and dipping in and out of the water. For something wilder, it seems, it helps to travel with someone who knows the landscape well.

Brian Afflixio got to know the lesser-known trails of the Catskills and Adirondacks while working a corporate job in Albany. “Every weekend I would literally run for the hills,” Brian explains. “I started showing old friends visiting from Florida my favourite trails and decided this is what I want to do. I quit my job and became a hiking guide.” In 2018, he founded Upstate Hiking tour company,

DID YOU KNOW?

The Catskill Mountains are not geologically considered mountains at all – they are actually a 'dissected plateau'. Most mountain ranges are formed by the earth’s crust buckling upwards but the Catskills were formed by water and ice eroding a flat, elevated region (the Allegheny Plateau). aiming to ensure every level of hiker could enjoy at least one breathtaking view from the mountains, safely and securely.

In winter, he leads groups to Kaaterskill Falls for iconic shots of the water frozen in motion, jagged like the fingers of Jack Frost. “Lots of people attempt to make the hike to Kaaterskill in winter and end up turning back or getting into difficulty because they don’t have the right gear,” Brian says. “We’re not about gatekeeping the mountains from inexperienced hikers; we’re about providing the crampons and winter gear required for walking on packed ice so that everyone, no matter their experience, can see the falls at their most dramatic.”

Understandably, not everyone in the Catskills area is keen on the number of inexperienced hikers hitting the trails. “There was a huge surge of visitors during the pandemic,” Brian says. “Places like Kaaterskill Falls became kind of like Disneyland.” But there’s a way to enjoy the wilderness no matter your hiking experience; it just requires a little guidance. “There are still so many quiet trails if you know where to look,” Brian says. One of those places is North–South Lake, a peaceful area where two alpine lakes sit against thick pine forest. Paths circle the shoreline, while kayakers glide quietly across the water.

The Escarpment Trail passes by North–South Lake, running along the eastern edge of the Catskills for 25 miles and offering some of the most dramatic views in the region. Even following a short stretch of the trail with Upstate Hiking rewards with sweeping panoramas across the Hudson Valley. Standing on a rocky ledge like the character in a fantasy novel, the landscape unfurls before you: wooded hills cloaked in mist, distant farmland and, on clear days, the ghostly outline of mountains in Massachusetts.

" The landscape unfurls before you: wooded hills cloaked in mist, distant farmland and, on clear days, the ghostly outline of mountains in Massachusetts."

Another detour for the more experienced hiker heads over North Mountain to Stoppel Point and the wreckage of a small plane that crashed in the 1980s. “One advantage of a guided hike is that we can help people follow trail etiquette,” Brian says. His company follows a ‘leave no trace’ philosophy, encouraging visitors to respect the landscape and places like the crash site, where lives were lost. The aircraft’s nose is gone, the metal frame torn open, and the wreckage sits among towering trees that have quietly watched human-less centuries go by.

If it’s views you’re after, Brian recommends the Edges and Ledges hike. “No matter your hiking ability or fitness level, we can get you to an edge or a ledge,” he says. Millions of years ago, the Catskills were covered in glacial ice, which eroded away the packed plateau rock, forming plummeting grey stone outcrops and steep-sided mountains. The result is a natural plethora of lookout points and places to pose against the undulating topography below. Alone, I wouldn't risk the extra scramble to a jutting look-out, but with an outstretched hand ready to steady me (and medical kit on standby), I can push myself slightly further and reach peaks I thought reserved for more experienced hikers. I thought I needed to set out on my own to experience the great outdoors without the crowds; it turns out that finding true wilderness is easier with someone who already knows the way.

GETTING THERE Direct flights from London Heathrow or Gatwick to New York City (JFK) take approximately eight hours. Major carriers include British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. From there, you are a three-hour drive to the heart of the Catskills. GETTING AROUND You will need a vehicle to get around; rent one at major airports or at Amtrak stations such as Hudson. Driving allows you to experience the stunning Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway (Route 28), which connects hubs like Kingston, Phoenicia, and Margaretville. BEST TIME TO GO Summer (June to August) is best for hiking and swimming; temperatures range between 20°C and 28°C. The Catbird Music Festival often takes place at Bethel Woods (the site of the original 1969 Woodstock festival) in August. WHERE TO STAY Urban Cowboy Lodge is a five-star destination set on 68 acres of wilderness. Emerson Resort & Spa is a classic choice for wellness, home to an acclaimed spa and the world's largest kaleidoscope. FURTHER INFORMATION visitcatskills.com upstate-hiking.com