Upcoming Hikes!

Hello everyone,
As many of you may know, I will not be able to lead a Metrotrails hike this week, as I will be backpacking in the Catskills...HOWEVER, our good friend and long time Metrotrails member Jim "Mr. Buckett" Mathews has offered to host this coming Sunday's hike, with a classic trip along the Lehigh Canal between Bethlehem and Phillipsburg. Eric Pace will be assisting, and hikers will meet at 9 am at the Martin Tower, on 8th in Bethlehem. Take the Schoenersville Road exit from Rt 22 south, then hang a right on 8th. Martin Tower entrance will be on the left at a traffic light a little ways down.
The hike is quite an excellent, diverse route for the canal. The abandoned canal is in various conditions, starting with a watered section in Easton, and slack water towpath. A paved rail trail section is necessary to connect to the Chain Dam section, and the towpath is clear, but canal is empty between Wilson and Freemansburg. From Freemansburg to Bethlehem it is again watered and in nice shape.
The hike will end at Musikfest where hikers will have the choice of moving on to the end or hanging around the fest until whenever.
If anyone wants more information, they should contact Jim "Mr. Buckett" Mathews at (484) 894-4800, or if you can't get in touch with him, contact Eric at (908) 763-3916. Eric knows the route and can describe what you might see as well.
Again, I will be unable to answer any calls or assist further with this hike, so please direct all questions to Mr. Buckett or Eric! Hope you all have a great trip!

The following Sunday, my plan is to hike Beltzville State Park to Parryville. Stay tuned to METROTRAILS.ORG for further details!

Next Hikes: March on Musikfest and Phillipsburg/Easton Evening!

Hey all!
Once again this week there will be two hikes, a night hike on Wednesday and day hike on Sunday. This Sunday is a rather big deal, as it is the eight annual MARCH ON MUSIKFEST! Both will be described ahead, starting with the Wednesday evening trip:

This hike will be yet another weeknight excursion, this time again covering some of the new Warren Highlands Trail which I constructed.
We will be meeting at 4:00 pm at Union Square Phillipsburg. There is a large parking area north of Northampton Street on the NJ side of the free bridge, adjacent to Jimmy's Doggie Stand. We will meet here.
We will then shuttle as few cars as possible to nearby Hillcrest vicinity, only a five minute drive away. We'll begin hiking the Warren Highlands Trail up over Marble Hill. There are some lmited views and then the abandoned Fulmer iron mine. We'll then head down to the base of the hill where we can take a dip in the Delaware. We'll move on and visit a giant pipe, and pass the historic pump house.
We will then cross the bridge along Rt 22, which has great views of "Little Water Gap" in the Hog Narrows, and Getters Island. We'll continue in through Easton up to Lafayette College with more views, then down to the Palmer Bikeway along the Bushkill Creek. With only one short piece of road walk, trails will lead us along Bushkill Creek with opportunities to jump in, through Upper and Lower Hackett Park, and then to Taco Bell for another break. We'll continue on the trail to another brief road walk and follow Lehigh Canal back to 611, and have a short walk from there across the free bridge to the cars.
This is a really awesome route for a night hike which we have done before. It offers diversity in terrain, and is very easy for sections with less light.

Sunday March on Musikfest:

Every year since 2005, Metrotrails has hosted the "March on Musikfest", a hike that focuses on the open spaces that surround Bethlehem PA! It's amazing that after eight years with more than one Bethlehem area hike each year that there is still more to see!
This year, the trip will cover new ground once again, but also revisit a few classic spots and parks we haven't finished the entire trail system on yet.
We will meet at 9 am at Martin Tower, located on 8th Street in Bethlehem PA. To get there from Rt 22, take the exit for Schoenersville Road south. Continue down Schoenersville to a fork in the road where 8th Street goes right. Turn here and continue. Martin Tower is the only real skyscraper in Bethlehem, and it has a large parking lot used for Musikfest stuff.
We will shuttle as few cars as possible from here south to Emmaus PA where we'll start our hike in the South Mountain Park.
Here is a map of the South Mountain Preserve near the beginning:
http://www.outdoors.org/pdf/upload/highlands-hike5-south-mountain-preserve.pdf
We had hiked the park on one past hike but still have not done all of the trails. I hope to finish the bulk of them on this hike, and we'll exit by way of a power line. We then pass through another park property, followed by ball fields, a cemetery, and another smaller park. We will eventually make our way to the east section of the Salisbury Walking Purchase Park, which we covered to some extent last year. This year we will attempt to cover some of the trails we missed on the west and north side.
We'll then wander on into Bethlehem and gallivant around Musikfest as we do. The route will be almost entirely different than past Musikfest hikes, amazingly, though it will be closely parallel with other routes we have taken. It's amazing to see so much new stuff is still available in a small area. It's always a great time every year. Hope you can join us!
Hike will be fifteen miles to musikfes.
For more info, contact M'ke at (908) 343-8374 or e mail sneezehorse@hotmail.com

Coming up:Helbing Farm and Schunemunk Hike!

