Bear Mountain Search Operation

Bear Mountain State Park,
Rockland/Orange Cos.,
New York

Hiking Trails:
1777 W Trail: Red blaze
Appalachian Trail: White blaze
Appalachian Trail Spur: Blue blaze

Total Time: 3:00 hour
Estimated Distance: 5.7 Miles

Hiking Partners: Shimmy Rosenberg, Isaac Korman

I had been called by Commsar, a local search and rescue organization, to assist with a search of two teenage boys that got lost on Bear Mountain on a camp trip. They had been lost the previous afternoon, and we headed out at the crack of dawn to search the area. We scaled much of the southern portion of Bear Mountain, the area where they were lost, and thankfully they were found in good condition later that morning by hikers several miles away.

We covered ground fast and this was an intense hike. At the top of the mountain, I needed a few minutes to break and snapped several early morning photos. Our route started at the trailhead on Seven Lakes Drive at the Southern approach to Bear Mountain. We took the 1777 W Trail briefly from the trailhead parking to the Appalachian Trail, and took the Appalachian Trail up. Where it veers up on the new portion off the old overgrown road, we continued along the road to the Perkins Scenic view dead end, and then took the Power Lines Trail route to the summit and tower area. From the summit we went along the Appalachian Trail, veered off on the Picnic Route loop, went back to the Appalachian Trail where its paved for handicapped accessory, went back down an up all the spurs, and then took the spur along the view which was the old Major Welch Trail. We then cut back along the old defunct Appalachian Trail route that used to go here, and then took the Appalachian Trail down the area where we had skipped before. We then bushwacked off the old road path south towards Seven Lakes Drive where it meets up with Perkins Drive. At this point we heard the subjects were located, so we headed back along Seven Lakes Drive back to the car.