On Novenber 6, Troop 1 Katonah traveled north to hike to Kaaterskill Falls, one of the tallest waterfalls in New York State. An area made famous by the paintings of Thomas Cole and the lore of Washington Irving, the falls continue to draw thousands to enjoy its beauty. This the troop's third year visiting the falls, thanks to Assistant Scoutmaster Bob Suda. Thanks to Tom Bauer for taking these great photos!--Otto Vondrak
This past weekend, Troop 1 Katonah took a trip to Kaaterskill Falls. We departed at 7:15 and arrived at about 10 o'clock in the morning at our launch point for our day hike. We spent the day on a hike going up one of the mountains, which was approximately 3,200 feet above sea level. We stopped at key points along the way that had great views of the Empire State: "Artist's Rock," which was a great big rock ledge that stuck out of the mountain and was an attraction for many in the area, because of its amazing view (one can see how it probably got its name!); "Sunset Rock" was where we stopped for lunch, and was also said to have the greatest view of the colorful sunsets throughout the year--right over a lake, and between two snow-capped mountains; and finally "Newman's Ledge," which was another lookout point with beautiful scenery, and also equipped with a straight drop-off for about 800 feet!
When we finally finished the hike, it totalled just about 7 miles, and everyone was EXHAUSTED! Next, we set up our campsite, which was about a 10 minute drive from where we hiked. A short walk through some brush, assembling our site, and 20 minutes later we were ready for dinner. The patrol menus had quite the selection that night: Ribs, grilled chicken, meatball soup, and chili. With our stomachs full, and some time by the fire, it was time to endure a night of 20-degree atmosphere. It was cold, windy, and frosty, but we all made it through with few complaints.
Breakfast that morning brought us back up to normal body temperature, consisting of lots of oatmeal, hot chocolate, and yes, a S'MORES SUB: A foot-long Italian loaf, with 3 bars of milk chocolate, 2 sliced bananas, and half a bag of large marshmallows, all wrapped up in 3 sheets of tin foil--quite the breakfast snack! After we were done with our morning feeding, we packed up camp and headed out to the highlight of the trip, Kaaterskill Falls! It was about a half-mile hike in from the highway where all of the tourists parked. Before we knew it, we were there, sitting at the bottom of this beautiful product of nature. Two large tiers of water being fed by the mountains make this the largest and tallest waterfall in New York State. We sat there for a while, looking on at its greatness, but then it was time for us to depart. The relaxing ride home left us with a memorable trip, with many already making plans for next year's adventure.
--Kyle W., Troop Historian