Recommended Hike, Blackhead Mountain.
I love Blackhead mountain as a hike. I have done various routes of it two times this winter. The drive up there is stunning you get meander up Route 23 past the beautiful Kaaterskil falls. You could even detour there on the way to or on your way back to spend some time at the falls.
Blackhead Mountain Loop is about 5 miles of a pretty steep ascent. I would certainly rate it as hard, but on the lower end of hard. Just because the distance is not that big. However, the views are amazing and well worth the hardship.
Park at the trailhead at the end of Big Hollow Road. Find the red-blazed Black Dome range Trail and hike .6 miles. At this point I would recommend doing the loop clockwise so bear left on the yellow-blazed Batavia Kill trail. Follow this yellow trail for .9 miles where it meets the blue-blazed Escarpment Trail. Take a right and follow this trail for 1 mile until the junction with the yellow-blazed Blackhead Mountain Trail. This trail is EXTREMELY steep at times and rises about 1300 ft. in less than a mile. Be prepared to do some climbing up "stairs" and over rocks and roots. After the climb you will be at the summit of Blackhead Mountain. Stop to look around at the scenery on the way up since there isn't much of a view from the summit. However, go right along the Blackhead trail (Yellow again). As you follow this trail along the ridge the views open up and are fantastic. You will meet up with the Black Dome trail (red blazers) to take you back to the parking lot.
If you want an easier way up just follow the red trail all the way up from the parking lot and retrace that one back. I wouldn’t recommend coming down the Escarpment trail, especially in the winter.
On the way home stop off in Circle K along 23 for some pretty dynamite sandwiches.
ENJOY!