Indian Head & Twin Mntns Loop Hike

On Saturday, September 21st, I arrived at the trailhead at the end of Prediger Road at about 8:40AM.  Shortly thereafter, one of the Andrews arrived.  We waited for the other Andrew until about 9:15 and he wasn't there yet, so after leaving a note on the car, we headed up the trail.  Driving in that morning the area was mostly sunny but the peaks, we were going to climb, were in the clouds.

Heading up the trail we quickly came to the split for the Jimmy Dolan Notch and took this trail up to the col between Indian Head and Twin Mountains.  This trail was mostly modest in grade initially but as we approached the notch it steadily steepened and became more rocky.  We reached the trail junction for Twin Mountain in the col at about 10:30AM and took the trail up to Twin.  As we climbed the peak, there was a view eastward to Indian Head and as we progressed further we made it to the mostly open summit of the first Twin with its south and west views.  It was now about 11AM and we headed over the the other Twin peak, which is actually the higher of the two.  This only took us about 20 minutes to reach the open ledge just beyond the peak.  This provided nice views to Sugarloaf to the west and into the wilderness to the south.  Initially the peak was clouded over, but it did clear while we were there.  It was very windy and chilly though.  We took a short snack break, but decided to have our lunch back over on the other Twin, since we had to backtrack across it to head over to Indian Head.  On the way back we finally ran into Andrew...he had not followed our path, but instead traversed Indian Head on his way over to the Twins.  Anyway, it was nice that we were all together.  Andrew continued onto the other Twin, while we would have lunch on the first Twin and wait for him.

All back together again, we headed down off of Twin back to the col between the peaks.  We were back there by a little before 1PM and we started up Indian Head, which is less than 0.5 mile to the summit.  There were minor views near the summit...a view to Overlook Mountain could be seen, but the majority of views were past the peak.  We reached a really nice granite ledge, which supposedly provided great views, but unfortunately, it was mostly clouded over.  Continuing on we descended a few very steep sections and by 2:30 we reached the final ledge, which had some great views down upon Platte Clove and over to Kaaterskill Peak.  From here it was a fairly easy hike back to the trail junction for Prediger Road.  We reached out cars again at 4:30PM.  As we were about to all head out, we were approached by a young woman, who had locked herself out of her car.  We tried our best to help, but ultimately she had to call the police.  After this we called it a day, so Andrew and I could drive down to Woodland Valley to camp overnight.

Thanks, Andrew and Andrew for joining me and making this a very memorable hike!

Join me for this loop hike over the Indian Head Mountain Range and its Devil's Path...Twin and Indian Head Mountains.  We'll start from the Prediger Road Trailhead ascending Twin Mountain (3640') via the Jimmy Dolan Notch, where we'll utilize the famous Devil's Path for the ascent up Twin Mountain.  After tagging the summit we'll return to the same notch and continue along the Devil's Path for the climb up and over Indian Head (3573') on our way over to Sherman's Lookout and the return.  There are views into the Indian Head Wilderness near both summits as well as from the shoulder at various points out to Sherman's Lookout. 

This hike utilizes the Devil's Path along a ridge that connects Twin and Indian Head Mountains. This entire path is difficult and steep in sections.  It is famous for its big rocks and cliffs to climb, rock chimneys, and loose/slippery rocks.  Good footwear is a must! 

Total Distance and Elevation Gain:  8.8 miles with approximately 3474 feet of accumulative elevation gain. 

Total Time:  8 hours or more depending on breaks and lunch. 

Rain or harsh weather will postpone to another date, as appropriate. 

Camping Option:  Contact me, if you're interested in camping Friday and/or Saturday night.  I would be happy to set something up or provide details to share my site. 

What to Bring:  Typical summer hiking gear should be appropriate:  convertible hiking pants or shorts, good sturdy hiking boots with thick socks, extra layer(s) (as needed) and a windbreaker/raingear (just in case).  Also bring along lunch, snacks and plenty of water (at least 2-L).  Optionally, pack bug repellent and sunscreen and anything else that you may require for a day hike.  

Afterwards:  We should be completed with the hike by 5:00PM.  If there is sufficient interest, we can grab dinner/drinks in Tannersville (possibly Last Chance).