Hike #1009; White Lake to Columbia
1/29/17 White Lake to Columbia with Scott Helbing, Amanda Lance, Gregg Hudis,
Our next hike would be another point to point, and the 12th in the Metrotrails group’s 911memorialtrail series. This hike would mark one year of doing the hikes in the series once per month. We had actually stalled in January of 2016 because of a snow storm, and then had it two weeks later, but we have been running them for a year. This one pretty much concluded the entire northern New Jersey portion of the route, which I annexed some great extra stuff too.
911 National Memorial Trail route
The series has been great for me because it brings me back to so many favorite familiar places, most of which are much changed since the last time I’d visited them, making them very worth experiencing again.
This last leg of the route was mostly the Paulins Kill Valley Trail, the former New York, Susquehanna, and Western Railroad. I’d done this many times, but rather than just do that straightforward rail bed, I saw this as an opportunity to showcase other connecting trails in the area, and the best one is the Ridge and Valley Trail. In addition, I could help to showcase the amazing work of the Hardwick Township Historical Society.
We met in the morning at the Portland-Columbia Footbridge on the NJ side.
This seemed like a rather fitting place to finish off this milestone in the series, because where we would end this hike was actually the starting point of the first of our hikes back in 1997, nearly twenty years ago.
I’d been feeling absolutely horrible all week with the craziness of work and more. Things were getting worse and I didn’t know how much more of it I could handle. I was supposed to find out something more by Friday, and I’d heard nothing. I was feeling defeated.
Rich Ohl gives us the grand tour of the Vass House
It’s amazing how, at the start of a hike, all of those bad feelings can just melt away. We easily arranged for the car shuttles, and Tom, Robin, Sue, and Jen headed off first to spot cars and get started a bit earlier. The rest of us soon followed, and reached the historic Vass Farmstead.
The Vass Farmstead is an historic home build on the north shore of White Lake in 1812. The family were prominent in northern Warren and part of Sussex County. The house was purchased by the state as part of White Lake Wildlife Management Area, and the lake and lands on the south side of Stillwater Road/Rt 521 became Warren County’s White Lake Natural Resource Area. Hardwick Historical Society refurbished and repaired the Vass House, and Warren County began to develop the lake lands. Ridge and Valley Conservancy put in the first trail, the Ridge and Valley Trail, which showcases the geological diversity of the province of the same name. The trail is to connect the Appalachian Trail with the Paulins Kill Valley Trail, and connect the entire region, maybe one day with the Warren Highlands Trail to the south.
The Nature Conservancy had the county contract for the management of the property for many years, and when my house in Washington burned down in 2010, and I was left bouncing between family homes, the then county Land Preservation Director Bob Resker convinced the Freeholders to let me live in the former Wiseman House as caretaker.
I’ve had a deep love for White Lake since well before I lived there, as I’d run hikes through the site prior. Living there was an absolute joy, but also the cause of much frustration. The house was broken into many times, which was one of the needs for caretaker, and the guy brought on as land steward did not want to live in the house, and he lied to the county and claimed he lived in Blairstown, when in fact he lived in Mt. Olive.
I stifled myself for a long time regarding the events of that time, but enough has gone by now that I’m quite comfortable speaking openly about it.
For about two years I lived on site, refurbished and re-marked the Ridge and Valley Trail, completed a stalled Nature Conservancy trail project and built a new section of trail connecting to the parking area, which before had no access to the interior property, and cleaned up lots of litter.
For more than the first month I lived there, I was laid off from my job at Hunterdon County Parks, and so I spent a great deal of time out around the park performing maintenance and such. The paid land steward never showed up a single time I was there. In fact, I never met him until I’d been living there for over six months.
Historic wall stencils!
