I read a story the other day that piqued my interest about perhaps taking a hike to a fire tower as a solo Sunday activity. The article I read actually related an experience of climbing 5 towers and covering 24 miles in a single day, but I wasn’t looking for that kind of exertion. All I wanted was to spend a couple of hours on my feet, breathing fresh air and taking in some scenic views.
I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend that extra hour we were gaining as we manipulated time for our annual “fall back” tradition.
After some quick research, aka asking a friend with lots of Catskills hiking experience, Overlook Mountain seemed the perfect destination. It’s less than an hour from home, well traveled and, now that the weather has cooled, hopefully rattlesnake free. Saturday night, with anticipation, I placed my camera, a couple of Clif bars, headphones and an extra layer of clothing into a backpack, planning to add water and clementines the next morning on my way out the door.
Sunday morning arrived with beautiful blue skies and temperatures on the cool side. I grabbed my backpack and hit the road. Ready or not – here I come, Overlook.
It was a beautiful morning and I excitedly drove south with the Catskills in view. When I arrived the small parking lot was already full, but after cresting the hill there was additional parking on both the side of the road and in a secondary lot further down the road. I pulled my car to the far right of the road, parked and arrived at the trailhead before 10:00 a.m.
Unfortunately, my arrival coincided with the arrival of a group of 5 or 6 other hikers. While I imagine they were all very nice people, what I know for certain is that they were very loud talkers. In fact, the volume of their voices is what propelled me up the 2.5 mile hike to the top of the mountain. I just didn’t want to hear them.
My headphones, of course, would have been an option, but I really enjoy listening to the sounds of the woods and am really glad that my fondness for climbing hills provided me with the ability to escape the noisy hiking posse and listen to the chipmunks instead.
Chipmunks, by the way, are quite noisy critters! Between their romping through the leaves and the sounds they make when they are seeking attention, they serenaded me in both directions of the hike. The chipmunks were so loud that I wondered if they were asserting themselves now that rattlesnakes no longer loomed in threat. What do you think?
The trail is essentially a carriage road, wide and with some mud after our rainy fall. The route to the top is pretty obvious with only fork that momentarily puzzled me. I continued to the left and was soon rewarded with a sign indicating that I had another .5 miles to go. You’ll know you’re close when the sky starts to become visible on the right side of the trail.
A few minutes later I caught my first glimpse of the stone shell of the abandoned hotel I had heard about from friends. It would be impossible to not climb the steps and wander around the interior, at least for me. Even as a child, I loved exploring the remains of former structures imagining who might have resided within, or how they may have been decorated.
I checked myself out of the hotel and continued to the top, a walk of less than 10 minutes. You’ll know you’re close when you start seeing the rattlesnake warnings posted on trees. The path winds around to the left with a cabin on the right, complete with a sign reading “View” and an arrow directing attention to a narrow path to the right, and the fire tower crowning the mountain.
I opted to check out the view first, a good choice since I alone owned that vista for the next 15 minutes or so. I settled myself on the exposed rocks and snacked on a clementine and feasted on the beauty that is the Hudson Valley. The foliage was mostly spent, but some oranges and rusty reds remained and the panoramic view remained spectacular.
When I was satiated, I walked back to the tower. I waited at the base, as a couple enjoyed their time taking photos and absorbing the beauty, which gave me a few minutes to collect my courage to attempt the climb myself. I don’t really like heights and this was definitely beyond my level of comfort.
Surprisingly, once I began the climbing the steps my fear dissipated. It wasn’t that scary really. There’s plenty of wire mesh wrapping the “ladder” and landings and there wasn’t any wind. I was fine.
The very top of the tower wasn’t accessible, but I felt as if I reached enough elevation to punctuate the experience in a satisfying way. It had been all I had hoped for in a morning – heart pumping in every healthy way.
The hike down was unremarkable, beyond the number of much-younger-than-myself people who were questioning how much longer it might be to the top. My response? It’s worth it – and is there really a better way to spend a bonus hour? Just keep going.
