Mark Schaefer
09-09-2006, 03:43 AM
The route to Bearpen Mountain that I followed is described in a Catskill Center virtual hike (http://www.catskillcenter.org/vhikes/hikes.html). Ski Run Road is not signed at County Route 2, however, it is just south of the crest of the road. There is room for several cars to park at the start of the road. The road passes through several sections of private land, however, the road is a public highway and requires no permission to hike. When you reach the first state land boundary there is a large sign announcing that you are entering the Bearpen State Forest. It is neither a wilderness area nor a wild forest and logging is still occasionally done along the road. At this point there is also a new sign stating that ATVs are prohibited. We will see how well that works as this was a very popular ATV route.
I found some raspberries along the road. They were very large and tangy as they were perhaps starting to ferment on the bushes. Also found the first of many blackberry patches. Not far from the top of the ridge I encountered two DEC surveyors. They told me that the state had just completed the purchase of the 3440' Roundtop (tied at #39 on the HH list), and they were surveying the purchase. Previously the Catskill Center owned a 30 acre easement which allowed hiking to the Roundtop, but it is good that the entire summit is now owned by the state. The purchase also includes the "Ben Dover" hunting club cabin at the top of Ski Run Road. A DEC sign has replaced the bad pun "Ben Dover" sign. There is a good deal of surveyor tape and markings around. Most of the private ownership signs have been removed. The state land signs are not yet up.
I hiked Bearpen first. The road begins behind the cabin, left fork. A short distance up this road is a wide ATV track to the right. This is now state owned. It leads to a cut view of Roundtop and has a picnic table. This was formerly the scene of penny ante poker games and shooting target practice. It will now be a nice public picnic spot.
Along the ridge road to Bearpen there are many mud wallows. Some of these had been drained by recent diversion channels, but many wallows remain. There appears to still be one or two private parcels further up this road. But again it is a public highway. Many ripe blackberries along the road all the way to the Bearpen summit.
The Delaware County high point is the top of a 3520' bump (marked Bearpen Mtn on the USGS map) just east of the road, along the final state land boundary which is also the county line. There is an old blockage on the ridge road shortly after the start of state land. Three ATV tracks lead around it.
Shortly after a large muddy pond on the right an ATV climbs steeply to the right away from the old road. This leads to the summit ridge where there are nice views to the north and west. The summit is still further along the ATV track at the second of two excellent north views. The second of these is where the old road also climbs to the summit joining the summit ridge ATV track. In honesty the 3600' summit is perhaps in the scratchy woods a bit further and to the right (south), but most regard this wide open view area to be the summit. It is a favorite ATV lunch spot on weekends.
On the return I took the old road down from the viewpoint. I was a little inattentive and ended up on an old logging road (which now appears to be the main route) and ended up about here (http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=42.26964&lon=-74.4748&size=l&datum=nad27&layer=DRG). I had hiked this route dozens of time previously and had never made this error before. I suspect now that ATVs are banned from Ski Run Road this old logging road has become the primary ATV access route to the summit. This logging road is probably the one described in Peak Experiences, Hiking the Highest Summits of New York, County by County (http://www.amazon.com/Experiences-Highest-Summits-County-Guidebooks/dp/0965697401/sr=1-1/qid=1157784142/ref=sr_1_1/102-8682559-7896917) by Gary Fallesen. I will have to verify that on a future hike. It might even make a nice loop combined with Ski Run Road. After realizing my error I climbed back up the road and found the correct route back to the mud pond and Ski Run Road, and indeed the correct route now appears to be a side path.
On the return I climbed Roundtop. The somewhat faint ATV track for the 3440' Roundtop is opposite the front of the cabin. The track gently climbs, levels out, then climbs again, and leads directly to the wooded summit in 0.5 miles. This is a small view a short distance north/past the summit. Take a right fork in the ATV tracks - there will be a step-up rock on the right that will provide a limited view to the north. The Roundtop side trip up and back from the cabin took only 30 minutes.
Wildlife spotted included one black bear, three deer, two grouse, and many chickadees. Due to the abundant supply of blackberries on both mountains and raspberries on Ski Run Road this was rated a berry, berry good hike.
I found some raspberries along the road. They were very large and tangy as they were perhaps starting to ferment on the bushes. Also found the first of many blackberry patches. Not far from the top of the ridge I encountered two DEC surveyors. They told me that the state had just completed the purchase of the 3440' Roundtop (tied at #39 on the HH list), and they were surveying the purchase. Previously the Catskill Center owned a 30 acre easement which allowed hiking to the Roundtop, but it is good that the entire summit is now owned by the state. The purchase also includes the "Ben Dover" hunting club cabin at the top of Ski Run Road. A DEC sign has replaced the bad pun "Ben Dover" sign. There is a good deal of surveyor tape and markings around. Most of the private ownership signs have been removed. The state land signs are not yet up.
I hiked Bearpen first. The road begins behind the cabin, left fork. A short distance up this road is a wide ATV track to the right. This is now state owned. It leads to a cut view of Roundtop and has a picnic table. This was formerly the scene of penny ante poker games and shooting target practice. It will now be a nice public picnic spot.
Along the ridge road to Bearpen there are many mud wallows. Some of these had been drained by recent diversion channels, but many wallows remain. There appears to still be one or two private parcels further up this road. But again it is a public highway. Many ripe blackberries along the road all the way to the Bearpen summit.
The Delaware County high point is the top of a 3520' bump (marked Bearpen Mtn on the USGS map) just east of the road, along the final state land boundary which is also the county line. There is an old blockage on the ridge road shortly after the start of state land. Three ATV tracks lead around it.
Shortly after a large muddy pond on the right an ATV climbs steeply to the right away from the old road. This leads to the summit ridge where there are nice views to the north and west. The summit is still further along the ATV track at the second of two excellent north views. The second of these is where the old road also climbs to the summit joining the summit ridge ATV track. In honesty the 3600' summit is perhaps in the scratchy woods a bit further and to the right (south), but most regard this wide open view area to be the summit. It is a favorite ATV lunch spot on weekends.
On the return I took the old road down from the viewpoint. I was a little inattentive and ended up on an old logging road (which now appears to be the main route) and ended up about here (http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=42.26964&lon=-74.4748&size=l&datum=nad27&layer=DRG). I had hiked this route dozens of time previously and had never made this error before. I suspect now that ATVs are banned from Ski Run Road this old logging road has become the primary ATV access route to the summit. This logging road is probably the one described in Peak Experiences, Hiking the Highest Summits of New York, County by County (http://www.amazon.com/Experiences-Highest-Summits-County-Guidebooks/dp/0965697401/sr=1-1/qid=1157784142/ref=sr_1_1/102-8682559-7896917) by Gary Fallesen. I will have to verify that on a future hike. It might even make a nice loop combined with Ski Run Road. After realizing my error I climbed back up the road and found the correct route back to the mud pond and Ski Run Road, and indeed the correct route now appears to be a side path.
On the return I climbed Roundtop. The somewhat faint ATV track for the 3440' Roundtop is opposite the front of the cabin. The track gently climbs, levels out, then climbs again, and leads directly to the wooded summit in 0.5 miles. This is a small view a short distance north/past the summit. Take a right fork in the ATV tracks - there will be a step-up rock on the right that will provide a limited view to the north. The Roundtop side trip up and back from the cabin took only 30 minutes.
Wildlife spotted included one black bear, three deer, two grouse, and many chickadees. Due to the abundant supply of blackberries on both mountains and raspberries on Ski Run Road this was rated a berry, berry good hike.