DOUBLETOP AND GRAHAM ARE PERMANENTLY CLOSED
Dear fellow hikers,
Doubletop and Graham will no longer be accessible to the public – regardless of whether they are local or not. I share this news with sadness because of all the history the Club has had with these two peaks, but I do not think this will be surprising to those who have been reading the updates. Since the 3500 Club began the list in the 1960s, the Goulds have been very generous in allowing so many hikers over the years to experience these special mountains and we deeply thank them for their openness and access during that time.
We all have seen how the number of hikers in the Catskills has increased in the past few years and COVID-19 has just been a part of that – this was happening pre-COVID-19 as well. With more people pursuing the 35, the addition of lists like the grid, single season and some double single seasons, and the proliferation of information on social media, the traffic on these mountains (and everywhere) is expanding. Increased connection with nature can be a wonderful thing as all of us know who are so passionate about it, but all this expanded usage has ramifications. The impact on the natural resources is evident and the Goulds have taken this step to enhance the health of the ecosystem and protect the flora and fauna. Consequently, the family has decided that the mountains they love need to make the return back to their original wilderness state.
Jim Bouton and I were on Doubletop on Sunday and removed the old canister. Please continue to use South Doubletop and Millbrook Ridge as replacements until the Club board meeting at the end of January when new permanent mountains for the list will finalized. Needless to say, if a tally list is submitted with Doubletop or Graham after today, we will not count it and will know that it was an illegal climb. We will announce final decisions after the 1/31 meeting.
Note: You must ONLY access South Doubletop from state land, regardless of whether you are local or not. We ran into trespassers on Sunday who tried to shortcut the longer route required to hike the peak on entirely public land who clearly did not request permission. The Goulds will prosecute anyone who trespasses so use this as an opportunity to learn a real bushwhack and challenge yourself. That really is what the list is about!
Please respect the decision by the Gould family as they have thought deeply about this. We should be appreciative for how long we have had access to these mountains and that there are landowners who want to preserve our beloved Catskill mountains in their natural state without thought of commercial opportunities.
And share this news with anyone who may not see it on Facebook, Groups.io, or is not on our mailing list!
Maria Bedo-Calhoun, President, Catskill 3500 Club
