My earlier Bear Mountain State Park experiences have included ice skating with the household through the winter holidays and a zoo journey right here and there when my daughter was younger. I’ve achieved restricted mountain climbing within the park and there are a lot of miles of trails that I’ve but to discover.
Just lately I had a chance to hike a few of them whereas making an attempt to hyperlink two websites steeped in New York ski historical past; the Silvermine Ski Heart and the Bear Mountain Ski Bounce. The map from a classic ski brochure I bought at a used bookstore made the 2 areas look so shut to one another. I parked on the Silvermine Picnic Space, which was the placement of the bottom space of the Silvermine Ski Heart.
I used to be tempted to discover the previous ski slopes, however I had an extended day deliberate and thought it was greatest to get on the path. A earlier story in regards to the Silvermine Ski Heart by a fellow NY Ski Weblog member, Brownski, introduced me up to the mark on what I missed.
My hike began by heading east alongside Silvermine Lake till I reached the Silvermine Lake Dam. There was no path throughout the dam itself (Google search indicated that the wood walkway was eliminated in 1989), however it wasn’t that onerous to discover a appropriate stream crossing just under the dam. It had rained the night time earlier than, and rocks have been slippery. I took my steps rigorously.
I met up with the Silvermine Ski Street east of the dam and began strolling south. Whereas some sections of this woods highway in-built 1934 now look extra like a path, many sections are nonetheless in surprisingly good condition.
I left the Silvermine Ski Street within the common neighborhood of the place I believed an previous cross nation ski path had been. The realm was utterly overgrown, so I ended up simply bushwacking southeast down a drainage. The comb was nonetheless soaking moist from rain the night time earlier than and, after a couple of minutes of bushwhacking by way of the waist-high brush, my pants have been soaked as nicely.
I used to be capable of finding what seemed like a pink blaze painted on a number of bushes alongside my bushwhack, indicating {that a} path went by way of this space sooner or later in time. I could have been bushwacking within the meant space in spite of everything! On the backside of the drainage, I efficiently met up with the 1779 Path which took me to the Palisades Interstate Parkway. I wanted to attend longer than anticipated for my probability to sprint throughout the southbound lanes.
I had higher luck crossing the northbound aspect.
Efficiently throughout the parkway, the plan transferring ahead was to move east a pair miles to Timp Move, then northeast for one more couple miles to Doodletown, and eventually north for about 1.5 miles to the Bear Mountain Inn. As soon as on the Inn, I might start my seek for the ski leap.
All went as deliberate to Timp Move however, simply after the go, there was an orange netting fence with a “Trails Closed – Do Not Enter” signal blocking my meant path. I used to be not anticipating this. My solely two choices have been to return the best way I got here or take the Timp-Torne path east up and over a excessive level referred to as The Timp. Whereas Possibility 2 would take me out of my manner, I didn’t need to backtrack, and my map indicated a number of path connections on the opposite aspect of The Timp that will get me again on observe.
I used to be glad I picked Possibility 2; the views from The Timp have been wonderful. Additionally, I used to be mountain climbing for nearly 3 hours at that time, and I had but to come across one other hiker. I used to be having fun with such magnificence lower than 50 miles from New York Metropolis, and I had the entire place to myself. What a deal with!
As soon as I climbed down the opposite aspect of The Timp, my subsequent two path choices that headed northwest/west to get me again on observe have been additionally blocked with an orange netting fence and a “Trails Closed” signal. I got here too far to return now so my solely choice was to go up and over one other excessive level, on this case Bald Mountain, and simply settle for I used to be going out of my manner.
The views from Bald Mountain have been beautiful and nicely well worth the extra detour. I picked up the scenic Cornell Mine Path on the opposite aspect of Bald Mountain and headed north, solely to search out the now dreaded orange “Trails Closed” fencing on the one two path choices that will have directed me towards the Bear Mountain Inn. This meant I used to be touring even farther out of my manner, however it was through a pleasing path that paralleled Doodletown Brook.
I took these detours in stride as every one allowed me to expertise a brand new a part of the park. I used to be glad that I packed further meals and water, in addition to my head lamp, simply in case. I used to be a bit of perplexed once I reached the Cornell Mine Trailhead at Route 9W and located extra orange “Trails Closed” fencing. Was a big a part of Bear Mountain State Park closed for some cause?
I lastly made my manner north to the Bear Mountain Inn/Skating Rink space solely to search out it to be a big building web site (fencing was in all places). An data board offered a hyperlink to an up to date path map which confirmed {that a} important variety of the mountain climbing trails have been closed (which defined all my detours) and said the explanation for the closures was a 2023 excessive rainfall occasion.
The map additionally reveals Silvermine Lake (the beginning/finish level of my hike) on the far left, the 1779 path crossing the Palisades Parkway on backside left, in addition to how my hike detoured round the suitable aspect of the closed space through The Timp, Bald Mountain and Cornell Mine Path. Bear Mountain Inn/Ski Bounce are on prime middle of map.
Entry to the world above the inn and ice-skating rink was fenced off so I sadly gave up my unique plan to seek for what remained of the ski leap. I used to be extra involved about determining one of the best ways to get again to my automobile. I hadn’t deliberate on taking the Appalachian Path (AT) however that was the most suitable choice as a consequence of all of the fencing.
A bit manner up the AT, I took a cutover path that led to the Suffern-Bear Mountain (S-BM) path. I had been as much as the highest of Bear Mountain through the AT earlier than, and the S-BM gave the impression to be a extra direct route again to Silvermine. I used to be additionally in all probability a bit drained because of the unplanned miles of mountain climbing, and I used to be in search of a option to not go over one other excessive level.
In a tremendous stroke of luck, the cutover path went previous the take-off level of the ski leap. I made it to the ski leap in spite of everything! In a burst of power, I discovered myself working up the ski leap steps taking photos alongside the best way. The leap was in a lot better form than I anticipated. As soon as on the prime, I saved climbing up an unnamed path till it met up with the AT. I had come this far; I’d as nicely head all the best way as much as the highest of Bear Mountain (and was rewarded with extra incredible views alongside the best way).
I continued south on the AT off the highest of Bear Mountain. Views on my manner down have been simply as beautiful as these arising from the Inn. As soon as off the mountain however with nonetheless about 1.5 hours left to hike, I discovered myself approaching one other dreaded orange “Trails Closed” signal. My coronary heart sank. It was about 5 pm. My first thought was possibly I’m going to want the headlamp in spite of everything. Turned out, for the primary time that day, the trail closed was for a path I didn’t must take. All was good.
I ultimately met up with the Anthony Wayne Path, which I adopted till it crossed Seven Lakes Drive. I made a left onto Seven Lakes Drive and walked for lower than a mile earlier than I related with the Silvermine Ski Street. I adopted the Ski Street southwest till I reached the Silvermine Dam and subsequently the Silvermine Picnic Space car parking zone the place I began, thus finishing the loop in a bit of over 8 hours from once I began. Apart from the part between the Bear Mountain Inn and the highest of Bear Mountain, I didn’t encounter one other hiker your entire day.
The 16 miles hiked was longer than I anticipated however no regrets. If I knew beforehand that such a big a part of the park was closed, I could not have even bothered to hike that day (which might have been a disgrace). Generally incredible days occur in methods you could possibly by no means have predicted. This present day was considered one of them.
