Bear Mountain St Park holds a lot of cherished memories for me.  I don’t give my stepfather much credit in my life. He was verbally abusive and had a narcissistic nature. But he did impart to me a deep appreciation and curiosity for the beauty and marvels of the natural world.  The year he married my mother, we went camping for their honeymoon; me, my sister, his son, and two daughters, one of which brought a friend. Just in case you lost count, there are six children on their honeymoon.

We camped at Wildwood State Park in Wading River, NY.  That summer was truly memorable as it brought about many exciting and significant first experiences for me. The first car ride that I remember was in a 1954 Pontiac., it was about a 3 ½ hours long.  This was before the Long Island Expressway was built; meaning we drove state roads most of the way. The trip included lots of stop signs, red lights, potato and peach farms.  This is the first time I’m not sleeping in my own bed at home, but of course, I’m not counting naps as a baby.  It was my first campfire, and my first time cooking hotdogs over the fire. First time in a tent. It was my first time walking in what seemed like an endless forest.

I believe it was in that fall that I first visited Bear Mountain State Park. We hiked a trail that connected to the Appalachian Trail.  I didn’t know what that meant at the time, but I would soon learn that it was an interstate trail.  A trail that went from Maine to Georga that sounded like it was a wilderness on the east coast. That sounded like such a wonderful adventure! Exploring Bear Mountain State Park and hiking along the Appalachian Trail was an incredible experience. I was facitnated by my surroundings.

Going back to Bear Mt as an adult, held a sense of adventure for me.  It raised some nostalgic feelings and longing for the energy and resilience of my childhood.  When I got there, it was quite the wakeup call.  The skating rink, zoo, and lake were really just small venues.  The huge lake that seemed to take all day to walk around, looked more like a pond.  The highway was right off the parking lot with cars flying by all day.  The trails were nice and marked well.  The last landmark was the Bear Mountain Bridge.  We would cross that not only to go to the park but other places upstate NY as well.  It was a landmark its own rite.  The little toll house that is now the NY Bridge Authority, and the two anchors that supported the one end of the bridge into Anthony’s nose.  Anthony’s nose is the stoney ridge that is part of a hiking trail.  These were all things that I remember from my childhood. 

There was one really awesome experience that I didn’t remember from my childhood.  That was the remnants of Fort Montgomery.  I found it totally by accident.  I was looking for different views of the bridge when I came across it.  Fort’s Montgomery and Clinton were tasked with protecting the traffic up the Hudson River.  They put a chain across the river and each fort on the west and east sides of the river had a battery of cannons.  Even though the Patriots lost the battle here once the British arrived, they delayed them long enough to prevent the much-needed support that Burgoyne’s forces were looking for at Saratoga. 

The history lesson was a pleasant surprise.  The views of the Hudson Valley were impressive and reminiscent of the great American painter Thomas Cole. The trails were refreshing and invigorating.  The wildflowers were blooming.  And the end goal in all of these adventures is the same, photographic opportunities, well they were abundant.  The galleries that follow are from that day’s expedition.

Bear Mountian Gallery #1

Bear Mountian Gallery #2