Hey all!
I've got some really exciting stuff coming up over the next few weeks!!
This week there will be one night hike and of course the regular Sunday hike. The night hike will follow a meeting regarding the Morris Canal, and the Sunday hike will be something I've wanted to do for a very long time: the Helbing Farm in NY adjacent to West Point.
The trip will be a point to point using both the Highlands Trail and the Long Path in sections we have not yet covered, with outstanding views and diverse terrain.
I will describe both the Wednesday night hike and the Helbing Farm hike Sunday separately:

WEDNESDAY:

This weekday afternoon hike will be a loop using the Patriot's Path from the Frelinghuysen Arboretum.
Meeting time will be 4 pm at the Wal Mart shopping center parking lot on 235 Ridgedale Ave, Cedar Knolls NJ. Park on the south side of the lot closer to Hanover Ave on the south.
Those wishing to go to the Morris Canal Working Group meeting, where we will discuss the Morris Canal Greenway Trail across the state may meet me at the same location at about 1:30 or so. The meeting begins in Frelinghuysen Arboretum at 2.
The route will take us east on the trail and through Frelinghuysen Arboretum to a southern terminus where it connects with Traction Line Trail. We will follow this to a connector path into Loantaka Brook Reservation. Another somewhat urban trail leads from this to Ginty Field. From that point we'll make our way in through town, maybe get a bite to eat, and head to the Patriot's Path's main route back to where we started.
It's a relatively easy trail at almost all times. The beginning is just foot path, but then it will become a paved trail along the traction line. From here, we'll follow another paved trail at the Giralda Farms property which closely follows a road. We will be back into woods along Loantaka Brook, and maybe be able to cool off a bit.
The trails eventually open up to more paved suburban ones before re-entering Morristown. The Patriot's Path closely parallels the Morristown and Erie railroad tracks back to where we started.
This hike is likely to take us until after dark, so a flashlight may be helpful.

SUNDAY:

Meeting at 4 Smith Clove Road, Central Valley NY at 9 am.

I don't know why I've waited so long to organize something like this, but it's certainly overdue. The next hike will include a history talk on the Helbing farm. My paternal family moved to NY from Germany way back, and purchased a tract of land at Black Rock Forest area, and now most of that old farm is now part of West Point Military Academy. One sliver of it was subdivided and is now the residence of my cousin, Dorothy, who is a very active volunteer in the area. The hike will begin with a history talk by Dorothy, and you'll learn some of the history about the Mineral Springs, the Helbing family, and our relation to the original Rubix Cube!
We will be meeting at 9 am in Central Valley NY, on Smith Clove Road where Danny's Market and Deli are. There is a large parking area on the west side of the road just north of it's intersection with Rt 32, so there should be plenty of parking.Take I 287 north from NJ and then 87 north once in NY. Take exit 16 toward Rt 17W, then take the exit for Central Valley. Keep left at a fork and follow signs for Rt 6 east/Bear Mountain. Turn right on Rt 32 and continue north to Central Valley, then turn right on Smith Clove Road, where the deli should be, with lots on the left.
From there, it's an incredibly easy shuttle north to my cousin Dorothy's house on the old Helbing Farm, where we will begin the day with a history lesson. Dorothy is a great presenter!
The hike itself will be mostly along the Highlands Trail, in a section we have not done yet. The trail reaches Mineral Springs Road just barely north of the house!
We'll hike the Highlands Trail westbound, down into Mountainville NY. Once there, it crosses the through way and ascends to Scunemunk, a section of mountain with a reputation of being both challenging and breathtaking.
We will follow the Highlands Trail south past many view points until we get to the Long Path, where it crosses. We'll then follow the Long Path south to Central Valley out of the preserve. This should add diversity to the hike, and showcase a section of the Long Path that is slated to close soon. We'll get to see some of it that we will likely not be hiking again.
By leaving Schunemunk on the Long Path, it also adds possible swimming opportunities in a river, a must for the Summer hikes. The only other opportunity is earlier on, along Baby Brook which ascends Schunemunk. Dorothy also has a pool, and maybe we'll get invited back to it...we'll see!

The terrain on this hike will be difficult on the Schunemunk sections.There are also no likely food stops on the way so everyone should bring plenty of water and plenty of food for lunch and such. The secluded nature of much of this hike make early outs both unlikely and impractical.

If anyone has further questions about upcoming hikes, contact me at (908) 343-8374 or at sneezehorse@hotmail.com

Trexler Hike

This next hike will be a point to point through the Trexler Preserve and State Game Lands following some of the completed and proposed Jordan Creek Trail.
We will meet at 9 am on the corner of Rt 309 and Levans Road, at the CVS Pharmacy this Saturday (yes, Saturday this week!).
I'll be posting more about this trip very shortly, but should be a really cool one!

Next Up: Manasquan Hike and More!

Hey all,

As usual, we have a lot of interesting stuff coming up. This Sunday's hike will be in and around Manasquan ending at the beach! In addition to this hike, there will be another Tuesday night hike, this time with the Warren County Board of Recreation Commissioners for whom I am currently serving as Chair. We will do a loop on abandoned rail lines I wish to promote as a loop hike, then continue on other area trails possibly in a loop.

