[Note: I’m writing this post six months later, so I’m a bit sketchy about the details.]
It was a chilly October. I went to work on Friday all packed up, and headed to the Catskills directly after work. I had reserved a spot at the Phoenicia Black Bear Campground and got there after dark. With my headlamp on, I quickly set up the Hilleberg Unna tent amongst the partying and county/western music sounds from neighboring campsites.
It was a chilly night and got down to around freezing but I was comfortable in the Unna and a Sea to Summit Trek !! 18° bag.
The next morning, I awoke to see that I was right next to Esopus Creek. I had no idea. It was quite a nice sight.
![Waking up next to Esopus Creek at the Phoenicia Black Bear Campground.](https://www.rudypospisil.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/201610_grii_005965-hunter-mountain-hike-southwest-hunter-bushwhack-catskill-mountains.jpg)
I packed up and headed to the Spruceton DEC parking lot for Hunter Mountain.
![Arriving at the Hunter Mountain DEC parking lot.](https://www.rudypospisil.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/201610_grii_005974-hunter-mountain-hike-southwest-hunter-bushwhack-catskill-mountains.jpg)
![The trailhead and Register Box of the blue blazed Spruceton Trail.](https://www.rudypospisil.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/201610_grii_005975-hunter-mountain-hike-southwest-hunter-bushwhack-catskill-mountains.jpg)
![Meeting a couple other hikers on the way up to the summit of Hunter Mountain in upstate New York's Catskill Mountain Range.](https://www.rudypospisil.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/201610_grii_005993-hunter-mountain-hike-southwest-hunter-bushwhack-catskill-mountains.jpg)
![The fire tower at the top of the Catskill's Hunter Mountain.](https://www.rudypospisil.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/201610_grii_006011-hunter-mountain-hike-southwest-hunter-bushwhack-catskill-mountains.jpg)
![A beautiful view from the top of Hunter Mountain.](https://www.rudypospisil.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/201610_grii_006066-hunter-mountain-hike-southwest-hunter-bushwhack-catskill-mountains.jpg)
![Panoramic view from the fire tower at the top of Hunter Mountain.](https://www.rudypospisil.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/201610_grii_006039-Pano-hunter-mountain-hike-southwest-hunter-bushwhack-catskill-mountains.jpg)
![The Devil's Acre shelter on Hunter Mountain.](https://www.rudypospisil.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/201610_grii_006085-hunter-mountain-hike-southwest-hunter-bushwhack-catskill-mountains.jpg)
![Little did I know, I just passed the herd path to the peak of Southwest Hunter Mountain.](https://www.rudypospisil.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/201610_grii_006099-hunter-mountain-hike-southwest-hunter-bushwhack-catskill-mountains.jpg)
![Let the bushwhacking to the peak of Southwest Hunter Mountain begin.](https://www.rudypospisil.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/201610_grii_006102-hunter-mountain-hike-southwest-hunter-bushwhack-catskill-mountains.jpg)
![I see the Southwest Hunter Mountain canister!!!](https://www.rudypospisil.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/201610_grii_006103-hunter-mountain-hike-southwest-hunter-bushwhack-catskill-mountains.jpg)
![Success! Finding the gray canister at the peak of Southwest Hunter Mountain (Levitt's Peak).](https://www.rudypospisil.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/201610_grii_006108-hunter-mountain-hike-southwest-hunter-bushwhack-catskill-mountains.jpg)
![Bushwhacking back down to the Devil's Path trail.](https://www.rudypospisil.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/201610_grii_006109-hunter-mountain-hike-southwest-hunter-bushwhack-catskill-mountains.jpg)
![Coming down, I stumbled upon an obvious herd path and realized that I took the very difficult way up.](https://www.rudypospisil.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/201610_grii_006111-hunter-mountain-hike-southwest-hunter-bushwhack-catskill-mountains.jpg)
![The Diamond Notch Falls as seen from the Diamond Notch trail as I headed back to the motorcycle.](https://www.rudypospisil.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/201610_grii_006133-hunter-mountain-hike-southwest-hunter-bushwhack-catskill-mountains.jpg)
![Heading back to Manhattan on the BMW R1200GS motorcycle. I had to pull over to view the full moon.](https://www.rudypospisil.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/201610_grii_006181-hunter-mountain-hike-southwest-hunter-bushwhack-catskill-mountains.jpg)
![The elevation graph of the round trip hike of Hunter Mountain and the bushwhack of Southwest Hunter Mountain in the Catskill Mountain Range in upstate New York.](https://www.rudypospisil.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/garmin-montana-gps-elevation-graph-ascent-hunter-southwest-hunter-mountain-bushwhack-catskill-2016-10-15.jpg)
![The Google Earth map of the round trip hike of Hunter Mountain and the bushwhack of Southwest Hunter Mountain in the Catskill Mountain Range in upstate New York.](https://www.rudypospisil.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/google-earth-catskills-hunter-mountain-summit-southwest-hunter-bushwhack.jpg)