Trail Conditions Forum

Mud? Ice? High water at stream crossings?

This is the place to let the trail community know what you encountered, where and when (be as precise as possible). Suggestion: Make the trail or park name your subject.

To report serious trail problems that need Trail Conference attention, including illegal trail use issues, visit our Contact Us page. Problems reported through our Contact Us page get to the maintainers fast and reliably. Problems reported on the forum below may help fellow trail users avoid problem areas until they get fixed, but not all maintainers read this regularly.


 

mountaincreek@usa.com's picture

Thank you.
johnm's picture

  Route 106 within Orange County, between 7-Lakes Drive and Route 17, is closed for the winter season.  This road has been abandoned by the county and is now a park road.  It is expected to be closed for the same period as  are  several other park roads, from December 1 to April 1, as signed on the various park roads affected. This section of 106 is also subject to wet and icy conditions and is difficult to keep safe.   Visitors to the park may find that some of the closed roads are partially cleared of snow, though signed closed and partially blocked..  The clearing may be only minimal and is for official use only.  The closings are to be obeyed by the general public. Note also that even 7-Lakes Drive may not always be immediately cleared during and following a snow storm, particularly overnight.  
jbeard's picture

I hiked from the Lake Skannatati parking lot today and found a brand new trail.  A man was building a wooden kiosk that I guess will have maps and TC posters in it.  He said his firm had built the new segment of the Arden-Surebridge trail that begins with stone steps at the parking lot.  It now takes a route that is parallel to Seven Lakes, and avoids the top of the hill.  As a result, the Red Cross trail starts in a new place.  Are the changes already on TC maps?  If not, when will they appear?Later, I found that the (unofficial) Bottlecap trail has been reblazed beginning at Seven Lakes and heading west.  Whoever did this apparently had a saw and cleared many trees that blocked the trail, as well as nailing up new bottlecaps.Someone with a chainsaw has cleared the old woodsroad that links the Bottlecap trail to Times Square.
Jeremy Apgar's picture

The Trail Conference is finishing work on a revision to the Harriman-Bear Mountain Trails map set, and the trail changes in this area that affect the Arden-Surebridge Trail and Red Cross Trail will be on the new map (among other trail relocations, other adjustments, and the introduction of trail mileage numbers along the trails).  Look for the new maps in early 2015!~Jeremy, TC Cartographer
Michael K7's picture

The changes are not on the most recent version of the Harriman map set (2013). If these are official, approved changes, then hopefully the TC will create a free printable close up map of that area with the changes on it for hikers to keep with the map set. Thank you for the info!!!
banjolady's picture

the relocation of the trail has completely avoided the best part of the ASB which is the nice viewpoint over the lakes. i am sure people will keep making their own trail to the viewpoint...from what i heard, the Park hired an independent trail company to make the changes. I have not heard that the TC approved of the changes but they will most likely be on the next map set which will be coming out soon. i have also noticed bottle caps marking the path to camp thendara from the red cross trail east of skanatati, i think they cross 7 lakes dr too. maybe john mack will chime in and fill in more of the facts here....
Michael K7's picture

After so many years of working with the TC, why would the park hire an independent trail company to re-route a trail?
jbeard's picture

  The man I saw at work on the kiosk was from this company http://www.tahawustrails.com/index.html and he said that the overlook of Lake Skannatati was "sensitive habitat," and that the changes were to keep people away from that area.   JDB
91762's picture

Is Rte 106 going to be closed this winter regardless of conditions? If so, when does it close and when will it open? Thanks. Bob
CanadianRoots's picture

Was up on Hunter Mountain in the Catskills this weekend hiking the western end of Devils Path. There was anywhere from 5-16 inches of snow in spots on the mountain. Parked at Diamond Notch Road and hiked out to the parking lot at Notch Lake. There was still plenty of running water in the area, and it had warmed up quite a bit by Sunday morning, which made the hike out slightly precarious. 6 inches of melted/ing snow made for some pretty slick conditions even with microspikes.  Overall though Trails were relatively compact and snowshoes weren't necessary.
91762's picture

Does anyone know what the trail (e.g. Timp Thorne, Ramapo Dunderburg) conditions are like around Dunderberg Mtn.since it snowed last week? Was there much accumulation, is it still there, any ice? Thanks. Bob
horicon@post.com's picture

Does any post trail condations here??
btsullivan@post.com's picture

I hopr they do.
horicon@post.com's picture

Snow in the Gunks.
webmaster's picture

See http://www.visitbearmountain.com/calendar.htm for dates and times. Problems generally begin north of Anthony Wayne on PIP and the circle at the Bridge from any direction.
Troop201's picture

Can you climb the stairs to this fire tower?
Daniel Chazin's picture

This fire tower is open to the public, and one may climb the stairs to the top.
johnm's picture

Experience indicates that the police can do little unless the perpetrators are caught in the act.  Most helpful is to contact the New York State Park Police at 845 786 2781 immediately when observing the act, if possible.  Useful information is on what trail, what locaton, such as what is the nearest trail juncture.  As the reporter apparently knows. there is only one bike trail in Harriman/Bear Mountain Parks.  Powered vehicles are not legal off road anywhere in these parks. 
brianepstein81's picture

On TUesday 9/16 posted on Instagram tagged #harriman, it appeared on the myharriman.com website in their instagram section. I called the user out and he deleted my comment and removed the harriman tag, but not before I took pictures to document it.  I'm having trouble including the pictures here but I can send via emai if someone wants to pursue this further. The posters name is Curtis Vriesema, park police should locate this guy and pay him a visit.
joerichkus's picture

Yesterday I saw a rather large tent, folded up with its poles placed on top, sitting beside the TMI trail, about a quarter of the way between Claudius SMith Den and the Dutch Doctor Lean-to (heading east).  I am assuming that someone brought this out and decided it was too heavy to carry and left it there.  It's a very strange place to place this.  They should have known that this would be a heavy thing to carry on trails.  Another thing I noticed yesterday is a proliferation of fire rings in that general area of the park.