Friday Mountain

Friday Mountain is a trail-less peak in the Slide Mountain Wilderness of the Catskill Mountains in New York. It is one of the required peaks to enter the Catskill 3500 club. It can be accessed form multiple trailheads, and is often done as a part of a multi-peak hike for peak bagging efficiency. It is one of the peaks that rests along the Catskill Divide.

Common Routes

There are four main ways that a hiker would typically summit Friday Mountain.

1. From Moonhaw Road – This is the most direct approach and will often be taken when trying to hike both Friday and Balsam Cap together. This starts at the Moonhaw Road Trailhead, and it's only about 2.2 miles to the summit of Friday, abeit steep. This route is mostly a bushwhack that follows a herd-path.
   
2. Via the Fisherman's Path – This route is much longer and also requires bushwhacking. Hikers will begin at Denning Road and hike into the Fisherman's Path, which follows the Neversink River. From there, they can bushwhack to the summit of Friday, in combination with any of the other peaks along the divide if desired.
   
3. Via the Catskill Divide – This route, often called The Catskill 6 is an ambitious pairing which can be started at either Peekamoose Road, Denning Road, or Moonhaw Road and involves traversing Table, Peekamoose, Lone, Rocky, Friday and Balsam Cap.
   
4. Via the Dink – The Dink is a small mountain that connects Friday and the Catskill Divide with the Burroughs Range. This route would be taken when doing The Catskill 9, or when adding Friday to a Slide, Cornell, and Wittenberg outing.

Summit and Views

There is a canister to sign at the summit, though it may be difficult to find, as there is a maze of herd paths near the summit. There is a viewpoint near the summit, but not directly at it. It is atop a large boulder cliff that the hiker will need to pass by when approaching from Moonhaw Road. This ledge shows close-up views of the Burroughs Range. The true summit is entirely wooded.

Water

Friday, like most of the mountains on the Catskill Divide, is almost entirely dry. There is water at the start of the hike from Moonhaw Road, and down in the Neversink valley to the west, but other than that, there is no reliable water to speak of.

Camping

Many try and camp near Friday when doing it as part of a larger route like the Catskill 9, however, because this peak is trail-less, hikers have a hard time finding eligible land for camping. Campsites must be below 3,500 ft. in elevation (unless in the winter) and over 150 ft. away from the trail, a water source, or a lean-to shelter. The biggest problem, however, is not the regulations, but the thick brush surrounding these peaks which makes it difficult to pitch a tent. Hammock campers may have better luck than tent campers, but it still would be a challenging task. Hikers should avoid using illegal sites near the trail, such as the one that often has a make-shift fire ring near the viewpoint at Friday.