This Manasquan hike will be a point to point, between the Jersey Shore at Manasquan and Manasquan Reservoir. The hike roughly parallels the river, but has a lot of other stuff to see. It will hopefully be a welcome break to the crazy tougher hikes we've had lately. I've scaled off 15.5 miles, but as usual we are scouting a lot of new stuff too.
We will be meeting at Fisherman's Cove Conservation Area, a lovely little park that is where the original natural Manasquan Inlet once joined the ocean. The lot is on the corner of 3rd Avenue and Pompano Avenue in Manasquan. If the lot is full, use on street parking nearby, but it shouldn't be. Plan on leaving early to avoid shore crowds on the parkway and such. The parking area is just a couple blocks from the ocean where the hike will end with a great swim.
Once we meet, we will shuttle as few cars as possible to Manasquan Reservoir. There, we will hike their trail system and visit the visitor center, which looks to be quite lovely. The trail will skirt the southern end of the reservoir, and when we reach the east side we will try to trace an old railroad bed and maybe do some off trail stuff and woods/sand roads. NOTE: there is likely to be one river crossing with no bridge, so hikers should have a change of shoes to wade across. The section ahead may require a road walk, or otherwise we're following another clearing into Allaire State Park. We'll follow the abandoned Freehold and Jamesburg Railroad out to another trail on the northern perimeter of the park. Maybe we'll stop by the camp grounds for showers!
The rail bed continues out of Allaire toward Manasquan is is easy and open. We last covered this trail the end of Summer 2008. This time we'll skirt the south side of Stockton Lake to the end near the ocean.
Meeting time is 9 am. Until we get near the end where there's a convenience store, there are no known food or drink stops so hikers should have plenty of water and snacks or lunch with them. Most of the terrain this time is pretty level, so we should have a much easier time.
If anyone has any further questions, feel free to contact me at sneezehorse@hotmail.com or at (908) 343-8374
M'ke

Next Hikes: Tuesday Night and Sunday Day!

Hey all
I have two hikes coming up this week, one is Tuesday afternoon, meeting at the gas station in Hampton (I think it's BP) on Rt 31 near the Musconetcong River bridge by New Hampton Road, within sight of the traffic light. We'll be hiking fifteen miles of abandoned rail lines between Townsbury and New Hampton. There will be some back road walking, but mostly pleasant rail bed stuff, which is pretty wide.
Note there is one tunnel, which is possible to go over, but will require getting feet wet.
Then on Sunday, we will be doing a half off trail, half on trail hike in the Lehigh Gorge.
This hike will be run much in the way we have always done the Pocono Rim hikes, only on a much more difficult scale. The route begins in Jim Thorpe, and follows quite streets to the cemetery where we will visit the tomb of Jim Thorpe himself. We then make our way out to the access road to the gorge and get on the Upper Division Lehigh Canal...if we can.
From here, the route becomes much more difficult as we try to ascend the east rim of the Lehigh Gorge. This will involve ups and downs, and off trail situations. We plan to get to the Oxbow Bend, pictured here in a great photo by Rich Pace. We'll then continue north to Penn Haven where we cross the Lehigh and return with a relaxing walk along the Lehigh Gorge/D&L Trail back to the Glen Onoko access.
Meeting time will be 9 am Sunday the 7th at Jim Thorpe Market. Try to park on the railroad track side and we'll try to find each other. Other than the market, there are no food and drink stops on this hike, so everyone should be prepared with a lunch and/or snack, as well as plenty of water. Hikers should also be prepared for difficult terrain and steep slopes. Probably not suitable for pets.
Feel free to contact me for more information (908) 343-8374 or sneezehorse@hotmail.com
M'ke

Sunday Horseshoe Trail/Furnace Hills Hike!

Hey all,
Although I try to move in a totally different direction every week, I have been made aware that old friend RJ Morholt will be hosting a small get together which is just a short distance off of the Horseshoe Trail in the Furnace Hills, conveniently near the date I had originally planned it for! Therefore, we shift the date somewhat!
Lancaster County.
We will be meeting at 9 am at Pumping Station Road at the following GPS coordinates, just south of Rt 322.
To get there from Philly area, it is just off interstate 76, but there is no exit. You'll need to figure out the nearest parallel route and exit. Coming from NJ, take 78 west to 501 south, turn right on 322, then left on Pumping Station Road (it also goes north, don't go that way.). Parking will be on the left after a bit.
Lattitude: 40°14'19.22"N
Longitude: 76°20'11.84"W
This site is also the northern terminus of the Conestoga Trail.
After meeting here, we will shuttle as few cars as possible east to Denver PA. The Horseshoe Trail is a good way to experience PA Dutch country, and has pleasant back roads, nice ridges, and trail sections that aren't too difficult. There are a few good views, and reportedly at least one swimming hole!
One of the great views is known as Eagle Rock.
At the end of the hike, we'll hang out with RJ at his campout area, a private tract on a cool piece of woodlands.
Feel free to contact me if there are any further questions: 908 343 8374 or sneezehorse@hotmail.com

M'ke

Sunday Wissahickon Hike: The Entire Green Ribbon!!!

Hey everybody!

The first Sunday hike following my move will be back to the regular hike routine, branching off in a different direction every week.
This particular trip will be a long one; 21 miles to cover the ENTIRE WISSAHICKON GREEN RIBBON TRAIL!
We will be meeting at Manayunk Diner at 3722 Main Street, Philadelphia PA at 8:45 am.
Meeting is at the following GPS coordinates:
Lattitude: 40° 0'57.08"N
Longitude: 75°12'31.49"W
After meeting, we will shuttle as few cars as possible north to Upper Gwynedd PA where the Green Ribbon Trail starts. This amazing route will lead us from the small headwaters of the Wissahickon on an almost continueous route all the way south to it's confluence with the Schuykill River. The beginning will have hops across on stones and pleasant little bridges. It then becomes wider, but remains a simple foot path mostly.
As the hike continues on, the trail becomes more developed as a very wide, crushed stone pathway and leads through Fort Washington Park.
We continue on from there, and the last third of the hike is within the Wissahickon Gorge section of Fairmont Park, part of the largest city park in the world. We will follow Forbidden Drive and the trail south to where the Wissahickon joins the Schuykill, very close to Manayunk Diner, and the trail joins the Schuykill River Trail.
Note that this is a long hike, and although the terrain is not at all difficult, it will take a while to complete. If anyone wants to arrange an early out, please contact me ahead of time because it will not be easy to determine where we can leave cars. If anyone from the area steps up as co leader and wants to help with this, let me know!

