Hike #172
On the Kittatinny Ridge in Warren County
5/22/5
Millbrook area Kittatinny loop with Evan "Joe Millionaire" Van Rossum and "Marky Mark" Camaano
Yet another one that the journal is missing from due to the fire.
But I remember it very well. It's funny, at the time of this writing Joe Millionaire and I were just talking about this hike last night!
View from the AT on the Kittatinny Ridge
Kittatinny Ridge view near Mohican
Kittatinny Ridge view
Kittatinny Ridge view
Kittatinny Ridge view
Marky Mark and Joe Millionaire along the AT north of Catfish Pond Gap
There was an Appalachian Mountain Club event going on at the Mohican Outdoors Center and I think I went up there the night before with Rich Pace to hang out.
The next morning I had a hike ready for the event in case anyone wanted to join in. It seemed like I think we were going to do the same hike from the beginning, but right from the beginning we were already going to be way too fast.
Marky Mark was a friend I'd met during my time working at Shop Rite in the late 90s and it had been a while since Joe Millionaire's last hike with me. I was surprised to only have two participants for this one, but oh well.
After seeing a few people in the morning at the Mohican Outdoors Center near Catfish Pond on the Kittatinny Ridge, the three of us took Rattlesnake Swamp Trail up to the AT and walked it northbound to Catfish Tower. While we were hanging around here the rest of Jim Catozzi (another amc leader)'s group showed up. Tom Straus and Hsin Chien Tai were a couple I knew in the group (they were dating at the time).
Catfish Tower
At Catfish Tower
Old Cutoff Road near Millbrook
When they got there we were pretty much ready to move on. We followed either the AT or the fire road, I don't remember which, down to Millbrook/Blairstown Road and followed it briefly to the left to the terminus of Cutoff Road, one of the many abandoned roads, which led down to Van Campens Brook. We took it down hill and then out to Old Mine Road and turned right to Millbrook. We took a break there, and wandered the village a bit before moving on.
At the lower end of Cutoff Road Trail
Bad Ass
In Millbrook Village
Abandoned house near Watergate
Next, we took Watergate Trail, an old road, from the village to a picnic area with a lake, then beyond onto Van Campen Glen Trail. This took us by one abandoned house which we of course went in as I always do. We continued on, drinking Scorpion Vodka which was left over from my most recent party, as well as some really good Peppermint Schnopps. By the time we got to the steep drop offs in Van Campen Glen we were pretty loopy and feeling like we might fall off.
Abandoned house near Watergate
Abandoned bridge to access a house near Watergate
Van Campens Glen
Van Campen Glen
Van Campen Glen
We continued to the end of the trail and then walked Old Mine Road southbound. Along the way we picked tons of four leaf clovers, which I've had a knack for finding for some time. Marky Mark actually found quite a lot, maybe more than me on this occasion. It seemed like there really were tons growing in this area.
When we reached Coppermines Trail, Marky Mark was not feeling at all well, and so we told him to wait behind and I would come back around to pick him up in the Camaro. Joe Millionaire and I took the Coppermines Trail up, which as he recalls was still pretty washed out from recent floods, and I got way ahead of him while he was getting afraid he'd lost the trail. I got to the top and picked up the Camaro, went and got Marky Mark, then brought him back. Unfortunitely, when we arrived, his car would'nt start. We were trying to get AAA there to get him, but they refused to drive on dirt roads so we were stuck. We also tried to get AAA to reimburse for the expensive towing company that did come up, but to no avail. Joe Millionaire, Marky Mark, and I ended up sitting up there for well over an hour trying to get towed, and cell service was terrible. Once we had a ride for him we took off.
Van Campen Falls
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