Just returned from backpacking vacation, and we have a lot of awesome stuff coming up to share! The hikes have been going great and we're about to kick into high gear with trail work again hopefully soon!
You'll start seeing some trail work days posted again in the very near future as soon as we have good direction regarding what needs to be done. All of the same projects we'd been working on are still open, but had stagnated until decisions could be made on different gov't levels.
We'll also be revisiting some of the trails we've developed as part of night hikes and such to figure out what projects we need to work on next.
If anyone knows of any scout troops or other volunteer groups looking for projects in the Warren County area, I have several good projects ready to be taken on. Projects like signs and waymarkers are beyond what we have been doing to initially open the trails, and are great, sustainable projects for such groups.
The hikes have been very interesting with a lot to see and experience. Thanks to the 3 Guys and a Beer'd Brewery in Lackawanna County for giving us an impromptu tour during our last group hike! We just never know what we are going to find on these trips!
Our main project has still been as of late to complete the NJ Perimeter series. We are nearing that goal more all of the time. There are only four more full day hikes remaining in this series, one almost full day (this Sunday), and several more segments. We've found so many interesting things in these southern bay areas, including the old Bay Side railroad pier, still somewhat extant and pictured above from our last perimeter hike. There are two more full hikes and three partial sections remaining on the Delaware Bay side. On the partial ones, we'll do the couple of mile segments we are missing and then the rest of the trip will be non perimeter interesting stuff I've wanted to see. We've been getting some of these out of the way already, and they've been really fun.
Next up, this Sunday we will be covering a bit of the perimeter from Gandy's Beach area. Included are the Delaware Bay areas known as Gandy's Beach, Money Island, and Dyer Cove. We'll start off with some back road and beach walking on the bay, then much of the rest of the hike will be easy back road walking along the estuaries with lots of views.
Good news! I spoke with the Mayor of Downe Township who would like to come out and meet with us, and we'll likely have some media and an interview for local periodicals at the start of this hike!
We'll wander into the town of Newport to connect with what we've done before and retrace some steps, then head east to Glades Wildlife Refuge. There is bonus mileage at the end, but total trip will be only about 13 miles as planned, and all are not obligated to do the whole thing.
May 31...
Is Warren Land Preservation Day! We will be doing an easy three mile hike from the event at Rutherford Hall, at the Allamuchy Exit off of Rt 80 in the morning, then some of the Metrotrails Board members will be present at our table to answer trail and group questions!
In the afternoon, we'll begin a hike into the night. During light hours, we'll cover many of the trails of Allamuchy Mountain State Park including some that will become part of the Warren Highlands Trail, then the Morris Canal Greenway west through Hackettstown to finish in Mansfield.
Looking ahead to June, we'll do the next full Jersey Perimeter hike between Wheaton Island and Stow Neck on the 14th. It brings us to an area where the mileage will be less unpredictable than areas to the south have been.
Then, on June 21, we will finally connect our hikes to the famous Rickett's Glen PA. We, however, we not be focusing only on the waterfalls. The first part will lead us past some of the famous falls, but we'll continue on their less famous trails past lesser falls and descend to the Bowman's Creek. From here, we'll follow the long abandoned Bowman's Creek Branch of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, which we have been working on as a series for some time. We'll follow it to connect with where we'd left off on it near Noxen. The gorge it passes through is stunningly beautiful.
The last Sunday in June we will have our annual Common Sense For Animals fund raiser hike!
Not only is this event early this year, it is also at a completely different venue.
As a result, this one will include some stuff we've covered on past hikes that are very appropriate to this date.
We will celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the High Bridge Branch becoming a rail trail, as well as the town of Clinton's big anniversary. More to come on this later.
I want to thank everyone for being patient as we complete the NJ Perimeter series.
I understand many of our regular group members are tired of so many perimeter hikes, but they will all be over soon, and the ones remaining will likely be pretty interesting.
Added into the schedule for this Summer additionally are a Catskills trip, another to Caledonia State Park and Michaux State Forest PA, and more.
Stay tuned, because later this year we will have some awesome trips that will include Centralia PA, Gettysburg, Stormville Mountain NY, and plenty more in Jersey including Ringwood, Wawayanda, and Delaware Water Gap.
Hope to see you all out there with us soon!
M'ke
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