We at Destination Backcountry Adventures love sharing with you the most remote and pristine wildernesses! In the Catskills, a dozen of the highest peaks in the Forest Preserve have been left untouched by man; with not so much as a trail leading to the summit. This weekend we took advantage of the gorgeous late winter conditions to "bushwhack" one of these trail-less peaks, Fir Mountain in the Big Indian Wilderness. 

Fir Mountain provides a gentle ascent up to over 3700' through beautiful beech and birch tree forest. In other words, this hike felt a lot like being in a Calvin and Hobbes strip. 

Despite the gentle ascent, the climb was certainly a challenge. Now nearing the end of winter, the trees were buried deep in blankets of snow, as displayed wonderfully here by Kaitlyn.

We were lucky enough to find some gems along the trail, and to hear the first signs of winter as the birds were out in full force! The day started with an eagle sighting on the drive in, which can only mean good medicine and a stellar day of hiking ahead. 

Fir Mountain is one of the Catskills 3500 peaks, which means that to successfully complete the climb, you must find the canister at the summit. Given that the canisters are small metal tubes the size of a tennis ball can, this isn't always an easy feat. Luckily, all of our crew made it to the top to add our names to the list of successful hikers.

 After a nice descent glissading (a fancy French word for sliding down a mountain on one 's butt and much, much easier than going up) we were all happy to enjoy a warm lunch by the fire, one of the last before we switch gears to the coming spring season!

Although we're excited about the coming spring season, we will miss the stunning snow landscapes and peaceful quiet you can only find in the winter.