Hike #859; Rieglesville/Milford/Upper Black Eddy Loop
6/24/15 Rieglesville/Milford/Upper Black Eddy Loop with Shane Blische, Larry Philips, James Russel, and Eric Gregorich
The group in Rieglesville
Our next hike would be a loop starting in Rieglesville NJ, at the lot just south of the old Roebling Bridge over the Delaware. The purpose of posting this hike was because I was missing a tiny bit of the NJ Perimeter in the area of Holland Township, and wanted to get it done. There is a great loop opportunity using the former Belvidere and Delaware Railroad as well as the Delaware Canal towpath on the Pennsylvania side, so I put it together and headed out.
This time, we had only two newcomers, my co worker Eric, who after many attempts at coercing finally made it out, and James Russel who used to work at Spruce Run and had just come back from Florida. He'd done some short hikes with me, but never any of the big ones, so it was cool to finally have him out too.
Train in Rieglesville
Northbound freight train led by RS11 diesel #8632 about to cross the Musconetcong River trestle bridge. Phillipsburg Railroad Historians.
Shane again brought his Bel Del Railroad book to give us some history along the way. It was nice to be able to just get going on this one rather than have to car shuttle. We already were running a bit behind, but we managed to get moving quickly enough.
The station used to be right across the street from where we were parked. There is an effort to try to rebuild the station for use by the excursion line out of Phillipsburg, but because it's historic reproduction, it's not been priority to rebuild.
Historic view, Rieglesville store
The old store building still stands along the tracks next to the railroad crossing. I talked to a guy there who told me it was horrible and not worth fixing up. He said that the floors had collapsed and the entire inside was no longer any good. I never quite believe things like that because I've seen places brought back.
Rieglesville store
The general store and railroad crossing at Riegelsville in the early 1950s. The water tower belonged to the paper plant that once stood next to the general store.
We headed onto the Bel Del tracks and began heading south past the store.
Historic view, Rieglesville store
Just ahead, we crossed the Musconetcong River on the bridge. There was a pier off to the right that was part of the former Riegle paper mill. I didn't know what the pier was for before, but Shane knew. Once we got across the bridge, there was a nice path heading down along the Musconetcong River to a new boat launch parking area. There were some kids sitting on the one abutment, and when I asked them why they weren't in the water, the one kid said something about not being one of those "river folk" or something. I forget exactly what it was, but it sounded hilarious.
View from the new boat launch in Holland/Rieglesville area
We headed through the boat launch with it's expensive looking and huge lot, then over to the launch itself with a nice dock. We had a good view here of the Roebling Rieglesville Bridge too. From this point, I had to follow Old River Road rather than the railroad to get in part of the NJ Perimeter I was missing.
Perimeter done so far
I had already hiked the entire perimeter mostly through the entire state save for the few sections remaining on the Delaware Bay and such. There are actually only three more full day hikes left in the series. However, I am missing a ton of little snippets. For those missing pieces, I am putting together night hikes to complete them, or putting together full hikes that incorporate those missing pieces. A couple of the pieces would be the ones we'd do parallel with the old Bel Del line here. We turned to the right and began following Old River Road to the south through Holland. Shane stayed up on the Bel Del while the rest of us walked the road. He is on a personal mission to cover the entire Bel Del, but I've already done that.
Old River Road, Holland
We started walking down Old river Road into the Holland Township area. The town of Holland itself would be the river area a bit south of us I suppose. We entered an historic district with a sign a bit further down.
Refurbished historic home
Old stone home in Holland
The road was very very narrow. I really liked the look of that. I was also glad we covered this section during light hours because there really is so much to see on it. Along the way, we passed several old historic homes. In particular, there was a large masonry farmhouse on the hill to our left. It had been well repointed and refurbished with respect to it's historic character. The roof had been replaced, probably had upper windows added, and it appeared to have an addition on the rear, but it was still very nice. Unfortunately, out buildings were not as painstakingly preserved yet.
