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148-498: Within those three towns, the Slide Wilderness might be better described as contained within the lands bounded on the north roughly by Esopus Creek and Route 28 , the east by Ulster County Route 42 (known in different towns as Sundown Road or Peekamoose Road) almost to the shores of Ashokan Reservoir , the west by Ulster County Route 47, and on the south by Sugarloaf Road and Red Hill Road. The area's wilderness character

296-607: A least-concern species because of its widespread distribution and a large population, estimated to be twice that of all other bear species combined. Along with the brown bear ( Ursus arctos ), it is one of only two modern bear species not considered by the IUCN to be globally threatened with extinction. The American black bear is not closely related to the brown bear or polar bear , though all three species are found in North America ; genetic studies reveal that they split from

444-477: A pitch pine - scrub oak barren, is found on the summits of Hallihan and Jockey hills in the town of Kingston , just northwest of the Saw Kill confluence. While there is some development clustered along Route 28 next to the stream, there is no significant agricultural use. Among the mountains within it or on its boundaries are 21 peaks over 3,000 ft (910 m) in elevation, including all or part of 16 of

592-766: A bear weighing 120 pounds (54 kg) was observed turning flat rocks weighing 310 to 325 pounds (141 to 147 kg) by flipping them over with a single foreleg. They move in a rhythmic, sure-footed way and can run at speeds of 25 to 30 miles per hour (40 to 48 km/h). American black bears have good eyesight and have been proven experimentally to be able to learn visual color discrimination tasks faster than chimpanzees and just as fast as domestic dogs . They are also capable of rapidly learning to distinguish different shapes such as small triangles, circles and squares. Adults typically range from 120 to 200 cm (47 to 79 in) in head-and-body length, and 70 to 105 cm (28 to 41 in) in shoulder height. Although they are

740-457: A commercial landowner. Use of the land is limited to minimal-impact passive recreation such as hiking , camping , hunting and angling . No powered vehicles are allowed within (The use of chainsaws for trail maintenance is also permitted only by explicit written authority of the DEC commissioner ). There are no designated equestrian trails within the wilderness. While mountain bike usage

888-401: A common ancestor 5.05 million years ago (mya). American and Asian black bears are considered sister taxa and are more closely related to each other than to the other modern species of bears. According to recent studies, the sun bear is also a relatively recent split from this lineage. A small primitive bear called Ursus abstrusus is the oldest known North American fossil member of

1036-624: A forest canopy of hardwoods such as beech , maple , birch and coniferous species. Corn crops and oak-hickory mast are also common sources of food in some sections of the northeast; small, thick swampy areas provide excellent refuge cover largely in stands of white cedar . Along the Pacific coast, redwood , Sitka spruce and hemlocks predominate as overstory cover. Within these northern forest types are early successional areas important for American black bears, such as fields of brush, wet and dry meadows , high tidelands , riparian areas and

1184-493: A game species in the springtime. In all, 98 species of birds are believed to make their home here. The streams of the Catskills, including those in this wilderness, are famous for their trout , and the brook , brown and rainbow varieties can be found here, although not in sufficient numbers to allow for intensive fishing. The 37 amphibian and reptile species found in the area include six deemed to be of special concern by

1332-531: A half-mile (800 m) below Winnisook Lake it returns to the road's side and receives its unnamed first tributary from the east, draining another of Slide's hollows. Bending to the west northwest, the Esopus forms part of the boundary of the Big Indian Wilderness Area to its south as it receives Giant Ledge Stream from the north, draining the peak of that name and Panther Mountain ,

1480-481: A half-mile with an apartment complex and strip mall on the south side and woodlands on the north of the 180-foot-wide (55 m) channel, Tannery Brook empties into the Esopus from a buried culvert just below where Route 28, now concurrent with Interstate 587 , crosses the creek for the last time. A half-mile past I-587, amid woodlands on both sides, the Esopus meanders parallel to the Thruway. Three-quarters of

1628-412: A higher fault density in the bedrock on the Esopus, in the late 20th century. Later, the crater began to fill in with silt and became a crater lake . As the delta uplifted into a single plateau , the stream bed began to form along the heavily jointed and weaker shale and sandstone above the buried rim of the crater wall. As with the Catskills as a whole the newly forming streams began dissecting

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1776-605: A large bend that takes it below 600 feet (180 m) in elevation, the Esopus enters Ashokan Reservoir , 12 miles (19 km) below Allaben, the end of the creek's 26-mile (42 km) upper section. Four miles (6.4 km) from where it widens into the reservoir, just before Travers Hollow Brook and the Bush Kill drain into it, the main stem of the Esopus flows out of the reservoir's spillway . The reservoir continues for 6.5 miles (10.5 km) to its spillway near Olive Bridge . The reservoir's eastern section, slightly to

1924-597: A long curve to the north and back southeastward over its next half-mile to where it crosses under the New York State Thruway just south of Exit 19, where the Catskill Park Blue Line leaves the stream to run along the west edge of the highway property. Another half-mile further downstream, Washington Avenue crosses; a state-owned public-access area with boat launch is located on the north bank along Sandy Road 500 feet downstream. After

2072-682: A mile downstream on a meandering course with a narrow channel, the Kingston city line leaves the stream on the east. The meandering creek draws near to the Thruway in a mile and begins to run parallel to it. Just past a turn to the northeast the Town of Ulster maintains another public access area near the ballparks on Buckley Street on the south side of the 145-foot (44 m) channel. The Esopus crosses under Route 209 near Lake Katrine 1.1 mi (1.8 km) north of that point. A half-mile past that bridge, it receives another significant tributary,

2220-407: A motor-like humming sound when comfortable or nursing. American black bears often mark trees using their teeth and claws as a form of communication with other bears, a behavior common to many species of bears. Sows usually produce their first litter at the age of 3 to 5 years, with those living in more developed areas tending to get pregnant at younger ages. The breeding period usually occurs in

2368-502: A mountain stream — shallow, rocky and swift, with most of the stream's trout taken by anglers there. The upper portion is itself divided into a "small" and "big" stream by the outlet of the Shandaken Tunnel . Below the reservoir's spillway the stream begins again, becoming flatter, deeper and slower to its short estuary . The Esopus flows out of artificially created Winnisook Lake , at 2,660 feet (810 m) above sea level

2516-442: A protected habitat on lands now part of the wilderness area, winter here. Cottontail rabbit and beaver also maintain lower population levels. Fisher were reintroduced to the area in the late 1970s and have thrived in numbers significant enough to make life difficult for the porcupine, always abundant in the Catskills. Birds are an especially important component of the local ecosystem for historical reasons. Bicknell's thrush

2664-1275: A reduced heart rate and basal metabolic rate. The metabolic rate of a hibernating bear will remain at a reduced level for up to 21 days after hibernation. After emerging from their winter dens in spring, they wander their home ranges for two weeks so that their metabolism accustoms itself to the activity. In mountainous areas, they seek southerly slopes at lower elevations for forage and move to northerly and easterly slopes at higher elevations as summer progresses. The time that American black bears emerge from hibernation varies. Factors affecting this include temperature, flooding, and hunger. In southern areas, they may wake up in midwinter. Further north, they may not be seen until late March, April, or even early May. Altitude also has an effect. Bears at lower altitudes tend to emerge earlier. Mature males tend to come out earliest, followed by immature males and females, and lastly mothers with cubs. Mothers with yearling cubs are seen before those with newborns. Generally, American black bears are largely crepuscular in foraging activity, though they may actively feed at any time. Up to 85% of their diet consists of vegetation, though they tend to dig less than brown bears, eating far fewer roots , bulbs , corms and tubers than

