Excerpt from The Catskill Mountains, Pine Hill and Summit Mountain First - As TO the region, and its special attractions and advantages - Every frequented locality, both of the Northern and Southern Catskills, has much to commend it to the tourist and the Summer sojourner. But, after considerable experience and a fair knowledge of other sections, my judgment is clear that no other region combines so many advantages as the vicinity of Pine Hill and the Summit Mountain, in the vital matters of pure atmosphere, of widely extended, richly diversified and beautiful views, and of variety in the means of invigoration and enjoyment. For purity of atmosphere it cannot be sur passed, since it lies in the heart of the mountain mass, so that the breezes from every quarter sweep over twenty to thirty miles of lofty and wooded hills. A simple statement as to the relative position of the included and outlying hills will indicate the character of the views and the variety of possible excursions. The hill above and west of the Village, which has many stumps of the great pines that gave name to the place, is itself an extended spur of the Belle Ayr Mountain. At its lowest elevation, where the railroad passes, it is feet; it then rises into Summit Mountain, feet above the sea level. Both Hill and Mountain form a watershed, dividing the small streams, which find their way on either side to the distant Delaware or the nearer Hudson. The Summit Mountain, too, less than three-quarters of a mile in length by an eighth in breadth, stands entirely apart. In a quadrangle of loftier mountains, affording from its top a view of almost unequalled beauty, reaching, with unintercepted vision, from five to twenty miles in every direcuon. More than this, its peculiar position in relation to the deep valleys on either side, together With the many diverse lines and angles of eight dis tinct mountain masses, outlying in as many directions, change the view at almost every step, holding an appreciative observer in a constant charm and as the grouping of hill, and vale, and mountain is thus alwavs shifting, the corresponding harmonious changes of light and shadow in the sky add their varied beauty to the vision. Beside the many easily accessible hill-points, with their attraction, there are brook-courses, and shaded ravines. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.