Hike #115
Here we have another hike where it came to just Tea Biscuit and I scouting out new areas. No one would join us in the morning, and he spent the entire day on the cell phone (these were the days before I even owned one) trying to get people to come out and join us along the way. No such luck.
On the former Central Railroad of NJ's Chester Branch.
Hike 115
11/9/3
Though we could get no one else to sign on for this trip, Tea Biscuit still joined me for a
new scouting hike from Chester to Stephens State Park.
Tiger Brook Park, Chester
Lake at Tiger Brook Park
In Tiger Brook Park
Tiger Brook Park, Chester
CNJ Chester Hill Branch right of way
Chester Branch CNJ bridge site over Furnace Road, Chester
CNJ Chester Branch bridge over the Black River
Former CNJ Chester Branch between Chester and Long Valley
We parked at the Chester Shop Rite on Rt 206, and walked down the highway a bit to
Cooper Lane, which becomes a beautiful dirt road. I had stumbled upon this park after
seeing it on a Morris County Patriot’s Path map, separate from any of the other parks.
A Chester Township municipal park, this one was called Tiger Brook Park, and had a
surprising network of trails, though not well blazed. We made a loop crossing Tiger
Brook and walking along hillsides on footpaths, then made out way to an old resevoir. We
wandered around this area, climbed on the dam, and located a giant above ground water
tank, which I marked my symbol on.
We continued as the trail took us back to Cooper Lane, and followed the road back out
to Rt 24. We made a left on 24, following it back into Chester. We walked through the
downtown and checked out a weird yellow car parked on the main street. I also recall
passing a telephone pole farm where they evidently tested the results of different kinds of
creosote.
We continued through town, and when we reached 206, stopped at Shop Rite liquors
where I got us each a Molson Ice tall can.
The next route was to follow the old Chester branches of the Central Railroad of NJ. The
Chester Mine Branch crossed 206 right at the intersection in town, from the Chester Hill
Branch which crossed what is now a mini mall parking lot. We continued on from the mini
mall and into the woods following a nice clear right of way. As the right of way skirted
Chester’s Chubb Park, we came across a few pits and tailings which appeared to have
once been mines. We sat on one of the piles to drink our beers, and were freaked out as a
walker came by and talked to us for a bit. We had at first thought he was a ranger.
The right of way continued downhill in a surprisingly steep fashion. A piece of it is now
used as the route of the Patriot’s Path, but we continued closely on the right of way,
straying from it while we neared Furnace Road due to the amount of thick weeds. All that
remained of the bridge which carried the CNJ across Furnace Road was the east abutment.
We continued on, passing the ruins of the Chester Furnace area, then crossed the Black
River, and passed the site of the junction with the Hacklebarney Mine Railroad, as well as
the Chester Branch of the DL&W Railroad earlier. The Patriot’s Path followed the railbed
for a distance here, but broke off to the right, where we continued straight. The next road
crossing saw the other side on private land, and well posted. We opted to go down the
road a bit and bushwhack through thick weeds back out to the right of way beyond some
guy’s house.
Former CNJ Chester Branch heading toward Colemans Cut
On the Chester Branch in Long Valley, Ort Farm.
We were able to walk clearly for a bit, but then the right of way passed through two
people’s yards within a new developement. We just dashed into the woods and
disregarded the houses. For a while we were again on a clear railbed. Soon, we reached
the east side of Coleman’s Cut, a good sized railroad cut just east of Coleman Road. We
had to climb up the cut to the north due to heavy weeds and mud. We were able to walk
through the field parallel to the railbed to Coleman Road. From here, Patriot’s Path uses
the railroad bed all the way to Ort Farm on Bartley Road. It was good and clear, however
the section closest to Ort Farm was pretty well obliterated.
We crossed Bartley Road directly and followed the railbed along another yard, then had
to climb down where a bridge was missing from an apparent farm underpass. On the other
side, we fought through some serious weeds, but it became clearer as we entered an
orchard area. We continued along the railbed to where it used to cross the South Branch
of the Rariton River, then made our way to the gas line bridge to the High Bridge Branch
of the CNJ. We followed this to the Gillette Trail, as the Patriot’s Path had been
abandoned, blazes painted out. Gilette Trail used a field and more direct access to
Fairview Road.
Former CNJ Chester Branch in Ort Farm
Upland Meadow Tral, Schooley's Mountain Park
We crossed Fairview Road, ascending Schooley’s Mountain on the Bee-Line Trail, to the
Grand Loop Trail, and Upland Meadow Trail back to the Patriot’s Path. We crossed
Springtown Road on Patriot’s Path, and after crossing the Electric Brook at an old dam
site, we followed a sewer line easement (proposed route of more of Patriot’s Path) to a
Cul De Sac. We followed a few more roads out to Naughright Road where another blazed
section of Patriot’s Path picked up. We walked it across someone’s yard, then in a narrow
strip of woods behind a new developement, but the trail ended abruptly behind a house.
We dashed across someone’s yard, then walked a loop around back to Naughright Road.
We decided to walk Naughright Road out to Mt Olive. Along the way, there were several
houses for sale with Weichert Realtors signs and the like. Tea Biscuit stole the balloons
from each one of these signs and carried them with him for several miles!
Along Naughright Road with a realtor balloon
We continued on the road, using the Woods development path along the road where we
were able, and reached Mt Olive A&P. We stopped for some food here, and our friend
Henry’s girlfriend and one other girl were walking around holding trays, one of cheese and
crackers, the other a tray of cookies! We ordered them to follow us around the store so
that we may eat as we searched for what we’d like to buy. As it turned out, I don’t think
we bought anything, because we ate the equivelant of more than two full boxes of
cookies, and a great deal of cheese as well! We refilled our water bottles in the store and
went on our way.
We walked down Rt 46 west to the Highlands Trail (even though it was closed after
9/11/1). We made our way along the trail through Hackettstown Resevoir property, and
talked with a guy we met along the way about the trail. He was at first irked by our
presense, but said as long as we kept our visits to Sundays it was alright.
We soon crossed Mine Hill Road and entered Stephens State Park, descending to the
Musconetcong River down to the car. This ended up being furthern than I had anticipated,
but still an interesting hike!
Former CNJ Chester Branch in Ort Farm
Upland Meadow Tral, Schooley's Mountain Park
Along Naughright Road with a realtor balloon
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