Sunday, May 21, 2023
Start: Prediger Rd TH
End: Spruceton Rd TH
Miles: 22.66
Elevation gain/loss: 8501/8783
After a very early morning drive from home to the Catskills, I met my friend at the Spuceton Rd trailhead where we dropped a car, then headed over to to the start of the Devil’s Path at Prediger Rd. We started from the trailhead at 8:20am.
The first half of the trail was more rocky and technical than the second half, thought the elevation gain was about the same. We took some quick breaks for photos for my friend’s upcoming guidebook, but otherwise, kept pushing forward at a moderate pace. The temperature was a refreshing ~50-60 degrees, with a nice breeze to keep the bugs away and dry the sweat.
We filtered a liter of water each during one of the first half’s final climbs, and then topped off at the water faucet by Notch Lake. We also stopped for water at Diamond Notch Falls, but the water treatment tablets I borrowed from my friend made the water taste really funky and I wasn’t interested in drinking that liter.
We made it to the end trailhead by ~7:30pm. My body held up well, and while my feet were a bit tired, the rest of my body was in good shape at the end. We then drove back around to pick up the car at the first trailhead and then headed our separate ways after a quick change into dry, clean clothes.
Transcending Mountains 