Things have been going great so far this Summer, with all sorts of exploring all over the tri state! We have a lot more great stuff coming up!
Over the past month we have completed much of the section of Long Beach Island I had yet to walk, as well as connected where we left off in Mahwah with Ringwood State Park, filling in more of the gaps in the NJ Perimeter series. For the northern part of the state, little remains.
A few tiny pieces are necessary to close the few remaining gas we have
not done there. Over the next month, we'll close in a couple more of
them.The first of those little sections will be Monday, 7/7.
I had long finished the northern edge of the state by foot, but in the past couple of years a section of the Old Mine Road that had been closed to public has been re-opened. I have put together a long and difficult hike that will begin with this section I had yet to do, and then pass through the Walpack Valley, climb the Kittatinny Ridge off trail, then descend off trail and pass through Bear Swamp Wildlife Management Area. This should be a very interesting hike, but definitely not for beginners.
Because I am stuck working the full weekend, our friend Lerch takes the helm for the regular weekend hike this Saturday, check out the rest of our schedule!
Saturday 7/5: Lerch leads a point to point between Knowlton Township and the Delaware Water Gap putting together some of his favorite spots and some of mine. I sent him information on places we've visited and loved on my past hikes including Totts Gap Cave, Upper and Lower Slateford Falls, Slateford Farm, and more. It's tied together with visits to other amazing local places including of course Mt. Minsi.
Lerch has been a regular member of this group for a year now, but has a long history of hiking and exploring the area that makes him a leadership candidate. He's very into organizing the hikes, and for those of you who know him as crazy Lerch who jumps off bridges, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how well he will manage the group!
Thursday 7/10: I have rescheduled the South Branch of the Raritan night hike due to the storms for next Thursday. This route follows the river closely after meandering through Flemington area, meeting at 3:45 at Clinton A&P.
Saturday and Sunday, 7/12 into 7/13: Finally, we are doing a group camp out! We've got some amazing stuff planned for both Saturday and Sunday, or just Saturday night and Sunday if you wish.
On Saturday, Lerch will be doing some area explorations on and around the Conestoga Trail near out camp site that will include Pequaea Creek, Martic Forge Trestle, and Wind Cave, largest tectonic cave in the eastern US!
On Sunday, we'll leave the camp site and hike the Mason Dixon Trail as well as a few other nearby trails in a generally southbound route to Lock 12 on the former Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal. After this hike, I will have hiked consecutively from the all the other places we've visited to Baltimore. This hike gears us up for an upcoming hike to Washington DC! I will detail more of this after the rest of the schedule.
Saturday 7/19: Although my regular hike is Sunday, join leader William "Guillermo" Fabel for an epic route along the Blue Mountain in PA. He will be hitting some of the most spectacular views the AT has to offer including the Knife Edge, Baer Rocks, Bake Oven Knob, and North and South Trails into Lehigh Gap. An epic hike not to miss if you can make it, and with Guillermo as your leader you'll see outstanding vistas that the average hike along the AT would bypass!
Sunday 7/20: Cape May Loop! This promises to be one of the most interesting shore hikes we've done! We're meeting at Higbee Beach WMA on Sunset Blvd in Cape May, and we'll trace some former industrial site area, an old rail line, and the Cape May canal, as well as the entire beach along to the southern tip, the furthest south we have ever reached on a Metrotrails event (believe it or not, Cape May is farther south than Baltimore!). We'll see the sinking concrete ship, and watch the sunset from Sunset Beach, and we may even do a winery tour!
Sunday, 7/27: An outstanding figure eight loop that will be between Long Pond Ironworks State Park, Sterling Forest, and Monksville Reservoir! This route takes us along rivers, past iron works and furnaces, and to one of my favorite vistas I've ever visited! We'll cover one of those tiny missing pieces of NJ Perimeter along Greenwood Lake as well. Details may change regarding start point. Stay tuned.
Sunday, Aug 3: 9th Annual March on Musikfest Hike! It's hard to believe this tradition has gone on for nine years now! What participants might find hard to believe is that after all this time (often with two of these hikes each year), we still have plenty of ground we have not covered yet! This year's trip will include several points we've never visited before including more of the South Mountain park properties and different stuff on the Saucon greenway, as well as quarries, college campuses, and more!
Sunday, 9/21: Jumping ahead a little bit, I just want to remind everyone of the Common Sense for Animals Walk/Hike. I've put together another new hike stringing together otherwise unconnected parks that should be interesting; the $25 goes to help the no kill animal shelter, and you get a free lunch and CSA tee shirt!
