Hike #186; Galilee/Sandy Hook Loop

 Hike #186

On the lower part of Sandy Hook

8/21/5

 

I lost the original journal for this one too.

 

I'd long wanted to do beach hikes, but I'd also wanted to make all of my hikes connect.

Sandy Hook

Sandy Hook

Sandy Hook

Sandy Hook

Rail trail on Sandy Hook

Sandy Hook's south end

View of the Atlantic Highlands across Sandy Hook Bay

View toward the old Rt 36 bridge

Old Rt 36 bridge from Sandy Hook

Old Rt 36 bridge from Sandy Hook

Old Rt 36 lift bridge open, from Sandy Hook

Twin Lights on the Atlantic Highlands from Sandy Hook

Old lift bridge to Sandy Hook

Stanly and his dog, "Port to Port"

When I was with Cathy, she always loved the beach, probably more than anyone I'd met. For our anniversery weekend, I told her we could go do a beach hike if she wanted with just the two of us, and we'd do something for her the other weekend day. I knew I would end up connecting the hike with other stuff soon, so I picked the first actualy ocean section, the one I'd end up connecting first, and that was Sandy Hook.

We started in Galilee, just north of Long Branch, and got out on the beach to walk north. There's not much to speak of along the beach, it's basically the same in this section, until you get to where Sandy Hook starts, then you can see cove type sections. We walked north all the way to the visitor's center area on Sandy Hook and then turned back and followed a paved trail, which follows at least in part an old rail bed that went up the hook to Fort Hancock, back down the hook. Along the way we could see the twin lights on the Atantic highlands, Sandy Hook Bay, and the old lifting bridge from there onto the hook. I got pictures of it operating which was cool because it was torn down in early 2010, just a few months before writing this.

Once we were off the hook, we stayed somewhat inland and walked through the towns. Along the way, in Sea Bright we met this guy who's name I now forgot unfortunitely, with his dog named "Port to Port". Largest dog I'd ever seen. I think his name was Stanley actually. He told us he'd traded ownership of some dock property in return for the dog...it was interesting. Wish I could remember more. We continued to walk back to Galilee and back to Cathy's car which I think was like three blocks inland. We looked on the way back for the old CNJ railroad right of way which ran down the coast but never saw any remains of it.

Stanly and his dog "Port to Port"