Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Sunday High Point Obscure Routes and Amazing Views Hike!



Hey everyone!
Join us for an amazing hike through High Point State Park featuring some of the best and also some of the most obscure parts of the park in a point to point route between Steeny Kill Lake and Lusscroft Farms!
We will be meeting at 9 am at the Steeny Kill Lake parking area in High Point State Park along Rt 23 at the following GPS coordinates: 41.320965,-74.677903
To get there, take Rt 23 into High Point State Park. From the main park office, continue along the highway north of the crest of the ridge. As you head down hill, Steeny Kill Lake is on the right. Just after you pass the lake the parking lot is on the right.
Once we are all together, we will shuttle as few cars as possible to Lusscroft Farms, an historic site that helped to revolutionize the pasteurization of milk. We'll follow trails north from here up the ridge and pass the amazing Outlook Lodge. We'll then visit a small vista and continue up to the AT. Once there, we will follow a little used route that parallels the AT and Iris Trail, then makes it's way through the park. There are apparently some ruins on the route I have never seen.
We'll follow more of the AT to visit Dutch Shoe Rock (pictured), head down past Rutherford Shelter, and follow another obscure route to Rutherford Falls. We'll head across Rt 23 on an abandoned road to High Point Shelter, then ascend the ridge to the Monument Trail. An early out will be possible there, but those who wish to follow me on the Monument Trail for more outstanding views may do so.
We'll continue to Steeny Kill Trail and head to the end from there.
Contact me if you need any further info! 908 343 8374

Thursday, March 22, 2012

15 Year Anniversery Warren Railroad Hike and Hootenanny!!!

Hello all!

Join us for the METROTRAILS 15 YEAR ANNIVERSERY HIKE!

On March 23, 1997 I assembled a group of friends to hike the former Warren Railroad, part of the Lackawanna system, across Warren County for twenty miles. Every year we get together, and do that same hike in celebration of the very first one!
Now, fifteen years later we will do the same  hike again. A few things have changed in regards to access issues, and so I will be appointing co leaders again to help me with what is always a huge group (last year over forty). Meeting will be at Port Colden Mall at 9:00 am.
This is located on Rt 57 just shy of a mile east of where Rt 57 and 31 cross in Washington.

This year the hike will only be 16 or 17 miles. In the past we had always done twenty, but the Knowlton Trestle has become a difficult point. In order to keep people off, the fill around the east side of it has been removed completely and would require climbing down. It is very open and we want to avoid getting in any trouble, and so I have decided it best to cut the hike a bit shorter.
If anyone wants to do an abbreviated version of the hike, it may be possible. If so, please make sure you show up on time so I can send early out people ahead of the rest of us to spot their vehicles.
I may also have an earlier shuttle to do some different stuff at the beginning if anyone is interested, and if I can recruit enough co-leaders.
The route will follow the former Warren Railroad across Warren County. It passes through historic railroad era towns, starting with Delaware. It then passes through woods parallel with Rt 46, and continues south through pastoral settings, mixed hardwood forest, historic sites, and back roads. There are two abandoned railroad tunnels along the route we will pass through, however they are avoidable for those who do not wish to get their feet wet. Co-leaders are assigned to guide others over the top.
There are food stops along the way; near the beginning at Smiddy's Deli, our lunch stop at  Hot Dog Johnny's, Busy Bee in Oxford, and finally dinner at Dicola's Pizza in Washington within the last mile.
In celebration of all of this, Metrotrails Vice President Matt Davis and I present part of the Warren Railroad guide for use on this trip. Copies of the hardcopy guide book may be on sale at the beginning of the hike!
Here is a link to our description:
http://www.metrotrails.org/Metrotrails/Warren_Railroad.html
Following the hike is the Fifteen Year Anniversery Metrotrails Hikers' Hootenanny, always an extravagant fun event! Hikers from past to present will gather together to celebrate our experiences together at my current home on White Lake!
BYOB, food if you'd like. There will be live music, probably dancing around like crazy, etc.
No illegal substances, please.
Party begins at 8:30 at 149 Stillwater Road, Hardwick NJ. It is a long driveway, green mail box with my name on it. There is limited parking at the house, but the driveway is improved, so parking is available on the side. DO NOT PARK ALONG STILLWATER ROAD! There is a WMA parking lot nearly across the street. Use that.
Contact me for further info!

Friday, March 9, 2012

Hey everybody!
This next hike will be a point to point, and will cover the last section we at Metrotrails have to complete of the Long Path on the Palisades. We will hike the last seven miles of it to where the Palisades drop off into he earth, and continue on the route northbound to Harriman State Park where we'll cover some other trails.
We will meet at 9:00 am on Dilts Road. To get there, take interstate 287 into NY, and then exit for Rt 202 north toward Haverstraw. Continue to where Old Rt 202 breaks off to the left. Follow it to another left on Mountain Road, and then a left on Dilts Road. Look at it on Google maps before making your way there. The address shown on that part of 202 reads Pomona NY. GPS will probably not lead to the point very easily.
Once we meet, we'll shuttle as few cars as possible to near Haverstraw where we'll pick up the Long Path at Long Clove.
The trail follows an abandoned road, followed by some back roads to High Tor State Park. High Tor, pictured here, is the highest point on the Palisade formation. It is a define knob that offers 360 degree views. The trail to the top of High Tor reportedly even climbs to where hand holds are necessary.
We'll continue along the Palisade ridge over Little Tor with more views, and then continue through South Mountain County Park where the Palisades end.
From here, we follow the Long Path north through several parks including Burgess Meredeth Park and Cheesecoat Mountain Park before entering Harriman State Park. We'll then turn away from the Long Path at Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail to follow old woods roads back south. They will lead us to the parking on Dilts Road.

The next trail we have added to our continues "to do" list is the Mason Dixon Trail! We followed a bit of it from it's beginning this past fall, and we will work to complete it over time!
This hike will be the first section of the trail, between it's eastern terminus at Chadds Ford PA and White Clay Creek State Park in Delaware.
We will be meeting at 8:30 am on Sharpless Road in the White Clay Creek Preserve, London Tract Pa. This is a difficult spot to find, especially if you are trying to use a GPS. Many GPS units will not find this place by putting in an address, so here are the coordinates:
39.750094,-75.771382
We will shuttle as few cars as possible to the beginning from here, and proceed to follow the Brandywine Trail the short distance to the eastern terminus of the Mason Dixon Trail.
The trail passes close to the Brandywine Creek, through lovely woods and over puncheons, then continues onto the rural backroads of Chester County PA. It then crosses into Delaware, and back into PA to White Clay Creek Preserve.
Much of this section of the Mason Dixon Trail is routed along back roads, but much of it is designated as a national scenic byway, so even those should be nice. The great news is that we are doing this hike just after a major re-routing that has taken much of the Mason Dixon Trail off of roads! Here is a link to info:
http://www.masondixontrail.org/bulletins/11...