After 6 months of warm weather, Winter has finally arrived and what better way to enjoy the snow and the cold than to go snowshoeing up a mountain! This event will be held atop Bear Mountain on February 11, 2017 from 12:00 noon until 1:00 pm. The views will be fabulous and the snow will make things better. While Perkins Memorial Drive does lead to the top of Bear Mountain, it is closed in the Winter so the only way to get to the event location would be to take a hike! Snowshoes will definitely be needed and you may find microspikes, crampons, and an ice axe useful as well, depending on the route that you choose. It is not easy planning a month ahead when it will snow but after comparing some of the weather records for the area from previous years, there is a greatest chance of there being snow on the ground in this part of February. If you plan on attending, please log your 'Will Attend' so that I will know how many people to expect.
There are several routes that you could take to get to the top of Bear Mountain. If you approach from the East, you could either take the Appalachian Trail or the Major Welch Trail to the top. The Appalachian Trail is mostly stairs but it still is a nice hike. The Major Welch Trail is the more difficult of the two, with two rock faces to navigate across along the hike. Chances are that the two rock faces will be a solid sheet of ice and microspikes and crampons would definitely be needed. Possibly an ice axe as well. If you would approach from the West side of Bear Mountain, you could take the 1776 Trail East for 0.2 miles to the junction with the Appalachian Trail and then follow it up the mountain. Another option would be to hike up Perkins Memorial Drive though you would either have to take a section of the Appalachian Trail or do some road walking to get there.