2812-401: A series of five cascades that drop 68 feet (21 m) over the course of the next 2,000 ft (610 m) of stream, Below Glenerie Falls, the Esopus, now below a hundred feet (30 m) in elevation, again turns north, paralleling U.S. Route 9W for a mile through a narrow, steep valley. After Glasco Turnpike (Ulster County Route 32) crosses the 100-foot channel, Route 9W veers off to

2960-506: A study of American black bears in Nevada found that the amount of annual mortality of a population of bears in wilderness areas was 0%, whereas in developed areas in the state this figure rose to 83%. Survival in subadults is generally less assured. In Alaska, only 14–17% of subadult males and 30–48% of subadult females were found in a study to survive to adulthood. Across the range, the estimated number of cubs who survive past their first year

3108-402: A thousand feet downstream. It bends to the northeast again, and after another 2,000 feet (610 m) reaches the western corner of the city of Kingston , the largest settlement along the creek, after which it becomes the city's northern boundary. Another 1,500 feet (460 m) downstream, a bridge along the abandoned Ulster & Delaware right-of-way crosses the Esopus. The stream takes

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3256-827: A variety of mast-producing hardwood species. The spruce-fir forest dominates much of the range of the American black bear in the Rockies . Important non-forested areas here are wet meadows, riparian areas, avalanche chutes, roadsides, burns, sidehill parks and subalpine ridgetops . In areas where human development is relatively low, such as stretches of Canada and Alaska, American black bears tend to be found more regularly in lowland regions. In parts of northeastern Canada, especially Labrador , American black bears have adapted exclusively to semi-open areas that are more typical habitat in North America for brown bears (likely due to

3404-576: A wide braided bend, Wynkoop Road (Ulster County Route 29A) crosses the 120-foot (37 m) channel just east of the hamlet of Hurley and the Hurley Mountain Inn . North of that crossing, the Esopus bends away from Route 209 through fields, with some braiding and diversions, to the Ulster town line a mile downstream. Here its north bank becomes part of the Catskill Park Blue Line as well, bending east southeast and crossing under Route 209

3552-527: Is impounded at Olive Bridge to create Ashokan Reservoir , the first of several built in the Catskills as part of New York City 's water supply system . Its own flow is supplemented 13 miles (21 km) above the reservoir by the Shandaken Tunnel , which carries water from the city's Schoharie Reservoir into the creek. The creek, originally known by the Native Americans in the area as Atkarkaton or Atkankarten and by Dutch settlers as

3700-419: Is 60%. With the exception of the rare confrontation with an adult brown bear or a gray wolf pack, adult black bears are not usually subject to natural predation. However, as evidenced by scats with fur inside of them and the recently discovered carcass of an adult sow with puncture marks in the skull, black bears may occasionally fall prey to jaguars in the southern parts of their range. In such scenarios,

3848-572: Is a 65.4-mile-long (105.3 km) tributary of the Hudson River that drains the east-central Catskill Mountains in the U.S. state of New York . From its source at Winnisook Lake on the slopes of Slide Mountain , the Catskills' highest peak, it flows across Ulster County to the Hudson at Saugerties . Many tributaries extend its watershed into neighboring Greene County and a small portion of Delaware County . Midway along its length, it

3996-595: Is also a trail referred to as the Dutcher Step Trail that traverses the private property of the Winnisook Club. Anyone attempting to hike this trail should seek permission from the club first. The trail has some interesting views that the main trail does not. The club seems willing to allow hikers on a limited basis as long as you leave the trail as you found it and sign a release first. Esopus Creek Esopus Creek / ɪ ˈ s oʊ p ə s /

4144-620: Is buffered not only by restrictive local zoning and conservation of neighboring private lands but also by bordering on two other large state-owned tracts, the Big Indian- Beaver Kill Wilderness Area to the west and the Sundown Wild Forest to the east. According to Catskill forest historian Michael Kudish , the Slide wilderness contains the most extensive tract of first-growth forest in

4292-573: Is currently a matter of debate as the CPSLMP is updated, and not specifically prohibited, it does not seem likely that it will be allowed. No structures may be erected on the land except those DEC creates within UMP guidelines. Tents are permitted; hunters' tree stands are not. As of 2005 there are 35.3 miles (56.8 km) of officially maintained and marked trails (more are planned). There are three lean-tos , and 29 officially designated campsites in

4440-514: Is itself governed not only by the state's Environmental Conservation Law but Article 14 of the state constitution, which requires that the Forest Preserve be kept "forever wild" and free for public use beyond any reasonable fee required for a particular activity. In a departure from the usual practice of most American public land management, the state pays full property taxes on the lands to all local governmental entities as if it were

4588-440: Is mainly an aesthetic and ecological resource, although the estuary at Saugerties is a popular bass fishery . The Esopus's role in the state and regional economy has led to a concentrated effort to protect and manage it, particularly on the upper stretch. The interests of the various stakeholders have not always converged, particularly where it concerns the city's management of its water needs. Turbidity created by discharges from

Slide Mountain Wilderness Area - Misplaced Pages Continue

4736-735: Is record of a golden eagle snatching a yearling cub. Once out of hibernation, mother bears may be able to fight off most potential predators. Even cougars will be displaced by an angry mother bear if they are discovered stalking the cubs. Flooding of dens after birth may also occasionally kill newborn cubs. However, in current times, bear fatalities are mainly attributable to human activities. Seasonally, thousands of black bears are hunted legally across North America to control their numbers, while some are illegally poached or trapped unregulated. Auto collisions also may claim many black bears annually. American black bears were once not considered true or "deep" hibernators , but because of discoveries about

4884-508: Is stated that the bears had been seen in the zoological gardens to couple freely, but previously to 1848 most had rarely conceived. In the reports published since this date three species have produced young (hybrids in one case), ... A bear shot in autumn 1986 in Michigan was thought by some to be an American black bear/grizzly bear hybrid, because of its unusually large size and its proportionately larger brain case and skull. DNA testing

5032-914: Is the Kaaterskill Creek basin, with the West Kill draining the Spruceton Valley to the northwest into Schoharie Creek , a long tributary of the Mohawk River , itself the Hudson's longest tributary. On the western boundary, water drains into the East Branch of the Delaware River ; the two upper branches of the Neversink , the Delaware's largest left tributary, rise along the Esopus basin's southwest boundary, with

5180-424: Is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species. It is an omnivore , with a diet varying greatly depending on season and location. It typically lives in largely forested areas but will leave forests in search of food and is sometimes attracted to human communities due to the immediate availability of food. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the American black bear as

5328-586: The Devil's Path range and its southeastern corner. A very small portion overlaps the Delaware County line west of Pine Hill . The upper Esopus basin, above the reservoir, is 256 square miles (660 km ) with the lower basin accounting for the other 169 square miles (440 km ). To the south it is bordered by the combined watershed of the Rondout Creek and Wallkill River . On the northeast

