Claim in the Dan Chazin description of the new AT route up Bear Mtn: "this new trail segment has been constructed to sustain the impact of the millions of feet that annually make their way up this popular route."
I challenge the TC to provide statistics to support this claim. The credibility of the TC is at stake.
A continued caution to hikers at Split Rock Reservoir. Do not park along Split Rock Rd - tickets are being issued. The only parking is in the fishing access parking lot on the East side of the dam. We hope to resolve this issue, but for now, no parking along Split Rock Rd.
The reroute of the BW/C and Highlands Trail has been completed. All the HT blazing is done, some of the BW/C yellow blazes will be completed shortly. The HT crosses Clinton Rd, Pequannock Watershed at P4 and now continues straight up the hill. It turns left and co-aligns along the newly created Bearfort Waters/Clinton (yellow) trail. Since it's new, take care to follow the blazes. There is no longer a loop hike possible since the trail across the beaver dam is closed. The beavers have made this crossing nearly impossible! It's possible to hike from P4 to parking area P9 using a car shuttle. This is a beautiful hike along ridges, with, at one point, a view of Buckabear Pond and Clinton Reservoir. After the beaver dam, the rest of the hike is along the reservoir. Check the Highlands Trail webpages for further detail.
The semipaved "old perkins road" which connects the AT at its first road crossing on the east side of Bear Mt and the AT again across Perkins Drive on the west side of the Mt is closed as the trail relocation begins the next phase.
Anyone who does the math can tell you there are not hundreds of thousands of hikers who "scramble up" Bear Mtn each year. Are you counting those who drive to the top? Even with them, it would be very hard to reach your numbers.
NYNJTC does a fine job organizing the maintenance of 1,700 miles of trails and probably spends far less than $1,000,000 of the TC budget on trail maintenance.
To spend $2,000,000? on a mile or two of trail? To devote 30,000 hours of volunteer service and tie up TC supervision and resources for a mile or two of trail?
Imagine if all that effort and a small part of those dollars went into the other 1,698 miles of trails ... the trails reachable without paying an $8.00 parking fee. Then you would be doing something for the hiking public. Ninety percent of your membership doesn't climb mountains to see all the motorcycles and hear blasting radios. I have to agree with those who say the TC is in the AT relo for (perceived benefit from attracting new members) for the money. I do hope the yahoo with the can of spray paint won't come along and sour the volunteer spirit.
Bear Mountain/Harriman State Park are not wilderness areas? Tell that to the bears, deer, snakes, coyote, fox, rats, insects, etc that call these parks home. Tell it to the people camping under the stars. Tell it to yourself when you want to get away into the forest and have it feel natural.
1. Let nature take its course. How bad could the erosion be? Its a very rocky area.
2. Encourages people to easily go places to make noise and litter where they didn't have the stamina to go before.
3. Why would that section NEED to be relocated? Maybe another thing that works for NYNJTC?
4. There are many other trails that "novice" hikers can go to within the two parks. Besides, you didn't need to be a "pro" to climb the old AT section. You just need to have a little stamina and not be lazy.
5. Why not educate people about the wildlife there and their needs? Teaching trail etiquette? How? Put up a sign? Have a little class that only senior citizens can/will go to? Get people to understand the wildlife in their WILDERNESS area and then maybe they will respect the wildlifes home, in turn, getting your proper "trail etiquette".
Harriman State Park and Bear Mountain State Park are NOT amusement parks, like you are trying to make them. Think about it Georgette Weir.
The rebuilt A.T. on the east face of Bear Mountain is intended to:
1. stop and prevent erosion on the mountain caused by hundreds of thousands of hikers who already scramble up it each year
2. encourage people to stay on the trail rather than create a maze of damaging herd paths
3. eliminate the recurring need for relocations (this is the 6th or 7th since the trail's original construction) owing to the high volume of traffic
4. provide a positive trail experience for the novice hikers who frequent this trail section
5. provide opportunities to educate the public about proper trail etiquette (this will be a special focus for the next phase of the Bear Mountain Trails Project)
The mission of the Trail Conference is to promote people's connection with nature, not keep people from enjoying their public parks. Bear Mountain and Harriman State Parks are not wilderness areas, which can be found elsewhere in the state.
