Hike #870; Lockatong and Delaware

Hike #870; Lockatong and Delaware Area

8/7-8/8/15 Lockatong Wildlife Management Area to Frenchtown with Lerch (Michael Clark), Alyssa Lidman, Shana Grabowski, James Quinn, Sarah Jones, Larry Philips, Alyssa Reindel, Shane Blische, and Bruce Hockenbury

The group at Lockatong WMA

Our next hike would be a point to point to cover a tiny bit more Jersey Perimeter, but also to get back through some stuff that we really liked from another recent one. I had told everyone about the High Falls of the Lockatong, and a lot of people wanted to go. I knew Lerch would love it. It's always worth going back, and so is the rest of the entire greenway down from there to the Delaware River at Raven Rock. I planned to do a hike between there and Frenchtown.

We met at the bridge cafe, formerly the Bel Del Railroad station in Frenchtown, then shuttled with as few cars as we could to Lockatong Wildlife Management Area. Larry, Shane, and Bruce met up with us there, which took a little extra time because of a road work detour.

We got started by following the crudely white blazed trail out from the lot and through woods. It was farther in this direction than I'd realized it would be. I had never followed the trail this way, because I had always done the loop the other way and then bushwhacked down to Strimples Mill Road. I figured I'd take the easier trail to get to the High Falls of the Lockatong rather than the hard way, then continue on.

High Falls

The falls are quite lovely, and they are pretty high for this part of Hunterdon County. It's even more peculiar in this area that there is a deep hole below them. They're great for jumping off. Lerch and I of course went for it first. We made several jumps, and Bruce showed up a few minutes after us to take a series of photos with his pro camera.

We spent a good while here, then headed back the same way we came in. I had considered doing the bushwhack section out to Strimples Mill Road, which would have been shorter, but probably would have taken a whole lot more time. Bruce did just the out and back hike with us and then headed out, to meet back up with us later.

We followed the access road back out to Rt 519, then turned right on Strimples Mill Road. This road is always a pleasant walk, down past the historic Strimples Mill itself, one of the few historic working saw mills I know of. We crossed an old through style truss bridge over the Lockatong, then climbed on the road up hill, with the lovely stone lined pastures on either side of the road. When we began to near the Wescott Nature Center property, there was a giant pile of hay bales on the right side. Lerch of course wanted to climb it.

He, Sarah, and I all ran over to climb the things, which was quite tough because the only way to do it was by holding onto the strings that hold the bale together. I know from working on the farm way back that these strings don't often hold, so climbing I was read for them to just break off at any time and go flying backwards. Fortunately that did not happen. Lerch and Sarah got to the top, and I climbed up to just get my head over to that point.

James met up with us while we walked Strimples Mill Road. We had him park out of sight at Wescott before continuing on.

Hay

We made our way from here onto the mowed paths of Wescott Nature Center, Peters Section. I used to maintain this trail when I worked for Hunterdon County Parks Department several years ago. I love seeing that the trail marker posts I placed in there around 2008 are still in place today, and in fact needed for people to know which way to go on the through trail.

Shane was running around like crazy on this trail system, and I was way too tired to begin with. The exhaustion and drinking was not a good combination for me on this one. We headed on past the old deer stand, then down to the woods to the Lockatong. When we got there, we stopped to take another dip before moving on.

We headed on along the trail along the creek, and entered the Zega Lockatong Preserve where the Peter's Trail ends and Mimi's Trail begins, and blazes change to red. We followed this to the picnic table on the hillside. Shane and Larry were getting a bit behind, so we waited for them to catch up. while there, Dan accidentally broke the bench section of the picnic table, which was pretty badly rotten, while Lerch climbed around on a giant fallen tree.

Lerch and the Zega Lockatong tree

We continued from here across a meadow with experimental Chestnut trees, bred with the Chinese variety with hopes that it would make the tree resitant to the blight that killed off most of the species in the early twentieth century. The trail led us to Raven Rock-Rosemont Road.

From the road, we turned right for a bit, heading up hill. At the next intersection, with Federal Twist Road, we continued straight on the White Oak Trail on state land. James was a bit behind, but caught up pretty quickly. We followed this trail up hill a little bit, then down gradually to the dirt Quarry Road. Rather than continue on White Oak Trail on the other side, we turned right to head down the Quarry Road.

My plan from here was to follow the south side of Bulls Island around the perimeter, because since the spillway of the old Delaware and Raritan Canal feeder had been refurbished, it was possible to walk it a bit further.

Bulls Island on D&R Canal

We followed the trail after crossing the main canal at the former lock site, which led us along the old towpath and to the spillway. This turned out to be a pretty good place to stop and take a swim. Lerch and I were first to go running off into it. Once out there, apparently we were loud and my co worker Mae could hear us, as she had just showed up with Bruce to join us again. Lerch and I raced to get back to shore, and I did a face plant into the water.