5476-609: The Driftless Area of southeastern Minnesota , northeastern Iowa , and southwestern Wisconsin are common. In 2019, biologists with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources confirmed documentation of an American black bear living year-round in woodlands near the town of Decorah in northeastern Iowa, believed to be the first instance of a resident black bear in Iowa since the 1880s. Surveys taken from 35 states in

5624-528: The Lenape band that inhabited its banks, some of whom entertained Henry Hudson on his voyage up the river in 1609 after possible earlier contact with fur traders. European traders began plying the river in greater numbers, eventually establishing permanent settlements for the purpose. Dutch settlers established Wiltwyck, today's Kingston , on the high ground between the Esopus and the Rondout in 1649. After

5772-452: The Native Americans used the flat flood plains of the lower Esopus for cornfields, and there are accounts of the area around Olive, today inundated by the reservoir, planted as an apple orchard . The Natives did not settle the area permanently, and only ventured into the higher reaches of the valley to hunt as there was less arable land there. The Esopus would be important to the area's early European colonization . It took its name from

5920-630: The New York City water supply system . There are, however, no lakes or ponds within it. The tract is almost completely wooded. DEC identifies five distinct forest communities within the Slide Wilderness: three subtypes of the boreal forest found at higher elevations in the Catskills ("mountain fir", "mountain spruce-fir" and "spruce-fir rocky summit"), hemlock-northern hardwood forest and beech-maple mesic forest northern hardwoods , such as sugar maple , beech and yellow birch , are

6068-703: The Revolution , aggravated by inadequate surveys of the region. Encumbrances remained on many properties into the 20th century. The complications with the land claim delayed an accurate survey of the Catskills until 1885. In the meantime, permanent settlement of the Esopus valley began in the mid-18th century and finished with the establishment of the Slide Mountain post office in 1805. Most of these communities were supported by local forest-products industries: loggers harvested trees for sawmill operators, and furniture makers set up shop nearby. A road,

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6216-510: The Saw Kill . The riverside is more developed here, with homes and docks on the east bank. The channel narrows to 60 ft (18 m). A mile north of the Saw Kill, the Esopus bends northeast again and Leggs Mill Road (County Route 31) crosses as the stream descends slightly over a weir and some exposed bedrock. Backyards and docks line both banks over the next half-mile, where the channel widens again to 250 ft (76 m), after which

6364-628: The Southeastern United States . American black bears in the southern Appalachian Mountains survive in predominantly oak-hickory and mixed mesophytic forests. In the coastal areas of the southeast (such as Florida , the Carolinas and Louisiana ), bears inhabit a mixture of flatwoods , bays and swampy hardwood sites. In the northeastern part of the range (the United States and Canada), prime habitat consists of

6512-1077: The West Coast , although they typically follow Bergmann's rule , and bears from the northwest are often slightly heavier than the bears from the southeast. Adult males typically weigh between 57–250 kg (126–551 lb), while females weigh 33% less at 41–170 kg (90–375 lb). In California, studies indicate that the average mass is 86 kg (190 lb) in adult males and 58 kg (128 lb) in adult females. Adults in Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge in east-central Alaska were found to average 87.3 kg (192 lb) in males and 63.4 kg (140 lb) in females, whereas on Kuiu Island in southeastern Alaska (where nutritious salmon are readily available) adults averaged 115 kg (254 lb). In Great Smoky Mountains National Park , adult males averaged 112 kg (247 lb) and adult females averaged 47 kg (104 lb) per one study. In one of

6660-668: The "Esopus Kill ", takes its name from the Esopus tribe of the Lenape , who were living around the lower Esopus when the Dutch first explored and settled the Hudson Valley in the early 17th century. The creek's wide valley made it an ideal trading route for the Esopus and other Lenape who harvested the beaver pelts the European traders desired. Later, under the English , it became the beginning point for contentious land claims in

6808-418: The "Groot Esopus". In some other accounts, the es prefix is read as a diminutive , making the name mean "little river". Another interpretation is that Esopus means "high banks", referring to the stream's history of heavy floods. The Esopus is usually discussed as an upper and lower stream divided by the reservoir. The upper portion, where most recreational use takes place, has the characteristics of

6956-410: The 35 Catskill High Peaks exceeding 3,500 ft (1,100 m). Slide Mountain , the highest peak in the range, is also the highest peak in the Esopus watershed at about 4,180 ft (1,270 m). It has the highest average elevation of any of the watersheds that feed New York City's reservoirs. Tributaries, named and unnamed, add another 330 miles (530 km) of streams to the watershed. From

7104-532: The American black bears remained arboreal omnivores, like their Asian ancestors. The American black bear's generalist behavior allowed it to exploit a wider variety of foods and has been given as a reason why, of these three genera, it alone survived climate and vegetative changes through the last Ice Age while the other, more specialized North American predators became extinct. However, both Arctodus and Tremarctos had survived several other, previous ice ages . After these prehistoric ursids became extinct during

7252-609: The Asian black bear 4.08 mya. The earliest American black bear fossils, which were located in Port Kennedy, Pennsylvania , greatly resemble the Asian species, though later specimens grew to sizes comparable to grizzly bears . From the Holocene to the present, American black bears seem to have shrunk in size, but this has been disputed because of problems with dating these fossil specimens. The American black bear lived during

7400-561: The Catskill High Peaks. This protects not only the Bicknell's but other species such as the black-and-white warbler , black-throated blue warbler , Canada warbler , red-eyed vireo , Louisiana waterthrush , scarlet tanager and rose-breasted grosbeak , some of which require large unbroken forests to nest. More common birds observed in the area include ruffed grouse and wild turkey , the latter being common enough to be

7548-610: The Catskills. Much of the area remained out of reach during the peak years of logging and barkpeeling from eastern hemlock trees, to make tannin for leather production in the mid-19th century, and thus remained largely untouched. Indeed, the upper valley of the East Branch of the Neversink, located centrally within the SMWA, is the only completely wild valley in the Catskills. It is possible to look out over it from several points on

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7696-476: The Esopus Valley than anywhere else in the Catskills. Bluestone for city sidewalks and buildings was also quarried out of the hills, and in some cases from the stream bed itself. American black bear 16, see text Euarctos americanus The American black bear ( Ursus americanus ), also known as the black bear , is a species of medium-sized bear endemic to North America . It

7844-474: The Esopus drove them out of the settlement in two wars , colonial governor Peter Stuyvesant ordered that it be enclosed in a stockade so it would be safer from raids by Indians and the other contending colonial power in the area, the English . The latter took over the New Netherland colony in 1664, taking a more nuanced approach to the native peoples of the area. The settlement's location above

7992-547: The Esopus from the north, increasing its flow. This point on the stream is known as the Shandaken Portal or just the Portal. South of the Portal, what is now the "big" portion of the upper Esopus turns southeast after Broadstreet Hollow Creek, with one smaller northern channel remaining closer to the road while the larger southern one bends closer to the base of Garfield Mountain , forming another one-mile portion of

8140-491: The Esopus reaches Phoenicia , the first major settlement along its course. Route 28 crosses again just west of where the stream receives Stony Clove Creek from the north, where it drains southern Greene County . The creek widens but remains shallow; the Catskill Mountain Railroad parallels its banks. The stream bends into a southerly course between Mount Tremper to the east and Romer Mountain to

