This is the Hike of the Week for 6/2/2010
as described on the NY-NJ Trail Conference site. The last time we hiked Bear Mountain was way back in November of
2005 when the autumn leaves were near peak. It was quite different today: the entire park was still
covered in deep snow and, for the most part, looked like it was painted in black and white. However, temperatures hovered near the high 50s and low 60s today so the
snow won't be there for long. Another significant difference between our hike back in 2005 and today is the existence of 800 hand-hewn granite steps that now line the
AT from Hessian Lake to the Perkins Tower. Since most of the steps were under snow it was a bit difficult to appreciate the magnitude of the effort, but it had to be huge
since (according to the informative sign at the trailhead) each step weighed about 1,000 pounds!
Total distance hiked today was 4.6 miles in just over 3 hours. (Click on the thumbnail to bring up a bigger image in a pop-up window)
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Laura & Bear Mountain Inn |
Slope of Bear Mountain & inn |
Black vulture on inn chimney |
[Photo by Laura] |
Canada geese & skating rink |
The historic Inn |
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AT trailhead |
Hessian Lake & Bear Mt. Bridge |
Warning sign |
Climbing the icy steps |
Anthony's Nose across Hudson |
Steps and more steps |
Taking in the view |
Bridge on AT |
View east |
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Drill holes in rock |
Bear Mountain bridge |
View SE of Hudson |
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Waterfall off trail |
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Beautiful layered rock wall |
Partial view south |
On Perkins Memorial Drive |
View to Iona Island |
Wall on Perkins |
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AT continues to Perkins Tower |
View SE |
More climbing |
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Crossing Perkins again |
Perkins Tower from AT |
Grass at the summit |
AT sign |
Bench at summit |
View from summit |
Perkins Memorial Tower |
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Not sure what that is |
More trail work? |
Starting descent on Major Welch trail |
Steep drop (Brooks Lake in distance) |
View north |
Brooks Lake & the Hudson |
Sugarloaf Mountain across the Hudson |
Continuing steep descent |
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Knee deep snow here |
Mountain Laurel |
Bear Mountain Bridge |
Bridge and traffic circle |
View to Brooks Lake |
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Brooks Lake |
Brooks Lake & the Hudson |
Whaleback descent |
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Descending on all fours |
Snowy whaleback |
Very icy here |
Water tank |
Bridge & Anthony's Nose |
Sun peeking out |
Dan & Hessian Lake [Photo by Laura] |
Hessian Lake & Anthony's Nose |
Trail skirts lake |
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Bridge & Anthony's Nose |
Walking on the lake |
Icy rocks |
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Hessian Lake & the Nose |
Lots of drill marks |
Bear Mountain Inn |
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Lake & Nose |
Rental boats ... |
... on bank of lake |
Lots of stuff here (but not in winter) |
Old lamp post |
Bear Mountain Inn |
Photographs and content copyright © Dan Balogh Web design by Dan Balogh |