Hike #1016; Columbia and Delaware Water Gap

Hike #1016; Columbia and Delaware Water Gap

2/26/17 Columbia and Delaware Water Gap with James Quinn, Sean TheRed, Doug DeGroff, James De Lotto, Nancy Geiger, Pete G. Wilcox, Kelly G, Neil George, Eric Pace Jim Mathews (Mr. Buckett), Bobbi Landrock, Marissa Panton, Carolyn Gockel Gordon, Melissa ?, Buddy V Mayberry, Don Mayberry, Daniel Trump, Scott Helbing, Amanda Lance, Michele Valerio, Timothy Kovich, Jennifer Berndt, ?, Diane Reider, and Ted Wright

This next hike would be the nineteenth in the 911 National Memorial Trail series, one year from when we first started the series.

This had been a particularly good series for me, because it gave me the opportunity to not only promote a trail plan, but to revisit the places I’ve loved hiking in the past, and interpreting a lot of the history I’d come to know well. If not for the series, who knows how long it would be before I’d return to some of these trails.

I had been skeptical about the choice of the northern route for the trail because there was so much road walking involved with it. The route is not ready yet at least for the first few days worth of the hikes, but it was an easier multi use connection with a lot of support from PA trail planners. It has a lot of potential for improvements, but in the meantime I would have to take some liberties with the routes to make them more attractive to hiking. I set in place a plan that would make the first two mediocre sections into something quite outstanding.
Rather than simply follow the designated route, I put in side trips and places to visit that would put it up to par with all of the best hikes we do. This would include waterfalls, an historic farmstead, old rail infrastructure, and a wine tasting.

We met in the morning at the PA Welcome Center off of Route 80 in Delaware Water Gap PA. From there, we shuttled south to the Portland-Columbia Footbridge to start the hike.
This was a fitting start point, because we were to start the Pennsylvania section of this series, and this was where Hike #1 started in 1997. The anniversary hike would not start at this point in a month’s time because I can’t get that many people across the Delaware trestle without a problem.
I gave a talk about the history of the trails and what exactly we were doing, and then we were off. Tea Biscuit offered up a delicious breakfast drink in a mug he’d accidentally swiped from a place from a previous event.
We started following Liberty-Water Gap Trail/Paulins Kill Valley Trail south along Rt 46, where the right side of the lane is striped as the trail. My plan was that we would repeat the last bit of the previous hike, turn onto an alternate trail route on another rail bed, visit the winery, and then come back to the start to continue on the main trail route.
We turned right down hill and passed beneath the Paulins Kill River bridge of Rt 46 on the walkway where we could see the remnants of the original Columbia Lake dam.

Original Columbia Lake dam

From there, we climbed up the other side, and the trail crosses over the Paulins Kill via the pedestrian walkway. Just beyond, it turns to the left onto a back yard, which is actually the original right of way of the Blairstown Railroad built in 1876.
The Blairstown Railroad went to John I. Blair’s namesake hometown, and was purchased and extended by the New York, Susquehanna, and Western Railroad in 1881 through the Delaware Water Gap on the NJ side, and on to Stroudsburg to the west (extended via their subsidiary to Wilkes Barre in 1893), and to Jersey City to the east.

Historic image of Columbia Lake Dam

The trail keeps to what was probably a quarry siding to the right, with the original track bed to the left for a bit, then turns left to reach that track bed just below the current Colombia Lake Dam.

Columbia Lake Dam

I wanted to go by this dam just one more time, because it is scheduled to be removed. Columbia Lake behind it is a mess of silt and crap, and really is not nearly as nice as it once was. The Nature Conservancy is spearheading it’s removal.
We continued on the trail, which follows the railroad bed along the lake to Route 80.
At Route 80, the trail passes through a giant pipe beneath. Where the 80 bridge over the Paulins Kill is today was once the main line bridge for the New York, Susquehanna, and Western. The line we were walking had connected with the Lackawanna old main line in Delaware, and the junction with these two branches was obliterated through the highway construction.

PKV Trail at Columbia Lake

The right of way is regained shortly after the pipe, and is used as an access road to Columbia Lake Wildlife Management Area.
We headed along the trail further along the lake, and then into a wooded area to reach Warrington Road.
Here, the trail officially goes right now, and then turns left on Bruglar Road for a short distance to get to the next wooded section. However, the rail bed is still clear enough to walk directly ahead, and is entirely on state owned land. I like to instead follow that route, which has a nice view of the stone arch where Bruglar crosses the Paulins Kill.

