Is there a trail up bear mountain?

[Hobbitling]

My wife and I were hiking the pharoah lake area yesterday. we headed in from the trailhead on 74 that leads to lilypad pond.

On the way back, north of the tubmill marsh leanto, we met a group of about 20 teenagers and some chaperones. The leader said they were headed up bear mountain, and seemed a bit confused. As far as I could tell the teenagers each had only one apple and no water bottle, and it was a very hot muggy day. the leader had no map or guidebook, and only one chaperone had a backpack. I checked my map and guide book and told them there was no indication of a trial up bear mountain. I also did not see any signs for a trail up bear mountain.

as far as I know the only side trails are the private road that splits off about a mile from the trailhead, and the side trail to the tubmill marsh leanto.

so...Is there a trail up bear mountain?

[redhawk]

My wife and I were hiking the pharoah lake area yesterday. we headed in from the trailhead on 74 that leads to lilypad pond.

On the way back, north of the tubmill marsh leanto, we met a group of about 20 teenagers and some chaperones. The leader said they were headed up bear mountain, and seemed a bit confused. As far as I could tell the teenagers each had only one apple and no water bottle, and it was a very hot muggy day. the leader had no map or guidebook, and only one chaperone had a backpack. I checked my map and guide book and told them there was no indication of a trial up bear mountain. I also did not see any signs for a trail up bear mountain.

as far as I know the only side trails are the private road that splits off about a mile from the trailhead, and the side trail to the tubmill marsh leanto.

so...Is there a trail up bear mountain?

Dunnoe about the trail up Bear Mountain, but it seems as if the group yoou ran into didn't know much.

In the first place, weren't they illegal to start with? 20 people in a group?

Hawk

[Kevin]

There's a lot of 'bear mountains', maybe they picked the wrong one on the map?

Was this group from central New York by chance?

[Harvey44]

There's no official trail, but it's easy to get up and down if you use a compass.

[Hobbitling]

They were suburbanites from near albany. and they didnt seem to have a compass or any other navigational gear. I agree that it looks like a pretty straightforward bushwhack. just go uphill and west until you cant go uphill anymore.

He had an actual trail in mind, and seemed to think he had been on this trail before (maybe as a kid, on a trail that no longer exists?)

[Justin]

There is a path up Bear Mountain from the campsite at the base of it on Crane Pond. (the campsite to the right of the rocky slide that drops right into the pond) It's been a long time since I've been up it, but I was at that campsite earlier this Summer, and the path is obvious at the campsite. It heads straight up from the back of the site. From what I remember, the path does get hard to follow in spots, and there are a few STEEP climbs, but it's rather easy and does not take all that long. The views are awesome. Great views of the High Peaks, Crane Pd, and Pharaoh Mt. -- Justin

[Hobbitling]

so he was on the wrong side of the mountain?
oh well,

[Justin]

I only know of that path from Crane. I have been down the trail towards Tubmill and Lillypad, but never knew of any public trail/path to Bear Mt from that side. I have heard of routes to Ragged Mt, Potter Mt, Peaked Mt, and Pine Mt from that trail, all of which are bushwhacks I believe, but never heard of a route to Bear Mt from that trail. Then again, I've never been on a hike in the Adirondacks bringing only an apple.

[AntlerPerak]

No trail that I know of but it is a fairly easy bushwhack up the ridge from the east side. Most of the hills in there, Potter Mt, Ragged Mt, Peaked Hill to name a few have semi open summits with excellent views. All are fairly easy bushwhacks through open forest. Spent many years exploring that area great ponds lots of nice lean-tos. In fact I spent many days rehabbing several of those lean-tos.

[Justin]

I had the day off today so I decided to hike to Lilypad Pond and Rock Pond from the "Short Swing Trail" to scout for a possible alternate route to Gooseneck Pd. I noticed a trail that could very well be the trail to Bear Mountain from that side.

Just as the trail from Route 74 makes the turn towards the southeast near the begining of the climb up the valley between Ragged and Bear Mts there is a path currently marked with blue ribbon tape and pink diamond blazes heading south and up the northeastern ridge of Bear Mt. I decided to walk it on my return trip to the truck, but for only about 300 ft in elevation, then I turned around.(I was beat!)
The path continued to head south southwest and up. The trail seemd very well defined and moderately maintained judging from some of the older, thicker downed trees that look like they've have been cut and cleared out of the way a long time ago. It's the first time I've been down the Short Swing Trail in a long time, but that's the first I remember seeing that path.

--Justin

Also, I saw some familiar names in the Lilypad LT log book from 12/06.
And, Gooseneck looks very doable from the south near the Rock Pd Brook falls.