8288-568: The Indians as they migrated north. Most of the chestnuts died in the chestnut blight of the early 20th century. Catskill forest historian Michael Kudish found that other southern hardwood species can be found in the Esopus valley all the way to Oliverea, a mile or so below the creek's source. Human habitation or use of the stream's lower reaches has been recorded as far back as 4,000 years ago. As with many other streams in Ulster County,

8436-519: The June–July period, though it can extend to August in the species' northern range. The breeding period lasts for two to three months. Both sexes are promiscuous. Males try to mate with several females, but large, dominant ones may violently claim a female if another mature male comes near. Copulation can last 20–30 minutes. Sows tend to be short-tempered with their mates after copulating. The fertilized eggs undergo delayed development and do not implant in

8584-492: The Neversink's East Branch headwaters flowing a thousand feet from the Esopus' source at Winnisook Lake. The upper Esopus watershed is rugged and 95 percent forested, with 58.5 percent part of the "forever wild" Forest Preserve and protected from almost all harvest or clearing. Three different types of forest predominate: montane spruce-fir boreal forest on the higher mountain summits, beech-birch-maple northern hardwood forest with some Eastern hemlock groves that survived

8732-541: The Saw Kill and Plattekill Creek subwatersheds, much of which remain within the forests of the Catskill Park . The history of the Esopus, like the creek itself, has several distinct eras, starting with a meteor falling on the future Catskill Mountains. The Esopus's upper course was set 375 million years ago in the Devonian period, when the Catskills were still a river delta of low sedimentary beaches and

8880-489: The Shandaken Tunnel after a 1996 flood led to a successful lawsuit against the city and a state regulation; downstream of the reservoir the city has been criticized for contributing to flooding problems by releasing too much water during heavy rainstorms since Hurricane Irene in 2011. Boaters and anglers have also clashed, and invasive species are beginning to enter the upper creek as well. Historians agree that

9028-595: The Slide Mountain Wilderness boundary; the two converge at a public parking lot used to put in canoes and kayaks. Three miles (4.8 km) downstream, the creek turns to the south for another mile before turning east where Woodland Creek , the largest right tributary of the Esopus, flows in from the south following the east side of the former Panther crater wall, from its headwaters on Wittenberg Mountain , just east of where Woodland Valley Road crosses. Another 0.8 miles (1.3 km) in that direction,

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9176-704: The Slide wilderness, five of which serve as hiking trailheads. The sixth trail, the east end of the Burroughs Range Trail which traverses Wittenberg , Cornell and Slide Mountains , starts at the Woodland Valley State Campground , which adjoins the wilderness area. Similarly, camping is available at the southeast corner in the Peekamoose Valley Wild Forest , near the Bull Run trailhead. There

9324-524: The Ulster, Delaware and Dutchess Turnpike, was improved from an old colonial path that led up the valley and then into Delaware County past Highmount . By the middle of the century it was paralleled by the Ulster and Delaware Railroad . Timber was not the only product taken from the mountainsides and sent down the valley. Tanners brought up cowhides via those routes to treat in water boiled in hemlock bark, and charcoal kilns were more numerous in

9472-594: The absence there of brown and polar bears, as well as other large carnivore species). The skulls of American black bears are broad, with narrow muzzles and large jaw hinges. In Virginia , the length of adult bear skulls was found to average 262 to 317 mm (10.3 to 12.5 in). Across its range, the greatest skull length for the species has been reportedly measured from 23.5 to 35 cm (9.3 to 13.8 in). Females tend to have slenderer and more pointed faces than males. Their claws are typically black or grayish-brown. The claws are short and rounded, being thick at

9620-413: The attention of fast-growing New York City, which was able to acquire land and build the reservoir and tunnel after overcoming local political opposition. The reservoir divides the creek into an upper stretch, mostly a wild mountain stream, and a lower stretch closer to the Hudson that gradually becomes more estuarine . Above the reservoir, its water quality is closely monitored, not only for its role in

9768-610: The average of 65.2 kg (144 lb) in wild-land ones. In Waterton Lakes National Park , Alberta, adults averaged 125 to 128 kg (276 to 282 lb). The biggest wild American black bear ever recorded was a male from New Brunswick , shot in November 1972, that weighed 409 kg (902 lb) after it had been dressed, meaning it weighed an estimated 500 kg (1,100 lb) in life and measured 2.41 m (7 ft 11 in) long. Another notably outsized wild American black bear, weighing in at 408 kg (899 lb),

9916-436: The base and tapering to a point. Claws from both hind and front legs are almost identical in length, though the foreclaws tend to be more sharply curved. The paws of the species are relatively large, with a rear foot length of 13.7 to 22.5 cm (5.4 to 8.9 in), which is proportionately larger than other medium-sized bear species, but much smaller than the paws of large adult brown, and especially polar bears. The soles of

10064-615: The bear evolved alongside larger, more aggressive bear species, such as the extinct giant short-faced bear and the grizzly bear, that monopolized more open habitats and the historic presence of larger predators, such as Smilodon and the American lion , that could have preyed on black bears. Although found in the largest numbers in wild, undisturbed areas and rural regions, American black bears can adapt to surviving in some numbers in peri-urban regions, as long as they contain easily accessible foods and some vegetative coverage. In most of

10212-400: The big cat would have the advantage if it ambushed the bear, killing it with a crushing bite to the back of the skull. Cubs tend to be more vulnerable to predation than adults, with known predators including bobcats , coyotes , cougars , gray wolves, brown bears and other bears of their own species. Many of these will stealthily snatch small cubs right from under the sleeping mother. There

10360-537: The biome for the flowering plants . One ravine has been found to support a colony of nodding pogonia , an orchid that grows in only three other locations in New York. Mammals that favor forest habitat predominate within the Slide Wilderness. Among the 49 species known to exist there, black bears have done exceptionally well, as have snowshoe hare , gray squirrel and porcupine . White-tailed deer , who were successfully reintroduced into New York in 1887 via

10508-478: The circular route around Panther Mountain, paralleled by Creek Side Drive on its north. Another thousand feet downstream, Fire House Road (County Route 47) crosses, after which the Esopus turns sharply to the north, then northeast at a large gravel bar, for its next mile. At the Millbrook Hollow Brook confluence, it bends eastward, with another northern tributary, Seneca Hollow Brook emptying into

10656-484: The city's water supply but to preserve its local economic importance as a recreational resource. As the upper Esopus is one of the most productive trout streams in the Northeast , fly fishermen come in great numbers to take trout from its relatively accessible banks. Canoeists and kayakers have been drawn to its whitewater , which has also spawned a busy local tubing industry in the summer months. The lower Esopus

10804-759: The coastal islands and the adjacent mainland of southwestern British Columbia. Albino individuals have also been recorded. Black coats tend to predominate in humid areas such as Maine, New England, New York, Tennessee, Michigan and western Washington. Approximately 70% of all American black bears are black, though only 50% in the Rocky Mountains are black. Many in northwestern North America are cinnamon, blonde or light brown in color and thus may sometimes be mistaken for grizzly bears. Grizzly (and other types of brown) bears can be distinguished by their shoulder hump, larger size and broader, more concave skull. In his book The Great Bear Almanac , Gary Brown summarized