Postcard image of the Blairstown Railroad from Fred Heilich collection

We passed through the wooded section on the rail bed, then reached the stone arch at the road and regrouped. There used to be the historic Bruglar House on the hill just beyond, but someone bought the property and just demolished it. Mrs. Bruglar lived there for years, until she was about 100.

Bruglar Road bridge

Just to the east of the road, Hainesburg Junction is where the Lehigh and New England joined the New York, Susquehanna, and Western, on which it had trackage rights for about twenty miles to Swartswood. The section of LNE from there to Rt 94 is privately owned by people who flip out if anyone walks their section, so we had to turn left and follow Bruglar Road to it’s intersection with Rt 94, where that railroad line crossed. It was abandoned in October of 1961, and a few years ago the township of Knowlton purchased the section from Rt 94 west to Stark Road, and state park service owns a section west of there for a bit.

Old LNE grade with the intended extension to the left

We got on the right of way, which has no trespassing signs that are not legitimate, and then followed it to the west. To the right, I could see the right of way of the line that was intended to be the Lehigh and New England main line apart from the NYS&W. It was intended they would have their own line without trackage rights, and a culvert (not Tunnel Park) was built under the Lackawanna Cutoff just to the east, but the line never was completed despite grading in several places (reportedly near Swartswood and at the cemetery in Blairstown are sections).
We continued to Stark Road on the rail bed, then turned left to make our way to Brook Hollow Winery.

T Bizkit and Tinkerbell, Don M and Buddy

I love adding things like this onto the hikes. One of the many series we have been working on is to visit all of the wineries in the state of NJ as part of hikes. We have done several of the great South Jersey ones, but not as many in North Jersey.
We had visited Brook Hollow in the past, but not with such a huge group. I figured since this was along the way, it would be an excellent stop of they would be open when we were coming through. I gave a call earlier in the week to see if we could make some sort of arrangements to arrive around 11 am.

Mr. Ritter talks about his unique wines

They told me it would be fine, but they went above and beyond what we were expecting.
We arrived to find place settings for over thirty people, all around nicely set tables with Brook Hollow wine glasses.
The owner himself, Mr. Paul Ritter, was there to greet us all. He started the winery with his wife and family around 2007 originally on a tributary to the Yards Creek called Brook Hollow before moving to the present location. He even allowed Tea Biscuit and Don to bring their dogs, Buddy and Tinkerbell into the tasting area.

Brook Hollow Winery

Mr. Ritter seated us all and gave us a dissertation on each one of his wines. Everything he has at the winery is grown on site; he imports no grapes or other fruits from anywhere in the world.
The wines were all quite good. I got some of the Riesling myself.
He answered all questions and really provided us with an excellent time.
Delotto also met up with us at the winery to complete the rest of the day with us.
After spending a little over an hour at the winery, we made our way out and headed back down Stark Road to the old Lehigh and New England grade to the west, which passes through state land to the municipal road department area.

The group at Brook Hollow Winery with owner Paul Ritter

We followed the former rail bed from the municipal road lot and out to the frontage route along Interstate 80. There is nothing left of a bridge that once carried the rail line over the road here, or the fill on the other side.

Lehigh and New England bridge remnant after abandonment and partial removal, Columbia NJ

The New York, Susquehanna, and Western also passed through Columbia and had a station, and went beneath the large trestle that carried the LNE line across the Delaware toward it’s western terminus near Tamaqua PA.

Historic image of Columbia Station

Some of the old NYS&W is now a road in Columbia called Susquehanna Lane. I once tried to follow it and a guy came out of his house hollering. So we didn’t try that this time. We simply walked up to the TA Travel Center, crossed Rt 80 on the road bridge, and then went down Decatur Street toward the old LNE bridge site.

Construction of Lehigh and New England original bridge

Near the restaurant where we ate at the previous 911 hike, I pointed out the concrete bases that held the stanchions for the LNE trestle, which was a very long structure.

Historic LNE bridge view

The Lehigh and New England was built through the area in 1886. As per historic photos, it had stone piers, but the ones remaining on the NJ side are made of concrete. This leads me to believe the bridge was replaced at some point, but I’m not sure when.

