Rusk Mountain
Encyclopedia
Rusk Mountain is a peak located in the towns of Jewett
and Lexington
in Greene County
, New York
, USA. At 3,680 feet (1,121 m) in elevation, it is the 20th-highest peak in the Catskill Mountains
and considered a member of the Catskill High Peaks
. While there is no maintained trail, a bushwhack to the summit is considered relatively easy, and required for membership in the Catskill Mountain 3500 Club
.
calls the Lexington Range, the northern of two that fork off from nearby Hunter Mountain
, the second-highest Catskill peak. Between Rusk and Taylor Hollow, the col
between it and Hunter to its east, there is an unnamed 3,640-foot (1,109 m) summit referred to as East Rusk. The range continues to Evergreen and Packsaddle mountains to the west before ending at Lexington
.
The mountain is within the Schoharie Creek
watershed
. Its southern slopes are drained by an unnamed brook that flows down Ox Hollow into Hunter Brook just above where that stream joins the West Kill, which later drains into the Schoharie. The northern slopes drain directly into the Schoharie headwaters just below them. Its runoff helps feed Schoharie Reservoir
, part of the New York City
water supply system
.
While Rusk is dwarfed from the perspective of the Spruceton Valley by 3,880-foot (1,183 m), it is more impressive due to a greater rise from the valley floor. The north face can be glimpsed in its entirety from NY 296
just north of its junction with NY 23A
.
That slope rises up steadily and steeply to the summit ridge. The south is marked by Ox Hollow, and the ridge to its south that is the most frequently used approach when climbing the mountain. The summit ridge leads out to a promontory
to the south at the head of the ridge.
Much of the mountain is owned by the state of New York, part of its Forest Preserve
, and included in what is currently the Hunter Mountain Wild Forest unit of the Catskill Park. A proposed change, however, would upgrade the lands on Rusk and most of its neighboring peaks into a new unit to be called the Hunter-West Kill wilderness area, while preserving a corridor going up Hunter as the Rusk Mountain Wild Forest (although Rusk would not be a part of that). The only large private landholding on the slopes is to the southwest.
geology
professor on what would be the first accurate survey
of the Catskills in the 1870s and '80s. There is some evidence, however, that Guyot meant to name what is today East Rusk after Rusk and save Evergreen for today's Rusk, but got confused with his maps.
Guyot made probably what is the first recorded ascent of the mountain during his survey, but it is unknown whether anyone else had come first.
he has so far identified in the Catskills. This suggests that the barkpeelers of the late 19th century, who deforested
large tracts of the region looking for tannin
, never got up to this area. The peak was, however, definitely well-explored by the local lumber industry, as skid
and wood roads can be found in the woods today, some well above 3,000 feet (900 m) in elevation. The forest below that elevation is thus dominated by the beech
and maple
trees that are common second-growth in the Catskills.
Above those elevations, those trees persist, albeit in smaller and more stunted forms as elevation increases, until finally they share the summit ridge with the red spruce
and balsam fir
of the boreal forest found on Catskill summits. Rusk's, however, is more open and passable than some of its neighbors.
along Spruceton Road (Greene County Route 7) six miles (9.6 km) east of NY 42
at West Kill. They follow the Spruceton Trail, the old road to the fire tower on Hunter, for roughly 0.5 mile (900 m) until it makes a sharp curve shortly after crossing Hunter Brook.
At that point, an old wood road can be seen intersecting from the southwest. This is followed, making for easy crossings of Hunter's unnamed tributary and the intermittent Ox Hollow drainage brook. A short distance afterward it is at the center of the ridge.
From this point, it is very easy to follow the wide ridge's line straight up to the promontory. A stone wall
left over from past attempts to farm
this land runs nearly parallel to the route at first, and then it is necessary to either cut across a corner of private property or drop slightly down into the Ox Hollow side to remain on public land. Most hikers choose the former.
The woods here remain fairly open, although stinging nettle
s flourish here in wetter summers. Above approximately 3,200 feet (975 m), after the last wood road has been crossed and the land belongs to the state once again, the climb becomes more difficult. Not only does the slope becomes steeper and rockier, immature seedlings become denser in the forest understory
, making it necessary to gently shove them away and duck underneath or step around them.
