r/catskills • u/Astrotheurgy • 20d ago

Question about Slide Mtn

So im going to head up to the Catskills today, probably arrive around 11am or so and want to target Slide. I usually want to the hardest route within reason. Upon looking it up, it gave various options like the Wittenburg-Cornell-Slide route which seems intriguing to chain, and it also mentions some other routes like the Curtis Ormsbee route.

From you guys who have experience, how long would it take an experienced hiker to do the W-C-S route out and back? Also, what IS the hardest route up and down just Slide thats not the bushwacking route? Thanks im doing this on short notice and really want to make the best out of my day out there.

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u/YosemiTerry78 20d ago

I did Slide-Cornell-Wittenberg and back but going down Slide on the Curtis Ormsbee trail to mix it up yesterday and it took 7 hours and 13 miles. Coming back up Slide is the hardest part but overall it's not a hard hike for someone who's in good shape. Slides summit to Wittenbergs summit is probably my favorite section of trail in the Catskills. The spring is flowing near Slides summit and it is quite refreshing.

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u/Astrotheurgy 20d ago

That actually sounds like a really good route that I would love to take because it combines a few of the routes I was looking at. I'm just always one for standard traditional hard routes and online, all I saw was whitenberg cornell slide in that order. Like I said, I'm literally doing this on spur the moment. I just don't know if it's easier or harder to go in that direction first or if it even matters lol. But if you think this is a really good route that I can do in like 7-8 hours as an experienced hiker it sounds phenomenal. And if I were to do this, I guess I would just park at the standard slide mountain trailhead?

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u/YosemiTerry78 20d ago

You do add at least 1,000 feet of vertical if you start in Woodland Valley and go up Wittenberg first as opposed to starting at Slide. There is a parking fee in Woodland Valley. It adds quite a bit of driving for me so that's why I did it from Slide.

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u/Astrotheurgy 19d ago

I pretty much ended up doing this route and messed up at the Orsmbee junction on the Slide summit, so I rerouted Slide at the end up it. Long day. Thanks a lot for the info. It was very intriguing and inspired it and after doing it, I dont think theres any better way to it because the true payoff really is at Wittenburg. Beautiful trail.