Those wishing to become members must climb the 33 of the 35 Catskill High Peaks currently open to hikers, and, in a departure from the requirements of most other such clubs, climb Slide, Blackhead, Balsam and Panther mountains again in winter, which is defined by the Club's by-laws as the period from December 21 to March 21 regardless of the actual occurrences of the winter solstice and vernal equinox in particular years.

Members record their climbs on a tally sheet and then submit them to the Club's membership chair when they have completed their last required peak.

Later that year William and Elinore Leavitt of Hudson became the first two members of the club, after newly issued maps resulted in the addition of Friday and Mount Sherrill to the list at the expense of Dry Brook Ridge.

Three of the five people who had played important roles in founding the club were, for various reasons, never able to become members; Smiley died with only one climb left for membership.

[12] In 1999 the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which manages the Catskill lands, proposed in its Unit Management Plan (UMP) for the Slide Mountain Wilderness Area that the club's canisters be removed from the trailless peaks in that unit, arguing that they were not consistent with wilderness values and contributed to degradation of the summits.

[14] In 2020 the club installed canisters on the summits of Eagle Mountain and Kaaterskill High Peak,[15] at DEC's request, in order to better compile information on their use.

All canisters were also repainted orange at this time, again at DEC's request, in the hope of making them easier to find and reduce the proliferation of herd paths on trailless peaks.