Bearpen Conditions

[gefiltephish]

Somehow my phone does OK battery wise, had service majority of times I did pop out of Airplane mode... Massive Ottercase may help with the battery. I bring physical topo maps also. I use (Avenza Map app) to drop pins and record tracks. I use CalTopo to make my own maps (scale, layers, trails, etc) which get exported into a 'georeferenced pdf.' Might be a paid-only feature, not sure. Basically that pdf gets loaded into a cell app (like Gaia GPS or Avenza) so its the 'base layer', while also seeing older & current pins, routes, and best of all, current GPS location. A nifty tool, but not a replacement to ground truthing stuff and decision making... Good enough for me I'm not compelled to throw down for a dedicated GPS unit though

 

[Ripitz]

I figured the service was fine up high. I think it may be spotty at base. Looking for a reliable way to communicate in case of a bailout. The radio is fine for line of sight. I use caltopo too but I’ve only scratched the surface. I used to use Strava for hikes and bikes but found myself distracted by it. Tech has become a super useful tool. Ironically, the mountains are such a nice place to get away from it. Hard sometimes to find a balance. Some of the best days are when you turn it off and just ski.

 

[gefiltephish]

I agree. It's nice to have in the pocket but ideally stays there. I've resisted any bike speedos for similar reasons.

 

[Ripitz]

So, are you able to drop pins, breadcrumbs, get GPS location and map routes all on airplane? Are there times when you need a signal besides phone calls and texts?

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Bearpen freaks: the Wikipedia page mentions that "Princeton ski bowl was the first ski resort ever in the Catskills." Given that Belle was operating 20 years earlier, I would guess that "resort" indicates a ski area with onsite lodging, which none of the state ski hills have. That said; I'm not aware that Princeton ski bowl had any structure other than a warming lodge at the summit.

It's been ten years since I posted the Bearpen piece and my memory is fading. Anyone?

 

[Ripitz]

Wikipedia states that a ski resort has other winter sports in addition to skiing. Since Bearpen also had cross country ski trails and ice skating I guess that would make it a resort by their definition. I’m sure people were going cross country and skating in Phoenicia when Simpson was in operation 20 years earlier.

 

[Harvey]

Or maybe it is a mistake. It is Wikipedia.

 

[x10003q]

Bearpen freaks: the Wikipedia page mentions that "Princeton ski bowl was the first ski resort ever in the Catskills." Given that Belle was operating 20 years earlier, I would guess that "resort" indicates a ski area with onsite lodging, which none of the state ski hills have. That said; I'm not aware that Princeton ski bowl had any structure other than a warming lodge at the summit.

It's been ten years since I posted the Bearpen piece and my memory is fading. Anyone?

It is wrong. There were a bunch of other places that opened before Princeton/Bearpen (1954). Bearpen was no different than any of the places in the list.
Belleayre 1949
Highmount 1946
Holiday Mtn 1950
Phoenicia Ski Center 1935
Simpson in Phoenicia 1936
Tom's Tow 1950

Downhill Skiing in the Catskills - Delaware County NY Genealogy and History Site

The Delaware County NY Genealogy and History Site is an attempt to gather in one place many of the public domain records for genealogical research in Delaware County, New York.

www.dcnyhistory.org

 

[tirolski]

Harvey runs a tighter ship than wikipedia does. So we got that goin for us.

 

[Kev]

Hey guys! I’m new to the site and have been curious about skiing here for a bit. Is Bearpen suitable for ski touring with enough snow? If it is, do you guys have any recommendations for trails/paths to ski down the mountain? I see Heisinger Road should be good for skinning up.