Cornell & Wittenberg Hike

After spending a rainy night at the Woodland Valley Campground, Andrew and I awoke and broke camp.  Luckily the morning was clear with blue skies.  The trailhead was near the entrance of the camp, so we didn't have far to go.  We got ready and set out around 7:50AM, since noone else had signed up for the trip.

Immediately, we crossed the Woodland Creek and began our ascent.  It was a nice trail through alot of open woods.  It was someone aggressive in grade from the start, but moderated frequently.  Along the way up to the first trail junction for Terrace Mountain there was a limited view up through the valley.  We made it to this trail junction by 9:30AM and continued to climb.  It became much steeper and rockier for stretches of the trail.  We reached the mostly open ledge on top of Wittenberg (3780') by 10:30.  The views were pretty spectacular...although it was mostly overcast again.  The Devil's Path to the northeast, as well as the Ashokan Reservoir were prominate off in the distance.  We took a short break here and then continued on...expecting that we would have our lunch here again as we had to return across this peak.

We continued off of Wittenberg and made our way over to Cornell Mt.  The trail seemed to follow a thin rocky spin, where it was completely treed, but you could see through the trees on both sides of the trail.  This was really easy going until we reached a section called the Cornell Crack, where there was a rope to assist with the climb.  At the top of the "crack" there was a nice ledge with views back to Wittenberg.  From here it was a pretty short distance to the mostly treed summit (3860')...down a short spur off the main trail.  There were only limited views here.  After another short break, we continued on for another short distance to a ledge on the other side.  This provided a great view of Slide Mountain...as well as Giant Ledge and Panther to the north.

After taking in the views of Slide Mountain, we started our return to Wittenberg for lunch...where we again arrived at 12:10PM.  We finally took an extended break to enjoy the panoramic views and have some lunch.  We had the place to ourselves it was just perfect.  By 12:40 we started back utilizing the same trail we ascended on.  Surprisingly on our way back we ran into a number of hikers...surprising since it was getting late to be starting out by this time.  We stopped and chatted with a number of them and made it back to the Woodland Creek by about 3:15PM.  We got settled and called it a day and weekend, so we could get home at a decent hour.

Despite the overcast skies on top, the cloud ceiling was high enough to give us great views into the surrounding wilderness and peaks.  It was a great hike and well-worth it...highly recommended!  The ledges and views are amound the best seen so far in the Catskills.  Big thanks to Andrew for suffering through a less than ideal overnight camping and staying for another Catskill hike with me!

Join me for this out-and-back hike to Cornell and Wittenberg Mountains.  We'll start out at the trailhead near the entrance to Woodland Valley Campground.  The trail enters the woods to the south, immediately crossing the Woodland Creek.  The trail varies in grade for the first few miles, but tends to be on the modest side.  Afterwards it becomes more agressive on the way to Wittenberg Mountain (3780').  The summit is spectacular and provides views into the surrounding wilderness as well as over the entire length of the Ashokan Reservoir to the east.  The trail continues over to Cornell Mountain (3860), where a short steep scramble is encountered just prior to reaching the mostly treed summit (Cornell Crack).  There are limited views from the summit as well as from just beyond on the western side.  We'll return via the same route.  There is an optional side trip out to Terrace Mountain adding about 1.8 miles.  This will be up to the group. 

Total Distance and Elevation Gain:  9.6 miles with approximately 2640 feet of accumulative elevation gain. 

Total Time:  8 hours or more depending on breaks and lunch. 

Rain or harsh weather will postpone to another date, as appropriate. 

Camping Option:  Contact me, if you're interested in camping Friday and/or Saturday night.  I would be happy to set something up or provide details to share my site. 

What to Bring:  Typical summer hiking gear should be appropriate:  convertible hiking pants or shorts, good sturdy hiking boots with thick socks, extra layer(s) (as needed) and a windbreaker/raingear (just in case).  Also bring along lunch, snacks and plenty of water (at least 2-L).  Optionally, pack bug repellent and sunscreen and anything else that you may require for a day hike.  

Afterwards:  We should be completed with the hike by 5:00PM.  If there is sufficient interest, we can grab dinner/drinks in Phoenicia (Brio's).