Hike Slide Mountain Fast

On Wednesday, August 24, 2021, I completed a fast hike to the top of the tallest mountain in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. I covered the 2.8 miles in just 48 minutes, leaving me wondering what the fastest times up this mountain are.

I did not intend for the hike to be fast as I set off. My backpack had 2.5 liters of water, extra clothes, and some food. I wore trail shoes rather than sneakers. There are several brook crossings. I had just driven over four hours in the car and wasn’t stretched well. It was also after dusk (and hard to see) on a day that reached 90+ degrees.

After hiking to the open area just past the summit, my phone informed me that Rule 4 had been sent to Personal Kaizen subscribers. At that moment I realized I needed to share this hiking meditation with our readers and also post to ask about the fastest times up the mountain.

So why did I end up hiking fast? I wanted to avoid using my headlamp as the sun dipped below the clouds. Mission accomplished!

Hiking Slide Mountain

I left the trailhead parking lot at 7:36 PM and picked my way across the brook before starting my hike. Recent rain will lead to wet feet!

The route is direct and easy to follow. I saw one other car in the trailhead parking lot and they passed me as I was ascending, meaning I had the entire peak to myself.

My speed and the terrain forced me to focus on my steps and stay fully in the present moment. I reached the summit at 8:24 PM without using my headlamp once! My only stops were to drink and take a few photos of the trail signs.

Making this hike to the tallest mountain in the region in such a short time led me to the question:

What is the fastest recorded time up Slide Mountain?

I searched the internet but couldn’t find any info on the fastest anyone has hiked the mountain. If you arrive at this page from an internet search please share your fastest time ascending this mountain is in the comments below.