I attended the local meetings, including the Hardwick Township Environmental Commission meetings the steward said he would attend, and he never showed up, and answered no messages regarding them. One of the land owners was there and seemed amenable to giving easements to complete a loop trail around the lake, but the land steward’s absence from the meetings I feel harmed the initiative. He didn’t show up or answer calls when the John Deer Gator arrived to perform maintenance work, and I ended up having to unload the thing using the door of the old Stewardship Barn as a ramp. I ended up busting up the door in the process, but safely got it off! Despite being asked to dispose of the remnants of the door, the land steward did not move them for over two years, and had twenty foot tall invasive Ailanthus trees growing out of it by the time it was moved.
I lost all respect for the guy when I asked him to let me know when he wanted to mark the trails, some of which I built by myself, but he went and did it with ugly arrow markers himself, and hammered all blazes fully into the trees. I removed some of the markers myself, and reblazed it with blue paint. The steward did the rest, and I left the ones I took for him out on the post to the gate along the road. He looked me in the eye at a public meeting and announced he’d picked up the old markers, and I knew they were still there.
“No, I got ‘em!” he said with a big grin. He looked at me, knowing it was a lie, smugly, as if to say “What are you going to do about it?”. I was in a tough position because my residence there was temporary, and to complain too much would just look like sour grapes, so I didn’t say too much except privately.
Even after I moved, I went back up there and found litter all around the parking lot. I had my litter pick stick and a bag, and while cleaning had multiple vehicles with The Nature Conservancy’s emblem on the side stop and ask me where the house was. The steward was having a party for all of them, while I was down at the lot doing his work.
Mr. Resker’s replacement in Land Preservation has been an outstanding asset to the county, and he handled the re-organization of the county park land management with practicality and common sense. Things have moved ahead very positively over the past several years.
Among the positive changes has been the Ridge and Valley Conservancy’s takeover of management of White Lake. Since that time, the perimeter trail has been completed, new gates have been installed, improved parking and a turnaround have been installed to help with runoff, the trails have been reblazed, a split rail fences has been installed, and the R&V Trail has been connected to Paulins Kill Valley Trail eliminating a dangerous road walk.
I’ve consistently been impressed by RVC head Bob Canase, and his employees seem to be people of good character and dedication. I am impressed and optimistic regarding the future of the site under RVC leadership.
The Vass House has been a class act since the first time I stepped in. Guys like Rich Ohl and Al Carrazone have been doing amazing work for years. Their dedication to history and preserving it for future generations is commendable.
The barn at the Vass Farmstead
Mr. Ohl greeted us as we reached the Vass House, and welcomed us all inside.
We started with a little history talk about the site, and he began to take us counter clockwise through the rooms of the house. The group was a bit too big to keep everyone in every room at the same time. Some were extremely interested in the history, and stuck with Mr. Ohl as I did for the entire tour, while others wandered around a little bit more.
The living room and dining room type areas were first. Using matching grants including the county’s Municipal and Charitable Conservancy Trust, they removed a partial wall, and utilized it as an interpretive piece showcasing the use of lathe and such.
In the Vass House
The partially opened wall both serves as both historic interpretation, but also allows the historical society a little bit more room,, making it a more viable setting for community programs.
The entire downstairs was already in good repair the last time I’d seen the inside, but this time the upstairs was much more done over.
Mr. Ohl explained that they had discovered old German style stencil work when they were removing old paint and wallpaper and such. They painstakingly removed, photographed, and measured, and during the rehabilitation, the stencils were duplicated and put back exactly where the original ones were! It looks amazing!
Vass Barn
We were also invited to go up into the attic to see the odd chimney work, where the multiple fireplaces came together to a single chimney.
Mr. Ohl says they found that the original 1812 house was the larger section, and that the part on the west side was an addition, when they had believed that the smaller part was the original initially. The stone work does match up between the two parts quite well.
The downstairs level had a wide room on the west side, and an alternate staircase, a Jersey Winder as they call them, or “Pie Slice Stairs” to the top floor.
After checking out each room of the house, we were invited to the back to see the rehabilitation work that has gone on with the barns.
Date in the old barn
There is a date on one of the old beams, (many of which are hand hewn) which reads “JUNE 1877”. It is likely, according to Mr. Ohl, that at least some of the barn dates back to earlier than that.
