We took some time off this week to leave the city and spend a few days midweek in the Catskills. The first day the weather was wild. The sun was shining, but it flurried on and off all day and the winds were crazy. I wasn’t planning much for day one since we were staying at a beautiful cabin called “The Raven” at Hotel Mountain Brook. The forecast called for warmer weather on Wednesday and without the wind.

We took our time waking up in the cabin, had breakfast in the lodge, and then headed to the trailhead for Balsam Lake Mountain from Mill Brook Road. We planned to hike the Dry Brook Ridge Trail to the fire tower on the summit. We did this hike in October of last year, and while the last quarter mile gets a little steep, it’s a pretty mellow hike overall without rock scrambles and not too much intense elevation.

The morning started off a little chilly; perfect hiking weather. There was a light dusting of snow, patches of melting ice, and some muddy sections as we made our way up the wide trail. When we reached the junction toward the fire tower and entered the beautiful balsam fir forest, the trail began to steepen. Closer to the summit, the level sections had more ice with a dusting of snow. We bare-booted all the way up but made a mental note to put on microspikes for the way down.

There were two other hikers at the summit when we arrived, but they were already heading out. We had the top of the mountain to ourselves. It was so quiet and peaceful. I climbed up the tower to take some photos. It was a little windy, but overall pretty calm. We hung out for a while, just basking in the sun, listening to the stillness. A raven passed overhead, croaking as it flew by. On the way down, we spotted two more flying in tandem, the way they do.

It was such a satisfying day. We took our time, no rush to be anywhere, just heading back to the cabin to sit by the fire and spend the rest of the evening in that beautiful space. I love the Catskills and feel so grateful they’re so close to the city, making it so easy to get away for a few days to unwind and disconnect.

Click “Read More” below for more photos from this hike.