Volunteer Work: Work still progresses with the Warren Highlands Trail. A lot more clearing needs to be done on the Marble Hill system, which I have been working on, but we need to recruit more volunteers. We are awaiting the decision of land management review regarding the next piece of state land we plan to push across on Scott's Mountain on the way to Merril Creek. Once this is approved, the trail will almost immediately be pushed through to Washington. When that time comes, we'll prepare an in depth guide to the trail route that will be presented here and on metrotrails.org
And for the camp out...I unfortunately have to work on Saturday, and I won't be making it to the camp site until 7 pm. Fortunately, Lerch has agreed to work out the details for where I am unavailable and he'll be doing an exploratory trip, carpooling everyone to different sites on Saturday.
On Saturday night, we'll eat, swim in Otter Creek, and then be at the site ready to hike first thing in the morning. We plan to have cars spotted at the end point Saturday night with permission of power company who owns Lock 12.
Contact Lerch about meeting up, here is his number: 732 814 5770.
The camp we are using is
I am looking forward to doing future trips like this one, branching out to farther places and arranging hikes and such around it that make the long trip more worth it. We can use our status as a non profit to get discounts and such, which we did on the upcoming Otter Creek/Susquehanna campout.
Branching westward, we connected this site from the Appalachian Trail in Clark's Valley. Through these hikes, we had covered a route on the Appalachian Trail to St. Anthony's Wilderness, from which point a series of trails led to the Horse-Shoe Trail. This trail is a long distance route between Valley Forge PA and the AT at St. Anthony's, another I am near finishing.
The Horse-Shoe Trail connects with the Conestoga Trail, which leads south to the Mason Dixon Trail, connecting at Lock 12, our end point. Lerch will be showing everyone around some of the greatest hits of that trail on Saturday.
The purpose of Metrotrails is to promote these trail systems that are lesser known, and I would like to take the opportunity to describe the Conestoga Trail and why it is so special.
I have always loved "weird" trails. Conestoga Trail is missing from most state maps, as well as most state trail maps. Perhaps it's not recognized by many groups because it involves quite a bit of road walking and many other weird spots.
It breaks off of the Horse-Shoe Trail at a strange spot with only a little sign saying that was the beginning of the system. It heads south on roads beneath the Interstate, then climbs on cement block steps to cross the Hammer Creek on the interstate's bridge. I knew right away this was my kind of trail.
When I was reading about the trail, a site said "If you really want to experience Amish Country, do not take the harried auto tours....hike the Conestoga Trail". Jillane had had an interest in Amish culture, and so this looked like it was perfect.
The character of the trail was ever changing, going from woods to back roads to the edges of cultivated fields.
The trail passed by Speedwell Lake, a former forge site. It then continues down stream parallel with the Hammer Creek. The trail is very much focused around the creeks and rivers, first following the Hammer, then Cocalico, then Conestoga, then Pequaea, then Susquehanna.
Sections of it were well mowed and cared for, while others were really rather overgrown. During times of high water it's necessary to wade sections of the trail. Crossing the roads, it's not uncommon to pass an Amish buggy going by.
The trail makes it's way over some treacherous spots for being in such a rural area, such as the pictured dam on the Hammer Creek, a very narrow walkway not easily navigated. One without good balance would surely fall off into the creek.
It's amazing to see how the most historic structures are retained and built upon, rather than tearing down the old ones to build anew. Following the salmon colored blazes of this trail through these areas is almost like following a secret code. Much of the trail is secluded and other hikers will rarely be seen.
In some places the trail is well maintained, but in others it is only minimally done so. Because the trail traverses so much private land, some land owners will not allow brush or trees to be removed, and so it can make it that much more challenging.
The trail along the edges of fields can often be confusing. All blazes must be watched for or wrong turns could be made. The good thing is that the creek should always be nearby for these sections. They even have blazed farm equipement!
Covered bridges are very common in the area, and the trail passes by and through several of them. There are also occasional Amish farm stands on these back roads. It's great to stop and patronize these places to get a real sense of their way of life.
When the Hammer Creek flows into the Cocalico Creek, Conestoga Trail follows Cocalico mostly on parallel back roads, which are still very pretty.
