The Catskills' Blackhead Range including three 3500 peaks: Blackhead, Black Dome, and Thomas Cole. I had caught a view of them on my Windham hike the previous day, lined up in a row.
There are several possible approaches to these peaks. We took the steepest one, starting up the Batavia Kill Trail to Blackhead. Unlike Windham, this trail was pure Catskills - rocky and steep. (Blackhead is also a required winter peak; that approach is not recommended in winter.) From there, the climbs to Black Dome and then Thomas Cole are equally arduous, if shorter. There are some nice views, although the best aren't necessarily from the top - the view below is of Black Dome, taken from the descent off Blackhead. On Thomas Cole, you can look out to the north and see Windham High Peak.
The descent from Thomas Cole was actually much more moderate. Since we had multiple cars, we were able to do a traverse with a car shuttle. It would be a much more challenging hike if one had to hike the peaks again on the way out!
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