Bear Island

[wargorj]

Mt Daughter is getting married this Saturday at St. John's Church on Bear Island. We will be traveling over by boat landing at the docks in the cove and then walking up to the church.
My question is we have a couple of elderly attendees that we are concerned about their ability to walk up the hill to St. Johns. Is there anyone with a golf cart etc. that can provide transportation from the post office on Bear to the church and is this possible?
I am willing to pay or rent suitable means of transportation if available.
Thank you,
Rick

[radioman]

Rick, You need to look into this at once as it appears to me that you have been given some incorrect info. Bear is one of the largest islands on the big lake. The Post Office is located
at the northern end while St. Johns is at the Southern end There are no roads,no cars, only trails and footpaths. It is mot reasonable to think that your boat would drop your party off at the Post Office!! You will probably be dropped off at one of the docks in the cove very near the Church. St Johns is a beautiful spot and I congratulate you and wish you well.

[Bear Guy]

Hi Rick, this might be a tall order on a short notice.
As radioman mentioned, there are a number of paths and trails across Bear Island, all of which are not as steep as the church trail from Deep Cove, but all are longer to reach the church. I agree, approaching from the Post Office is unreasonable, but there could be several starting points around the southern end of the island, if you can overcome the lack of any public access. There are John Deere Gators on the island that are capable of navigating many of the paths; the only real 'vehicle' I know of is at Camp Lawrence. I'm sure ISS must have used an ATV of some sort to haul materials to the church for the work they've done. I will say that even with an ATV, this would not be a relaxing ride for a passenger, as the trails are not smooth.
An additional complication was a new sign I found this spring on the Bear Island Forest. It prohibits ATVs; that eliminates wheeled access approaching from the east of the church (for those who follow signs, of course).

The church trail (from docks in Deep Cove) is 1000' long, and rises 150' over that length (though more rise is closer to the shoreline). Much work has been done in the last few years to ease the inclined sections as much as possible, improve footing, and at least one bench added as a rest spot. Maybe just allowing extra time for the elderly guests would ease the trek?

[Bear Islander]

Using the trails from the Mail Dock is not possible. The trail just north of the Carry is up and down over rocks.

The trail from Dolly Point to the church is in good condition and not that steep. However there is no public landing at Dolly Point so you would have to land at someones dock.

The trail from the Church Docks in Church Cove is the shortest route but very steep. However if you brought along a couple of folding chairs and employed frequent rests, that may be your best option.

[jbolty]

I wonder if there is someplace you could borrow or rent a beach wheelchair.