10952-415: The colon known as a fecal plug . Leptin is released into the bear's systems to suppress appetite. The retention of waste during hibernation (specifically in minerals such as calcium ) may play a role in the bear's resistance to atrophy. The body temperature does not drop significantly, like other mammalian hibernators (staying around 35 °C (95 °F)) and they remain somewhat alert and active. If

11100-556: The colonial frontier so that it might be better protected from the French to the north and west, but those officials dallied, only making such grants when they could enrich themselves and their friends in the process. The Catskills and the Esopus Valley, with little land that could be cleared for farming, were not suitable to that end. In 1704 a group of farmers in Hurley petitioned the colonial governor , Viscount Cornbury , for some of

11248-549: The contiguous United States, American black bears today are usually found in heavily vegetated mountainous areas, from 400 to 3,000 m (1,300 to 9,800 ft) in elevation. For American black bears living in the American Southwest and Mexico, habitat usually consists of stands of chaparral and pinyon juniper woods . In this region, bears occasionally move to more open areas to feed on prickly pear cactus . At least two distinct, prime habitat types are inhabited in

11396-575: The creek again turns north, the channel narrowing to 150–200 feet (46–61 m), and the CSX River Subdivision 's freight tracks parallel the Esopus on its east. The stream flows north on a straight course, trending slightly east, for 1.75 miles (2.82 km) until it receives its last major tributary, Plattekill Creek , from the east at the Saugerties town line. At this point it bends eastward again and goes down Glenerie Falls ,

11544-521: The distribution of populations outside those areas has not been updated since 1959. Mexico is the only country where the species is classified as "endangered". Throughout their range, habitats preferred by American black bears have a few shared characteristics. They are often found in areas with relatively inaccessible terrain, thick understory vegetation and large quantities of edible material (especially masts ). The adaptation to woodlands and thick vegetation in this species may have originally been because

11692-520: The early 1990s indicated that American black bear populations were either stable or increasing, except in Idaho and New Mexico . The population in the United States was estimated to range between 339,000 and 465,000 in 2011, though this estimate does not include data from Alaska, Idaho , South Dakota , Texas or Wyoming , whose populations were not recorded in the survey. In California there were an estimated 25,000-35,000 black bears in 2017, making it

11840-490: The east bank. At the end of this reach, just southeast of the village of Saugerties , the Esopus receives its last tributary, Tannery Brook , from the north, turns east and enters the village. A half-mile of meandering past some marshy flats on the south side, a bridge carries Route 9W and New York State Route 32 over the stream, its last crossing. Below the bridge it flows over 25-foot (7.6 m) Cantine Dam, creating Cantine Falls. It bends north, then south, and returns to

11988-567: The east, as docks and structures abound on either side. After 1.3 miles (2.1 km) the Esopus empties into the Hudson, 88.5 miles (142.4 km) north of its mouth in New York City at Saugerties Light , a few feet (1-2 m) above sea level. The Esopus' watershed covers 425 square miles (1,100 km ). Most of it is in Ulster County, like the stream itself; the Greene County portion includes most of that county south of

12136-672: The eight modern bear species are habitually arboreal (the most arboreal species, the American and Asian black bears and the sun bear, being fairly closely related). Their arboreal abilities tend to decline with age. They may be active at any time of the day or night, although they mainly forage by night. Bears living near human habitations tend to be more extensively nocturnal , while those living near brown bears tend to be more often diurnal . American black bears tend to be territorial and non- gregarious in nature. However, at abundant food sources (e.g. spawning salmon or garbage dumps), they may congregate and dominance hierarchies form, with

12284-445: The feet are black or brownish and are naked, leathery and deeply wrinkled. The hind legs are relatively longer than those of Asian black bears. The typically small tail is 7.7–17.7 cm (3.0–7.0 in) long. The ears are small and rounded and are set well back on the head. American black bears are highly dexterous , being capable of opening screw-top jars and manipulating door latches. They also have great physical strength;

12432-865: The female's womb until November. The gestation period lasts 235 days, and litters are usually born in late January to early February. Litter size is between one and six cubs, typically two or three. At birth, cubs weigh 280–450 g (0.62–0.99 lb) and measure 20.5 cm (8.1 in) in length. They are born with fine, gray, down-like hair and their hind quarters are underdeveloped. They typically open their eyes after 28–40 days and begin walking after 5 weeks. Cubs are dependent on their mother's milk for 30 weeks and will reach independence at 16–18 months. At 6 weeks, they attain 900 g (2.0 lb), by 8 weeks they reach 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) and by 6 months they weigh 18 to 27 kg (40 to 60 lb). They reach sexual maturity at 3 years and attain their full growth at 5 years. The average lifespan in

12580-428: The first Dutch settlers named the stream for the Lenape band that inhabited its banks. The Lenape themselves may have called it Atkarkarton or Atkankarten , meaning "smooth land" in their language, probably in reference to a meadow alongside the river near Kingston. Lenape use of that name is recorded in 1657; it later became the name of a hamlet in the area. From the mid-17th century Esopus , sometimes Sopers ,

12728-405: The forest. The stream's headwaters descend from there northward into Big Indian Hollow, dropping 169 feet (52 m) per mile (1.6 km) with an average slope of 13 percent, through its first three miles, a narrow and rocky mountains stream through this section. Along it there are three waterfalls—Otter Falls, and Parker and Blossom Falls below. At first trending westward, away from the road,

12876-402: The former meteor crater whose walls determine the creek's upper course. Another half-mile further west, the Esopus receives its first left tributary, Hanging Birds Nest Brook, which drains the north face of Spruce and Hemlock mountains to the south. From there the Esopus flows due northwest for its next mile, as the valley floor of Big Indian Hollow opens up and some cleared land begins to abut

13024-453: The genus Ursus , dated to 4.95 mya. This suggests that U. abstrusus may be the direct ancestor of the American black bear, which evolved in North America. Although Wolverton and Lyman still consider U. vitabilis an "apparent precursor to modern black bears", it has also been placed within U. americanus . The ancestors of American black bears and Asian black bears diverged from sun bears 4.58 mya. The American black bear then split from

13172-606: The highest lake in the Catskills, on the northwest slopes of Slide Mountain , the Catskills' highest peak in the town of Shandaken , within 300 feet (100 m) of the West Branch of the Neversink River on the other side of the divide between the Hudson and Delaware watersheds , amid expansive forest. At the source it is crossed by a small wooden footbridge, followed by Oliverea Road ( Ulster County Route 47 ), which it immediately begins to parallel through

13320-495: The lack of a white blaze on the chest and hairier footpads. Despite their name, black bears show a great deal of color variation. Individual coat colors can range from white, blonde, cinnamon, light brown or dark chocolate brown to jet black, with many intermediate variations existing. Silvery-gray American black bears with a blue luster (this is found mostly on the flanks) occur along a portion of coastal Alaska and British Columbia. White to cream-colored American black bears occur in

13468-551: The lands in prior eras. The forest rangers of DEC's Office of Public Protection provide law enforcement services to the unit. New York's wilderness-area management guidelines are similar to, if a bit looser than, those followed by the federal government. Any development of new facilities within the unit requires a change to the Unit Management Plan (UMP), or is added only at the UMP's periodic updates, both of which require public comment and extensive review. The UMP