Lehigh and New England bridge site today

After viewing the former bridge site, we made our way just a bit more to the south, back to where we started and parked the cars. From here, we turned onto the Portland-Columbia Footbridge to Pennsylvania.

View across the former Lehigh and New England bridge

Portland to Columbia was the site of the last of many covered bridges that once spanned the Delaware River. The original covered bridge was built here in 1869. Amazingly, it survived all of the floods of previous years including the devastating Pumpkin Flood of 1903.

Historic postcard view of Columbia NJ

The bridge remained a toll bridge until 1927, and in 1953 it was closed to vehicles when the Portland-Columbia Toll Bridge just down stream was opened to traffic. It remained open as a pedestrian bridge until it finally succumbed to the Flood of 1955, when Hurricane Diane dumped the heaviest flood in local recorded history.

Portland Columbia Covered bridge

Three of the four wooden spans washed away, and the remaining one was removed. In 1957, the current footbridge opened up using the original bridge’s piers, but with concrete caps for added height.

Historic image of Portland Columbia covered bridge

We made our way out onto the bridge, which provided us with excellent views of the Delaware Water Gap to the north. As of now, the Liberty-Water Gap trail has it’s last marker on the PA side of the bridge.

Delaware Water Gap view

The Lehigh and New England bridge would have been visible just to the north from the bridge, but even the piers to it are gone now.
We entered PA on the bridge, and then made a pit stop at the Port Mart, where I’ve been going for my entire life after or during hikes.

The group on the Portland-Columbia Bridge on the state line.

When I was little, I would go hiking with my grandfather in the Delaware Water Gap area very often. On our way home, we would always pull over on the NJ side of the Portland Columbia footbridge and walk across for snacks and drinks at the Port Mart. They always had Lehigh Valley Farms chocolate milk, which had always been the best (since they went with the Tru Moo variety, it’s not nearly as good).

Historic view of the Portland-Columbia bridge

When I started the hikes, we of course stopped in Port Mart, and then many times after school or work I would bring my friends for short hikes, and we’d make the same pit stop at the Port Mart.
I walked in this time with a glass of wine, wearing my suit, which must have looked as crazy as many of the things we do.

Historic aerial view of the Portland-Columbia area including the covered bridge, Lehigh and New England bridge, and Paulins Kill Viaduct with the Delaware Water Gap beyond.

In front of the bridge and behind Port Mart was the old Lackawanna Railroad main line. The original plan was for it to remain on the NJ side, but in the 1850s, the competitor company, Morris and Essex, bought the land on the NJ side to bar the Warren Railroad, which became the Lackawanna main, from being built. John I. Blair had a new line surveyed on the PA side instead to deal with this problem, which is why that line crosses the Delaware to the south as it does.

Historic image of Portland PA

The old station still stands and is in reasonably good condition. We all turned to the right and opted to follow the tracks since there is no official trail yet. It didn’t prove to be a problem through this area and there were no trains. The line was once double tracked, so there was plenty of room.

Historic view in Portland PA

My next plan was to have a lunch stop in Slateford, at the Slateford Inn. I’d done a lunch stop here once before and it was absolutely excellent. I didn’t consider that this would be a difficult thing for such a large group.

We made our way off of the tracks when we neared the Delaware Viaduct, the circa 1909 concrete bridge built for the Lackawanna Cutoff. I think the road through Slateford may at one time have been the tracks, because it seems to be graded as such.

Historic image north of Portland PA with trolley

We passed beneath the Delaware Viaduct, is which is quite a site to see. It is the longest, but actually smallest of four sister bridges that cross the Paulins Kill in NJ, Martins Creek, and Tunkhannock Creek in PA.

Delaware Viaduct construction

The cutoff project was one of many shortcut improvements made on the Lackawanna Railroad under it’s President, William Truesdale in the early 1900s. The four bridges remain the largest concrete structures in the world, and the cut and fill project is the largest ever undertaken.

Construction of Lackawanna Cutoff's Delaware Viaduct

We followed the road through downtown Slateford and soon reached the Slateford Inn. It was far busier than I had anticipated it being, and I found out that their chef was not even in yet. A lot of the group was annoyed that we couldn’t get lunch there, and Jen and Michele stayed to wait for something. Michele’s husband Scott came to meet up with them, and the rest of us continued on.