Hikers who reach the 3,500-foot (1,067 m) cutoff elevation for High Peak status will find themselves at the base of the shale
cliff
s around the promontory. This is the crux of the Ox Hollow route. While they are not very sheer and present a number of safe routes to a climber willing to use his or her hands, it can take some time to find one and reach the top. A comparatively easy traverse through the cliffs exists, but is not immediately evident, especially in warmer weather when vegetation limits the view.
Once atop the promontory, the ground is level. Climbers who turn due north at this point, towards the obvious higher ground, invariably find the herd path that leads toward the 3500 Club summit canister
. At the point where it climbs up onto the summit cap, there is in all seasons of year an excellent view east and southeast toward Kaaterskill High Peak
, Hunter and Southwest Hunter
. Next to the top of the short scramble
, there is a somewhat limited view across the valley to West Kill's summit nunatak
.
Total vertical gain via this route is 1,597 feet (487 m). Approximate distance to the summit from Spruceton Road is 2 miles (3.2 km)
to the summit or the connecting ridge to East Rusk. This requires more effort later on but avoids the cliffs.
exist but are not significantly different or better than the many found in more accessible locations.
s grow waist-high) and gets wider and easier to follow as it gets closer to the canister, located near the northwest corner of the summit. There is ample room for a party of hikers to relax and have lunch around it, as many do.
There are few views that equal the viewpoint early on the herd path, though some limited ones to West Kill and its neighbors are available for those who search around in the brush south of the canister, especially if leaves are down.
Anecdotal accounts from GPS readouts on the summit suggest that the mountain may be higher than officially reported.
Jewett, New York
Jewett is a town centrally located in Greene County, New York, United States. The population was 953 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Judge Freeborn Jewett.- History :The town was first settled around 1784....
and Lexington
Lexington, New York
Lexington is a town in Greene County, New York, United States. The population was 805 at the 2010 census.The Town of Lexington is in the southwest part of Greene County.- History :The town was first settled around 1788....
in Greene County
Greene County, New York
Greene County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Its name is in honor of the American Revolutionary War general Nathanael Greene. Its county seat is Catskill...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, USA. At 3,680 feet (1,121 m) in elevation, it is the 20th-highest peak in the Catskill Mountains
Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, an area in New York State northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany, are a mature dissected plateau, an uplifted region that was subsequently eroded into sharp relief. They are an eastward continuation, and the highest representation, of the Allegheny Plateau...
and considered a member of the Catskill High Peaks
Catskill High Peaks
The Catskill High Peaks are all of the mountains in New York's Catskill Mountains above 3,500 ft in elevation whose summits are separated either by one-half mile or a vertical drop of at least 250 ft between it and the next nearest separate summit...
. While there is no maintained trail, a bushwhack to the summit is considered relatively easy, and required for membership in the Catskill Mountain 3500 Club
Catskill Mountain 3500 Club
The Catskill Mountain 3500 Club, incorporated as the Catskill 3500 Club and often just referred to as the 3500 Club, is a peakbagging organization for hikers in the Catskill Mountains of New York...
.
Geography
Rusk is the highest peak (and the only High Peak) on what Catskill forest historian Michael KudishMichael Kudish
Michael Kudish is an author, railroad historian, forester, and retired professor. He received his Ph.D. in 1971 from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse. His dissertation, on the history of Catskill forests, was the beginning of a lifelong...
calls the Lexington Range, the northern of two that fork off from nearby Hunter Mountain
Hunter Mountain (New York)
Hunter Mountain is in the towns of Hunter and Lexington, just south of the village of Hunter, in Greene County, New York, USA. At approximately 4,040 feet in elevation, it is the highest peak in the county and the second-highest peak in the Catskill Mountains.While the mountain is closely...
