7/8-7/9/15 Marble Hill to Rieglesville with Shane Blische, Carla ?, Annika Krystyna, Grant Tamutus, Larry Philips, Dan Asnis, Mr. Becker, James Quinn, and Shana Grabowski
The group on the Bel Del
Our next hike would be a point to point between Rieglesville NJ and Marble Hill in Lopatcong Township. I had a plan for a lot of things to see, but we ended up really behind and in the dark.
The two principal purposes for doing this particular hike were to finish a couple of tiny pieces of the NJ Perimeter around Carpentersville, and to scout through the Warren Highlands Trail on Marble Hill to see how much maintenance I have to do. We met at the parking area across from where the train station used to be in Rieglesville and shuttled north to on street parking near where the Warren Highlands Trail reaches Belvidere Road.
We had a really really cool group for this hike. I was surprised at the newcomers to show up. Carla was able to recruit some people locally, which was nice. Mr. Becker in particular was really funny, teasing Carla and having an overall fun time. There was another girl who was supposed to come, but she ended up with a flat tire in the lot I think it was, and so she had to cut out from there.
Marble Hill view
We started walking north on Belvidere Rd, then cut to the left onto Warren Highlands Trail. My carsonite post on the trail along the yard had become obscured by weeds. It was disappointing, and I was further disappointed when we got into the woods section, and where the trail turned someone had pulled the post out and had the blazes face the wrong direction. We managed to go along the trail after I turned it the correct way, then I found that the trail was moved to the fields without consulting anyone. We walked on to the abandoned portion of Kelly Lane, and I noted the property marker had appeared to have been moved. I tried not to let it bother me, and we continued on the trail up hill.
Boat shoes
My feet were also bothering me because I had been working all day and got my feet wet, I think at Hacklebarney it was, doing trail work. I didn't want to wear my steel toe boots at all, and all I had handy in my car was my horrible boat shoes. I had tried wearing these on a hike once in September 2013, and I couldn't handle it and had to switch them out. This time, somehow, I managed to wear them for an entire grueling hike.
We headed up hill on the abandoned Kelly Lane section, now a farm access road, and I pointed out where the old school house used to be, then the spring. We were able to easily follow the trail route up hill and to the woods, but then that section was getting overgrown pretty badly. I had cut it open earlier in the year, but it wasn't good enough.
We fought through this section, then headed on to the power line crossing. We waited up here a bit, Annika and I think Shana went ahead. They would miss the Fulmer Iron Mine by getting too far ahead. The rest of us thought they were still behind. We stopped to see the overlook, then went on to the Fulmer Mine, and back to the Warren Highlands Trail heading down hill.
Shane on Warren Highlands Trail
When we reached the bottom, the girls were there waiting. We rejoined, and waited for Dan to come down the hill. Once he was within sight, we crossed the former Belvidere and Delaware Railroad to descend to the Delaware River. Shane began walking the tracks because he's so obsessed by the Bel Del, while the rest of us went below. We headed down stream along the Delaware for a bit, then reached the swimming spot I love to use. Many of us went in for a dip here. I had some leftover drink from a while back in my bag, and I was surprised to see Mr. Becker take and chug some of it when offered. Such a cool and laid back guy!
From here, we headed down stream. Shane found some sort of a pitch fork he carried with him for a while. It didn't take long walking along the shore to reach the giant pipe I love to walk through.
IN the pipe
We got through it easily, and I think everyone mostly liked it. We continued on from here along the official Warren Highlands Trail route on roads, out to South Main Street in Phillipsburg. We wandered down the streets, eating some berries on the slopes, then through town. We cut off to the right to get to the parking area and meet up with James. Once together, we headed toward Free Bridge Wine and Spirits.
Historic freight house photo
Shot 1936 by Walker Evans, the towering five story building was torn down in 1950
I went in to get a drink, and a few wanted to use the restrooms. Some were using the hot dog stand outside. Dan came in limping around, sat at a table and proceeded to take his shoes off, then put his socks on the table. The lady behind the counter freaked out on him and told him to get out. When I tried to calm her down she berated me and told me if I can't control these people that I shouldn't come back. I agree that Dan shouldn't take his shoes and socks off in an establishment like that for any reason, there are tables right outside, but she did overreact. To make things worse, she wouldn't let anyone else, paying customer or not, use the restroom, and she went to call the police anyway. We opted to cross the street to go to the pizza place and then she followed us there, still on the cell phone while we were there. This whole thing put a sour taste in my mouth about the whole Phillipsburg thing. It's one thing to throw one person out, but to overreact and then follow us was over the top, especially when no one else did anything wrong. I'm not sure if that person was Trish, who we had met in the past and had positive experiences with, or if it was someone else. I can't remember what who looks like. Still, I am not going to patronize that business again based on the overreaction. Mr. Becker told the woman he was going to speak to Mayor Wyant about how she was behaving as well.
Historic Phillipsburg Station
A Pennsylvania Railroad doodlebug with baggage car waits for passengers at the Phillipsburg station in the early 1950s.
The old station is more of an historic reproduction, but Mr. Becker mentioned something about how part of the building might be historic, how some of the components of it may be portions of the original station. I had at first thought it was original, then someone told me it was reconstructed, which it looks like it was, then someone else told me it was still there.
Annika bought me a slice of pizza, but I honestly wasn't hungry at all, and I felt bad not eating it. Fortunately, James was hungry enough to consume it as we moved on. We walked through the lot, and then turned right down the steps toward the Delaware River side, future route of a new trail proposed to connect these sites, and that will one day fit in Warren Highlands Trail plans.
Delaware crossings at Lehigh Yard
Lehigh Junction Yard, constructed 1870s and destroyed 1930s.CNJ truss bridge and Morris Canal outlet lock can be seen at left. LHR truss bridge can be seen at right.