Nearing Lancaster, it because a sort of suburban sprawl. The trail enters an area of larger homes, and follows developed roads with only a couple of side trips. One follows the "goat herder's highway", a planned and partially built highway one would not even recognize along fields, and then another to a lovely stone viaduct of Pennsylvania Railroad. These sections are quite a lovely break from the otherwise urban area.
The Cocalico Creek flows into Conestoga River just before Lancaster, and so the trail parallels.
In the middle of Lancaster, it becomes a much more developed route, as a paved path close to the Conestoga River. It then passes into Lancaster Central Park.
Despite what one might think, Lancaster Central Park is not a developed urban park, but rather resembles the northern part of the Conestoga Trail through the rural areas as it follows portions of Mill Creek, and along rocky outcrops above Rock Ford.
The route leaves the park and follows several more back roads as it makes it's way south out of Lancaster. It can be brutal in the hottest days of Summer, but otherwise it's quite lovely and has some interesting points including the old Snavely Cemetery.
The worst road walk section is out of New Danville south of Lancaster. It follows a section of road known as Long Lane. While the road has lovely farm views, it is busy and there isn't a good shoulder. It's necessary to walk the edges of fields more.
What makes this portion significant is that it was the original route of the old Native American trail, the original Conestoga Trail, that they used to walk between present day Lancaster and the Susquehanna River. The trail continues back to Conestoga River to follow the back roads for a bit, then cuts off road again for a little while along a tiny creek
The trail follows beautiful back roads from here, through little Conestoga area villages and lovely farm lands. The route heads up hill out of the valley of the Conestoga River and then descends to the edge of the Pequaea Creek, following it via back roads.
The trail finally leaves the roads at Martic Forge, where there is a giant old trestle that Lerch will be showing the group on Saturday. This old Pennsylvania Railroad route is mostly a trail today, one that we will hopefully soon be covering, maybe in the Winter time.
Conestoga Trail continues south along Pequaea Creek, and then follows the right of way of an old trolley line down stream through State Game Lands, quite a lovely section. It eventually passes through Pequaea Campgrounds.
Beyond the Pequaea Camgrounds, it's one of those areas where there are signs that say "no trespassing, residents and Conestoga Trail hikers only"!
The route passes through a backwards little area full of old houses, many abandoned.
The trail passes the confluence of the Pequaea Creek with the Susquehanna and then follows a short section of road up hill. The trail climbs then along the high cliffs above the Susquehanna for the remainder of the distance.
It is in this section that the trail passes Wind Cave, largest tectonic cave in the eastern United States. There are several passages within this cave where a lot of time can be spent. This is another place Lerch plans to bring everyone on Saturday. The climb to it is steep, but worth it.
The trail continues up and down along the slope of the Susquehanna, making difficult ascents and descents in order to cross different tributaries. It also passes through some tight spots of schist outcroppings including Fat Pack Squeeze, pictured above.
There are several overlooks, the best of which are House Rock pictured above, and The Pinnacle, which has parking and a lot of people always wandering around. Both are outstanding, but House Rock is probably the best, not only for it's seclusion but for the nice bends in the river.
Nearing the power plant at Holtwood, the trail make it's way up along Kelly's Run, another scenic tributary and follows it for quite some time. The cliffs are quite high in this deep ravine made of Wissahickon Schist, and the trail emerges at the Holtwood Recreation Area.
The original trail route beyond this point was closed during a power plant construction, and must now be a road walk out toward Norman Wood Bridge. The trail descends on the road to cross the Susquehanna River on Norman Wood with more outstanding views.
At the other side, Conestoga Trail descends into Lock 12 recreation area to the lock itself, and ends at a parking area along the Mason Dixon Trail.
This is there area where Lerch is arranging for cars to be left on Saturday as well, that way we'll be able to just get up on Sunday morning and hike without having to worry about a car shuttle.
Just south of this point on the Mason-Dixon Trail is Peavine Island, an outstanding and historic island out in the middle of the river. Given the time, we will head out and explore the island when we are finished with the rest of the hike.
Following this next hike, the only portions left to hike of the Mason-Dixon Trail are from Perryville Maryland to Iron Hill just south of Newark DE, and the section from Black Gut area at Three Mile Island west to the Appalachian Trail at Wiskey Springs. This too we may end up finishing in about a year. There are more opportunities for group camping trips out of Gifford Pinchot State Park along that route. There's sure to be more great things coming up!
If anyone has any further questions feel free to contact me at 908 343 8374 or Lerch at 732 814 5770!
Regards
M'ke H