13616-629: The largest population of the species in any of the 48 contiguous United States . In 2020 there were about 1,500 bears in Great Smoky Mountains National Park , where the population density is about two per square mile. In western North Carolina , the black bear population has dramatically increased in recent decades, from about 3,000 in the early 2000s to over 8,000 in the 2020s. As of 1993, known black bear populations in Mexico existed in four areas, though knowledge on

13764-529: The largest studies on regional body mass, bears in British Columbia averaged 73.7 kg (162 lb) in 89 females and 103.1 kg (227 lb) in 243 males. In Yellowstone National Park , a study found that adult males averaged 119 kg (262 lb) and adult females averaged 67 kg (148 lb). Black bears in north-central Minnesota averaged 70 kg (150 lb) in 163 females and 125 kg (276 lb) in 77 males. In New York,

13912-801: The largest, most powerful males dominating the most fruitful feeding spots. They mark their territories by rubbing their bodies against trees and clawing at the bark. Annual ranges held by mature male bears tend to be very large, though there is some variation. On Long Island off the coast of Washington, ranges average 5 sq mi (13 km ), whereas on the Ungava Peninsula in Canada ranges can average up to 1,000 sq mi (2,600 km ), with some male bears traveling as far as 4,349 sq mi (11,260 km ) at times of food shortages. Bears may communicate with various vocal and non-vocal sounds. Tongue-clicking and grunting are

14060-782: The last decade. The current range in the United States is constant throughout most of the Northeast and within the Appalachian Mountains almost continuously from Maine to northern Georgia , the northern Midwest , the Rocky Mountain region , the West Coast and Alaska . However, it becomes increasingly fragmented or absent in other regions. Despite this, American black bears in those areas seem to have expanded their range in recent decades, such as with recent sightings in Ohio , Illinois , southern Indiana , and western Nebraska. Sightings of itinerant black bears in

14208-533: The last glacial period 10,000 years ago, American black bears were probably the only bear present in much of North America until the migration of brown bears to the rest of the continent. American black bears are reproductively compatible with several other bear species and occasionally produce hybrid offspring. According to Jack Hanna 's Monkeys on the Interstate , a bear captured in Sanford, Florida ,

14356-471: The latter species. When initially emerging from hibernation, they will seek to feed on carrion from winter-killed animals and newborn ungulates . As the spring temperature warms, American black bears seek new shoots of many plant species, especially new grasses , wetland plants and forbs . Young shoots and buds from trees and shrubs during the spring period are important to bears emerging from hibernation, as they assist in rebuilding muscle and strengthening

14504-407: The lower Esopus as well, as the long glacial ridges closer to the Hudson channeled the stream north to Saugerties after they melted. As the glaciers melted slowly, they created ice dams and glacial lakes . The most significant of the latter along the Esopus's course left behind the large plain at Shokan. In the 20th century the original lake would be recreated as Ashokan Reservoir . The Esopus

14652-558: The males average 136 kg (300 lb) and females 72.6 kg (160 lb). It was found in Nevada and the Lake Tahoe region that bears closer to urban regions were significantly heavier than their arid-country dwelling counterparts, with males near urban areas averaging 138 kg (304 lb) against wild-land males which averaged 115.5 kg (255 lb) whereas peri-urban females averaged 97.9 kg (216 lb) against

14800-461: The metabolic changes that allow black bears to remain dormant for months without eating, drinking, urinating or defecating, most biologists have redefined mammalian hibernation as "specialized, seasonal reduction in metabolism concurrent with scarce food and cold weather". American black bears are now considered highly efficient hibernators. The physiology of American black bears in the wild is closely related to that of bears in captivity. Understanding

14948-403: The metabolic rate can drop to a quarter of the bear's (nonhibernating) basal metabolic rate . These reductions in metabolic rate and heart rate do not appear to decrease the bear's ability to heal injuries during hibernation. Their circadian rhythm stays intact during hibernation. This allows the bear to sense the changes in the day based on the ambient temperature caused by the sun's position in

15096-434: The most common sounds and are made in cordial situations to conspecifics, offspring and occasionally humans. When at ease, they produce a loud rumbling hum. During times of fear or nervousness, bears may moan, huff or blow air. Warning sounds include jaw-clicking and lip-popping. In aggressive interactions, black bears produce guttural pulsing calls that may sound like growling. Cubs squeal, bawl or scream when anxious and make

15244-617: The most predominant, with associate species such as black cherry , white ash , red maple , basswood , big-tooth aspen and red oak can be found at some locations. White pine and hemlock also carve out some groves of their own, particularly in areas closer to streams. Hobblebush and serviceberry are common shrubs at the higher elevations. Vascular plants to be found in the forest understorys include several fern varieties (predominantly woodfern and hay-scented), stinging nettle and jewelweed . trillium , wood sorrel , clintonia , bunchberry , starflower and foamflower round out

15392-554: The mountains. After independence , the Esopus corridor became the main route into the Catskills, first by road then later by the Ulster and Delaware Railroad , for forest-product industries like logging, tanning and charcoal making . Those industries declined in the late 19th century, shortly before the creation of the Forest Preserve and the Catskill Park made the region more attractive for resorts and recreation, particularly trout fishing. The renewed Esopus also attracted

15540-415: The muscular strength compared to that of a well-nourished, inactive human. The bear's bone mass does not change in geometry or mineral composition during hibernation, which implies that the bear's conservation of bone mass during hibernation is caused by a biological mechanism. During hibernation American black bears retain all excretory waste, leading to the development of a hardened mass of fecal material in

15688-586: The next mile of flow almost due south. Over the next 1.2 miles (1.9 km) the Esopus bends back and forth through similar terrain, paralleling New York State Route 213 for a thousand feet (305 m) below a steep bluff, to where its valley widens and cultivated fields become dominant in the surrounding landscape. Two miles (3.2 km) to the south, with the channel again widening to 150 ft (46 m), Hurley Mountain Road ( Ulster County Route 5 ) crosses. Another 1,500 feet (460 m) south of that bridge,

15836-403: The next mile, along with gravel bars along the banks. Bending past more braided sections and bars, the Esopus reaches the small former hamlet of Oliverea 0.6 mi (1 km) further north. Here McKenley Hollow Road crosses, in a section with retaining walls on either side of the channel. Another 500 ft (150 m) to the north, the similarly named tributary, carrying water from

15984-493: The north, is not part of the creek's course. The Esopus drops below 500 ft (150 m) in elevation as it leaves the reservoir. A thousand feet (300 m) downstream the reborn stream crosses under Route 28A again, amid a wide, forested canyon. It turns south, then east again, through Cathedral Gorge past the Ashokan Center on the north, through channelized and widened sections. Narrowing again, after another bend,

16132-435: The northeast, away from the stream, while the Esopus continues north through its narrow wooded gorge, for the next three miles (4.8 km), widening to 300 ft (91 m). Development around the stream is limited to a quarry on the east a mile downstream of the bridge, and then a dead-end residential street on the west bank during the last of the three miles; the 161-acre (65 ha) Esopus Bend Nature Preserve buffers