, the second-highest Catskill peak. Between Rusk and Taylor Hollow, the col
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
between it and Hunter to its east, there is an unnamed 3,640-foot (1,109 m) summit referred to as East Rusk. The range continues to Evergreen and Packsaddle mountains to the west before ending at Lexington
Lexington, New York
Lexington is a town in Greene County, New York, United States. The population was 805 at the 2010 census.The Town of Lexington is in the southwest part of Greene County.- History :The town was first settled around 1788....
.
The mountain is within the Schoharie Creek
Schoharie Creek
Schoharie Creek in New York, USA flows north from the foot of Indian Head Mountain in the Catskill Mountains through the Schoharie Valley to the Mohawk River. It is twice impounded north of Prattsville to create New York City's Schoharie Reservoir and the Blenheim-Gilboa Power Project.Two notable...
watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
. Its southern slopes are drained by an unnamed brook that flows down Ox Hollow into Hunter Brook just above where that stream joins the West Kill, which later drains into the Schoharie. The northern slopes drain directly into the Schoharie headwaters just below them. Its runoff helps feed Schoharie Reservoir
Schoharie Reservoir
The Schoharie Reservoir is a small reservoir in the Catskill Mountains of New York State that was created to be one of 19 reservoirs that supplies New York City with water. It was created by impounding Schoharie Creek...
, part of the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
water supply system
Water supply network
A water supply system or water supply network is a system of engineered hydrologic and hydraulic components which provide water supply. A water supply system typically includes:# A drainage basin ;...
.
While Rusk is dwarfed from the perspective of the Spruceton Valley by 3,880-foot (1,183 m), it is more impressive due to a greater rise from the valley floor. The north face can be glimpsed in its entirety from NY 296
New York State Route 296
New York State Route 296 is a short state highway located entirely within both the Catskill Park and Greene County. It connects NY 23A in the village of Hunter with NY 23 near the Windham hamlet of Hensonville....
just north of its junction with NY 23A
New York State Route 23A
New York State Route 23A is an east–west state highway in Greene County, New York, in the United States. It serves as a alternate route of NY 23 through the northern Catskill Mountains...
.
That slope rises up steadily and steeply to the summit ridge. The south is marked by Ox Hollow, and the ridge to its south that is the most frequently used approach when climbing the mountain. The summit ridge leads out to a promontory
Promontory
Promontory may refer to:*Promontory, a prominent mass of land which overlooks lower lying land or a body of water*Promontory, Utah, the location where the United States first Transcontinental Railroad was completed...
to the south at the head of the ridge.
Much of the mountain is owned by the state of New York, part of its Forest Preserve
Forest Preserve (New York)
New York's Forest Preserve is all the land owned by the state within the Adirondack and Catskill parks, managed by its Department of Environmental Conservation. These properties are required to be kept "forever wild" by Article 14 of the state constitution, and thus enjoy the highest degree of...
, and included in what is currently the Hunter Mountain Wild Forest unit of the Catskill Park. A proposed change, however, would upgrade the lands on Rusk and most of its neighboring peaks into a new unit to be called the Hunter-West Kill wilderness area, while preserving a corridor going up Hunter as the Rusk Mountain Wild Forest (although Rusk would not be a part of that). The only large private landholding on the slopes is to the southwest.
History
Rusk was named by Arnold Henri Guyot after Samuel Rusk, who assisted the PrincetonPrinceton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
professor on what would be the first accurate survey
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
of the Catskills in the 1870s and '80s. There is some evidence, however, that Guyot meant to name what is today East Rusk after Rusk and save Evergreen for today's Rusk, but got confused with his maps.
Guyot made probably what is the first recorded ascent of the mountain during his survey, but it is unknown whether anyone else had come first.
Natural history
According to Kudish, Rusk boasts, in the upper reaches of Ox Hollow, one of the few virgin stands of Eastern HemlockEastern Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis, also known as eastern or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as pruche du Canada, is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It ranges from northeastern Minnesota eastward through southern Quebec to Nova Scotia, and south in the Appalachian...
he has so far identified in the Catskills. This suggests that the barkpeelers of the late 19th century, who deforested
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
large tracts of the region looking for tannin
Tannin
A tannin is an astringent, bitter plant polyphenolic compound that binds to and precipitates proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids.The term tannin refers to the use of...