Just down the road, a second old stone house was in far poorer shape than the previous one. The facade facing the road was okay, but the entire rear of the building had apparently collapsed or was removed. The roof was gone, and we could see some wood remained but much of it would have to be gutted. There were scaffold sections behind the thing, so someone had been working on it, but recent work did not look too apparent. The structure had been built right up into a rock face, which was really interesting. Hopefully something can be done to save this handsome structure.
Delaware River view in Holland
We continued along the road further on, and were treated to some very nice views of the Delaware River. Some of the homes to our left had private access points to the river from here. There were some nice huge trees growing along the right bank as we walked.
Near a field Shane called me, and we figured out where each other were based on the same landmarks or trees we could each see from our locations. We soon reached where the road crosses the tracks and we amazingly ended up reaching the spot at the same time. We got on the tracks to the south from here, as the road headed further inland.
Historic view of a train in Holland
We followed the tracks for a ways, and they had become covered over almost completely in places by grasses, possibly Japanese Stilt Grass. The railroad skirted farm lands to the south.
I asked Eric how he was doing, since it was his first time out with us. "I feel..." he replied with a pause, as if he hadn't yet considered how he was feeling. "I feel great!" he continued as if he had just had an epiphany. I was very happy to hear he was feeling so well. It was around this time that I realized myself that this group reminded me of the one from the first hike in 1997. Shane is as much a railroad prodigy to the Bel Del Railroad as I was for the Lackawanna old main when I started; the others I had met through work. They did not seek out Metrotrails, they were invited through common life interactions in much the way I organized the earliest hikes. It changes the dynamic somewhat, when someone comes into something already as a friend or acquaintance, personally invited rather than with a set of expectations typically pinned to a hiking or whatever type of group.
The group was also more youthful than typical. I realized that the ages of participants were 18, 19, 20, 21, and 35. At first, I considered if I should feel at all weird about this. But I don't at all. It was just as luck would have it that this would be the age group, and we often have people in their seventies join us. It ended up just being a reminder to me that age really doesn't matter, and fun doesn't judge the the person who is having it.
We continued into some woods and passed an old switch. There was an old rail car on a side track abandoned, and then ATV paths closer to the river. I walked down to follow those for a bit, since it was closer to the perimeter than what I'd followed before. When the paths sort of ended, we went back to the Bel Del line. We also checked out a lovely old stone arch culvert under the tracks.
Soon, we reached the old passenger car we'd been going into for years. This was another big reminder of the passage of time for me. My first time going into this car that I can remember was on a hike in 2001.
In the passenger car, 2001
At the time, there were no trees surrounding it. It was completely visible to everything around it. Now it is completely within the woods. When something can grow so tall as a tree in such a short span of time it is absolutely amazing. I think about all of the places I've been, and my grandfather telling me how things used to be.
Same view, 2015
How very strange it seems to be able to tell someone else how something used to be. How can I be so old that something can grow so tall? How could 14 years have passed since that day I remember so clearly?
After checking out the passenger car, I looked beyond and did not see other cars through the fence of the power plant lands beyond. There was a hole in the fence I climbed through to see if they were there, but I figured they must have been scrapped and hauled away in pieces because I didn't initially see them. Then, just a little further down the tracks we spotted them. They were still there, all of them.
Passenger car
There was another hole in the fence and no visible signs, so we went to have a look at them. They were all open and it was really cool to go in and have a look around. These cars were in better shape than the other one that was more accessible. We walked to the back of the first one, to the right, and it was full of old train magazines and such getting destroyed. Fortunately Shane can save historic info on all of that stuff. He moderates the old and new Bel Del group page on Facebook, so he posts a lot of historic documentation.
James and I went first through the line of the rest of the cars. There was one with all seat mattresses, and one car that appeared to be a mechanics car full of tools and parts and such. The last one in the line was locked off best, and appeared to be in the best shape while the others were in various stages of disrepair.