Delaware Viaduct

We headed onto the road from here, up hill to Rt 611, which is currently the designated trail route. I didn’t want to stick with this when there’s so much other cool stuff to see, so my next turn was to take everyone up into the Slateford Gorge.
We turned left on 611 briefly, then turned right onto National Park Drive. We went up hill only for a bit, and then turned to the right onto a narrow, unmarked footpath along the edge of the Slateford Creek, atop a dangerous cliff.
The ravine here is outstandingly beautiful and well worth the side trip to break up the road’s monotony.

Slateford Gorge

The lower two waterfalls on the creek don’t really have a well beaten path along them. It’s necessary to just hop along the rocks, or otherwise stay on the more well trod trail above.
I of course kept with the lower route while some went with the upper.
We went up stream on the rocks, and Red Sean got on the opposite side, which is far more difficult to climb, but still managed to make his way up, top hat and all. Tea Biscuit, Tinkerbell, Don, and Buddy had to take to the route the dogs could get up a bit downstream of the rest of us.

Lower Slateford falls

We managed to climb up steeply to get to the well used trail, and then followed it up stream to a former quarry site. Today, the creek spills over the quarry walls as another breathtaking waterfall. Someone even put guide ropes along the trail now to aide hikers.

Central Slateford Falls

From here, we had to climb off trail up the hill to get back to National Park Drive. It was probably the toughest part of the entire hike. We all managed to get up, and then turned to the left on the road, which turns left, but the parkway style road continues beyond gates straight ahead.

At the end of the parkway style road, the Slateford Farm trail turned to the right. We followed this for a little bit, and checked out an abandoned barn building. When I was little, this was still a staffed interpretive site. There were rangers giving tours of the old farm house beyond that was furnished with period pieces. I remember touring it with my grandfather.
I did a hike through the area with the gruop in 2003, and even then it was in better shape than it is today. It’s sad to see the place deteriorating as it is.

Slateford Farm in 2003 on one of my hikes

The property dates back to the 1700s when it was owned by the Phifer or Pfeifer family. There was already field lands there when it was purchased, but little information about what structures were there earlier can be found.

Slateford Farm on the hike

The original homestead is a small building sitting to the right of the main house. The family lived there while the main one was being constructed. The main building dates back to the 1800s.
Now, the building sits vacant, broken into, and with no furniture or anything still inside.

The Water Gap seen from Arrow Island Trail

At the start of this hike, I got a surprise picture message from my old friend Gary Conklin, who hiked with me (and is pictured) when we explored the site in early 2003. Gary sent me a picture message of the hand drawn map of the Delaware Water Gap area with my mileages I’d scaled off written to the side. Sadly, most of these hand drawn maps I used in the earliest days of the hikes were lost to the house fire six years ago, but a few still exist because I always used to give copies of them to all of the participants on the hikes. It was a nice surprise, and very fitting that he sent it on this day. He said he’d seen the posting that we’d be in the same area and had to send it.

My hand drawn Delaware Water Gap map sent to me by Gary Conklin

We passed the farm house and continued on Slateford Farm Trail to where it connected with the white blazed Arrow Island Trail. This trail gradually heads down hill parallel with Rt 611 for a much more scenic route than the boring highway.
We followed the trail, which in part follows old road routes associated with the slate quarries in the area. Another blazed side trail, which appears unmaintained, went off to the left, but we didn’t follow that this time. There was too much else to do and it was getting late fast. We continued gradually down the former road route to where the trail turned off to the right to the Arrow Island Overlook and parking area, but continued straight ahead on the old road route.

Historic image of Cold Air Cave attraction

Our next point of interest would be the Cold Air Cave. This was at one time a tourist attraction with a building attached to it along the edge of Rt 611. We didn’t have far to walk on the highway to reach this point.

Cold Air Cave

The area is far different than it once was, with very little development. Over two hundred years ago, there was a tavern in this area along what is now 611. It was demolished in 1812, and a stone homestead was built near it for a time, but it too is now gone.

