The Pakatakan Trail is part of the Dry Brook Ridge. The trail head sits just outside Margaretville, NY. The first snows in the Catskills usually fall mid-October. By December it is not unusual to find a couple of inches on the ground. By late fall, a hiker should be wearing ice capons on their hiking boots. The springs that cross the trails get very icy and sometimes covers wide areas of the trails. The first snow is a good time to see old logging trails that have been grown over. It is also a time to see deer and coyote tracks. The bears should be in hibernation by then. Do not enter any caves or deep overhangs during the fall or winter. The bears are hibernating and can wake up very angry. The peak of fall colors goes from the last week in September ( greens and yellows) to mid October ( reds and oranges).