Although this is a long trip, it is also relatively easy terrain and rather straightforward route. The last nine or so miles especially can be done quite fast.
If anyone would like any further information, feel free to contact me!

M'ke 908 343 8374 or sneezehorse@hotmail.com

Upcoming Hikes; June 17: Millbrook to White Lake; June 24: Wissahickon Green Ribbon

Hello everyone

For this, the last Ridge and Valley Vicinity hike during my time of residence at White Lake, we have something really great in store.
The hike will be a point to point following the northern fork of the Ridge and Valley Trail, as well as the Appalachian Trail and Coventry Pond Trail, with a little bit of off trail stuff. There will also be a bit of back road walking in Hardwick Township.
We are very fortunate that Metrotrails has been offered an exclusive tour of Millbrook Village by the President of the non profit, Wilson Bullivant. Mr. Bullivant is working to bring other volunteers to relate the history of Millbrook for us during this fantastic trip.
I am asking that all participants please make a modest donation to the Millbrook cause (maybe $5) to help preserve these historically significant buildings, and to show our thanks for being offered this amazing tour.
Because we will be taking a good amount of time to do this tour, participants should expect the hike to run later than many of the hikes tend to run.
If anyone wants to join for the tour alone, that is fine as well. Early out options may also be possible.
After leaving NPS property, we will hike through the Blair Creek Preserve and pass long abandoned old scout buildings, then follow the Blair Creek through a wide valley. There are unmarked trails in the area, and we'll do some stuff that is off trail completely. After a road walk section, we'll follow the Ridge and Valley Trail south through White Lake Wildlife Management Area back to the lake to finish off the night.
Join me to make one last great memory at White Lake before I say goodbye, and leave it in the hands of the hoodlums and vandals who may very well end up wrecking it after I leave.
Better days are coming; there are more amazing places to experience, and we will visit White Lake again in the future. Let's hope apathy does not reign over this amazing place for too long.


MEETING: Sunday, Meeting time is 9 am at the White Lake Natural Resource Area parking lot, along Rt 521 a bit north of Blairstown. There is a white fence around the parking lot, and it's across the street from an old stone farm house called the Vass House. The parking lot near the barn is not the one; it may be confusing because since the last hike up here there has been a new white fence installed around that parking lot as well.



Further, as I stated, I am currently in the process of moving, and anyone who is able to help with stuff (many of you have offered, thank you, and it's coming to that time) it is appreciated. Over the past two weeks I had a concussion from a tree falling on my head, then sprained my ankle. I'm okay to walk on it, but the doctor won't clear me to go back to work for a week. Jillane and I have to have all of our stuff out by the 20th.



If I'm not well enough by Sunday I could have a co leader do the difficult section for me, or I might change the route slightly. We will see.


Following the move, the next hike will be Sunday the 24th, and it will be the entire Wissahickon Green Ribbon Trail, a roughly 21 mile undertaking! It's a fantastic route between Upper Gwynedd PA and the Manayunk section of Philadelphia. This summer is going to be some of the best hikes yet!

M'ke

Great Hiking in June 2012!

Hey everybody!

The end is approaching fast. There are only two more Sunday  hikes that will be in the White Lake vicinity while I am living here.
I've been struggling with which ones to do. I wondered to myself how I could possibly keep it interesting and cover new stuff, but the truth is there is far too much to cover, even before I move. I've decided for the last two Sunday ones I would go for quality stuff. We will revisit some of the places we have in recent hikes, but also cover some new stuff, some of which I haven't done.

This hike's route will likely be a loop, covering some of the best of the places we've covered in recent Ridge and Valley hikes as well as some new things that even I haven't done!
I plan on beginning at the White Lake parking lot, and following the Ridge and Valley Trail as well as other trails I have helped to develop during my time at White Lake. This will be the second to last Sunday hike we will do while I am living in the area.
We will cover some of the northbound Ridge and Valley Trail, as well as the looping sections to the east.
As per Carol's request, let's try to go for the purple theme!
One of the new preserves includes a lollipop loop that will take us out and back near Mallard Pond.
We'll also do some nice backroad walking and include sections of Frelinghuysen Forest Preserve we have not yet hiked, and also Gnome Hollow.
Further, I am trying to arrange for an historic tour to coincide with this trip, but it has not yet been planned.
Highlights of the trip:
-Amazing ridge and valley topography
-White Lake
-Small glacial sink hole ponds
-Historic Vass Farmstead
-Marl Works ruins
-Former girl scout camp site and ruins
-Invasive species identification
-Naturally growing pitcher plants
Meeting time will be 9 am Sunday at the White Lake Parking lot, along Rt 521, Stillwater Road, a few miles north of Blairstown, at the parking lot with the white fence across from the stone Vass Farmhouse.


Looking further ahead, I will do at least two more area hikes, either on Tuesday or Thursday evenings. This coming week it will be either Tuesday or Thursday, and the following week it will likely be Thursday evening. Meeting time will be 4:30 at White Lake for those, but please get in touch with me if you plan on attending those.
On Sunday, June 10th, Metrotrails Vice President Matthew Davis will probably be leading a hike, yet to be announced.