, never got up to this area. The peak was, however, definitely well-explored by the local lumber industry, as skid
Skid
Skid may refer to:* Skid, a pallet, a metal, wood or plastic platform for holding machinery or equipment* Skid , an outward side-slip in an aircraft turn* Skid steering, a method of steering in which wheels or tracks are skidded sideways...
and wood roads can be found in the woods today, some well above 3,000 feet (900 m) in elevation. The forest below that elevation is thus dominated by the beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
and maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
trees that are common second-growth in the Catskills.
Above those elevations, those trees persist, albeit in smaller and more stunted forms as elevation increases, until finally they share the summit ridge with the red spruce
Red Spruce
Picea rubens is a species of spruce native to eastern North America, ranging from eastern Quebec to Nova Scotia, and from New England south in the Adirondack Mountains and Appalachians to western North Carolina.-Physical description:...
and balsam fir
Balsam Fir
The balsam fir is a North American fir, native to most of eastern and central Canada and the northeastern United States .-Growth:It is a small to medium-size evergreen tree typically tall, rarely to tall, with a narrow conic crown...
of the boreal forest found on Catskill summits. Rusk's, however, is more open and passable than some of its neighbors.
Approaches
Land ownership and existing roads in the area have long favored the popular southern approach up the ridge leading up to the summit from Ox Hollow, although easier approaches are theoretically possible. Altogether, there are four routes up the mountain.Ox Hollow
Hikers taking this route park at the Spruceton trailheadTrailhead
A trailhead is the point at which a trail begins, where the trail is often intended for hiking, biking, horseback riding, or off-road vehicles...
along Spruceton Road (Greene County Route 7) six miles (9.6 km) east of NY 42
New York State Route 42
New York State Route 42 is a north–south, discontinuous state highway in the Catskill Mountains region of New York in the United States. The southernmost of the highway's two segments begins at an intersection with U.S. Route 6 and US 209 in Port Jervis and ends at a junction with...
at West Kill. They follow the Spruceton Trail, the old road to the fire tower on Hunter, for roughly 0.5 mile (900 m) until it makes a sharp curve shortly after crossing Hunter Brook.
At that point, an old wood road can be seen intersecting from the southwest. This is followed, making for easy crossings of Hunter's unnamed tributary and the intermittent Ox Hollow drainage brook. A short distance afterward it is at the center of the ridge.
From this point, it is very easy to follow the wide ridge's line straight up to the promontory. A stone wall
Stone wall
Stone walls are a kind of masonry construction which have been made for thousands of years. First they were constructed by farmers and primitive people by piling loose field stones in what is called a dry stone wall, then later with the use of mortar and plaster especially in the construction of...
left over from past attempts to farm
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
this land runs nearly parallel to the route at first, and then it is necessary to either cut across a corner of private property or drop slightly down into the Ox Hollow side to remain on public land. Most hikers choose the former.
The woods here remain fairly open, although stinging nettle
Stinging nettle
Stinging nettle or common nettle, Urtica dioica, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant, native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and North America, and is the best-known member of the nettle genus Urtica...
s flourish here in wetter summers. Above approximately 3,200 feet (975 m), after the last wood road has been crossed and the land belongs to the state once again, the climb becomes more difficult. Not only does the slope becomes steeper and rockier, immature seedlings become denser in the forest understory
Understory
Understory is the term for the area of a forest which grows at the lowest height level below the forest canopy. Plants in the understory consist of a mixture of seedlings and saplings of canopy trees together with understory shrubs and herbs...
, making it necessary to gently shove them away and duck underneath or step around them.
Hikers who reach the 3,500-foot (1,067 m) cutoff elevation for High Peak status will find themselves at the base of the shale
Shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...
cliff
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
s around the promontory. This is the crux of the Ox Hollow route. While they are not very sheer and present a number of safe routes to a climber willing to use his or her hands, it can take some time to find one and reach the top. A comparatively easy traverse through the cliffs exists, but is not immediately evident, especially in warmer weather when vegetation limits the view.