Does anyone else disagree with the new Appalachian trail at Bear Mountain? I think its rediculous in many ways.
First, this easy stair case is going to make it easier for people to get to parts of the trail/forest that they would never have even tried to get to, because it would be to difficult, so they would stay at the bottom, by the inn. But now, its just been made easier for people to get up there, litter, get loud have screaming kids etc. It used to be kinda peaceful, tranquil and clean up there, but I guess those days are now over.
Also, what about all the wildlife that was displaced by this staircase? Everything from tiny ants to deer and bear have either been displaced, killed, scared off or something. In other words, this did nothing for the wildlife of Bear Mountain. Kind of makes NYNJTC and their supporters look and act like the Marines and corporations in Avatar. They had a goal and just did it, with only thinking of themselves and the money they are hoping will come in with new NYNJTC members and donations. I know thats the main goal. And yes, I have read enough and talked to enough people these past few years about how desperate the TC is for money.
Seams that the TC and trail maintainers are forgeting what the forest is all about. BEING WILD AND CHALLENGING! Almost every time I'm on a trail in Bear Mountain or Harriman SP, there is some kind of stairs, bridges, steps, chainsaw cut blow downs and other man made things to let me know that this area is not wild and free. Its being made for the weak and the filthy. Yea, I always leave with a backpack full of others garbage. Maybe if people wouldn't mind walking over/around a blown down tree, we wouldn't have to walk through garbage as much.
The TC seams to always be fighting for open space, to do with what THEY want, not for whats good for the forest/wildlife. They just took millions of dollars away from the EPF. And this is in the NYNJTC own words:
"The bad news is that in exchange, the Environmental Protection Fund, which pays for land, water, and air protection measures across the state, will be reduced to $134 million from the $222 million it was at in 2009/10. This disproportionately large cut of almost 40% comes on top of the nearly $500 million that has been swept from the EPF in recent years, and which has created a significant backlog of unfunded projects, straining organizations, municipalities and others partnering with the state on environmental programs."
So yea, the TC has a bunch of non self thinking droids to go and speak out for what the TC wants.
So go ahead, try to justify this raping of the park and open spaces to boot. I won't be supporting them, and trust me, I'm not the only one who wants to keep the parks/forest wild and staircase free.
Sounds like you'd be happier heading to the Dacks,
Harriman all warm water fish, Except - Island Pond & Askoti
Don't plan on camping at the LT's - There party house's
Catskills - there's a lot of good places - Grab a VO (Venture out) map
Exactly.
What's next, a staircase up Breakneck Ridge for those who can't make the climb?
The reroute of the BW/C and Highlands Trail has been completed. All the HT blazing is done, some of the BW/C yellow blazes will be completed shortly. The HT crosses Clinton Rd, Pequannock Watershed at P4 and now continues straight up the hill. It turns left and co-aligns along the newly created Bearfort Waters/Clinton (yellow) trail. Since it's new, take care to follow the blazes. There is no longer a loop hike possible since the trail across the beaver dam is closed. The beavers have made this crossing nearly impossible! It's possible to hike from P4 to parking area P9 using a car shuttle. This is a beautiful hike along ridges, with, at one point, a view of Buckabear Pond and Clinton Reservoir. After the beaver dam, the rest of the hike is along the reservoir. Check the Highlands Trail webpages for further detail.
Happy hiking!
1. stop and prevent erosion on the mountain caused by hundreds of thousands of hikers who already scramble up it each year
2. encourage people to stay on the trail rather than create a maze of damaging herd paths
3. eliminate the recurring need for relocations (this is the 6th or 7th since the trail's original construction) owing to the high volume of traffic
4. provide a positive trail experience for the novice hikers who frequent this trail section
5. provide opportunities to educate the public about proper trail etiquette (this will be a special focus for the next phase of the Bear Mountain Trails Project)
The mission of the Trail Conference is to promote people's connection with nature, not keep people from enjoying their public parks. Bear Mountain and Harriman State Parks are not wilderness areas, which can be found elsewhere in the state.