Before they began work on it, the north wall of the barn was collapsed and falling in. the historical society did amazing work, rebuilt the entire north wall, and jacked up the center section that had sagged, making it a perfect place for community events as well as weddings and such. They have yard sale events at the barn in the Summer time, and county officials like it so much that they would love to use it for their offices.
There is another old house, not nearly as old as the Vass House, just up the road, which is nearly ready to be demolished. It’s fallen into horrible disrepair and at this point is really too far gone.
Vass barn
We made our way out of the barn and back to the front of the Vass House for a group photo before continuing on our way to the railroad beds.
I gave a little historic interpretation on the lake itself at this point.
White Lake is a glacial kettle hole lake, and is reportedly the largest of it’s kind. I told everyone about the trail system, what I had done, what The Nature Consevancy had installed themselves, and about Ridge and Valley Conservancy’s most recent work.
One of the new land stewards, Courtney, came out to meet us and give us copies of the new map of the preserve. Everyone was in a hurry to continue, so didn’t get to talk to her for too long.
New connecting trail
We followed along the blue blazed trail that The Nature Conservancy put in (I did most of the eastern part, they did the mowed part, and we both worked on the far part). We walked through the area where I worked with TNC to do invasive Tree of Heaven (ailanthus altissima) removal, and paused at the overlook of the lake, where we could see where I used to live. We then walked further on. This was just the red trail in the past, but now the blue trail continued aligned with it. I figured they’d just paint out the old red marks, but they were left in. Before the red trail emerged at the Stewardship Barn, the new trail extension went to the left over some rock steps built beautifully into a stone wall.
Blue trail extension
The trail weaved very nicely through the woods in a somewhat circuitous route, and then emerged into an open field area. From here, there was another nice overlook of the lake. The trail made a jog to the left, and down hill to reach the shore of the lake again, in a well planned route that would help deal with potential erosion problems from pedestrian traffic.
Once on the shore of the lake, the trail turned to the right. There was evidence of a former building there on that side, and another opening to the very shore of the lake with even better views.
The Marl Works
The trail soon reached the route that the former access road, and later brief spur trail put in by The Nature Conservancy used to follow (it had TNC arrow markers that were hammered all the way in and barely lasted a season).
Historic view at the Marl Works
The Marl Works are a popular spot, as we noted by a couple already there in the morning photographing it. The ruin is undeniably one of the drawing factors White Lake NRA has for public, and a continued challenge for land managers. Hopefully the ruin can be stabilized so that what’s left can be preserved for interpretation.
The Marl Works started operation in the 1880s, where marl, a limestone based sediment made of ancient ground up shellfish, was dredge harvested off the base of the lake and processed at the site. It was like a lime kiln on huge scale. The product was then hauled away by train to Newark where it was used to neutralize the sewer systems. The site was also used as an industrial ice house complex in the days before refrigeration.
We continued on the trail from here, which picks up the former spur railroad line that served the Marl Works. I pointed out where the house used to be to the right, which I assume must have housed workers at the Marl Works, or had something to do with it. It was demolished after partial collapse in 2008.
Photo from a Metrotrails hike in 2007 through White Lake showing the collapsing old house
I pointed out to everyone where the new trail has been put in over a southern ridge through the park, and then how the Spring Valley Road and former railroad beds were swapped around in the early 1930s after the spur was abandoned. The trail follows the road route briefly, then crosses an intersection to a new section down to Paulins Kill Valley Trail, with a nice foot bridge along the way.
Marksboro Station site historic view
On the descent, we could see where Marksboro Station used to be, and out toward the junction with the White Lake spur. The site has changed so much.
Historic view of the Marksboro Station site
Today, the station site is the Paulins Kill Valley Trail parking area at Marksboro. A new sign has been erected about the Ridge and Valley Trail. I think the photos I posted would make a good interpretive sign.
