Bear Mountain (Hudson Highlands)

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Bear Mountain
Bear Mountain from Long Mountain
Elevation	1,284 feet (391 m)
Location	New York, USA
Range	Hudson Highlands
Coordinates	41°18′49″N, 74°00′18″W
Topo map	Popolopen Lake
Easiest route	road

Bear Mountain (formerly called Bear Hill) is one of the best-known peaks of New York's Hudson Highlands. Located mostly in Orange County's Town of Highlands, it lends its name to a nearby bridge and the state park that contains it.

Its summit, accessible by a paved road, has several roadside viewpoints, a picnic area and observatory, the Perkins Memorial Tower. It is crossed by several hiking trails as well, including the oldest section of the Appalachian Trail. The AT across Bear Mountain is currently being rebuilt and realigned by the New York - New Jersey Trail Conference to minimize erosion and improve accessibility and sustainability.

Although the name "mountain" seems a misnomer for a geographic feature just 1,284 feet above sea level, Bear Mountain has a big mountain feel to it. The steep eastern face of the mountain peers over the Hudson River, which sits at sea level. The eastern side of the mountain consists of a pile of massive boulders, often the size of houses, that culminate in a 50 foot cliff face at approximately the 1,000 foot level. A direct scramble from the shore of Hessian Lake to Perkins Memorial Drive on the summit makes for an exciting Class III hike.

1 2006 murder case
2 Talkin' Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues
3 Historical Events at Bear Mountain
4 Notes
5 External links

[edit] 2006 murder case

On June 14, 2006, Victor Han of Staten Island stopped his minivan at an overlook near the summit on Perkins Drive and got out to take pictures. While he was out, the vehicle rolled forward, between two stones meant to prevent such incidents, and pitched forward down the hill. Two nearby hikers responded where the car came to rest, and were able to save Han's daughters. However, his wife Hejin died.^[1]

What had been a tragic accident took a surprising turn two days later when New York State Park Police arrested Han on felony charges of promoting a suicide attempt and two counts apiece of first-degree reckless endangerment of a child and endangering the welfare of a child.^[2]. Investigators said that Han had been having an affair with a younger woman who worked at his engineering firm and that his wife had been expressing suicidal ideations over it immediately prior to the stop. His neighbors and friends in Staten Island's Korean-American community expressed disbelief.^[3]

On March 28, 2007, Victor Han pleaded guilty in Rockland County Court to child endangerment, admitting that he knew his wife was putting herself and their children in danger when he left the vehicle. "He did this to get the case over, and not to force the family to go through the trauma (of a trial)," according to defense attorney Lawrence Goldman.^[4]

[edit] Talkin' Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues

In 1961, Bob Dylan read an article about a scam artist who sold fake tickets to tourists promising a boat trip to Bear Mountain. The scam backfired. So many people showed up, that there was no room for everyone to enter the boat. Dylan found the article funny and it inspired him to write the song, Talkin' Bear Mountain Picnic Blues. Eventhough this song does not show up on any official Dylan albums, it can be heard on The Bootleg Series vol. 1-3. Here are the lyrics:

I saw it advertised one day, Bear Mountain picnic was comin' my way. "Come along 'n' take a trip, We'll bring you up there on a ship. Bring the wife and kids Bring the whole family." Yippee!

Well, I run right down 'n' bought a ticket To this Bear Mountain Picnic. But little did I realize I was in for a picnic surprise. Had nothin' to do with mountains. I didn't even come close to a bear.

Took the wife 'n' kids down to the pier, Six thousand people there, Everybody had ticket for the trip. "Oh well." I said, "it's a pretty big ship. Besides, anyway, the more the merrier."

Well, we all got on 'n' what d'ya think, That big old boat started t' sink More people kept a-pilin' on, That old ship was a-slowly goin' down. Funny way t' start a picnic.

Well, I soon lost track of m' kids 'n' wife, So many people there I never saw in m' life That old ship sinkin' down in the water, Six thousand people tryin' t' kill each other, Dogs a-barkin', cats a-meowin', Women screamin', fists a-flyin', babies cryin', Cops a-comin', me a-runnin'. Maybe we just better call off the picnic.

I got shoved down 'n' pushed around, All I could hear there was a screamin' sound, Don't remember one thing more, Just remember walkin' up on a little shore, Head busted, stomach cracked, Feet splintered, I was bald, naked. . . Quite lucky to be alive though.

Feelin' like I climbed outa m' casket, I grabbed back hold of m' picnic basket. Took the wife 'n' kids 'n' started home, Wishin' I'd never got up that morn.

Now, I don't care just what you do, If you wanta have a picnic, that's up t' you. But don't tell me about it, I don't wanta hear it, 'Cause, see, I just lost all m' picnic spirit. Stay in m' kitchen, have m' own picnic. . . In the bathroom.

Now, it don't seem to me quite so funny What some people are gonna do f'r money. There's a bran' new gimmick every day Just t' take somebody's money away. I think we oughta take some o' these people And put 'em on a boat, send 'em up to Bear Mountain . . . For a picnic.

[edit] Historical Events at Bear Mountain

In the summer of 1921, Franklin Roosevelt is believed to have contracted polio on a visit to a Boy Scout camp at Hessian Lake on the eastern edge of Bear Mountain. The exact source of his infection is uncertain because his symptoms did not appear until weeks after the original infection, during a swim in Canada's Bay of Fundy.

Babe Ruth negotiated his contracts with the Yankees in the Bear Mountain Inn in the 1920s.

Bear Mountain was once the premier ski jumping site in the United States. Because of its notoriety as a ski jumping location, Bear Mountain was considered as a possible site for the 1932 Winter Olympics, which were held in Lake Placid, New York. The ski jump run has not been used since 1990, and its stone steps built into the eastern side of the mountain are now crumbling.

[edit] Notes

^ Al-rikabi, Ramsey; June 15, 2006; "Woman dies when van rolls off overlook"; Times Herald Record, retrieved June 21, 2006
^ McKenna, Chris and Wells, Kristina; June 17, 2006; Husband charged in wife's death, Times Herald Record; retrieved June 21, 2006
^ Sullivan, John; June 17, 2006; "Friends say Han couldn't have helped his wife die"; Times Herald Record; retrieved June 21, 2006
^ Lieberman, Steve; March 29, 2007; "Dad admits endangering kids during wife's suicide at Bear Mountain"; The Journal News; retrieved April 2, 2007; and various wire service reports.