The final hike ending at White Lake Natural Resource Area will be Sunday, June 17th, and it's going to be something very special.
For that hike, an exclusive tour of Millbrook Village has been arranged for Metrotrails, hosted by noteworthy historians including Millbrook President, Mr. Wilson Bullivant. It will be an outstanding tour opportunity not to be missed! I am asking each participant make a modest donation to the village (I'll be giving $5) for their efforts.
The hike will lead us on a route up the Kittatinny Ridge passing Coventry Pond, then reaching the Appalachian Trail. We will follow the AT to the Blair Creek Preserve, then head down to follow it south. There will be a second of back road walking before picking up TNC property and the final section of the Ridge and Valley Trail back to White Lake to finish the trip.


The last week in June will mark the return of our normal hiking schedule, branching off in different directions. The next trip will likely be either Horseshoe Trail in Berks County, Wissahickon in Philadelphia, or Evansburg and Perkiomen area. All three of these trips will be planned for the near future regardless.

Other trips to be expected, though dates have not been picked will include Staten Island Greenbelt and beaches, Ramapos, Shawangunks in NY, Jim Thorpe PA area, Long Beach Island NJ, and Manasquan.

Stay tuned. The best is yet to come!


Contact me if you need further details! sneezehorse@hotmail.com or 908 343 8374

M'ke

Upcoming Hikes!

Hello all!

Plenty more great hikes coming up! We're fast approaching the end of my days at White Lake, and so we will finish up my time here with a few more awesome hikes.
This Sunday will be another meeting at White Lake at 9 am, however the route is yet to be determined pending availability for historic tours. I am working on arranging tours of two historic areas in the area for the last Sunday trips. The other one as planned will be June 17th. The weekend of June 10th there will not be a Sunday hike.
The two remaining hikes, this weekend and the 17th, will be to the north and south of White Lake. One will lead us from between Jenny Jump through portions of Natural Lands Trust properties, Johnsonburg Swamp, Gnome Hollow, and more. The other will lead us from Millbrook Village north over Kittatinny Ridge and then south along the east fork of the Ridge and Valley Trail. Both should be very interesting trips.
In addition to those, there will be weekday hikes, probably on Thursdays, coming up soon. The next one will likely be the 7th of June.
Stay tuned to METROTRAILS.ORG for latest updates on which hike will be next!

Upcoming Hikes; Ridge and Valley Vicinity

Hey everybody!

Unfortunately, I am stuck working the full Memorial Day weekend. With my new position, I will likely be stuck working full weekends during most big events. This will happen again to some extent with Fourth of July.

Regardless, the hikes of course will continue it is only on occasion. My Supervisors have been very kind in allowing me to have most every Sunday to continue to organize the hikes as I have for the past fifteen years.
I will be posting two hikes, one for Thursday night and one regular day hike for next Tuesday the 29th. 
For this Thursday, we will be meeting at White Lake Natural Resource Area at 4:30 pm and shuttle to the beginning, Hemlock Forest Preserve. We'll head through many different parks and other areas, exploring public lands I just haven't gotten to yet in this point to point route. It will definitely finish after dark, maybe by 11 pm. If you would like an early out, contact me prior to it.
The next hike will take place on Tuesday, May 29th, and it will be a different version of the Ridge and Valley Trail hikes we have been doing. We will re-visit a couple of places, but almost the entire hike is new.
Again, we will meet at the main parking area for White Lake Natural Resource Area on Rt 521 just north of Blairstown. It is across the street from the historic Vass Farmstead, a stone farm house preserved by Hardwick Historical Society. The parking lot is lined with white fences, situated right along the road. Meeting time is 9 am.
We will begin once again at the proposed northern terminus of the Ridge and Valley Trail, but the only part of the hike that will be the same as the past is the section from the ridge down to the camp and across the awesome swinging bridge pictured here.
The remainder of the hike will be entirely new. Once we get off of Shannon Road, we walk some back roads out to the Maple Farm Preserve. I recently discovered this unconnected portion of the Ridge and Valley Trail just north of Blairstown, and it is beautiful.

We will cut into the woods and walk through lovely limestone forests as we had on the other hikes in the region, do a short lollipop loop, then descend past an unbelievably beautiful spot with an old lime kiln along a pond, pictured here.
We'll continue on the trail out to the next road, and then do some nice back road walking to Jacksonburg, just outside of Blairstown where we'll walk through a cemetery as well as high school lands past a giant Silver Maple tree.
We'll then pick up Paulins Kill Valley Trail into Blairstown for a nice break and late lunch at Dale's Market. They have outstanding cakes and good sandwiches.
From there, we continue on and possibly explore the Limestone Ridge Preserve, then make our way back to Paulins Kill Valley Trail to White Lake. It will depend on the time which trails we use to return to the lake, but I am thinking the main trail past the Marl Works once more.
If anyone is feeling particularly CRAZY we can extend the hike for another loop that would include more Ridge and Valley Trail loops and possibly the all new Mallard Pond area trail.

Everyone will notice that the hikes have been mainly in the north Warren County area and vicinity. I need to be out of my current place by June 20th, and so I am trying to enjoy the last days close to home, sharing the amazing preserves in the area with everyone. Also, my car is not in very good shape for long drives right now, and I'm looking for another (if anyone knows of any under $2K, let me know!).
After the 17th of June, we will be branching out once more with hikes all over the place.
For more info, contact M'ke at sneezehorse@hotmail.com or at (908) 343-8374

Sunday Pocono Rim Hike!

