We Backpacked Bear Mountain in NY on July 12. This proved to be a very interesting hike, first of all the map I bought from NYNJ who supposedly takes care of these trails proved to be mostly useless and the markings on the trail we poor at best.. We started our Hike around 10:30 AM and decided to take the yellow trail up because it was the shortest way to the Lean too at the top of Bear Mt. (1200 Ft. Elv.) and we were getting start about one hour latter than planed.
From the very start it was hard to find the trail and proved to be that way the whole time up an down but that being said we never got lost but I had to use my GPS map more than once to see where I actually was and compare it to the map I had just because the trail markers were unreliable.. For instance the Red trail was actually a white line with a red dot in the middle??
It took us over 4 hrs to get to the Lean too which was about a 4 mile hike. The trail was very rocky and very steep in some sections. Defiantly not a hike for beginner, this was very strenuous. After we arrived we set up camp and discovered that there was no water near by, or at least that was what we thought, and we even asked hikers who came in from the blue trail if they saw any water and everybody said no. We discovered when leaving in the morning on the Blue trail that had we took the blue trail East for 3 tenths of a mile there was a stream the trail crossed with water there, sure would have been useful to know that.. Not sure how those hikes we asked were able to cross that stream and not see the water??? In the evening there was a full moon which was a super moon and our view of NY City was very good, the pictures and video don’t do it justice.. All in all this was a very fun hike and we all enjoyed ourselves but I don’t think I would do Bear Mt NY again…
There is a link to a video and photo montage below and the GPS stats of our trip down off the mountain below..
Click here to watch the Montage
| Name: | Track 256 | |
| Date: | Jul 13, 2014 8:28 am | |
| Map: (valid until Jan 9, 2015) |
View on Map | |
| Distance: | 5.28 miles | |
| Elapsed Time: | 5:48:45 | |
| Avg Speed: | 0.9 mph | |
| Max Speed: | 7.9 mph | |
| Avg Pace: | 66′ 04″ per mile | |
| Min Altitude: | 10 ft | |
| Max Altitude: | 1,212 ft | |
| Start Time: | 2014-07-13T12:28:17Z | |
| Start Location: | ||
| Latitude: | 41º 16′ 57″ N | |
| Longitude: | 74º 00′ 32″ W | |
| End Location: | ||
| Latitude: | 41º 18′ 43″ N | |
| Longitude: | 73º 59′ 21″ W | |
