click to enlarge
Top left: Ashley Pugliese after contracting COVID in February 2020.
Below and right: Pugliese alone and with her family, February 2021. When Ashley Pugliese fell ill in February 2020, her husband drove her to two emergency rooms. The first one looked like a warzone, with people lying on the floor coughing, says Pugliese, an employee assistance professional and mother of two from Fishkill. They fled. The second ER was a bit less crowded, and a TV news channel showed footage of hospitals being built in coronavirus-stricken China. Do you think that is going to end up here? she asked her husband. Turns out, the virus had already arrived and was taking up residence in her own body. At the time, there were no tests in the US for COVID-19, and the ER doctor surmised that she had some sort of stomach bug. Sent home to rest, she was never hospitalized or intubated. But she went on to suffer a different kind of grim fate. She did not get better.
Catskill Backcountry Information
Welcome to the Catskills
The Welcome to the Catskills webpage is the place to go if you are interested in learning more about the Catskill Mountains. It provides information about the Forest Preserve and conservation easement lands, outdoor recreation opportunities, and Leave No Trace. Be sure to check out the links to additional information and tips for recreating safely and minimizing your impacts on natural resources, recreational infrastructure, and other backcountry users in the Catskill Mountains.
For a safe and enjoyable outdoor experience on public lands in the Catskills and New York City s Catskill/Delaware Watershed, please consult DEC s regular updates, seasonal notices and general information below.