We hung out probably longer than we should have or that "serious hikers" should, but it was too cool not to hang around. Outside, there was a concrete thing in the bushes that Shane decided to check out. It turned out to be an old Pennsylvania Railroad shelter of some kind laying on it's side. Shane spotted the Keystone emblem on the top above the door which obviously denotes it as a Pennsy structure (Bel Del became part of Pennsylvania Railroad later in it's life).
We walked on past the power plant, and there was a mile marker reading 29 and 39 neither of us had ever noticed before. Shane knows where all the old mile markers used to be, but this one was surprising to be there because it was right along the power plant fence. We crossed over the access road and continued into farm lands on the other side. To our right, we had some nice views of Nockamixon Cliffs and Top Rock in PA.
Old track car
The tracks became somewhat overgrown, but it was still easy to walk because there was often a parallel ATV path. We continued through to a farm area and a parallel road took up where a second track used to be. There was an abandoned bridge below a creek crossing to the left that was made of old railroad rails, and a handsome stone bridge over the creek for the railroad. Shane went down hill to photograph all of these.
Ahead, we came across a surprise: a speeder parked on the tracks. Speeders are light weight petroleum driven rail cars used typically for maintenance and such. This had never been on this stretch of track any time I had been on it. Shane checked it out, and the key was in it. It would not start.
Just then, a guy came up on us driving an ATV utility vehicle. He was the local farmer checking on what we were doing out there. He was also involved with the railroad. I told him who we were and what we were doing, at which point he was fine with us being there. Apparently there are a lot of questionable characters who go back there, but between Shane and I and our constant support of the railroad, it'd be rare for anyone to have a problem with us.
I had recently talked to Chasing News for my Jersey Perimeter hikes, and mentioned to the reporter about the railroad debacle in Pohatcong Township. Farmland Preservation regulations and zoning issues had put an end to some operations of the railroad in the area, which I brought up. I was elated to see that Chasing News did a piece on the railroad on one of the nights my piece was to be broadcast. It was portrayed in such a way to hopefully light a fire under the butts of decision makers to keep the railroad going. It's one of Warren County's greatest tourist draws. Chasing News joked that pretend mining for kids was not allowed in zoning, but "Adult Entertainment" was. A line of jokes followed regarding strippers on the trains.
The farmer told us that the historic Holldand Station used to be just behind where we were standing.
Historic view, Holland Station
Holland Station in the mid 1920s. This stop along the Bel-Del was established in 1853 and shut down in 1952.
After having a nice chat, we moved on along the tracks heading to the south. There are so many things I have in the past overlooked that Shane notices. Junctions, rails, switches, and different kinds of mechanical operations that were part of the every day workings of the railroad are right there in plain sight, but I never really noticed it before.
Old switch thing
We continued on along the tracks until it came up close to the road again, heading into The Narrows below the Milford Bluffs. I wanted to stop and show everyone the great waterfall that was up to the left across the road, but it was not flowing very well on this occasion. We still went to check it out anyway, then continued down the tracks to the south.
Falls on Milford Bluffs
We continued walking as the tracks got closer to the road. The Milford Bluffs Preserve of the NJ Natural Lands Trust was just up hill from us. The sun was beginning to go down at this point.
Along the Bel Del in the Narrows
We soon came to the side paths that go down to the river where the rope swing was. I remembered swimming here in 2007, but I had not been back to do so since. The area was far different than I had remembered it being. There were lots of kids around, and they had constructed an elaborate wooden platform to jump off with the rope swing to get into the water.
Rope swing on the Delaware
We all went in for a swim here. It was quite refreshing. We chatted with the kids swimming there, and they did quite a lot of show boating with their flips and such. I certainly don't want to be doing any of that any more.
We soon headed back up and followed the railroad to the south.
