After bagging two peaks, the next day we did West Kill, the westernmost peak on the Devil's Path. When I did it in summer, I came up from Diamond Notch to the south; this time, we came up from Diamond Notch to the north. I've done that section of the Diamond Notch trail several times in winter; it's relatively flat and follows a nice stream. The falls, where the trail intersects the Devil's Path, are actually much nicer in summer, though.
The snow was much deeper on West Kill than it had been on the Black Dome trail. While spikes were still needed, they were biting packed snow, not ice. To make up for the lack of ice, the trail is much steeper - nearly all of the hike's elevation gain is concentrated in the mile after you get on the Devil's Path.
While the peak itself is viewless (although remarkably it is signed!), there are overlooks on both side of the trail near the peak. The view from one is below.
After tagging the top, we ate lunch in the sunshine at one of the overlooks and got to pet two Good Doggos. We headed back down and ran into a large group, a few of whom I knew from the 3500 Club. They mentioned the West Kill Brewery, very near the end of Spruceton Road. It's set a ways back from the road so I likely wouldn't have noticed it. No, we didn't stop in for a beer, but it's an excellent setup for a view 'n brew.
I now have 15 of the 35 winter peaks completed, 7 of them this year. At that rate, it'll be three more years to finish.
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