Hiking Devil’s Path: Appreciating Wilderness and Drinking Water

Please take a moment to appreciate the splendor of the NYC watershed in the Catskills and the headwaters of Schoharie Creek (flows northwest to the Mohawk and ultimately into the Hudson), Esopus Creek, and the Ashokan Resevoir.

The photos were taken from Devil’s Path— known as the most difficult and dangerous hike of the northeast— in total 18,000 feet of elevation gain when all peaks and dips are taken into account. Quite the effort (I only did a small portion) but it was well worth the dizzying inclines. The trail features views of miles of uninterrupted forest and state wilderness. I am grateful to those who came before to protect these lands and leave them as a place where, as in a paraphrase of the 1964 Federal Wilderness Act, ‘man is merely a visitor and does not remain.’

Make sure to stop by the natural springs along your hike and drink water fresh from the mountainside, there is nothing quite like it!

View full size/high resolution photos on our Flikr photo album!