We hiked this section on May 26, 2012.
We hiked NY 52 to NY 55 in the morning. We then went to Hurds Corners to scout out the parking areas on NY 22 – there are two big lots on both sides of 22. We also saw a side road that led to the train station.
We decided to explore the town of Pawling and kill some time in order to avoid the afternoon heat.
After lunch in Pawling, we drove to Bear Mountain so that we could fill in this section. Python paid $8 to park her car in the parking lot and then she hopped into Dirigo’s car for the ride up to Perkins Memorial Drive.
Perkins Memorial Drive is a private road and has been closed on two occasions during our visit to NY. To check if this road is open, call the Bear Mountain Office 845-786-2701 extension 242.
We were both elated that Perkins Drive was open today and were able to get a parking spot at the top. Within minutes of parking the car, the thunder and lightning started with horizontal rain!
We decided to wait out the storm and take a short nap.
Waiting for the storm to pass
I think we waited for about 30 minutes before the storm cleared. We watched people coming off the trail and around the tower – they were soaking wet.
As we started our hike, we saw a bride and groom taking their wedding pictures near Perkins Tower. We felt bad for them because the mountain was socked in by clouds.
The initial descent was slow because the terrain consisted of big slippery muddy slabs of granite.
Slippery trail after the rain
We saw an Asian family descending and the mother was using her umbrella as a hiking pole – smart lady! When she saw us she said “look at the professionals coming down – they make it look easy.”
"The Professional"
We just chuckled because we are anything but professionals.
Once the AT crossed the scenic drive, the trail was wide and graded with lovely stone steps.
View from the trail
Sometime in 2012 the AT will be graded all the way to the top of Bear Mountain.
We crossed a beautiful wooden bridge and then across a small waterfall. We met a couple with their dog who was playing and falling in the waterfalls and having a great time getting wet.
The other Professional at the falls
The AT relocation currently features 800 granite steps! This is a truly wonderful trail and we made it to the bottom very quickly. We want to thank the volunteers who put in over 30,000 hours to make the Bear Mountain Project a work of art.
Signage