We made our way with some difficulty along the river. We zig zagged around which had to be done because of water level. Fortunately we still had a little daylight left. I had originally wanted to do some of the Morris Canal Greenway through town, but that would take too long and I didn't even want to deal with people after the incident in Phillipsburg. After only a little while, we reached the Morris Canal Arch, which marks the base of former Inclined Plane #11 West on the Morris Canal. A diesel locomotive was going across the former Central Railroad of NJ bridge in front of us as we walked nearby
LHR bridge
We all went to the top of the Morris Canal Arch, Plane 11, and checked out the river. The arch is built into the former CNJ railroad abutment. The thing was once fashioned with doors to keep the flood water out. Normally I climb down from here, but it was getting just too dark too fast. We made oru way beneath the rail bridges, and Shane climbed up on one of them. We made our way along the tracks again for a bit.
Plane 11W Top
Once we were all together, we headed along the Bel Del and the top of the former Morris Canal Inclined Plane 11W. We went left through the fence and to the park that was a dump, and before that a canal basin. It now has a skate park and such. I had originally wanted to go up Mount Parnassus, but it was getting too dark. We got a late start and it was taking some of the group too long to catch up on sections, so we opted to just follow the paved path that followed the former Morris Canal.
Historic shot
Here we see trains heading in both directions!!! A southbound freight train for Trenton is being led by an ALCO RSD12 and RS3 and a northbound train for Phillipsburg is being led by two RS11s. This was taken south of Phillipsburg. Phillipsburg Railroad Historians.
The pathway eventually ends in the park. When we reached the southern terminus of the park, we cut through the fence and began following only the Bel Del Railroad. I explained to everyone where we were going and what we were doing so we'd have no one lost, and everyone was doing the same.
Morris Canal, Phillipsburg
It was getting pretty dark at this time. Fortunately, we made our way onto the tracks and started heading south. I felt a lot better at this point, being off of the park land. It was too accessible, and I just didn't want to get questioned about the incident at the wine store. We all made our way south, and passed the access points from other streets, the ones I had proposed for Morris Canal Greenway.
Historic train
It's 1972 south of Phillipsburg and we see two GP30s lead a northbound train along the Delaware River.
Happy to be away from the town a bit more, we had a nice liesurely walk along the tracks for a way. We passed where an engine is stored and near a former lumber company. Immediately after that we crossed a bridge over the Lopatcong Creek. We continued on from here and were in the most secluded portion of the entire hike. There were no accessible roads, and barely in view from anywhere.
Historic bridge shot
We stopped for a group photo beneath the Interstate 78 bridge, which looked pretty creepy in the dark. We then headed south, and I siphoned back and forth through the group, talking to different people. Mr. Becker and Carla ended up a bit further back, and then Dan behind them. At one point I fell behind everyone and just strolled along, then back into the middle of the group. Shane was of course into all of the railroad artifacts.
Whistle marker
I gave him a few moments to talk about the history of the area, and the railroad. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the Bel Del line, which is really interesting for what we were doing. Unfortunately only about half the group was into it at this time, I suppose everyone was getting pretty tired.
When we got to River Road in Carpentersville, we turned off to walk the road, which is closer to the river. I'd driven this countless times, but never walked it. It's barely closer to the Delaware River than the tracks, but I wanted to be sure I did this right.
Old shelter
I think Shane might have stayed on the tracks again, to rejoin us when the road crossed to the other side again. From this point on, the group pretty much walked the road to the end, but I got on the tracks when it more closely paralleled the perimeter, even though I'd done it. It switched to where the tracks were closer to the edge, then the road crossed over again. I kept with the road, then at the next crossing I joined Shane on the tracks once more. Only the two of us continued on the railroad to go over the Pohatcong Creek bridge, which is one of the few open tie bridges on the entire Bel Del line, and a little more tricky to cross in the dark.
Historic view
This 1977 photo shows us Black River & Western Railroad #57 heading up the line near Carpentersville powering BRW's "Farewell to the Bel-Del" trip.
He got ahead of me again, and most of the group was ahead of me beyond this point, and the trickiest part of this entire hike for me was where there was a train parked on the tracks. It was a narrow single track area with a steep slope on either side. There really was no room to walk, and I could easily fall down the slope. My boat shoes were slipping funny, and painful, so they didn't help me much either.
Two RS11s lead a southbound freight over River Road in Carpentersville in 1969.
Nearing the end, at one of the sharpest bends on the Delaware River, the road and tracks diverged again. I'd walked those tracks a few times, but Shane told me something that was fascinating enough that it made me want to walk the road.
He said that originally, the Bel Del was further inland, where the road is today, and that it was swapped. The railroad built up a fill and a new line closer to the river and the road became the road. I'm pretty sure he meant the spot at that curve. Very interesting. And so, I walked the road at that point because I wanted to walk all former rail mileage just once.
Historic view, Rieglesville Station, north side
Historic view, Rieglesville Station, south side
It didn't take long and we were approaching Rieglesville. My last bit of Jersey Perimeter I needed was the road section after it crossed the tracks again. We got on that, and could see the Roebling Rieglesville Bridge from a distance between houses along the river. We passed the bridge, then the site where the station used to stand to the left. Only the foundation and platform remains today. We hung out in the parking lot from there and waited for the others to show up. We had people parked in a couple different locations; Shane needed a ride to the south a bit, James and Mr. Becker to the north. Annika had already pulled out with some of the group before we arrived because they were in a hurry to get home. It worked out that we had just enough cars to get us back where we needed to be.
The Free Bridge incident put a damper on the hike after that point for me, but aside from that it was another successful completion of another NJ perimeter snippet, and overall a nice time.
No comments:
Post a Comment