16280-542: The original legislation not for conservation purposes, but to settle a tax debt Ulster County owed to the state. The SMWA, like all lands in the state's Forest Preserve, is managed by the Division of Lands and Forests within New York's Department of Environmental Conservation . DEC is the successor agency to the Conservation Department, Conservation Commission and Forest Commission, all of which managed

16428-443: The park at Fording Place Road east of the hamlet of Lomontville, the Esopus starts paralleling U.S. Route 209 , meandering slightly as it widens, with farmland on its west, sometimes widening from 60 ft (18 m) into 500-foot-wide (150 m) pools. Two miles north of Fording Place Road, another tributary, Stony Creek , flows in from the west at the Hurley town line. Another 1.75 miles (2.82 km) downstream, just past

16576-475: The physiology of bears in the wild is vital to the bear's success in captivity. The bears enter their dens in October and November, although in the southernmost areas of their range (i.e. Florida, Mexico, the southeastern United States ), only pregnant females and mothers with yearling cubs will enter hibernation. Prior to that time, they can put on up to 14 kg (30 lb) of body fat to get them through

16724-470: The plateau into mountains and valleys. This process led the Esopus, with its particularly deep and wide valley, to fill up its bed with the red clay that clouds the waters of the stream in high water and floods. More recently in geologic time, about 12,000 years ago, the Wisconsin glaciation filled the valley, carving the slopes on its sides more steeply and eroding more sediment into the river. It shaped

16872-580: The point where the Esopus came out of the Catskills made it an ideal trading post for Indians responding to the European demand for beaver pelts to make the beaver hats then in vogue. In the later 17th century, with European settlement well established around the eastern Catskills, land replaced fur as the Indian-held commodity most desired by the new arrivals. The English government in London charged local officials with granting large chunks of land on

17020-408: The predominance of black or brown/blonde specimens by location: American black bears have eyesight and hearing comparable to that of humans. Their keenest sense is smell, which is about seven times more sensitive than a domestic dog's. They are excellent and strong swimmers, swimming for pleasure and to feed (largely on fish). They regularly climb trees to feed, escape enemies and hibernate. Four of

17168-514: The reservoir to Marbletown, the lower Esopus is also surrounded by forest. Downstream of that point, its flood plain becomes heavily farmed, with 2,000 acres (810 ha) of worked agricultural land, mostly cornfields, abutting the stream between there and the Leggs Mills Road bridge at Lake Katrine. The mountains continue to influence the lower stream, with one High Peak, 3,573-foot (1,089 m) Indian Head Mountain , contributing to

17316-524: The same period as the giant and lesser short-faced bears ( Arctodus simus and A. pristinus , respectively) and the Florida spectacled bear ( Tremarctos floridanus ). These tremarctine bears evolved from bears that had emigrated from Asia to the Americas 7–8 mya. The giant and lesser short-faced bears are thought to have been heavily carnivorous and the Florida spectacled bear more herbivorous, while

17464-403: The same point along the Esopus near Kingston and going out to the Delaware River , taking not only all of Ulster County to the west but much of today's Delaware and Sullivan counties as well. The Hardenbugh Patent, as it became known, is the source of many of the land titles in the Catskills today, although its legitimacy was contested from the beginning, a dispute which continued until after

17612-497: The several months during which they fast. Hibernation typically lasts 3–8 months, depending on regional climate. Hibernating bears spend their time in hollowed-out dens in tree cavities, under logs or rocks, in banks, caves, or culverts, and in shallow depressions. Although naturally-made dens are occasionally used, most dens are dug out by the bear. During their time in hibernation, an American black bear's heart rate drops from 40 to 50 beats per minute to 8 beats per minute, and

17760-576: The shallow channels between them to a large inland sea that corresponds to the location today of the Allegheny Plateau . A meteor impact during this time left an approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) wide crater whose walls correspond to the courses of the upper Esopus and Woodland Creek today. Geologist Yngvar Isachsen of the New York State Geological Survey discovered the traces of the meteor impact, including

17908-486: The skeleton and are often the only digestible foods available at that time. During summer, the diet largely comprises fruits, especially berries and soft masts such as buds and drupes . During the autumn hyperphagia , feeding becomes virtually the full-time task. Hard masts become the most important part of the diet in autumn and may even partially dictate the species' distribution. Favored masts such as hazelnuts , oak acorns and whitebark pine nuts may be consumed by

18056-592: The sky. It has also been shown that ambient light exposure and low disturbance levels (that is to say, wild bears in ambient light conditions) directly correlate with their activity levels. The bear keeping track of the changing days allows it to awaken from hibernation at the appropriate time of year to conserve as much energy as possible. The hibernating bear does not display the same rate of muscle and bone atrophy relative to other nonhibernatory animals that are subject to long periods of inactivity due to ailment or old age. A hibernating bear only loses approximately half

18204-414: The small former village of Pine Hill to the west, opposite a large gravel bar, and then bends northward. The former channel of the Esopus cuts this corner, rejoining the main stem at the site of the two streams' former confluence a thousand feet (300 m) downstream. Through this section it widens through a valley floor with more frequent cleared areas amid forested mountains, meandering gently along

18352-493: The smallest bear species in North America , large males exceed the size of other bear species, except the brown bear and the polar bear. Weight tends to vary according to age, sex, health and season. Seasonal variation in weight is very pronounced: in autumn, their pre-den weight tends to be 30% higher than in spring, when black bears emerge from their dens. Bears on the East Coast tend to be heavier on average than those on

18500-472: The south, just east of the Fox Hollow Road bridge, and Peck Hollow Brook from the north 500 feet to the east, opposite another gravel bar. At this point the Esopus drops below 1,000 ft (300 m) in elevation. The creek begins to bend southward, past Shandaken's town hall, over its next mile to where the 18-mile (29 km) Shandaken Tunnel brings water from Schoharie Reservoir into

18648-639: The southern farmlands of Alberta , Saskatchewan and Manitoba ; they have been extirpated on Prince Edward Island since 1937. Surveys taken in the mid-1990s found the Canadian black bear population to be between 396,000 and 476,000 in seven provinces; this estimate excludes populations in New Brunswick , the Northwest Territories , Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan . All provinces indicated stable populations of American black bears over

18796-531: The state: Jefferson salamander , blue-spotted salamander , spotted salamander , spotted turtle , wood turtle and eastern hognose snake . While the wilderness area designation is rather recent, formally dating to the 1985 adoption of the Catskill State Land Master Plan, the area has been part of New York's constitutionally protected Forest Preserve for a century before that. Ironically, the lands around Slide Mountain were added to

18944-496: The steep slopes of Haynes and Balsam mountains to the west, joins the Esopus from the west as the stream's main stem turns northwest, further away from the road, then curving northeast with more bars and braiding marking a wider channel. After 1.6 mi (2.6 km) of this gently curving course, Hatchery Hollow Brook flows in from the east. With the valley floor widening, the Esopus flows more northward. It receives its last Big Indian Hollow tributary, Lost Clove Creek , from

19092-514: The stream a half-mile further along. The Esopus receives Bushnellsville Creek from the north after a mile, then crosses to the south side of Route 28 at the small former hamlet of Shandaken 1.25 mi (2.01 km) to the east. Its next half-mile serves as part of the northern boundary of the Slide Mountain Wilderness Area . At Allaben, 5.5 miles (8.9 km) from Big Indian, it receives Fox Hollow Brook from

