Hike #197
11/27/5
Jacobsburg State Park/Stockertown-Wilson/Easton with Fred Hafale, John and JoAnne Flood, John Spiridon, and Bob Savron
Lost the journal entry to this one to the fire as well, but I'll relate what I remember.
The group in Jacobsburg State Park
Jacobsburg SP
Jacobsburg State Park
Jacobsburg State Park fountain
Jacobsburg State Park fountain
Jacobsburg SP
Jacobsburg State Park
We began this one at a parking area centrally located in the park, I parked up by the bus parking area with special permission in case I was after dark and began walking a trail along and through the fields with Fred and John S. I think it was. Then as we neared the other parking area John and JoAnne, and Bob Savron called us from out near the other lot to join up! Good thing we caught them!
Together, we all headed south passing an amphitheatre and then along the steep upper level of the Henry's Woods Trail which led us to the old buildings on the south side of the park where they used to make Cold revolvers I think. We explored around the buildings a bit before heading up through the fields to the northwest. There was a bit of a nice view.
Nearing Fehr Road, Jacobsburg SP
LNE Nazareth Branch in Jacobsburg SP
Site of Jacobsburg PA
Site of Jacobsburg PA, creek crossing
Old quarry in Jacobsburg SP
Nativity setting in Belfast PA
Belfast PA
Washed out rail line near
Washed out rail line just north of Tatamy PA
Washed out rail lne nearing Tatamy
near Tatamy PA
Former LV rail grade south of Tatamy PA
View from the former LV rail grade north of Easton
The trail dumped us off directly across from Fehr Road, so we went down it and turned right on Douglasvile Road, then right on the abandoned road back into another part of the park and onto Sober's Run Trail which at first followed the old Nazareth Branch of the LNE Railroad. We did'nt stay on this long, and walked down a narrower footpath that paralleled the stream heading north. We soon reached an old bridge site with the newer one next to it, which we crossed. I think I remember the old bridge, but I don't remember if I ever crossed it...hmmm...
Wel we crossed on the road and then turned right again following the creek on the other side. We then took another trail to the left which took us across a couple roads starting with Belfast Road, then eventually out to the site of the former town of Jacobsburg. We crossed a stream on rocks and then followed the most obvious trail around and to the south. I brought everyone on a side trip from the main trail to check out a quarry along the way and an overlook over the Bushkill Creek.
Soon, Fred and I bid farewell and left the others as we walked the roads to Belfast. At the site of Belfast Junction, where we'd left off recently. From here, I'd already hiked much of our route the rest of the way with Matt "Henry" Fenimore before as well as Chris Jones and Susyn Mihalasky, but had'nt done it in a while.
Fred and I continued south through to Stockertown and took a break in a park. While Fred ate his lunch I had a look around the block to see if I could find any more stores. I was wearing a bright red sports jacket and some idiot kid kept yelling "faggot" out his window and running away.
We soon made our way around an industrial place blocking our way to Bushkill Street to access the next section of rail bed. We followed it south to Tatamy where the tracks had all been washed out, then ended. Here, I went to have a snack I think at a small store on Uhler Road before continueing to the south.
There were a few buildings built over the right of way south of here we also had to circumvent, but just south of there from Bushkill Street and another good distance south it was like a developed trail for a bit. Next, we came to the new developement that we'd seen when it was first started on my first trip, this time much of it was pretty much done and I think there may have been a pavilian or something. We continued parallel with the houses in the area and then crossed the realigned Newlins Mill Road I guess it was. We then got back on the rail bed which was on a high shelf above the creek.
Heading south was easy and clear most of the way. The bridges remained undecked with no trespassing signs but no one bothered us. We turned right when we got to upper Hackett Park because we could'nt go through the mill area we'd done the first time, and the trail took us past a frisbee golf course and then down to an abandoned road over Hackett Ave and down to cross Rt 22 on a pedestrian bridge. The paved trail took us along Wood Avenue sort of into the weeds to the right, then ended on the road. We bushwhacked up to the old LV Railroad right of way to the south of the road and walked that to cross Northampton Street, then beyond to where the bridge had been ripped out by William Penn Highway. We then followed from here the former Jersey Central Railroad right of way west. On previous trips, we cut away from this trail earlier, but this time we'd cover new ground heading toward the junction site with the CNJ main line. I was planning on going all the way to the junction but the road was closed when we arrived in the morning, so Fred and I had to park our cars at a big nearby parking lot near TGI Fridays I think it was. We'd have to finish this rail trail another day.
Former LV Railroad just north of Easton PA
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