Selected By: Michael Helbing

Hey everybody!

Our next hike will be the next in the series along the Pocono Rim! We've been doing this series for years, and we have finally reached Milford PA! There will be a few re-visits and such to the areas we haven't covered between at later dates, but this should be a great one including Raymondskill Falls and much more!
We will be meeting at 9 am in the town of Milford PA, at the Grand Union store which is on the right side of Hartford Street. The address is 501 West Hartford Street, Milford PA. GPS coordinates are as follows:
Lattitude: 41°19'35.40"N
Longitude: 74°48'33.23"W
This hike is also an important one because we will finally finish the McDade Trail. We have hiked every section of it thus far, and this covers the last section. The hike will begin with that.
Also along the hike, we will visit Raymondskill Falls and an outstanding overlook known as "The Knob".
Other than that I am keeping the details of the hike under wraps somewhat. This will be an awesome hike with a lot of great stuff to see.
Because some of the terrain has some more serious elevation, be forewarned that it might take a little longer than some of the past ones. There won't be much bushwhacking, so compared to a lot of recent ones it may actually be easier.
There may be a couple wet crossings, so be prepared with some dry socks, etc. Just in case!
I have scaled off a total of sixteen miles, and so we shouldn't run much over that. There are opportunities to cut corners as well. The McDade Trail is mostly flat, so we'll make good time on that. The Knob, after the climb, has a long flat section as well.
For those looking for early outs, this one will be a bit tougher to do. I do have options for that though, which we can discuss at the time of meeting. It will involve taking a different trail at one point.
Beyond this week's hike, I have a brief run down of what you can expect of the hikes come June.
Because I will be moving to a new home by no later than June 20th, the remaining hikes other than this next one will be focusing around the Blairstown NJ area, near my current house.
The next regular hike after this one will be on an odd day, Tuesday May 29th. I have to work a full weekend for Memorial Day, and so the hike must be Tuesday. As planned, that will be another Ridge and Valley hike variation. It will again involve the Mohican Outdoors Center, and a brief road walk from it to pleasant back roads of Blairstown Township. We will then pick up the Maple Hill Farm preserve and follow a fantastic little known section of the Ridge and Valley Trail.
From there, we follow some back roads into Blairstown and wander right through the town's center, which is quite lovely. We then go through Footbridge Park to Paulins Kill Valley Trail. Beyond Paulina, we'll walk an abandoned road that was washed out by the flood and end up at White Lake. As planned, we may do a loop there that will involve an out and back on an all new trail in the area.
June 3rd there will be another trip in the area, and it will likely be the Ridge and Valley Trail section from Blair Creek and the AT south to White Lake, including new acquisitions, and a beautiful limestone forest preserve also finishing at White Lake, but using almost no trails that we have covered in the past few (yes, there are more!)
June 10th weekend, I may not be leading a hike. Stay tuned and I will post more.
June 17th will be the last Ridge and Valley area hike near my house. The route we use on this date may switch with the June 10th one depending on availability of historians. I am looking to have tours of historic sites included in one or two of these trips.
The route will be a different variation on the last hike we did, starting at Jenny Jump, and then heading north through Presbyterian Camp property that was just preserved. We would then pick up more of Johnsonburg Swamp, and follow a similar route through, but also revisit the overlook of Mud Pond (no one gets tired of that one). We'll again walk to Frelinghuysen Forest Preserve but head out a different way, then through Gnome Hollow a different way than we did it this past time. This one too will end at White Lake. I'm still working out the routes for both of these.
June 24 we will likely head back south, for a hike yet to be determined.
Following hike dates will be June 29th, and after July 4 weekend, there will be another weekday one.
Also, stay tuned for more weeknight hikes starting soon!
I'll be in touch with more details as they develop~

M'ke

Sunday Warren/Sussex Ridge and Valley Area Hike!

Hey everybody!
Our next hike will be another awesome point to point trip in the Ridge and Valley vicinity.
For those of you who loved the Ridge and Valley Trail from the AT to White Lake, you will probably love this one! It focuses on the same geological province, but in it's southernmost sections, which has slightly different terrain.
We will be meeting once again at White Lake. Rather than at my house, we'll use the main parking lot this time, on Rt 521 just north of Blairstown. Hopefully it will be nice weather so we can go and sit on the dock afterwards.
Here are the GPS coordinates for the parking lot:
Lattitude: 41° 0'7.43"N
Longitude: 74°55'0.12"W
We will be meeting at 9 am at this point. The parking lot is lined with white fences and is just a few miles north of Blairstown on 521. It is directly across the street from the historic stone Vass Farmstead.
We will shuttle as few cars as possible to Whittingham Wildlife Management Area. We'll follow a route through many different preserves and abandoned railroad beds, with short road walks in between some of them.
Included on this trip are also the Dark Moon Preserve, Johnsonburg Swamp Preserve, Frelinghuysen Forest Preserve, Gnome Hollow Preserve, Paulins Kill Valley Trail, and of course White Lake Natural Resource Area.
The route offers interesting limestone rock outcroppings, a couple scenic vistas, an old truss bridge, and much more!
Everyone should bring plenty of water, and don't count on there being any food stops. There is one deli that I think has been closed, so everyone should probably be prepared with a lunch.
If there are any further questions, feel free to contact me (M'ke) at sneezehorse@hotmail.com or at 908 343 8374

M'ke

Sunday Warren Highlands Trail Hike!

