This fall has been going great with the Metrotrails events! There have been plenty of interesting trips that have forged important connections and opened us up to new areas.
October was a landmark month for us in that we have seen the greatest gain in membership in many years! Thanks to a lot of cross posting through other interest groups, most of our posts through our facebook page are doing 95% better than those of the past, and our meetup group saw the largest membership influx since implementing it's use in 2011! Great news! Check out the stats!
Because there are so many newcomers to our group, I'll take a few moments to explain what we're all about...
Metrotrails was formed informally in 1997, and the mission is to assist with planning, development, maintenance, and promotion of trails and public open spaces. Have a look at our schedule of events. If you're familiar with other hiking groups, you might notice a huge difference in the locations of posted events. We almost never repeat the same hike, and we host the hikes in places most of the larger hiking groups don't visit, and try to cover longer distance.
We engage in long hikes as a primary function, but also plan and develop new trails mainly in the Skylands region of NJ. Ours is an eclectic group of people of all ages and all walks of life, from all over the tri state area.
You might notice that the location of the group changes from time to time. This is because the Metrotrails operating area is throughout the New York/Philadelphia metropolitan area, hence the name "Metrotrails", and our logo representing two cityscapes with the path and tree between.
Expect to see events posted all over New Jersey, as well as New York, Pennsylvania, and even some Delaware and Maryland from time to time. We may soon include a couple of hikes in Connecticut as well.
Each hike is intended to be an entirely different kind of experience than the previously posted ones. We'll cover mountains and formal trails, as well as rail trails and canals. In the Summer time there are beach hikes, and in the Winter urban city hikes.
If you see a hike posted but opt not to do it, don't assume the same hike will be hosted around the same time next year! After almost 18 years, we've barely repeated any!
Also, I endeavor to connect each hike physically with other hikes I have organized. These hikes total more than 13,000 contiguous miles, more than half way around the globe if stretched out. As of now, our furthest west point we've reached is beyond the Susqhehanna River into Cumberland Valley, the furthest south has been Cape May (although I've connected now to Baltimore, which isn't as far south), furthest north is Yankee Hill on the Mohawk River of NY, and furthest east surprisingly is Albany.
I also try to showcase the historic and ecological aspects of the areas we hike.
We have quite a few interesting events coming up! Here's what to expect!
Trail work:
We recently completed clearing and blazing the new Musconetcong River Trail from the River Resource Center in Asbury to Valley Road naring Hampton! The new trail was developed partially by this wonderful non profit, but they needed some help! Some of what they cleared was long grown in, and other sections were never marked at all. In about a month and a half of work trips, we were able to clear and blaze this route which is now open to hikers and fishermen. It has some nice deep, secluded fishing holes and lovely river views the entire way. Trail heads are along the river on Maple in Asbury, and on Valley Rd outside Hampton, Warren Co. side of the bridge. There is a stream crossing with no bridge yet at the Valley Road so, so requires a good hop. The through trail route is 1.7 miles. We will be working to redevelop an orange loop trail as well in the near future. (Hikes meet at 8:30 am unless otherwise noted).
11/30: Mahlon Dickerson
Join Dan Lurie, subbing for me this weekend on a hike in Mahlon Dickerson Reservation and Sparta Mountain. The exploratory loop includes foot paths as well as the historic Ogden Mine Railroad right of way. We offer a guide to this trail on our official website here:
http://metrotrails.org/Metrotrails/Ogden_Mine_Railroad.html
12/5: Friday Saddle River Hike
Join Dan Lurie and company for a jaunt along NJ's Saddle River! Should be a very interesting route!
12/6: North Hunterdon/South Warren Hike and Decemberween!
One of our traditions is hiking 'close to home', visiting my grandfather and hiking local trails. There are still so many we haven't covered, and this time we'll do Point Mountain as well as the new Port Murray Preserve, including the new Morris Canal Trail we are working to develop. The hike ends at our Decemberween Party at Washington Theater!
12/6: Metrotrails' Decemberween Party (6:30 pm ish). Cost: $10.
Join us for a costume party in December, in the historic Washington Theater with music by our friend Jack Lowry's band, GYPSY FUNK SQUAD! This is a fund raiser to help SAVE THE WASHINGTON THEATER! The owners recently acquired permits to demolish this landmark, and help is needed to save it from these untimely demise. There will be popcorn concession. BYOB.
12/12 Tentatively Planned nigth hike, 3:45 pm.
Hike parks and old rail lines in northern Hunterdon County
12/14 Appalachian and Darlington Trails
This point to point hike follows these two famous trails in the mountains just west of Duncannon PA, and is a major connection to 100 more miles we've explored in Cumberland Valley. Great views and lovely terrain.
12/21 Annual Holiday NY City Hike! 9:45 am
Always among our best attended events, this year we will hike the High Line again, with it's newly opened final section, then head to the East River and follow the waterfront north with outstanding bridges and much more. Meeting at xmas tree in Penn Station.
12/29 Jersey Perimeter Series: Port Norris and Turkey Point.
We grow closer to completing the entire perimeter of NJ with every trip! This section takes us along Maurice River and north through former oyster capitol of the world.
These hikes have been much more interesting than one might think!
1/1: First Day Hike on Warren Highlands Trail!
Another of our great projects is a future cross county trail in Warren County, and we'll hike what we have complete so far on New Years Day! Should be a lovely hike with good views, abandoned mine, and more!
As we move on through January there are even more great hikes coming up that include lesser known rail trails, both urban and rural trips, and more!
Hope you can join us for many of them!
M'ke Helbing
President
Metrotrails
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