Marksboro Station Site today
We reached the bottom and turned right on Paulins Kill Valley Trail.
The trail is formerly the New York, Susquehanna, and Western Railroad, which was completed through this area in 1881, and then abandoned in 1962. At 29.3 miles, it is New Jersey’s longest rail trail, and a large component of the 911 National Memorial Trail.
PKV Trail near Paulina
The stretch from Marksboro to Columbia is probably my favorite stretch of “official” rail trail anywhere. It’s not too overdone, offers great scenery and diversity, and is always somewhat close to the Paulins Kill.
We crossed over a deck girder bridge, and then a through girder bridge. I hung onto the outside of it as I’ve done so many times for years. Of course, I have been hiking this since long before it was a trail with my grandfather. As we got older, he would drop my cousin and I off somewhere, and we’d hike to catch up with him somewhere, and he’d leave silly notes everywhere for us to find. Eventually we’d catch up and hike together.
We took a little side trip when we got to Paulina. There is a little stone bridge and a through pony truss bridge across the Paulins Kill just down stream from the Paulina Dam.
I consider the Paulina Dam to be the most beautiful dam in Warren County. The picturesque trees hanging over make for a very nice framework I have used for many photos over the years.
We walked over, and of course had to climb around on the trusses, which we’ve done probably just about every time we’ve gone by this as a group.
There was a plan recently to remove the dam, but that will be a major turbulation problem for the trail and railroad bed. It will likely cause a huge washout at the through girder bridge up stream, because it was put in well after the river was dammed.
Historic Paulina Dam
Historian Fred Heilich stated the following regarding the old dam:
"The 1874 Beer's Atlas shows Paulina with the dam and mill area as the property of Wildrick. The library has an 1860 Warren County map that shows Paulina with the buildings. A check of that will indicate if there was a dam there in the 1850s. In the late 1880s there was an inspection by a group of silk manufacturers from Paterson to locate a mill there. {John I. Blair} bought the property in the late 1880s or very early 1890s for the Blair Academy laundry, water works, and electric power plant. The dam was of rubble construction, i.e. made of logs and stone. This was later covered with a concrete facing in the 1900s and has had numerous facings since then, but still the old rubble dam is underneath. The Paulina Lake was drained in the mid-1950s, as I recall, after the laundry closed, but still used to pump water.
Historic view of Paulina Dam
“I don't recall if this was before or after the wooden diversion gate for the old sash & blind/ax helve factory rotted thru and drained it or it was pumped to allow dredging of the lake and work on the backside of the dam. I remember that the channel for the Kill was a straight line from the railroad bridge to the fore bay at the laundry. In the mid 1890s the dam was modified to raise the water level of the lake several feet for more water supply for pumping during dry spells and required the NYS&W to raise its tracks and the upper bridge to allow for the new water level. The dam had wooden gates and were supported by heavy wood struts.
Paulina Dam
“The gates were about 4 feet high across the length of the dam in short sections and hinged at the bottoms to the top of the dam. During a heavy storm or high water the gates had to be dropped to prevent damage and flooding. To drop the gates, I was told that Pink Edgerton and someone else (Charlie Sliker ?) would each have long poles with a hook and start from the middle of the dam and work to either side pulling the struts to drop the gates. A dangerous situation on the slippery surface of the dam. If you check the photos that are on this site, I posted a post card that shows the gates in the up position.” - Fred Heilich
We made our way back to the trail from the bridge, and continued on toward Blairstown. There were signs saying something about the trail being closed for replacement of the Rt 94 underpass, but we found no such problems when we got there.
In fact, several in the group put the weird orange and white reflective road blocks on their heads and proceeded to have a battle with them.
Just ahead, we entered Footbridge Park. It was here we broke for lunch at the pavilion. There is a foot bridge across both the Paulins Kill and the flood plain where we could reach Dale's Market, a great little store I used to patronize every day when I lived at White Lake. I recommended everyone go in and try it.
