On a trip to Bish Bash Falls, a popular waterfall
just past the Massachusetts border, Shane O'-
Toole, found a surprise. Although the water fea-
tures were glorious, the pool of water at the
base of the falls was gated off, barring visitors
from a cool down once welcomed years ago as
things got more controlled by NYS. His main mo-
tive for the day was to find a swimming hole
worthy of the drive, and with his first objective
only allowing sight-seeing and photos, he got
back into the car and drove down the road fur-
ther, following Bish Bash Brook, the main vein
of the falls. Soon enough, he found what he
came looking for.
"I was driving down on the same road as
where the waterfall is. I saw a little trail in the
woods and saw this beautiful crystal clear swim-
ming hole that I hadn't seen on maps or online,"
says O'Toole. This trip sums up a big part of his
hunts for a glorious swimming hole: the chase.
Where there's less adventure in going to a public
river or beach, O'Toole relishes in the drive for
something pristine, untouched, and away from a
busy city or crowd. "I go out on a whim, do some
research, and hopefully find a spot I have to my-
self," he says. "When I can't find a place, it
makes me more obsessed, and I need to go
back and find it. It's like a treasure hunt."
The
Elusive
Swimming Holes
Of The
Catskills
HOOK 39