The river was pretty shallow out till a certain point, but then got deeper. The current was pretty strong so we didn't dare go out too far. Lerch of course could go the farthest because he's six foot seven.

Bridge and Lerch

When it came time to head out, we got back on the same trail, but then took a fork to the west, which led along the river side of the island to terminate near the Raven Rock Lumberville foot bridge. This Roebling Bridge was built to replace an earlier bridge that was washed out. The original bridge to span the Delaware here was a covered bridge, built in 1855. This lasted in that state until the Pumpkin Flood of 1903, which washed away one of the three covered spans. In 1904, that covered span was replaced by a steel truss section. The bridge remained in service and open to vehicular traffic until 1944. At that time, it was closed, and by 1947 it was replaced by the current Roebling structure.

We reached the bridge and greeted Mae and Bruce. We then walked across and made all sorts of ridicules noise. After heading out and back, and Lerch climbed around for a while, we all posed for a splendid photo by Bruce.

Bruce behind the camera

By this time, the remaining hike would be just on the Bel Del Railroad bed. I was exhausted, and all of the running and swimming and such was just knocking me out even more. We said goodbye to Bruce and Mae, and then continued along on our way, left on the old railroad bed past the site of the former Raven Rock Station.

Group shot by Bruce Hockenbury

The station has only the platform areas remaining of it. There is a post where a signal thing used to be, but really nothing else. We began following the railroad bed to the north from here, into the dark, with only the ambient light from the road to show us the way.

1920s photo of Raven Rock Station, opened 1852 and closed early 1940s, torn down for lumber during WW2, replaced by a shelter that remain active until 1952.

Historic view of Raven Rock Station

While we walked, Shane was starting to make more sense and started telling us more history about the Bel Del Railroad, his forte. The line was intended to connect Trenton to Belvidere NJ, and completed in 1855 to that point I believe. After the completion of the Warren Railroad, formerly the Lackawanna main line also in 1856, a junction was made as the northern terminus of the line.

I had hiked the entire line in the past, and always wrote it up as the "Belvidere and Delaware Railroad", with Bel Del for shore, and Shane corrected me, that it was officially called Belvidere-Delaware Railroad without the "and". I told him when I wrote this journal I would put "and" in there just to drive him crazy.

Shane with an old mile marker, denoting distances between Trenton and Manunka Chunk, on the Bel Del

I was terribly tired, and had been drinking. The combination was wearing on me and I could barely stay awake. Typically, I can handle the night hikes just fine line this, but I knew in the morning when I got up that today was going to be a problem. Lerch acted as my coach at this point, egging me on, getting me to push harder. I need that sometimes, and really appreciate it. He said "COME ON. RUN. LET'S RUN". We took off running hard and fast. I didn't have it in me to go as far as I'd liked. I could spring pretty fierce, but just not for long enough. But I wanted to.

Pipe

Despite extreme fatigue, we came across a pipe that beckoned us enough to climb through. I really don't know what ever compelled us to climb through that crazy thing, but we did it, out and back, before continuing on. I do love the spontaneity of it all.

Lerch and I kept running, then I'd hold off and walk for a bit. I began dozing while walking. I was at least aware of my own condition to the point I can remember it pretty well, unlike the time on the same old rail line to the north where I outright passed out. Apparently, Sarah and Shane couldn't keep going either, and we ended up dropping just three miles south of Frenchtown. Fortunately, it appears I got my mileage in, because the total route came to be no shorter than twenty miles. Usually, I carry an energy drink or something in my bag for points like this, and this time I was in a hurry and neglected to purchase one.

When Lerch is out, he always gets me to push harder, which is great, but after a day like this it was too much! But he more than makes up for it, and in this situation he ran the entire remainder of distance back to Frenchtown after frisking me for my car keys. In short order he'd gotten to and stole my car, then drove back to pick me up. Somehow he figured out where exactly I was.

Once he arrived, I actually felt totally fine. I got right behind the driver's seat and we were able to take off. Shana was there too, and was good enough to take Shane home. I took Lerch down to New Hope, to the first place we could find to get some food at this hour, and was fortunately awake and alright the whole way.

Overall, it was GREAT time, except I'll have to try to be a bit more responsible. I suppose with the number of these hikes I do, I only end up in bad shape on a few here and there. Always room for improvement.

We got to Wawa, and I got Lerch back to his car. Despite having food and everything should have been fine, he ended up sleeping in his car there anyway. Still, overall a good night I believe.

Now, I must revisit the area once more to complete a tiny bit of missing Jersey Perimeter. There's only a short bit of the old road to the Byram Point Pleasant Bridge that I am missing. The original bridge washed out in the Flood of '55, but I never walked that parallel route. There may be something else closer to the edge worth doing too. In addition, I've not done a night hike to a few other places including Devil's Tea Table, as well as some new trail that goes up the ridge, a waterfall, and maybe more. I hope to throw that one on the schedule probably Thursday August 27th as of this point. More good stuff to come.