Past shot of Bel Del in the Narrows
A northbound freight train led by GP30 diesel #2210 is running through the Narrows above Milford. Shot 1975 by Richard Polke.
We passed a few more old mile markers and such on the way to Milford. As we neared the town, there were good views of the Delaware and the sun beginning to set. Some people sitting out in their yards along the tracks greeted us warmly as we walked into the main part of town further on.
Milford Station
We soon reached the old Milford Station which is now a little eatery. It was closed at this time. We turned off to the left to get something to eat and drink. It was getting pretty dark by this point, so we made it through the toughest part of it. This was my main goal, to be finished with the Bel Del section before dark.
Milford Station historic view
A northbound freight train led by RS11 diesel #7627 passes the Milford station. Shot 1971 by Martin Zak.
Goofin off
The Milford General Store was really nice, and I was pleasantly surprised to see it had a liquor license so we could get more drinks. It also had the iced teas I like as I recall. We got some snacks and such and headed on.
We headed on from here back along the main street, then across the bridge over the Delaware. The sun was setting nicely as we made our way across, past the station again.
Historic Milford Station
The Milford station, first established in 1853. The station was rebuilt in 1874 and last saw a passenger train in 1960. The station continued being used as a freight depot into the early 1960s. The station is a bakery today. From Shane Blische's collection.
The rest of the hike would have to be done mostly in the dark.
Sunset over the Delaware
We got across the bridge and crossed River Road to Fire House Lane. We then turned right on Singley Road. There was an old lady walking there we stopped and talked to. She seemed somewhat surprised that we were walking so far, but then she said something about how she used to walk some sort of distance like that. We turned left on Bridgeton Hill Road and soon reached the old Delaware Canal, the sixty mile water route that preceded the railroad to carry goods between tide water at Bristol and the Morris and Lehigh Canals at Easton PA and Phillipsburg NJ.
Delaware Canal bridge in Upper Black Eddy
We left Upper Black Eddy PA in the dark along the towpath. This would go much faster than the previous section of the hike because the trail is so open and flat. We had no trouble moving on at a pretty good pace.
While walking we started singing all sorts of silly songs. I don't even recall all of them, but Eric reminded me we were singing "Roxanne" by The Police.
Night hiking
The trail was sometimes close to the Delaware River, sometimes farther inland along fields, and sometimes close to Rt 32. We could see well enough for most the entire way, and the only major obstacle we were faced with was a bad purge in the canal at one of the creek underpasses, I think one of the Falls Creeks, but I'm not sure. It was somewhere north of Upper Black Eddy, but not as far north as Cook's Creek in Durham Furnace. I believe those have more serious aqueducts, and I think Gallows Run is similar. I've hiked it all in the light, but the features were not so apparent in the dark.
Purge in the Delaware Canal
The purge was in an aqueduct of stone culvert construction. The arch of the culvert was very apparent, and had a giant hole in the very top of it which drained the entire canal out into the creek below. There were signs reading "trail closed", but we were able to walk out and around this impediment and continue a short distance ahead to more open trail. We had no problem from there on out.
Delaware Canal in Rieglesville historic view
After reaching the parking area at Durham Furnace, we continued to reach the Highlands Trail bridge in Rieglesville over the canal. Rieglesville is one of the only towns along the Delaware that has the same name on both sides of the river. It may in fact be the only town with such.
We turned right and soon crossed back over the Roebling Rieglesville Bridge to reach the lot and our cars on the other side.
I felt pretty energized and alive after this hike. It was a really great time, not too tough, and we had a lot of great experiences.
I still had two more Jersey Perimeter sections that could incorporate portions of the Bel Del Railroad coming up, and each looked to be something quite special. I really enjoyed experiencing the places I had already seen, but with so much we'd missed in the past, as well as some new stuff we'd never seen before like the Holland section and the other rail cars. I am instilled with more confidence for great days ahead.
F-A-RIGHT James Polk
No comments:
Post a Comment