Devil in a Day! Hiking the East's most difficult trail - The Devil's Path

The Devil's Path in the Catskill Mountains has been called the eastern United State's most difficult hiking trail. Five and a half mountains, 9,000 feet of elevation gain, over 24.5 miles. Nine of us started and five finished on a fall day with strong winds, heavy rain, and lots of fog.

Mountains on the Devil's Path include:

• Indian Head Mountain

• Twin Mountain

• Sugarloaf Mountain

• Plateau Mountain

• Shoulder of Hunter Mountain

• Westkill Mountain

The weather was bad enough that we had trouble capturing the hike for a full video, so we put it in a YouTube short. This way you can get a feel for this trail on a tough day in just a minute.

This hike was organized by Hike On Guides (who will guide you on a Devil in a Day adventure).

Nine of us started at the Prediger Road Trailhead at just before 6am in the dark. Sunlight started to break as we were coming up on the summit of Indian Head Mountain. Winds were also picking up and the mountain itself was in the fog as climbed.

Coming down into Jimmy Dolan Notch and then over Twin Mountain to Pecoy Notch, the strong winds continued, along with fog and occasional drizzle. Same with Sugarloaf Mountain.

As we reached Mink Hollow and began the ascent up Plateau, the rain really moved in. It was pouring at times, with strong winds and temps only in the 40s.

By the time we all got down to the trailhead on Route 214 in Stony Clove Notch, three of the folks on the hike decided to call it a day. Jeff shuttled them back to the trailhead, while Moe continued on with the rest of the group.

The rains moderated, but it was still a cold, windy, foggy, and drizzly hike as they went over the shoulder of Hunter Mountain, then down to Diamond Notch, and then over Westkill Mountain before reaching the end of the trail on the Devil’s Path Trailhead on Spruceton Road.

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Watch all of our videos about hikes in the Catskills on YouTube

• The Hiker Trash Husband's Catskills Videos

You can find more information about this hike on:

• The NYNJ Trail Conference's Catskill Trails Map Set
• National Geographic's Trails Illustrated Map for the Catskill Park

Find additional information about the Catskill Park by visiting the Catskills Visitor Center

• https://catskillsvisitorcenter.org​.

Outdoor Hiking, Backpacking and Camping Guide Services:

• Hike On Guides (hike with us!)

Gear we used on this hike:

• Osprey Talon 22 Pack
• Osprey Kestrel 38 Pack
• Altra Lone Peak Shoes
• Salomon X Ultra 3 GTX Hiking Shoes
• Black Diamond Trail Back Trekking Poles 
• Darn Tough Socks
• Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter
• Nalgene 32-ounce Wide-Mouth Water Bottles
• Energizer LED Headlamp 
• Mountain Hardwear Acadia Jacket
• Columbia Titanium Outdry Ex Reign Jacket
• NEMO Chipper Reclaimed Closed-Cell Foam Seat Pad
• Lenny & Larry's The Complete Cookie
• Gatorade Endurance Carb Energy Chews
• GU Energy Roctane Ultra Endurance Energy Drink
• Jelly Belly Sport Beans - Energizing Jelly Beans
• Garmin Instinct Watches
• Garmin inReach Plus GPS

Thanks for watching! Be sure to like and subscribe on YouTube if you enjoyed our video. We appreciate the opportunity to share our adventures with you and highlight members of the LGBTQ+ community enjoying the outdoors. Proud gay hikers here! Find out more about us at The Hiker Trash Husbands on the web - https://www.hikertrashhusbands.com (Product links are affiliate links, so if you purchase something through them, it helps us out)