Andy Arthur.
Hunter Mountain via Spruceton Horse Trail.
A winter hike up Hunter Mountain after a fresh layer of snow and deep blue skies.
February 21, 2010.
Related Fodder: Hunter Mountain via Mink Hollow.
Related Maps: Devils Path.
Related Photos: Hunter Mountain, Plateau Mountain.
On Sunday, February 21, 2010 I got up at 5 AM and started out on the Spruceton Horse Trail to Hunter Mountain around 8 AM. Previously I went up Hunter Mountain using the much steeper Mink Hollow Trail, which in a couple of parts would be challenging to snowshoe for a novice like myself. The Spruceton Trail is 3.5 miles and an accent of 1,900 feet versus Mink Hollow Trail at 2.1 miles and 2,200 feet accent.
Spruceton Horse Trail up Hunter Mountain.
Maps: Devils Path on September 30, 2011. (N 42° 11' 21.7" W 74° 14' 23.78")
Click to Print and Save as an Adobe PDF.Here I am starting up the mountain, with trail-less high peak Rusk Mountain in the distance.
Starting Up the Spruceton Trail. Rusk Mountain can be seen in the background.
Hunter Mountain on February 21, 2010.
Kodak Z7590 Zoom Digital Camera, Exposure: 1/640 sec, Aperature: f/2.8, ISO 80, Focal Length: 38mm.
The Old Hunter Road (abandoned 1937) is straight, wide, and modest ascent. With the sun rising, I had issues with snow blindness, but it offered some interesting broken views of West Kill Mountain in the background.
Westkill Mountain from Hunter. In the distance is the State Operated Bellayre-Ski Resort.
Hunter Mountain on February 21, 2010. (N 42° 10' 27.77" W 74° 13' 45.48")
Kodak Z7590 Zoom Digital Camera, Exposure: 1/1000 sec, Aperature: f/3.2, ISO 80, Focal Length: 82mm.
About half-way up the Mountain, you reach the "saddle" between Rusk and Hunter Mountain. After snowshoeing for a little over an hour, with this sign telling you there is 1.7 miles to go, an accent of 1,100 feet is a bit discouraging, but so be it.
1.7 Miles to Hunter Tower. This sign was ever so not reassuring, especially as I was suffering from serious snow blindness by now.
Hunter Mountain on February 21, 2010. (N 42° 11' 31.06" W 74° 14' 55.46")
Kodak Z7590 Zoom Digital Camera, Exposure: 1/320 sec, Aperature: f/3.2, ISO 80, EV -1/3, Focal Length: 139mm.
After about 2 hours of snowshoeing I reached the spring. The past half hour of hiking, from the saddle up to the spring, may not be a long distance at 1/2 mile, it is a vigrous but not not steep 500 foot ascent by an old but wide abandoned truck trail.
Looking Down a Steeper Trail. After passing the saddle between Rusk and Hunter, the trail narrows and follows a series of switchbacks. It's not very steep for mountain trails at 15%, and easily ski-able, but it certainly gains 500 feet in elevation relatively quickly over the next 6/10 mile to John Robb Leanto.
Hunter Mountain on February 21, 2010. (N 42° 11' 23.1" W 74° 14' 29.26")
Kodak Z7590 Zoom Digital Camera, Exposure: 1/800 sec, Aperature: f/4.0, ISO 80, Focal Length: 38mm.
The AMC's Best Day Hikes in the Catskills and Hudson Valley suggests that one has to be careful with drinking out of this spring, because thirsty horseback riders sometimes bring their horses back to give them a drink too, ignoring the sign.
Spring. This spring on the trail is near the John Robb lean-to. They don't horses drinking out of the spring, or actually you know what they don't want horses doing near the spring.
Hunter Mountain on February 21, 2010. (N 42° 11' 22.38" W 74° 14' 25.48")
Kodak Z7590 Zoom Digital Camera, Exposure: 1/640 sec, Aperature: f/4.5, ISO 80, EV -1/3, Focal Length: 69mm.
Going a little bit farther past the spring, you come across the trail down to the John Robb Lean To. About 1/4 mile and 100 feet below the Spruceton Trail, after going a narrow little rock crevice, there is the Spruceton Leanto.
From the Lean To, it's approximately 1 mile to the Hunter Fire Tower. The next mile is either flat or a slight ascent, until you reach the last 1/4 mile of the trail where is ascent quickly with switchbacks, but again, not steeply.
One Mile to Hunter Fire Tower.
Hunter Mountain on February 21, 2010. (N 42° 11' 19.57" W 74° 14' 14.96")
Kodak Z7590 Zoom Digital Camera, Exposure: 1/60 sec, Aperature: f/3.2, ISO 80, Focal Length: 94mm.
Finally after about 4 1/2 hours of snowshoeing (including breaks and taking photos), I reached the Hunter Mountain Fire Tower. By now it had clouded up, and it reminds one of a picture out of a movie.
Approaching the Fire Tower.
Hunter Mountain on February 21, 2010. (N 42° 10' 44.11" W 74° 13' 44.87")
Kodak Z7590 Zoom Digital Camera, Exposure: 1/640 sec, Aperature: f/6.3, ISO 80, Focal Length: 75mm.
It felt good to get the snowshoes off, stop, and have some lunch for an extended break.
Snowshoeing Down the Trail.
