This Saturday: North Easton/Northampton County Loop Hike

Join us for an almost exactly fifteen mile loop hike north of Easton PA from Penn Pump Park! This loop includes suburban greenways that nearly connect for a truly different kind of hike.


We will meet at 7:45 am at Penn Pump Park, north of Easton. To get there, take the exit off of Rt 22 for 13th St. Turn briefly left on Wood Avenue, then right on Hackett Ave.
Follow that to a right on Park Ave, then another right on Northwood Ave. Penn Pump Park is on the right just before the creek crossing.

The route includes a lot of paved trails that were developer's incentives during construction. It's nice that they created these pathways to allow for safe passage of pedestrians, but what is truly nice is that a good loop walk can be made of it. We'll also use Penn's Grant Path and a short back street at the beginning, as well as ball fields.

As the paths continue, they seamlessly transition into an unpaved rail trail, part of the Forks Recreation Trail. This lovely trail passes through fields as well as a high shelf above the Delaware River.


From the end of the rail trail, we follow a short road walk section to try to trace another short abandoned railroad spur line. It used to service a small quarry. From here, another brief road walk leads us to the still active Uhler Branch of the Lehigh and New England Railroad, which further back is now the Forks Recreation Trail. A path parallels this. One last brief road walk leads us to an abandoned right of way of the Lehigh Valley Railroad which is now the Palmer Bikeway.
The lovely rail trail continues south closely parallel with the Bushkill Creek, which will return us directly to Penn Pump Park.

This Weekend in METROTRAILS!

 Hey all!
This is a big week...I will be fulfilling a 17 year dream to attempt to walk sixty miles in one day between Albany and Kingston this coming Saturday.
 I know that many of you won't want to do that, so we have a substitute leader for a regular Sunday hike.
 If you by chance DO want to do the sixty, you are responsible for taxi service to get you out if you can't make it, which can be pricey. If interested call me at 908 343 8374.
ALSO: Metrotrails tee shirts will be on sale for $10 each the beginning of December! Looking like available sizes will be medium, large, an X large.
 The following is our friend William "Guillermo" Fabel's trip posting. He has agreed to substitute lead a shorter hike in my place this coming Sunday if anyone is interested.

Hey folks, for those not wanting to do Mike's 60 mile hike-athon, consider joining me (Guillermo) for an 8 mile, town of Hamburg-Reservoir-Port Clinton point to point wandern. For all the groups that hike the Hamburg reservoir, hardly any take the other trails that exist. People always to do the same AT-Pulpit-Pinnacle route. So, gathering at (50 State Street, Hamburg, PA 19526) by 0830 hours, we will shuttle vehicles to the start at the reservoir parking area (401 Reservoir Road, Hamburg PA 18526). We will follow the Appalachian trail West and break off on an abandoned path, then picking up a game lands road. We make a slow traversing ascent (500 feet) up the ridge and intersect the AT again on the top. We continue West and break off onto a blue blazed trail and descend to a stream (Rattling Run). After crossing, we make a winding and somewhat steep ascent up the ridge (800 feet), to pick up the Pinnacle spur trail. We walk this to Fire Tower Road, then follow the road down the ridge, and onto another abandoned road before coming out at Rt 61. After carefully crossing, we walk Penn street into Port Clinton, visiting the Peanut Shop and/or Port Clinton Hotel. We continue through town and over to the Western AT access. We turn onto the John Bertram Rail Trail and follow it back to the first meeting point in Hamburg. Sorry folks, no viewpoints on this route. Non the less, it should be GLORIOUS! Optional post hike refreshment stop at the Westy (279 W State Street, Hamburg, PA 19526). 40% or better chance of rain will cancel. Given the time change, you may want to bring some sort of light in case we experience a delay and/or it is getting dark as we return. I was told dogs are allowed on the rail trail, so it is a dog friendly. Please know your own physical ability and have comfortable footwear. If the hike is not to one's liking, there will be opportunities for early out.
From the Lehigh Valley and/or I-476, Take Lehigh Valley Exit #56 to *78 West, approx 19 miles, take Rt 61 North to traffic light. Turn right to Jetson Drive, take another right on Industrial Drive. The road winds around a bit. At traffic light, turn left, parking lot will be on left side.

Sun. Jersey Perimeter, Northern Cape May Hike and Beyond...

This point to point hike will lead us between Eldora area and northern Cape May area, about 16 miles.

We will also follow backroads through Dennisville and South Dennis, and sand roads through a large nature preserve.
The route of this hike has changed somewhat since scouting the section just to the south of here. To hike the perimeter of NJ, we constantly make new discoveries that merit our attention. In this case, I have discovered another trail in Cape May National Wildlife Refuge that we simply must hike to do the perimeter of the state! This one is called the Woodcock Trail and it passes through meadows and estuarine bayside wetlands. We'll make our way around this at the beginning, then make our way along some short sections of the bayside beaches. NOTE: we will have to take our shoes off to quickly go across the tiny streams that enter the bay. I did it yesterday, and it was just a quick step through sand.
The re-worked route also includes two winery tours!
The first winery, Jessie Creek Vinyards, is $5 to taste all of their wines including bronze and silver metal winners, and that also gets you a Jessie Creek wine glass.
We'll continue north on snippets of beach and back roads, and cover Cape May National Wildlife Refuge's Songbird Trail, then make our way along the road to Natali Vinyards and do a second tasting. We must continue on backroads through Dennis, then follow some sandy roads to our end point near Eldora. As always, who knows what else we'll find!
Meet at Eldora Nature Preserve along Rt 47/Old State Highway at 9:00 am. We'll move to another location from there.

The following week I will be atttempting to cover sixty miles in twenty four hours with a few friends. Of course not everyone wants to do this, and so Guillermo (William Fabel) is subbing for me with a hike in Hamburg Watershed PA. More to Come!

11/10 Philly Hike!

Hey All,
For our next great long day excursion, we travel back to Philadelphia PA, the City of Brotherly love to do a new hike that connects with the great past ones we've done through the area.
Taking the reigns for leadership this time is our friend Jason Kumpas, long time Metrotrails hiker who's helped us in so many ways in the areas with which he's familiar. 

Join us to explore some hidden trails in Philly's Fairmount Park.  The 15 mile route will take us off the bike trails along Kelly and West River Drives and into the woods.  These lesser known dirt trails and paved paths will take us past the Philadelphia Art Museum, Rocky Steps, Water Works, Boathouse Row, Lemon Hill, Japanese House, Laurel Hill Cemetery, Please touch Museum, and the beautiful Master Street and Chamounix tunnels from an old Trolley Line.

Although this part of the park is surrounded by the city, there will be few food stops. Please bring lunch and plenty of water.  The route will be about 15 miles and should take all day since there is so much to check out.  Because it is big loop with the river in between there will be few bailout points.

Meet 8:30am at the Horse stables near the Chamounix Mansion youth hostel. 3250 Chamounix Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19131-3710
This page has great directions:Meetup Location Directions