bear mountain relocation already re-relocated?

[tdoczi]

i was up there recently for the first time since last july and it seems to a newly opened section of the AT (low, on the river side of the mountain) is already replacing one of the new sections that just opened within the past year or two. i thought i was loosing it but i walked down the "closed" (it wasnt really closed off or anything, just no longer blazed) section and sure enough located a tree with remnants of scraped off white blazes. also, i could swear the construction of the upper section (which still isnt opened) has been moved to a different spot on the mountain than where it was being worked on last year. is there already something wrong with parts of the new trail or is this all just part of some larger scheme thats going to involve new sidetrails and what not? i guess it could be, but then why havent they reblazed the section i saw blue or some other color already?

[nehiker]

i was up there recently for the first time since last july and it seems to a newly opened section of the AT (low, on the river side of the mountain) is already replacing one of the new sections that just opened within the past year or two. i thought i was loosing it but i walked down the "closed" (it wasnt really closed off or anything, just no longer blazed) section and sure enough located a tree with remnants of scraped off white blazes. also, i could swear the construction of the upper section (which still isnt opened) has been moved to a different spot on the mountain than where it was being worked on last year. is there already something wrong with parts of the new trail or is this all just part of some larger scheme thats going to involve new sidetrails and what not? i guess it could be, but then why havent they reblazed the section i saw blue or some other color already?

Based on what you are saying they have just opened the Demonstration Trail near Hessian Lake. It takes the AT completely off the gravel road near the lake. There is nothing wrong with the small segment of the trail between the road and the top of the demo trail; this was planned a while ago, and the demo trail was started early last summer. All together the demo trail (where the AT is supposed to run now) and where the AT ran recently form a small loop (for those who want to take a short walk). There will be signs on the demo trail about trail construction. The little building next to the lake at the base of the loop is supposed to become a museum about Bear Mountain and/or trail construction (it originally housed restrooms).

There is construction going on and off on portions of the upper part of Bear Mountain facing the river, above where the new section of the AT ends. The plan is to relocate the AT there, moving it from a very eroded section. The planned portion will partially coincide with where the AT ran 40 years ago; if you follow the trail under construction from the top of the new segment of the AT, in 10-15 minutes you'll pass a set of new steps next to a very old white blaze.

[tdoczi]

Based on what you are saying they have just opened the Demonstration Trail near Hessian Lake. It takes the AT completely off the gravel road near the lake. There is nothing wrong with the small segment of the trail between the road and the top of the demo trail; this was planned a while ago, and the demo trail was started early last summer. All together the demo trail (where the AT is supposed to run now) and where the AT ran recently form a small loop (for those who want to take a short walk). There will be signs on the demo trail about trail construction. The little building next to the lake at the base of the loop is supposed to become a museum about Bear Mountain and/or trail construction (it originally housed restrooms).

There is construction going on and off on portions of the upper part of Bear Mountain facing the river, above where the new section of the AT ends. The plan is to relocate the AT there, moving it from a very eroded section. The planned portion will partially coincide with where the AT ran 40 years ago; if you follow the trail under construction from the top of the new segment of the AT, in 10-15 minutes you'll pass a set of new steps next to a very old white blaze.

cool, thanks. any idea why that new segment that was part of the AT last year and is now part of the shorter loop is not blazed or signed yet? as of now it has to be confusing if youre descending the mountain northbound on the trail. it startled me for a second going southbound.

as for the section further up, i could just be mis remembering, but i recall last year when reaching the road (hiking up from the lake), turning right and a short ways down seeing where the new trail was going to continue up the mountain. there was beginnings of step work done and it was roped off. this time when i reached the road there was new trail construction immediately to the left. with a sign stating it would be open in 2012. the blazing still has you turn right, as it did last year, and continues on the road for a bit until it reaches the new trail, but the construction work i remember seeing just off the road on the uphill side seems to not be there any longer.

[Another Kevin]

There's still a bunch of churn with the relocations. There is still more construction planned, as I understand it, and some of it got set back seriously by Hurricanes Irene and Lee.

I think that the Major Welch trail (blaze is a red ring; it goes down the north side of Bear Mountain and rejoins the AT by Hessian Lake) is more fun anyway.

But anything beats the roadwalk up Perkins Memorial Drive that you used to have to do.

[Blue Jay]

The problem with bear mountain is cloning. They keep taking them down after you pass and rebuilding them in front of you (I know I'm not the first to complain about this).