Hunter Mountain on February 21, 2010. (N 42° 11' 9.31" W 74° 13' 57.54")
Kodak Z7590 Zoom Digital Camera, Exposure: 1/1600 sec, Aperature: f/5.6, ISO 80, Focal Length: 38mm.
Looking North off the Fire Tower towards the Catskills famous TriMount-range aka Thomas Cole, Black Dome, and Black Head Mountains.
North from Tower.
Hunter Mountain on February 21, 2010. (N 42° 10' 40.48" W 74° 13' 47.14")
Kodak Z7590 Zoom Digital Camera, Exposure: 1/800 sec, Aperature: f/5.6, ISO 80, EV +2/3, Focal Length: 38mm.
To the due east one can see Catskill's Sunset Point, the upper Hudson Valley near Catskill, and in the distance, the Taconics, including the other Sunset Point in the Taconic State Park.
Sunset Point in the Catskills.
Hunter Mountain on February 21, 2010. (N 42° 10' 40.48" W 74° 13' 47.14")
Kodak Z7590 Zoom Digital Camera, Exposure: 1/800 sec, Aperature: f/4.5, ISO 80, EV +2/3, Focal Length: 117mm.
It was frigid on the fire tower with the winds blowing. Off the tower it wasn't quite so bad. After spending a little time relaxing at the picnic table, and putting another layer of clothes on, I headed south along the blue trail to the Hunter Mountain Overlook which overlooks the South-Western Catskills.
Boreal Forest.
Hunter Mountain on February 21, 2010. (N 42° 10' 36.34" W 74° 13' 49.01")
Kodak Z7590 Zoom Digital Camera, Exposure: 1/800 sec, Aperature: f/4.0, ISO 80, Focal Length: 38mm.
Reaching the Hunter Mountain Overlook, the views where quite amazing, showing mountains from Mount Tremper to the east to West Kill Mountain in the West.
South. I believe you see Ashokhan High Point in the distance.
Hunter Mountain on February 21, 2010. (N 42° 10' 27.77" W 74° 13' 45.48")
Kodak Z7590 Zoom Digital Camera, Exposure: 1/1250 sec, Aperature: f/5.6, ISO 80, Focal Length: 38mm.
The saddle between Hunter and West Kill Mountain. It was amazingly beautiful.
Westkill Mountain from Hunter. In the distance is the State Operated Bellayre-Ski Resort.
Hunter Mountain on February 21, 2010. (N 42° 10' 27.77" W 74° 13' 45.48")
Kodak Z7590 Zoom Digital Camera, Exposure: 1/1000 sec, Aperature: f/3.2, ISO 80, Focal Length: 82mm.
After taking half a dozen photos at the Overlook, I headed back to the Fire Tower, and went up it once again. Here I am looking to the North West towards Blenheim Mountain and Schoharie County. The former Hunter Mountain Ranger's cabin is in the foreground, with a snowboarder who snowshoed with board on back from Hunter Mountain Ski Resort on the balcony.
Ranger's Cabin. This is the old Ranger's cabin that is boarded up and unused nowadays.
Hunter Mountain on February 21, 2010. (N 42° 10' 40.58" W 74° 13' 47.06")
Kodak Z7590 Zoom Digital Camera, Exposure: 1/1250 sec, Aperature: f/5.6, ISO 80, Focal Length: 38mm.
Here is South Hunter Mountain, looking due South.
South Hunter Mountain.
Hunter Mountain on February 21, 2010. (N 42° 10' 40.58" W 74° 13' 47.06")
Kodak Z7590 Zoom Digital Camera, Exposure: 1/1000 sec, Aperature: f/5.6, ISO 80, Focal Length: 38mm.
Heading back down the trail, looking at Rusk Mountain.
Looking Towards Rusk.
Hunter Mountain on February 21, 2010. (N 42° 11' 19.72" W 74° 14' 15.29")
Kodak Z7590 Zoom Digital Camera, Exposure: 1/640 sec, Aperature: f/5.6, ISO 80, Focal Length: 40mm.
I arrived back to my truck around 4 PM. I was tired, as snowshoeing is a lot more work then hiking. Snowshoes kind of drag on the snow, and the cold just makes everything a bit more tiresome. Yet, the beauty was amazing even at a balmy 22 degrees.
Balmy 24 Degrees. I thought it would be much colder up there. That said, it was breezy on top of the tower, which was throwing snow.
Hunter Mountain on February 21, 2010. (N 42° 10' 40.94" W 74° 13' 47.75")
Kodak Z7590 Zoom Digital Camera, Exposure: 1/160 sec, Aperature: f/3.2, ISO 80, Focal Length: 128mm.
Make sure to browse all of the amazing photos from the hike up there. Also, see my April 12, 2009 trip up to Hunter Mountain via Mink Hollow.
Co-Signed Spruceton Trail. It's both a horse trail and foot trail.
Hunter Mountain on February 21, 2010. (N 42° 11' 17.38" W 74° 14' 11.58")
Kodak Z7590 Zoom Digital Camera, Exposure: 1/60 sec, Aperature: f/3.2, ISO 140, Focal Length: 128mm.
Here is the map of the Spruceton Horse Trail up Hunter Mountain.
“The policy of the state shall be to conserve and protect its natural resources and scenic beauty and encourage the development and improvement of its agricultural lands for the production of food and other agricultural products.”
— Article 14, Section 4 NY State Constitution