19240-429: The stream bends again, reaching the southernmost point along its course at a Marbletown park just above its confluence with an unnamed tributary flowing in from the south. From there the Esopus begins flowing northeast, as portions of the stream are diverted into nearby ponds for the farms that surround it and its riparian buffer on the increasingly level terrain. After the old ford 1.25 miles (2.01 km) north of

19388-529: The stream flows into the town of Marbletown another thousand feet east, also crossing the Blue Line and leaving the Catskill Park . From there the creek bends to the west northwest, through a narrow gorge, with few structures breaking the forest around it. One mile into Marbletown it widens suddenly and bends to the south as a result of receiving the reservoir's other outlet stream. Gravel bars and some cleared areas on either side, still sloped steeply, mark

19536-658: The stream. After the Maben Hollow Brook confluence, it turns west and braids into several smaller channels for 1,200 feet (370 m), reuniting just before crossing under Eagle Mountain Road. It receives, another eastern tributary, the Elk Bushkill , which drains Fir and Big Indian mountains to the southeast, just south of the Burnham Hollow Road bridge. The Esopus then bends back in a northward direction. Short braided sections return during

19684-537: The surrounding mountains and see no evidence of civilization. Within its boundaries lie 10 of the 35 Catskill High Peaks , including the highest Catskill peak , Slide , 4,180 feet (1277 m) of elevation; and lowest, Rocky . Three important regional streams arise within the wilderness as well: the Neversink River , largest tributary of the Delaware ; and Hudson tributaries Rondout and Esopus creeks, both of which are impounded to create major reservoirs for

19832-429: The tanbarking area on the slopes, and an oak–hickory forest closer to the stream's banks. The summit of 3,090-foot (940 m) Ashokan High Point , overlooking the reservoir, offers an anomalous pine-oak heath barren. Downstream of the reservoir the forests become a mix of the lower two. The floodplain forests are a mix of silver maple and elm ; river birch clusters around the banks. Another unusual community,

19980-399: The undeveloped land to their west along the creek to use as common pasture and firewood, since they were getting squeezed by Kingston to their east and Marbletown to the south. The petition was put off for several years while it was ostensibly being surveyed, and in 1706 a grant of 2 million acres (8,000 km ) was made to Johannes Hardenbergh and a group of investors starting from

20128-484: The west bank. The Esopus trends to the south southeast over its next mile and a half to the mouth of the Little Beaver Kill at Beechford, where it leaves Shandaken and enters the town of Olive . The shores get more developed over the next 0.8 miles (1.3 km) as the stream turns south and reaches Boiceville , its largest settlement since Phoenicia, where NY 28A crosses it at Five Arches Bridge. After

20276-502: The west where it drains Balsam and Bellayre mountains, just below the Lost Clove Road bridge. At the mouth of the hollow, in the small hamlet of Big Indian , 8.5 miles (13.7 km) from its source, the Esopus turns east and crosses under New York State Route 28 , which it closely parallels all the way to Ashokan Reservoir, at 1,200 feet (370 m) in elevation. At the bridge, it receives Birch Creek , which drains from

20424-495: The west. After two miles, more gravel bars and some islands in the channel mark a turn to the southeast. Another mile and a half (2.4 km) downstream, the Esopus receives the Beaver Kill at the hamlet of Mount Pleasant . It then crosses under Mount Pleasant Road and, 800 feet (240 m) downstream, Route 28, for the last time above the reservoir, near the hamlet of Mount Tremper . Here flood control measures stabilize

20572-494: The wild is 18 years, though it is quite possible for wild individuals to survive for more than 23 years. The record age of a wild individual was 39 years, while that in captivity was 44 years. The average annual survival rate is variable, ranging from 86% in Florida to 73% in Virginia and North Carolina. In Minnesota, 99% of wintering adult bears were able to survive the hibernation cycle in one study. Remarkably,

20720-546: The wilderness area. Outside of those, camping is not permitted within 150 feet (45.7 m) of any trail, road or stream. In areas above 3,500 feet (1,067 m) in elevation, it is only allowed between December 21 and March 21, when snow protects the ground. Open fires are forbidden above that location as well. It is the most popular of the four wilderness areas currently located within the Catskill Park. The state has built 10 separate parking lots along or near roads that abut

20868-512: The winter is mild enough, they may wake up and forage for food. Females also give birth in February and nurture their cubs until the snow melts. During winter, American black bears consume 25–40% of their body weight. The footpads peel off while they sleep, making room for new tissue. Many of the physiological changes an American black bear exhibits during hibernation are retained slightly post-hibernation. Upon exiting hibernation, bears retain

21016-445: The world's largest captive male and female American black bears. Ted, the male, weighed 431–453.5 kg (950–1,000 lb) in the fall of 2006. Honey, the female, weighed 219.6 kg (484 lb) in the fall of 2007. The fur is soft, with dense underfur and long, coarse, thick guard hairs. The fur is not as shaggy or coarse as that of brown bears. American black bear skins can be distinguished from those of Asian black bears by

21164-401: Was first observed on the summit of Slide in 1881; today, after recently being declared a separate species from the gray-cheeked thrush , it is considered a threatened species and its summer breeding areas in the boreal forests important enough that in 1999, New York governor George Pataki augmented the wilderness status of the area with Bird Conservation Area status that applied to almost all

21312-455: Was in common use. It was believed to have been derived from seepus , meaning river, in the Delaware languages . The name was not always applied to today's Esopus. Alphonso T. Clearwater's 1907 history of Ulster County recounts that in 1677 the local Native tribes deeded to the English the land between the Esopus, which he identifies as Saugerties Creek, and the Rondout , which he calls

21460-567: Was one of three valleys that trees followed into the Catskills, as revegetation of the mountain slopes took place in the glaciers' wake. First to come were the boreal species, such as balsam fir , that today persist only on the summits of the range's higher peaks . Next were the northern hardwoods , primarily beech , birch and maple species, that dominate much of the Catskill forests today. Last were southern hardwood species, mostly oak , hickory and American chestnut , probably following

21608-765: Was the cattle-killer shot in December 1921 on the Moqui Reservation in Arizona . The record-sized American black bear from New Jersey was shot in Morris County December 2011 and scaled 376.5 kg (830 lb). The Pennsylvania state record weighed 399 kg (880 lb) and was shot in November 2010 in Pike County . The North American Bear Center, located in Ely, Minnesota , is home to

21756-489: Was thought to have been the offspring of an escaped female Asian black bear and a male American black bear. In 1859, an American black bear and a Eurasian brown bear were bred together in the London Zoological Gardens , but the three cubs that were born died before they reached maturity. In The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication , Charles Darwin noted: In the nine-year Report it

21904-601: Was unable to determine whether it was a large American black bear or a grizzly bear. Sixteen subspecies are traditionally recognized; however, a recent genetic study does not support designating some of these, such as the Florida black bear, as distinct subspecies. Listed alphabetically according to subspecific name: Historically, American black bears occupied the majority of North America's forested regions. Today, they are primarily limited to sparsely settled, forested areas. American black bears currently inhabit much of their original Canadian range, though they seldom occur in

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