Once atop the promontory, the ground is level. Climbers who turn due north at this point, towards the obvious higher ground, invariably find the herd path that leads toward the 3500 Club summit canister
Summit register
A summit book is a record of visitors to the summit of a mountain, usually one without a maintained trail. It is usually enclosed in a weatherproof, animalproof metal canister. Some books are maintained in an informal manner by an individual or small group, while others are maintained by a club...
. At the point where it climbs up onto the summit cap, there is in all seasons of year an excellent view east and southeast toward Kaaterskill High Peak
Kaaterskill High Peak
Kaaterskill High Peak is one of the Catskill Mountains, located in the Town of Hunter in Greene County, New York, USA. It was once believed to be the highest peak in the entire range, but its summit, at 3,655 feet in elevation, places it only 23rd among the Catskill High Peaks. It is, however,...
, Hunter and Southwest Hunter
Southwest Hunter Mountain
Southwest Hunter Mountain is a subpeak of Hunter Mountain, located in Greene County, New York.SW Hunter is considered one of the Catskills' High Peaks in its own right, because of its separation from the main summit, and its topographic prominence.Hunter Mountain is named after John Hunter, who...
. Next to the top of the short scramble
Scrambling
Scrambling is a method of ascending rocky faces and ridges. It is an ambiguous term that lies somewhere between hillwalking and rock climbing. It is often distinguished from hillwalking by defining a scramble as a route where hands must be used in the ascent...
, there is a somewhat limited view across the valley to West Kill's summit nunatak
Nunatak
A nunatak is an exposed, often rocky element of a ridge, mountain, or peak not covered with ice or snow within an ice field or glacier. The term is typically used in areas where a permanent ice sheet is present...
.
Total vertical gain via this route is 1,597 feet (487 m). Approximate distance to the summit from Spruceton Road is 2 miles (3.2 km)
Drainage variant
A small number of hikers prefer to follow the creek at the bottom of Ox Hollow instead of the ridge and climb the hollow's steep headwallHeadwall
In physical geography and geology the headwall of a glacial cirque is its highest cliff.In civil engineering, a headwall is a small retaining wall placed at the outlet of a stormwater pipe or culvert....
to the summit or the connecting ridge to East Rusk. This requires more effort later on but avoids the cliffs.
East from Taylor Hollow
When Hunter and Rusk are climbed on the same outing it is common to follow the ridgeline from the Spruceton Trail at Taylor Hollow between the two peaks. This is a gentler rise that also allows for a visit to East Rusk.Southwest
Since open land, and driveable roads that run off Rusk Mountain Road, climb a good distance up the mountain in this direction it could, if used, provide a relatively easy hike until just before the promontory. However, this land is privately owned and it would be necessary to get permission to cross it.North face
While this slope is on public land, it is also necessary to get permission to cross private property to reach its base. Some hikers have taken this approach, mainly for variety's sake. Total gain via this route would be 2,180 feet (664 m). There is no herd path in this direction. Some hikers report views to the Blackhead RangeBlackhead Range
The Blackhead Mountains range is located near the northern end of the Catskill Mountains, in Greene County, New York, where it divides the towns of Windham and Jewett...
exist but are not significantly different or better than the many found in more accessible locations.
Summit
As with many other Catskill peaks, it is difficult to determine where the true high ground on Rusk is as the top is fairly flat. The herd path from the promontory is fairly strong (though some sections near its start can be almost imperceptible in summer when the surrounding fernFern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s grow waist-high) and gets wider and easier to follow as it gets closer to the canister, located near the northwest corner of the summit. There is ample room for a party of hikers to relax and have lunch around it, as many do.
There are few views that equal the viewpoint early on the herd path, though some limited ones to West Kill and its neighbors are available for those who search around in the brush south of the canister, especially if leaves are down.
Anecdotal accounts from GPS readouts on the summit suggest that the mountain may be higher than officially reported.
External links
- Rusk Mountain Hiking Info Catskill 3500 Club
- PeakBagger.com: Rusk Mountain