Friday has no marked trail, and it is the one peak near the Burroughs Range that asks for real route finding. The standard approach begins at the small pull-off on Moon Haw Road, following an old woods road before the bushwhack begins. Private property sits nearby, so keep to state land in the Slide Mountain Wilderness, stay well clear of posted parcels and cabins, and do not cut across anyone's land to save time. A detailed trip report recommends avoiding a cabin at low elevation.
The going is slow. Logging roads crisscross the slopes, ledges ring the upper mountain with real fall hazards, and about a quarter of hikers on the Friday and Balsam Cap trip fail to reach both summits. The combined bushwhack covers 7.69 miles with nearly 3,000 feet of gain. Carry a map, compass and GPS, and expect a herd path in places rather than a trail.
A canister marks the summit area on the northeast side, with a look out to the Ashokan Reservoir. Near the mountain lie the scattered remains of a 1948 B-25 crash. Leave the wreckage undisturbed out of respect for the victims' families.
