Thank you...We used to camp and hike there in 1972-3 with our VW Bus and tent, and our dog Stephanie. I loved that it is "forever wild" and undeveloped. there were no premade fire rings when we were there Pristine and that is how we left it. I well remember the hikes to trout and mud ponds. It was nice remembering with you.
Real sorry to hear about that situation. Glad you had the dog. I never backpack in the Catskills anymore, because of situations like this. Too many weirdos and fools that have no backwoods etiquette. I had the same problem where you were. Same exact scenario. The Creeper had to be taken down the same way. This was 2018. I wonder if it was the same guy?
Trout lake is a very shallow lake. I think it may freeze to the bottom during cold years. Long story short there are no trout in trout lake. If anyone has seen or caught trout at this lake I would like to know.
Good information. You're very knowledgeable. Your dog protected you and sensed a dangerous individual with a dog's intuition -- awesome, but this individual seemed off. This person was hallucinating, drunk, and/or unable to cry for help properly, which almost meant he should have gotten some help. You didn't provide that help, but you were understandably defensive. What else could have been possible afterwards for such a person? He's likely a predatory type, but he may also be a victim of something or of foul play if he appeared so randomly. I know of faithful dogs that barked and snapped at people I know who weren't violent, but they reacted with fear or sudden surprise at the apparent stranger. You may have likely done the right thing, but you still can't justifiably say that person was evil or good by simply a few intuitive feelings, either.
Great vid, really want to camp at the camp spot you found. Can you e mail me and give me directions how to get directly to that site? 6smoke@gmail.com Thank you
Great video!! Any possibility you could let me know where you went in? I’m planning a trip with 5 buddies this fall and would like to try this route. Most of us will be first timers!! Doing a Fri, Sat and Sunday deal. We all fly fish so I would like to get close to the Never Sink. Any info would be great!! TY!!
Great video, love watching you set up camp and get your fire going. Jeb looked so cozy in his swaddle. The ppl at the other camp were so rude. It is good to see that you corrected their stupidity when leaving that fire going. Looking forward to seeing more videos. Vicky
I like the old stone foundation you found! I always loved going checking those things out. Yes, I also like hiking when it's just myself! Wow! Fantastic view from the top! I also have a hiking/travel channel if you're interested in checking that out! Jeb looks a lot like my dog actually, btw!
Check out the IRIDIUM STOVE.... its built for a backcountry adventure.....very simple and easy to use...no moving parts....dual fire apps.....guaranteed for life.....they are sweet
Camped there last August. Pretty sure this is Table & Peekamoose, not Slide. Check out www.catskillmountaineer.com/SMW-peekamoose.html for the details. Great walk in the woods w/ great place to hang. Glad you enjoyed!
Sorry for your loss. I hope the trail time brought you peace. Thanks for bringing me back to Huggins Pond. I camped there in '80 & '81 for summer camp when it was "Indian Ridge Scout Reservation". Back then, it was no longer a functioning Boy Scout camp, but my troop utilized the property as it was still owned by Boy Scouts. I'll visit again one day soon! Thank you again.
Loving all your Catskill adventures! You mentioned a guide book during this video...care to share the title you referred to towards the end? Thanks...---Tim
Wow. We had a toxic fire here at the docks a few years ago. The wind was drifting the smoke right over us. We took off immediately (even before we knew the smoke was toxic) and stayed away for a few days...
where did you start from for this and where are the sites? if you have a map I would really appreciate it. did giant ledge and panther last weekend and it was great
Wow ! What a wild story, and Jeb is so cool. Doesn't sound so much like bad etiquette as much as this guy had some serious mental stuff going on. Glad it turned out ok. I've been up around 11,000ft in the Colorado San Juan Wilderness and been in some very scary lightning storms where the hair on the back of your neck stood out. Thanks for sharing Joe.
Wow, friend! That is definitely a strange experience. Jeb for sure was in protect mode. Great friend you have in Jeb. Something was up with this fellow. A hiker that has any experience at all would never walk through another person's camp. Thanks for sharing this experience. Great information on lightning safety. Glad you were able to camp safely. I have never had an experience that bizarre. Once I was camped well off the trail and asleep in my hammock. I woke around 2:00 am to voices coming from the direction of the trail. I sat up in my hammock and I saw a light shining through the trees. The voices and the light came closer and closer to my camp. I could tell they were heading directly to my camp site. I sat in my hammock with my pistol in hand and watched two guys walk right past me. I don't think they ever saw me since my hammock and tarp are very dark in color. At least they never acknowledged me. They continued on and as far as I know left the area. Definitely unsettling to wake up in the middle of the night to strange voices. Glad your experience ended well. Stay safe on the trail. Thanks for sharing.
