Michael Kudish Natural 
History Preserve, Inc.
Naturally Engaging
2515 Tower Mountain Road
Stamford, NY 12167
ph: (607) 652-9137
dturan
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2010 IN THE FIELD
This is a new file, opened February 28, 2010, listing the destinations in the field for Mike Kudish. This file is placed in the CATSKILL folder (directory).
The destinations are divided into four classes: (I) bogs, (II) first-growth forest, (III) other forest topics, (IV) railroads. There is no particular sequence within each class. It is not possible to visit all these sites in 2010; some will flow over into 2011. Only the railroad sites must be visited in 2010.1. BOGS
101. Explore bog on eastern shoulder of Kaaterskill High Peak
102. Explore pond, shown on NY-NJ Trail Conference trails map about to be published, in the col between Stoppel Point and West Stoppel Point. Is it a bog? See 203 and 301 below.
103. Explore wetlands one mile east of Mongaup Pond.
104. Explore Tamarack Swamp between Callcoon and Cochecton.
105. Revisit Murdock’s Bog west of Hartwick and take a peat core. This one still has balsam fir in it.
106. Revisit Bog #317 and #356 on Doubletop Mountain. Combine with 311.
On all future visits to bogs, the depth of upended root systems created by windthrows (i.e. blowdown) need to be measured. Depth of live roots need to be measured or re-measured. Depth to water table needs measurement should droughts occur.
The following three bogs, already radiocarbon-dated and all over 12000 years, require an extraction of a FULL PEAT CORE from bottom to top. The extraction would be followed by fossil identication and possible additional radiocarbon dates. The fifteen-year search for balsam fir fossils should be solved, and we will finally know whether or not the fir was EVER present in the western Catskills. This is high-priority.
#380. Mill Brook. #302 and #315 on West Settlement Brook, near Stratton Falls.2. Potential Sites to Search for First-Growth Forest
201. Raymond Beecher says that Oliver H. Perry did not log the west slopes of North Mountain. If this is the case, it is possible that there may be first-growth remnants there. An exploration of the eastern Spruce Creek headwaters is needed.
202. A glance at the size of the logs, shown in Myers’ photos, transported by the Russell Brook railroad suggests that Treyz was logging, at least in part, first growth. We need first to find the boundaries of his lands. It is possible that small pockets of forest on precipitous slopes, high ledges, and wetlands may have escaped logging and still may be in first growth.
203. West Stoppel Point. Combine with 102 above.
204. Headwaters of the Sawkill from Shue’s (Echo) Lake downstream along the south bank.
205. Follow Sucker Brook all the way up from Mongaup Pond to the col just east of Mongaup Mountain.3. Other Forest Topics
301. Explore those 3000-foot-plus summits in the Catskills not yet visited, many in Delaware County: Cowan, Red Kill, Little Pisgah, Southeast Warren, Little Rocky (near Mombaccus), Hubbell Hill, Meeker Hollow Mountain, Irish and Shultice from the east. West Stoppel Point is listed also as 102 above.
302. Unknown orchid north of Stony Clove Notch needs identification. Two orchid experts already plan to visit.
303. The new Natural History Preserve on the northeast slopes of Churchill Mountain requires some intense study of its flora and history.
304. Overlook Mountain needs further study to determine how much charcoal, if any, is left from the 1870s burns on the summit. Also, the upper pasture limit north of the hotel ruins needs study to determine the former grazing effects on soils and ground cover.
305. Northwest slopes of Halcott Mountain from Elk Creek Valley. The base is second- growth and the summit is first-growth; where is the entry point bordering them?
306. Tomannex State Forest, Shinhopple.Could this area be along the migration route of the burn species (oaks, hickories, American chestnut, and mountain laurel) up the East Branch Valley?
307. Look at route of proposed relocated Devil’s Path up Plateau Mountain from Mink Hollow.
308. Why is Olderbark summit in spruce-fir, while the nearby northeast subsummit is dominated by black cherry?
309. Murphy Hill (Bald Mountain) just north of Stamford village
310. Neversink Gorge in Sullivan County.
311. Reclimb Doubletop Mountain and correlate its balsam fir cap with the high ledge which encircles its shoulders. Combine with 106.4. Railroads
In order to get Volume IV of Mountain Railroads of New York State: Where did the Tracks Go in the Catskills? published on time in early spring, 2011, the following places must be field-checked. These need to be done first, before leaf-out and preferably in April 2010 or as soon as the snow melts, before any bogs or forest exploration. Several railroad sites may be visited in a single day.
Chapter 80: Ulster & Delaware
401. Snyder Hollow Switch – Hike the U&D Main west and find the siding, off Herdman Road, shown in the 1906 film .
402. Big Indian – Look for remnants of Cruickshank’s barrel factory and siding. Also try to find the water tank base and charcoal kilns site.
403. Pine Hill – Find the charcoal kilns sites. They may be farther east nearer Guigou (Giggle) Hollow and not near the station.
Chapter 81: Ashokan Reservoir Relocation
404. Ashokan – find divergence of contractors’ spur from relocated U&D Main.
405. Ashokan to Boiceville – find Siding 19 and the junction of the original and relocated lines at Boiceville.
Chapter 82: Kaaterskill Branch
406. Phoenicia – Find the Methodist Church, and with photo in hand, then locate the precise site of the Breithaupt coal and feed siding, later Boice’s oil.
407. Chichester – Follow the branch from the Warner Creek bridge to the Greene County Line.
Chapter 89: Non-connecting railroads
408. If Kelly Hollow accommodated a logging railroad, find the grade.
409. Trace Oliver H. Perry’s railroad from the upper terminus in Mary’s Glen to their sawmill on the Catskill & Tannersville.
410. Locate both ends of the Hol(t)z Railroad in Platte Clove.
Chapter 90: Delaware Valley Railroad
411. Explore the area of the junction of the main line with the Bovina Branch above and east of Saint James Church.
Copyright 2010 Michael Kudish Natural History Preserve, Inc.. All rights reserved.
2515 Tower Mountain Road
Stamford, NY 12167
ph: (607) 652-9137
dturan
