Balsam Cap is a bushwhack, and its name tells you what the top is like: a dense cover of balsam fir that closes off any summit view. Hikers typically pair it with Friday Mountain, which lies just to the north, using the small parking area on Moon Haw Road. The route follows an old woods road at first and a fairly well established herd path from earlier hikers, but this is off-trail terrain meant for experienced navigators.
The traverse account puts the combined trip at 7.69 miles with nearly 3,000 feet of climbing and calls route finding exceedingly difficult, thanks to a web of logging roads. Extensive ledge systems need careful footing, and a private cabin low on the mountain should be given a wide berth. Stay on state land in the Slide Mountain Wilderness and respect posted boundaries.
A canister marks the summit. Just north of the top, a view of the Ashokan Reservoir opens up, and the same traverse account describes a viewpoint that also takes in the Devil's Path and the Cornell and Wittenberg ridge.
