This time I was able to get up Halcott as I got there earlier in the morning.  Also, this time I knew that the herd path is not straight up the mountain from where you park, but off down the road a little bit further, and I ended up leading a couple people and a lovely dog over to it.  This is the first time I've gone up this way, so I didn't realize how steep it was.  Started with microspikes but once the climbing began considered switching over to the shoes.

Halcott.... I could swear i read on Catskill Trail Conditions someone complaining that the southern branch of the loop i did was overgrown and difficult to follow. I must be wrong because i did the northern side of the loop up and found that to be the case. So it you want a good bushwhacking challenge, go up the spine like i did. The herd path is good for about 1/3 of a mile, then is disappears until your reach the ridge.  It has been ages since I've done a bushwhack, so it was a good change of pace.

The next peaks I am going to do will start the bushwacks.  First up, I'll be doing Bear Pen and Vly.  These 2 are described as relatively easy as it starts off with woods road and then it's snowmobile tracks to Bear Pen and following the park border the opposite side to vly.   I can come in to that ridge "trail" from the north or the south, and I believe I' will do it from the north as it allows me to get to Halcott easier.  The only issue I'm having with map planning is that these are not trails so I'm relying on someone's All Trails GPS tracks for how to do these,

So, this weekend looks like it is going to be pretty free for hiking.  Saturday looks to be iffy weather in the form of light rain, and Sunday looks to be good weather.  So, my plans are to do a few hikes this weekend to add to the 35er count.  So, I'm going to start with some of the bushwack trails.  First up will be Bearpen and Vly.   These 2 are not really much of a bushwack from what I've read.  Going in from the south, the herd path to Vly is following the state park border.  Bearpen is turning the other way and following snowmobile trails.