Oneida County High Point Trip Report
Tassel Hill and one area (1,940+ ft)
Date: May 10, 2002
Author: Fred Lobdell
Gary Fallesen's directions are good for this one, except that he does this as a bushwhack rather than a drive,
and he ignores the second area.
From NY 12 in the village of Waterville, take White Street east for about 2.5 miles to where a gravel road
goes left (northeast). If you get to where White Street turns from paved to gravel, you've gone too far.
Turn into the gravel road, where a sign informs you that the road is not maintained in the winter, and take it
to the summit of Tassel Road. The road is a bit rough in places and shortly before the final climb to the top
there is a muddy spot in a low area, but a passenger car can be taken to the top with care, unless the muddy
spot is very muddy. The slopes are gentle here and I kept the wheels moving through the muddy area,
just as if I were driving in snow. There is a tower on Tassel Hill and the high area appears to be in a brushy area
just north of the tower, or on the north side of the little loop drive.
For the second area, leave your car here and hike south-southeast (bearing about 160 degrees).
I did this largely as a bushwhack through, in places, unpleasant prickly undergrowth and downed trees.
However, there was in places an old trail with faded orange blazes, and this made the going considerably easier when I
was able to utilize it. Actually, it does go from Tassel Hill to the shoulder of the second high area, so if you
can find this trail (look pretty much due south of the tower to pick up the trail's beginning) you'll have a
much easier hike. From this trail, the summit of the second area is just a short bushwhack. There are a
couple of small false summits before you get to the second area, so you need to "follow the bumps" on the map.
This is a round trip hike of about a mile with total 2-way elevation gain of about 200 feet.