Appalachian trail gets a new section in Bear Mountain - Poughkeepsie Journal

[WhiteBlaze]

Poughkeepsie Journal

Appalachian trail gets a new section in Bear Mountain Poughkeepsie Journal A new section of the Appalachian Trail in Bear Mountain will open this weekend, thanks to nine months of work by volunteers. The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference's Long Distance Trails Crew, an all-volunteer group, contributed more than 3,000 hours ... Escape From New York City: 5 Must-Do Hikes In The Hudson ValleyHuffington Post all 3 news articles »

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[Deacon]

Anyone know if this new section increases or decreases trail distance. Not a big deal but it seems like every change usually increases trail length.

[JustaTouron]

Anyone know if this new section increases or decreases trail distance. Not a big deal but it seems like every change usually increases trail length.

Isn't that a good thing? If you like the AT don't you want more of it rather than less of it?

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[1azarus]

...coach lou worked on that section. I ran into him there last weekend!

[tiptoe]

I and my family visited the zoo, lunched by Hessian Lake, then hiked from the Inn to the tower over Columbus Day weekend. The top part of the trail was still closed (we took the road until we could rejoin the trail), but the steps on the lower part were very impressive.

[Deacon]

Isn't that a good thing? If you like the AT don't you want more of it rather than less of it?

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Oh, absolutely! Just wondering.

[tf bear]

Went thru third week of Sept. Crew was hard at work, I have always wondered what it took to work on a section like that. It was very impressive. There was a group of about 10 volunteers that showed up on a week day to pitch in. Thanks to all the trail maintainers! Your work is very much appreciated and noticed

[imscotty]

Thank you to all the hard working volunteers who help make this section so great. Thank you Coach Lou!

[Another Kevin]

Anyone know if this new section increases or decreases trail distance. Not a big deal but it seems like every change usually increases trail length.

If memory serves, this particular relocation is about a wash. It exchanges less-hardened for more-hardened surface. The steps up Bear Mountain (not part of this project, which is on the next section south of there) shorten the trail considerably over the winding route that it took on Perkins Drive.

There are a handful of main reasons that relocations lengthen a trail:

(1) Sustainability. One major reason for a relocation is erosion - the compacted soil of the treadway doesn't support as much plant life and washes away more easily. This is mostly a problem when the trail charges straight up or down a steep grade. The solution is switchbacks, which make the trail much longer - and a good bit easier. Enough easier that some people complain it's being "dumbed down" and make remarks like "don't hand me a lollipop." Follow the link for a trail maintainer's reply.

(2) Avoiding a nasty section - in particular, moving the trail off the road. The road probably already took the direct route to where the trail is going, so eliminating a roadwalk makes it longer. The A-T is an exception: most long trails still have roadwalks that people want to get rid of.

(3) Getting permission to visit a nice section - sometimes a negotiation or change of land ownership allows the trail to get to a lake, an overlook, a particularly nice piece of open forest, or some other site of particular interest. Often you have to add some mileage for that to happen.

We hope that the fourth reason doesn't transpire, but sometimes it does:

(4) Neighbours cancel a trail easement. Many of the easements are not easements-in-perpetuity, and a sufficiently peeved landowner can make things difficult enough for the maintaining club that they'll relinquish even a perpetual easement. I've seen this happen a couple of times with the New York Long Path (although rather than hiker behaviour, it was cases of a new absentee landowner not willing to honor the previous landowner's covenants). The shelters and views at Huntersfield Mountain and Roemer High Point are still there, but the trails there are no longer through trails. West of Huntersfield, the landowner gated and posted the trail. There's a new access trail that goes to an old gravel pit on state land, so it's still a nice hike, but the new trail comes down on the wrong side of the ridge to connect with the Long Path. Up at Roemer High Point, a developer decided that the trail easement didn't apply to him (it is rumored that there was even a case where hikers were fired on). The part of the trail that's on state land is stlll there, but the access is strictly an in-and-out hike. There's now a half-built and apparently abandoned development where the trail used to be.

When we lose an easement, often the trail has to take quite a long way around to find a way to connect. The Long Path in both places now has roadwalk sections. At least they're pretty roadwalks - down to the Schoharie through Conesville, or into the south end of Thacher Park on the top of the Helderberg escarpment.

And nowadays, there's a looming spectre of a fifth reason:

(5) The government sells off the land the trail is on. I account myself fortunate that I live in New York, and in most places where I hike, the government can't do that without a constitutional amendment. Most legislatures could do it with the stroke of a pen, and one political party is insisting that vast swaths of government land must be sold. That's as far as I'll go into with the politics here.

Anyway, this has been far too much thread drift. Coach Lou, the technical trail crew is just amazing. I'd love to join you, but my body isn't up to it - and I have closer trail projects to work on when I'm better. Thanks for the great work!

[tdoczi]

just hiked the new section. i was surprised where it was, not near any of the new sections that previously opened. a couple of questions-

there is a VERY tricky descent in one spot. a rebar handle has actually been placed to make it less treacherous. i actually didnt see it at first as its up high and i was busy looking at my feet thinking "seriously guys?!?!" its just bizarre. youre walking on manmade steps and one of them is too small/awkwardly place to step on safely when going down, whats up with that? with how impeccably constructed the other new sections have been i have to say i am quite surprised at what at a glance seems a bit on the shoddy side either in planning or execution.

slightly unrelated note- the upper most part of the new trail on the AT north side of the summit is still sitting there, visible through the trees looking nearly finished, but not opened, as it has been for 3 or 4 years now. whats going on with this section? i think its sort of odd resources were directed towards the new section that just opened instead of finishing up that area. walking the last little bit of the old trail up to the summit is a depressing contrast after walking up the new trail most of the way, and its been that way for a very long time now.

[rafe]

Coach Lou, the technical trail crew is just amazing. I'd love to join you, but my body isn't up to it - and I have closer trail projects to work on when I'm better. Thanks for the great work!

I've had the honor and pleasure of working with Lou on a couple of occasions near RPH Shelter, but not on this stretch of Bear Mtn. that's being talked about. The tech team that managed the Bear Mtn. relo are key players in the RPH work parties as well.

Lou's an ex-Marine, strong as bull, and has no problem shoving massive rocks around. Thrives on it, really.