Near Cold Air Cave

Some of the masonry foundation remnants are still in place in the front of Cold Air Cave. Sadly, the place has been hit heavily with very ugly graffiti.
From here, we continued on back to 611 to walk north for a bit more. The next point of interest is the Point of Gap overlook. There is a round stone structure with a small roof on the right from which the “Indian Head” of Mount Tammany can be seen. It is said to look like the profiel of Cheif Tammany. We paused here only a short time before continuing along to the north.

Indian Head overlook

The former Lackawanna Railroad is almost at grade with 611 in this area. 611 has nearly no shoulder here, and with the group close enough together, I figured we could just walk along the tracks to the north. Again, it was once double tracked, and it is further the only way to view the beautiful lower Caldeno Falls. It’s also far safer than trying to pass along the edge of Rt 611. I don’t really know what they plan to do with the trail through this section. Maybe it will end up along side the tracks after all.
We headed down and started following them to the north with beautiful Gap views.

Historic Delaware Water Gap postcard

We continued to walk until we got to just below the site of the historic Kittatinny House, probably the most beautiful hotel that ever graced the Delaware Water Gap, back when it used to be the vacation capital of the world.

Historic image of Kittatinny House

The amazing Kittatinny House has it’s history dating back to the late 1820s with Antoine Dutot, who built the first structure. At the time, the town of Delaware Water Gap was known as Dutotsville.
The hotel was sold and expanded upon, and in either the 1880s or 1890s, the original building was razed in favor of an even larger structure.

Caldeno Falls

Amazingly, the Caldeno Creek (named as an amalgam of the names of the men who discovered it) flowed right through the kitchen of the hotel, and then spilled gracefully over the rock ledges as a picturesque waterfall. We all paused at the falls for some photos.
The Kittatinny House came to it’s end when it burned to the ground in 1931. Similar fates befell many of the great old hotels of the Water Gap.

Kittatinny House

Today, the foundation of the Kittatinny House is known as Resort Point Overlook, a parking area and trail head. The fountain base from the hotel is still in an island of grass in the lot.

Historic postcard image of the station

We continued along the tracks to the north from here. It wasn’t too long before we reached the Interstate 80 overpass, just beyond which is the old Lackawanna Railroad station.
Some of the group opted to just go on the tracks back, but my plan was to walk through town and get some food, plus follow the more scenic designated route.

Historic Del Water Gap postcard

While other went straight, we walked up hill past some road cones, and then scrambled along some rocks. This took us up along the bridge parallel, and then to the walkway, the route of the Appalachian Trail through the Delaware Water Gap.
We followed the AT to the left after the bridge, into town.
Soon, we turned right on the main drag and reached some of the historic buildings. To the right, in the sidewalk, we could read the tiles which still bear the name “Castle Inn”, another of the stately old hotels. The Castle Inn was the last of the old Water Gap hotels, built in 1906, and one of the few that still stands.

Downtown Delaware Water Gap

We continued to where the Appalachian Trail turns to the left up Mountain Road, which will be our route for the next hike in this series, and continued down hill on Rt 611 to find someplace to east dinner.

Postcard view of Delaware Water Gap

We didn’t have to go far before we found the Sycamore on the right, a nice dining establishment that seemed to fit our needs. We all went in to get a bite, which was delicious.
We hung out for a while, and my friend Corrin showed up to say hello, as she was transitioning her stuff from her parents’ house to her new place in Delaware Water Gap near Pocono Environmental Education Center.

Historic Castle Inn photo

The only problem we faced was that the phone lines were out from the recent wind storm, so they could not use credit cards. Fortunately, someone picked up the tab with cash (I owe someone, was it Tim?).

Downtown Delaware Water Gap

After eating, we headed down the road a bit further, and turned right out toward Rt 80. Just after the underpass, we reached the parking area to the left across from the PA Welcome Center to complete the day. I got a ride back to the Metro Car at Columbia to drive it home from a hike for the last time. I’d recently been given Jillane’s sister Jamie’s old car, as she had gotten a new one as a graduation present, and Jillane was allowed the old one. So many changes as of late have just added to the stress of everything, but this positive day was perfect for putting that all to the side and feeling human again.

Historic water gap postcard

I’ve not posted many more hikes as of yet because I don’t know where I’m going to be or what I might get forced into for work. I do however plan to continue this series on a monthly basis branching out to the west across Pennsylvania, with the next one leading us to Wind Gap, and to another wine tasting. Somehow, we will manage to keep the positive trips happening.