The first time I remember going into the place was back in 2003 when Tea Biscuit went in and purchased an entire chicken. We also went and got a Fosters because it was the largest can they had, and
Tea Biscuit on the footbridge in 2003
I couldn’t resist getting a delicious looking sandwich from the store. A lot of the group opted to hold back and hang out in Footbridge Park, but I found that when the rest of us had gotten back with our delicious looking food, that they too made their way across to get something themselves.
We had a very nice break at the park, and I used some of the time for a little bit more historic interpretation.
The right of way we had been following was the New York, Susquehanna, and Western built in 1881 to the northeast of town, but the NYS&W had acquired the earlier Blairstown Railroad built in 1876 for most of the remainder of our route.
Historic Blairstown view
The town of Blairstown was originally known as Gravel Hill until it took on it’s name from Joh I. Blair.
At Dale's Market
The line operated from it’s junction with the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad in Delaware New Jersey to Blairstown with a small engine they called The Dinky. When NYS&W came in, they extended east to Jersey City, but also west through the Delaware Water Gap on the New Jersey side and across to Stroudsburg. Most of that right of way today has been obliterated by Interstate 80. A short section of that line is now a trail in the water gap known as Karamac Trail. Another section in Stroudsburg is a trail in Glen Park.
The parking lot for the Footbridge Park was the Blairstown Statio. I had read somewhere that the original station was town down to make way for the Blairstown Bicentennial celebration, but have since found this to be incorrect.
Blairstown Station
Historian Fred Heilich again tells me this station was built in 1878 to replace a smaller station. It was burned by an arsonist in 1973, and the buildings removed for the bicentinnial celebration were the lumber yard and old Empire Creamery.
Abandoned house
Soon, we were on our way to the west. We had a very nice level section through the upper portion of the valley away from the river, and then reached Kalarama, where Blairstown Airport is today.
The group was getting pretty segmented, so I wanted to wait up. We’d soon be passing the abandoned house along the way anyway, and everyone could remain together.
I used the opportunity to tell everyone about the fate of the Kalarama Station. At one point, something had happened to the station at nearby Vail. It was determined that the Kalarama Station was no longer needed (probably due to it’s close proximity to the Blairstown Station), and the old station could be loaded onto a train and brought to Vail where the need was greater.
Abandoned building
The station was loaded up, but fell off of the train enroute, marking the end to the old Kalarama station.
Jen had to turn back because she was going to dinner and a John Cleese live show later, so after many Monty Python impersonations we said goodbye and were on our way. The railroad bed is overtaken by the airport ahead, but the trail goes by on the left. We never caught up with Tom and the others, but they had stopped for lunch at the airport rather than at Footbridge Park.
The route was a little different this time. There was a mowed trail to the left which allowed us to stay further away from the airport runways and management roads. It used to be that we could come head to head with a plane walking through the sections ahead before fences were put in.
Silliness
The path took us along an abandoned building we’d seen for years. It was an old nineteenth century structure which still has some hand hewn beams, but not sure of the history behind it. We walked past it and continued along the shore of the pond at Kalarama, called Lake Susquehanna. The name Kalarama itself means “great view”. The lake used to be used as a sort of resort beach. There is still an abandoned restroom and dock area to swim to. In the summer it gets gross and all full of algea, though I’ve been known to swim in it from time to time anyway.
Abandoned bath house
The group got segmented a bit here, which was a big concern to me. Some went ahead, and the new pathway went along the edge of the lake much farther. We had to go to the right to regain the old railroad bed heading west.
Fortunately, everyone figured out where they were going and we were on the right track.
We passed some historic whistle markers, and some old “JC” mile markers for Jersey City.
It wasn’t all that long before we reached Vail, the former station site between Blairstown, Kalarama, and Hainesburg. Jillane met up with us at that point, and parked her car next to a building.
Historic view of Vail Station
The path took us across the road and over a fill above a creek. In this section the right of way makes it’s way closer to the Paulins Kill once again. The time went by pretty fast in this section, and the group again got pretty segmented.
