Comments on lost area "Bear Rocks"

Dan Boggs · 2013-12-30T14:07:30-05:00

Hey Avid and Ron, So why did the developer "pull out?". While I can't speak directly for the late Bob Pearlman, (the developer) I can tell you the answers I was given when I asked the same question of the people directly involved. Pearlman was a successful and rather wealthy real estate investor in Pittsburgh. Bear Rocks was a small housing development consiting of the Lodge and the housing lots surrounding it originally developed by Joe Breshkin (not sure of the spelling). Pearlman and Scott Hamilton Realty bought the development and expanded the place fourfold by buying up most of the southerwood forest. The first thing to know is that there is only one reason there ever was a ski resort in Bear Rocks, and that is that Bob Pearlman was an avid skier and he beleived it would attract lot buyers to the development. The Ski Area, Horse Stables, East Lake and Lower recreation area were all meant to sell lots to vacationers from Pittsburgh. This they did. By about 1970 all the lots had been sold. So at that point the Ski Area was more of a winter hobby project for Pearlman than a profitable business venture. Trouble was, at nearly 1000 feet lower than Seven Springs and Hidden Valley it suffered from warmer temperatures and about a month less time being open - closing about two weeks earlier and opening two weeks later. The shorter season and was a big factor in the decision to close. The other thing was that Pearlman had had some difficulty finding people willing to manage the place. He originally had hired a gentleman fro Austria to run the lodge and ski school but he left for a position.at Hidden Valley. Pearlman himself ran things for a while and asked my father (Jim Boggs) to take on the job of general manager. Origianlly, Dad had come to Bear Rocks at Pearlman's request to manage the work crews building the roads and everything else, and had only learned to ski to work with Pearlman. After the short '72/73 season, Dad told Pearlman he wouldn't be available to serve as general manager anymore because he wanted to concentrate on his growing real estate and construction business. At that point Pearlmann decided to throw in the towel and put the place up for sale. By the way, Bob Pearlman and my father were both friends of the Dupres and used to ski with them an get together fairly often. There was no hostile business dealings behind Bear Rocks Ski areas closure. Here is a link to a PPG article where Pearlman discusses the expenses he faced each season. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19670203&id=T2ocAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XE8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=7153,1374557