Selected By: Michael Helbing

Hike point to point on the new Warren  Highlands Trail. The trail is under development, but the first section to the west has been officially completed from the Delaware River to the top of Marble Hill. It is hoped to be blazed through to Belvidere Road by the time of this hike.
We will be meeting at 9 am at the end point of  the hike, the Hoff-Vanetta Farmstead along Rt 519 in Harmony Township, at the following GPS coordinates:
Lat 40°45'39.98"N
Long 75° 7'48.70"W
There is a sign at the farmstead.
We will shuttle as few cars as possible to Easton PA, where we will begin the hike by following the proposed connection of the Highlands Trail with Warren Highlands Trail. The Highlands Trail has it's last blaze in Rieglesville PA, but the proposed route of it is along the Delaware Canal to the Lehigh Canal, which would bring it to Easton. The connection to the Warren Highlands Trail would be following the Lehigh Canal towpath to the 611 bridge, then walking the riverside park to the Northampton Street free bridge. The blazes begin on the nJ side. It follows roads through Phillipsburg to the base of Marble Hill, where we turn along a utility right of way, then follow old mining roads up hill. We'll divert a bit from the Warren Highlands Trail to do the new Mine Trail which leads to the Fulmer Iron mine.
The Mine Trial reconnects with Warren Highlands, and then picks up new trail that I've constructed heading up further. At the time of this writing, I am still constructing new trail, and have a long way to go, but I hope that with a little luck it will be all cut and marked out to Belvidere Road by Sunday.
The route features a few very nice views.
Once we leave the Marble Hill section, we follow farm fields out to Warren County Fairgrounds. We then continue up into state land and follow old woods roads to the east. Brief road walks connect to Merril Creek Reservoir. We'll walk around the reservoir and then get off of the proposed Warren Highlands Trail route and descend via a route that I think would be a great spur trail to Hoff-Vanetta. There is an open house going on there that day, which maybe we'll be able to catch some of!
Note that there may be a bit of bushwhacking on this hike, but it's not all that bad.
Contact me if you have any further questions!

ALSO: I may do a night hike Thursday night on part of this route, and do a little bit of clearing along the way. Let me know if you'd like to join in on that!

M'ke - sneezehorse@hotmail.com or (908) 343-8374

Sunday Ridge and Valley Trail Hike

Selected By: Michael Helbing

Hey all!
Join us for a hike on the complete route of the Ridge and Valley Trail as well as some other great stuff!
The hike will take us from Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area on the proposed route of the Ridge and Valley Trail, then onto the existing and trail south through Camp Mason and other spots, Lightning Bug Hollow, White Lake Wildlife Management Area, White Lake Natural Resource Area, and more! We will hike the new White Lake Trail and red trail around Squier's Corners in additon to Ridge and Valley.
The hike will end at my home on the shore of White Lake (picture of from my front window).
The trail is rugged and has some undergrowth. If anyone would like to assist with trail work, feel free to bring some pruners and help us clear the way for future hikers!
I want to try to fix up the sections of trail that are in poor condition. I will have my "happy saw" and trail blazes, my hammer, etc. Anyone who is willing to bring some pruners, etc. is welcome to do so.

The hike will also include some other new stuff from what we did the previous time near Delaware Water Gap and more! Contact me if you need more info!!!
Try not to be late, I want to try to start in good time. If you do happen to run late, I have plenty of late join in options.

The hike will end at my home at White Lake, which is where we will meet. Address is 149 Stillwater Road, Hardwick NJ. It's a long driveway just past the parking area for White Lake to the north. It's a big green mail box with my name on it.
DO NOT TRUST A GPS to find my house. There are something like four Stillwater Roads, and a Stillwater Station Road in my area. It will send you to the wrong place. I tried it yesterday and it sent me to a vacant parking lot up the road. Just remember the correct Stillwater Road is Rt 521, just under a mile north of the intersection with Spring Valley Road.

Contact me if you need further details on the hike: sneezehorse@hotmail.com or 908 343 8374

M'ke

Sterling Forest Hike!!

Hello everyone!
Our next hike will be a great loop in Sterling Forest, just barely over the NY line! Our friend Brad Anesi has stepped up to do his first co-lead with the group and show us some of the trails we have yet to cover in Sterling, most notably the Red Back Loop.
Back in 2009 we attempted to trace the route of this trail to no avail, but Brad knows the way! In addition to Red Back, we will also be hiking sections of the Highlands Trail on the Sterling Ridge, Lake to Lake Trail, and Bare Rock Trail which is a relatively new addition to the trail system. It offers an excellent view of Greenwood Lake.
We may also revisit some past spots including the Sterling Fire Tower and maybe the furnace. The hike features some excellent views and interesting old iron mines.
We will be meeting at 9 am across from the Eagle Valley Fire House, at 14 Scott Mine Road, Tuxedo Park NY.
To get there, take interstate 287 to exit 55 for Rt 511, Ringwood Ave. Continue straight as it changes names to Greenwood Lake Turnpike further up (for those coming from the east, they may take the earlier exit for Skyline Drive north, and then turn right on Greenwood Lake Turnpike at it's end). Turn right on Sloatsburg Road, which further up sort of becomes Mill Pond Road. From there, continue as it becomes Sterling Mine Road in NY. Turn left shortly on Long Meadow Road, then right onto Eagle Valley Road. Make a left onto Scott Mine Road to reach the destination.
There are no food stops along this hike; it will be mostly woods. Make sure to bring a luch and/or snack and plenty of water. It's been unseasonably warm and you might need a lot.
Contact me if you need further details.