Whistle markers
By the time we reached Station Road in Hainesburg, much of the group was already ahead and making their way back to Columbia. They had gone too fast and would miss the Paulins Kill Viaduct, one of the big highlights of the entire trip.
Don had to cut out early at this point as well, as it was both he and Buddy’s birthday weekend, and his daughter picked him up to attend more celebration.
The rest of us continued on along the right of way which closely parallels Station Road for a bit. It wasn’t long before we reached the Paulins Kill Viaduct over head. To the right was the site of the former Hainesburg Station on the NYS&W with the foundation still there.
Lackawanna Cutoff historic view
I could spend the entire bulk of this note talking about the Lackawanna Cutoff, it’s history, and it’s significance, as there is really just too much to say. It’s one of the largest concrete structures in the world, and one of four sister bridges.
Historic image showing the four sister bridges
The old Lackawanna main line had it’s two tunnels and sweeping curves that imposed lower speed limits and longer travel time between Scranton area and New York City. After the death of John I. Blair in 1899, the Lackawanna reorganized and made many improvements.
Under President William Truesdale, many of the old stone structures were replaced with concrete, and several of the sharper turns were eliminated through the construction of “cutoffs”. There are many lesser cutoffs in Pennsylvania, but the most significant project was the New Jersey Cutoff between Slateford and Lake Hopatcong.
Paulins Kill Viaduct in 1911 near completion
The cutoff is still considered to be the world’s most well built railroad, despite the fact that it was abandoned in 1979. The cut and fill project was the largest of it’s kind ever undertaken before or since.
The greatest and most notable structures on the line were the viaducts, long bridges built to span wide valleys, over the Delaware and the Paulins Kill.
Paulins Kill Viaduct with construction tracks coming from the Lehigh and New England Railroad on the north side.
The seven arch concrete span remains breathtaking to this day, and is the crowning achievment of the Lackawanna in NJ. The railroad was able to not only build something practically strong, but also aesthetically pleasing.
Construction view
We climbed up to check out the bridge while some waited below. Cindy, Serious Sean, Kevin, and I’m not sure who else went ahead. I was concerned that they wouldn’t find the correct trail because it’s not as well marked or obvious where to go when you get to Columbia Lake. Plus they missed one of the coolest parts of the hike!
We didn’t have enough time to explore everything at the bridge, just a brief look around. There are always tons of people around up there anyway.
My first time climbing through the inside of the bridge was when I was eight years old with my grandfather. The little tunnels that pass between each of the smaller arches, modeled after the aqueducts of Rome, allow for passage between all seven arches.
It’s become quite a crazy party spot, and people are constantly getting stuck or hurt in it, so it’s been patrolled much more, and the township has imposed a rule for permits to park at or near the viaduct.
We made our way back down, as we had to continue on a couple of other sections of trail before dark.
Paulins Kill Viaduct
The section of the trail between Hainesburg and Bruglar Road has been a strange bit. It was closed off by a private land owner who put up obnoxious signs reading “Not A Mother F***ing Trail” on it. It used to have a state park gate on it, but it was removed. Someone also sabotauged the trail in that section where it would flood out badly. Back in the early 2000s it was clear and there wasn’t even a gate. I was able to drive my 84 Camaro down this entire stretch, but no more.
Hainesburg Junction looking east historic view
The next point of interest in this section was the former site of Hainesburg Junction.
Same view of Hainesburg Junction looking east Summer 2016
The area looks nothing as it once did today. This was the point where the Lehigh and New England, built in 1886, joined the New York, Susquehanna, and Western and used it with trackage rights some twenty miles to Swartswood Junction.
The telegraph office is a pile of rubble today, and another LNE building which was standing until just a couple of years ago has completely collapsed now.
Hainesburg Junction looking west historic view
The post whee the switch mechanism used to be is still out in the weeds, but almost nothing else remains of this once very busy site.
