BIG INDIAN/FIR/DOUBLETOP CATSKILL 35 BUSHWACKS (The "Boomhower" Hike)

I left the house in the morning headed for the Western Catskills. As I got close to the mountains, some flurries started up and the clouds were thick. I also saw some light snow in the higher elevations. When I arrived at Seager TH, the winds were whipping and it was chilly, quite a difference from my last hike! I geared up and headed up the Seager Trail along Dry Brook. There were a couple crossings but nothing too difficult...

Along the way I saw the Hobblebush was flowering...

After a short while I came to the Shandaken Lean-To...

After the Lean-To the climb up to the ridge started and was pretty steep for a while until I met the Pine Hill-West Branch Trail junction...

There was a dusting of snow as I headed south towards Big Indian Mtn...

I got restless looking for the herdpath to the summit of Big Indian so I just headed up through the woods and found the canister...

I then turned east to bushwack to Fir mountain. It was a fairly difficult 1.5 miles over the Catskill Divide (a narrow ridge that seperates the Hudson/Delaware River watersheds). At the summit I stopped for a break at the canister...

I headed back across the ridge and back up to Big Indian Mtn where I had something to eat and changed into new socks/boots. I decided that since I was up here I might as well bushwack over to Doubletop Mtn as well. I found the property line that runs across the ridge and followed it towards the mountain...

I left the property line and headed up to the col between the summits, It was steep up higher and near the top there was actually some snow left in the pines...

I found a herdpath and followed it a short ways to the summit canister...

It was a chilly and rather gloomy day, so I didn't hang around to find any viewpoints, but I was lucky enough to stumble upon on a boulder on the descent with a nice view of the Dry Brook Valley below...

I descended the ridge back down to the valley below and it seemed to take quite a while before I came out near where Flat Iron Brook meets Dry Brook which was a beautiful area with many cascades...

I met up with the Seager Trail and then it was just a nice walk of about a mile back to the TH along Dry Brook...

It was a tough hike of about 12 miles of which about 1/2 was bushwacking, but I'm glad I spent the day in the woods and challenged myself.
I'm a big fan of the cartoon "King Of The Hill" and was delighted to see this sign on the drive home...