Sunday Patriot's Path, Morris County Hike!

Hello everyone!
This next hike will be a point to point covering some of the newest sections of the Patriot's Path system! We will cover some stuff we've covered on past hikes, but also a few new things!
We will meet at 9 am at the McDonalds in Flanders NJ, which is near to the end of the Columbia Trail, part of our route. This McDonalds is located at 293 US Highway 206, Flanders, NJ 07836.
Once together, we will shuttle as few cars as possible to Mendham vicinity where we'll begin on the Patriot's Path west, in Dismal Harmony Natural Area. This area leads past some old camp ruins. We then pass Clyde Potts Reservoir, then head up into the Randolph Township parks. The trail then leads on paved paths to Heisteins Park. From here, there is reportedly a new section to Ironia that we will follow.
From Ironia, we descend to the former Chester Branch of the Lackawanna Railroad. The Patriot's Path used to follow it directly across Rt 206, which many of you will remember we have hiked many times. This time though, we follow new trail up to Chester, and our friend Teun will help guide us through the former telephone pole farm on the trail's new route. I hear tell there is a great view from this property.
The trail then passes through the town of Chester, a lovely town to walk through, not like boring road walks elsewhere.
From there, we follow old CNJ rail beds and such past the former site of Chester Furnace (pictured) where people have been piling up the ruins in an attractive fashion and continue to Tanners Brook section, another new part of Patriot's Path that Teun helps to maintain.
We will follow the trail to Columbia Trail and turn right toward Bartley and Flanders.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions! M'ke 908 343 8374 or sneezehorse@hotmail.com

Friday Jenny Jump/Warren Highlands Hike!!!

Hey all!
The next hike will be on Friday, April 6th. The reason for this is that it is Easter weekend. I will now begin working Saturdays, so assume that most hikes will be on Sundays save for a few random weekday ones.
For this hike, we will be tracing the route of the Jenny Jump Trail, part of the future Warren Highlands Trail system. We will follow much of the existing route, then new sections to Mountain Lake. There is a short road walk, then unmarked trails to connect with Pequest Wildlife Management Area. It should be a very interesting trip!
There are many views along the route, a Native American dig site, a cave known as The Fairy Hole, views of Delaware Water Gap, and lots of other stuff!
We will be meeting on Pequest Furnace Road, where it intersects with Rt 46 at 9 am. There is gravel parking here at the intersection. This is a bit further east of Rt 46 from where Rt 31 intersects in Buttsville. Here are GPS coordinates of the location:
Lattitude:  40°49'50.92"N
Longitude:  74°58'39.20"W
Do not try to find an address to put in to a GPS. Simply find the road intersection east of Buttsville. As always, know that a GPS unit will not bring bring you to most of the trail heads we meet at.
Except for a mini mart within the last two miles of the hike, there are no food stops along the way. Please remember to bring a lunch and plenty of water!
Contact me if you need any further info!
908 343 8374 or sneezehorse@hotmail.com

M'ke

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

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!

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...

Delaware Water Gap Hike!

Hello everyone!

This next hike will be the very best of the Delaware Water Gap's Pennsylvania side, both the known and unknown stuff!

For this hike, we will be meeting at Minsi Lake, the end point, which is a Northampton County Park.
Here are the GPS coordinates:
 Latt: 40°54'47.16"N
 Long: 75° 9'54.38"W
To get there, there are many different ways, depending on where you're coming from. The best I can tell you is to put in East Shore Drive, Bangor PA in a GPS, and double check your map. The best way is most likely from Rt 512 in East Bangor, take Johnsonville Road north, turn left on Ridge Road and immediately right on Minsi Lake Drive. East Shore Drive will be on the right. Follow East Shore Drive for 0.4 mile, and the parking area will be down an entrance road to the left.
We'll shuttle as few cars as possible north to the beginning point, which is actually Minisink Hills.
From here, we will walk down an abandoned road to Broadhead Creek and pick up the abandoned NYS&W Railroad bed, which follows a great route south along the creek to a dead end street. We'll then follow a brief and pleasant road walk to Rivers Edge Park. We'll follow the Broadhead Creek to it's confluence and the Delaware to a road across Rt 80, then walk through the village of Delaware Water Gap. We'll make our way to the Appalachian Trail, but won't follow it far initially. We'll first skirt Lake Lenape, then make the climb to Table Rock, an interesting rock outcropping trail. This will take us down to Mt. Minsi Fire Road, where we'll double back to rejoin the AT, maybe passing the rock shelter.
Next, we continue on the AT up Mt. Minsi, one of the finest views from the AT in PA. We'll then take the easy hike along the ridge to Totts Gap, where a side trip will take us to the Totts Gap Cave, once an ingersoll rand dynamite test cave. We'll continue to a few more overlooks, most significantly being the Lunch Rocks and Nelson Vista. We'll continue to Kirkridge Shelter, then descend from the Kittatinny Ridge on a side trail known as The Great Walk.
This trail leads to the Collumcile Megalith Park. We'll explore the site a bit, then continue along a back road to Minsi Lake. We'll follow the trail along the north side of the lake which terminates at the lot where we met.
The route I scaled off comes up at 14 miles, but I figure it should round up to exactly 15 because of possible side trips and unexpected turns, etc.
This should be a great hike with constantly changing, great scenery. Hope you can make it!
For more info, contact M'ke at sneezehorse@hotmail.com or call or txt 908 343 8374

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