Same view of Hainesburg Junction, Summer 2016
I was worried that the group would end up folowing the LNE line to the right, because it’s actually clearer than the NYS&W is today. It becomes apparent that it is the wrong way because it reaches an undecked old through truss bridge.
We continued to the left and made our way out toward Bruglar Road.
Sunset on the Paulins Kill at Columbia Lake
There is a beautiful stone arch bridge at Bruglar where we paused for a few moments. From that point, the trail is actually marked on the road to Columbia Lake Wildlife Management Area.
Brugler Road bridge
Rather than follow the road walk section, we turned off when we could to continue following the old NYS&W right of way. The road section, while short, really kind of sucks. The state park service owns the rail bed from this point to the crossing at Warrington, and it used to be maintained as the trail. After the problems occured at Brugler Road with the one land owner, I suppose the the section sort of fell off the plate with regard to maintenance. It’s pretty sad because the section offers a really nice view of the old stone arch bridge, some slack water calm of the Paulins Kill, and an historic railroad cut that’s quite deep. It adds a lot to the hike for such a short section, and it doesn’t really impose on private land owners because you can barely see their places, even in the Winter.
We crossed into Columbia Lake WMA where the old rail bed is used as an access road open to vehicles. The sun was just getting ready to set when we reached the giant pipe that carried the road and trail under Interstate 80.
I stopped one more time to tell of the forgotten junction here.
Interstate 80 crosses the Paulins Kill Lake at almost the same point the NYS&W Railroad main line used to cross on it’s way north, so all remnants of the bridge site are gone. Some of the grade and cut are visible, and bits are used as the access road on the other side, but we would not be walking that this time. The branch to Delaware, the former Blairstown Railraod from 1876, continued on the south side. The trail follows this to the dam at the base of Columbia Lake.
Columbia Dam
The dam at the lake is scheduled to be removed in the near future. The Nature Conservancy is taking some sort of lead role in it’s removal. The lake itself has so badly silted in that it’s just an unhealthy mess of algea and stuff anyway. Years ago it was still quite beautiful, but it’s been over a decade of it looking like crap.
Beyond the dam, the trail followed the rail bed into the woods for just a bit, then descended to the left to what is likely an old spur track right of way to a quarry area just below the grade of the through line. The trail continued on and soon went through the back yard of a house just off of Rt 46. The railroad used to continue to the south, but has been overtakein by Rt 46 here.
The trail turns right to cross the Paulins Kill on the Rt 46 bridge. From it, we could see the earlier Colombia Dam, the remnant which the river flows mostly around today.
The trail turned right onto an access road, then right again down a sidewalk type of thing to the edge of the river, then went under the Rt 46 bridge. It then climbed to the edge of 46 on the other side. The trail is striped as pedestrian route along the left side as we walked to the Portland-Columbia Footbridge.
Stepping into PA...finishing the northern leg of the 911 Trail in NJ
We decided just to walk to the center of the footbridge, which occupies the site of the last covered bridge to span the Delaware River, washed away in the Flood of 1955.
Not everyone went for this part, and opted instead to just head to where we’d have dinner, the Dalton's Columbia Inn (Jillane and I had eaten there recently, and I’d said I would bring the group back when we passed through!).
Columbia Station
The dinner spot used to be quite a railroad hub too. The station was just south of there for the NYS&W that we’d been walking before, but most traces of the railroad through town have been erased. Daltons’s Columbia Inn sat right where the Lehigh and New England used to cross the Delaware. Concrete bases for the stanchions that supported it are still in the lawn across the street.
Everyone was so hungry, I don’t think they cared too much to hear about more history at this point!
At Columbia Inn
We had a really nice dinner to finish the last hike in the NJ 911 Trail route. I told Lerch that the rest of the year would have a lot to live up to if we had to compare it with January. We were off to a really great start, and the list of hikes coming up promise to be just as outstanding.
The next one in the series would be more of a celebratory tour of the area with the the 911 route being the basic spine of the hike, but lots of amazing stuff all around.
No comments:
Post a Comment