Suffice it to say....I had no more problems. Jeb Is a great trail buddy. He has my back 100%. Thanks for watching and sharing your odd trail experiences.
I actually was out bushwhacking in an area that surely nobody else was, when suddenly out of nowhere I find myself standing right in the middle of someone's camp. The vegetation was so thick that I literally didn't see it until I was standing 3 feet away from the tent. I stood there for a moment almost in shock from the unexpected find, then I announced myself and apologized for barging in. Fortunately nobody was home. I immediately left the area. I even decided to backtrack and totally abandon the whole hike because I was worried it could be poachers, drug activity, or even those crazy ginseng hunters. Once back in my truck and making my way down the rough road I came across a guy and he flagged me down. I lowered the window with one hand, pistol in the other hand LOL. Turns out the guy had been up there camping and was wandering around trying to get a phone signal because he wanted to leave a day earlier and needed to notify his ride. I agreed to make the call for him when I got back to town. Although that story ended "well" I still consider it very bizarre. Not quite as weird as what happened to you though. That was very strange, something definitely wrong with that guy. Good thing you had Jeb with you, plus the other camper that had your back. Thanks for the link on the lightening safety, I will definitely have a look.
Hehehe. I can't carry in the woods/trail but I have the pup and he has been very reliable. 99.9% of folks I encounter on the trail are very friendly and love Jeb. Maybe I've been lucky enough to not encounterd a lot of weirdos, but, goodness, Jeb had zero hesitation in this instance. I've been thinking about a "Who is Jeb" video for a while....I think now is a good time. He has always been loyal and protective. Chased coyotes, faced bears, but this was way different, it was a human. I'm still thinking about the whole encounter and monitoring Jebs behavior. That experience has the potential of making him very un-trusting of people on the trail. So far so good though, many day hikes. Believe it or not he was actually pretty stressed for a few hours afterwards. Hyper vigilant and agitated. When it's all said and done, I couldn't have a better dog.
What that guy did was just rude...and dangerous. Some people, if ya come into their camp unannounced, will perceive a threat, as did Joe. So Joe did what needed to be done, he neutralized the threat. My dog, Gabi, is the same way, she protects, me, my wife, and my wife's daycare kids. If'n you're up to no good, dogs can be your worst nightmare.
Great story about that dude. I think people need to educate themselves before they get outdoors on proper etiquette but then again some folks just don't care anymore. Thanks for sharing
I agree that does look like a nice area. Your camp site was awesome, but I believe I would have to scatter those cairns next to the river, I'm not a fan of cairns LOL! Glad you made it through the storms, I guess it's a fact of life in summer. I look forward to seeing you come back to this area, sounds like you have a good plan to explore it further.
Very sorry for your loss, my friend. My condolences to you and your family. That looked like a beautiful lake, too bad the terrain wasn't really good for exploring. I'm sure you just enjoyed the time in the woods anyway. Great video, my friend...we all have our own video styles, your content is always interesting. As you mentioned it does take a lot of time to make a good RU-vid video though but it's all worth it when you know your viewers appreciate it and enjoy what you are doing.
This is a neat trail. I appreciate the description of all the trails. You did choose a sweet camp site. Very nice. I love your plan for having a base camp and bagging all the surrounding peaks. Perfect! Your camp site had a nice fire pit. Glad you made it through the storms. Good decision on not taking that trip to Slide Mountain.....safety first! I definitely need to make it up to the Catskills some time. Enjoyed the hike. Take care, friend!
Good to see you out on the trail, friend. Your first shot of the lake is beautiful. Such a gorgeous sky. The wilderness can be very comforting. Sounds like you definitely need some down time. I am so sorry to hear about your mother. Thank you for sharing life with us. It looked like Jeb was posing for the video of you and him enjoying breakfast and coffee. I am with you, the guys that make the amazing videos of their hike have my admiration. It definitely takes a lot of time. I always enjoy your content. Great job! Thanks for taking us along. Praying for you and your family.
