Hike #201; Three Bridges to Somerville

 Hike #201 12/13/5

It's really fun to look back and read a journal like this one because it was supposed to be such a boring hike and it ended up being so much fun. At the time I was really ready to head east as fast as I could with connecting sections to reach the beach, and I would do it VERY soon!

Skyler on the former LV bridgge over the Raritan, Neshanic Station area

12/13/5

 

 For my next hike, I was joined only by Skyler Jermyn, and we planned on doing a newsection hike on the Lehigh Valley Railroad to Somerville starting in a village called ThreeBridges near Flemington.  Though I wanted to walk the next section of the Lehigh Valley Railroad I had notcompleted from Lansdown south first, I figured it would be easier to post this section thanthe next one heading east, because it was so much more urban and out in the open.

Along the former Lehigh Valley Railroad east of Three Bridges

Along the former LV Railroad east of Three Bridges

Raritan River from the LV railroad trestle at Neshanic Station

Raritan River from the LV trestle looking south, Neshanic Station NJ.

 We spotted Skyler’s car in Somerville on the street, then took the Camaro back to ThreeBridges, the entire time blasting Ringo Starr’s awesome new song “Free Drinks”. Skylerchuckled the whole drive as I grooved to the music. When we’d reached three bridges, we drove the streets a bit looking for the appropriateplace to park, but I could’nt find one. I had hoped to park at my former boss, DickDalpe’s house, but when I knocked on the door I was told he did not live there any more.In addition, anywhere that would have had on street parking was off-limits due to thesnow on the ground. We looked around a bit more before stopping in at the little generalstore near the railroad tracks. There were two sets of tracks in Three Bridges running nearone another; one was the Lehigh Valley Railroad, the other was formerly part of thePennsylvania Railroad, heading south to Lambertville. We talked to the clerks in the store,who told us an abandoned house across the street should be a safe place to park. We left anote on the camaro, and we took off walking. Skyler was drinking some orange juice that he’d mixed with some rum or something,which was quite good. We had a buzz going in no time. As we walked, we headedthrough some lovely farm land. We tried to keep to the side of the tracks that would beleast visible to people in houses nearby. I had brought by a huge bag of trick-or-treatcandy my youngest brother, Mark Jr. (or as I call him “Bobo”) did’nt want fromHalloween. Skyler and I were munching on them non stop the entire way! The first little community of note we passed through was Neshanic Station, with a couplelittle roads we crossed. Soon after we reached the deck bridge over the Rariton River.From this bridge, we could see a nice set of truss bridges to the south, one for the road,another for the other railroad we had paralleled since Three Bridges. On the other side ofthe bridge, I was interested to see the right of way of the Pennsylvania Railroad coming infrom the right, passing under us, then paralleling us to the left. It looked clear enough towalk, and was long abandoned, giving me hopes of hiking it. We continued into Hillsborough Township where there was a rail right of way breakingoff to the right heading south into a military place or something; maps call it “GeneralServices Admin Depot”. This was in the area of Flagtown, where there were someindustrial buildings. I could see vehicles passing on an overpass in the distance, whichappeared to stay the same distance away for us for an eternity. We felt like we werewalking this straightaway toward Manville for hours, when it was’nt quite so far in reality.We passed by only one train on this entire route between Three Bridges and Manville, andit was parked. I talked to an engineer in the train asking him how far we had left, and hedid’nt seem to know really. I offered him some of the candy, but he did’nt want any. Thefact that Skyler had alchahol certainly helped us through this tough spot. I was feeling sillyand was making snow happy faces by poking through the icy top layer on the snow. After what we thought would be an infinite straightaway, we entered the outskirts ofManville, and could’nt wait to get to a place of business. I was feeling that I would haveto use a restroom in the worst of ways. I left Skyler under the bridge on Main Street/Rt533, while I decided to run to a McDonalds I think it was to use the restroom. When I gotout, I ran back down the road and found Skyler sitting there. I think he asked if I’d fallenin. We continued up the street into Manville, thinking we’d look for a strip club orsomething. Skyler was delighted to find so many Polish businesses. Having a Polish heritage, he knewhe could find gifts for his grandfather. We went into a little store along the way, wherethey had all sorts of off the wall Polish goods, including prominant American Magazines inPolish! Skyler began chatting with the attractive young clerk, who was very into him. Shebegan chatting, and could’nt stop recommending things for him to buy! He ended upstuffing the pack with a couple movies and other knick knacks. I left him there while Iwalked down Main Street to the end of town looking for anything of interest.

I made a snow smiley face near Manville!

Lost in Finderne area

Having some wine in the weeds in Finderne

When Ireached the fill the former Reading Railroad used, I turned back, meetng Skyler on thestreet. We went into one liquor store along the way and I got a bottle of wine. I also hadto buy a cork screw to open it! We soon walked back to the former LV tracks heading east. We were almost immediatelysorrounded by fences, and were right next to the Police Station. I knew we had best movethrough this part as quickly as possible. We were soon along some industrial areas withenough vegetation to hide us from people. Unfortunitely, the route I wanted to follownorth to the former CNJ railroad tracks, now NJ Transit, had been blocked off, inside anindurstrial area. There was also a moving train ahead at what appeared to be an importantjunction. This was where the Lehigh Valley and Reading Railroads had a connection. Icould see far down the former Reading line to the southwest, and ahead a short distanceto the LV Railroad’s bridge over the Rariton. Because there was a moving train, wemoved up a northeast bound track toward the CNJ behind some parked rail cars. It wasobvious this track had gone straight though as part of the Reading line at one time judgingby the alignment. When we were far enough behind the cars I used the cork screw to openmy bottle of wine. I knew I needed it to calm my nerves! We continued on, soon crossing a through truss bridge over the Rariton River. Whenwe’d reached the other side, we climbed down onto a pier and jumped to the ground in theflood plain. I did’nt want to walk ahead on the tracks any further to the junction, as itappeared there were bright lights shining on it and we’d surely be seen. At the bottom of the bridge, we walked an ATV trail west along the river to the nextabandoned railroad bridge, part of the track I had intended to walk originally. I walked onbeyond the bridge to see if there would be an alternative way out, and there was if weneeded it, as I could see moving cars clearly. Still, we decided to walk this abandoned railroad from the bridge north into a town calledFinderne. We walked clearly at first, because the railbed had been used by ATVs. Soon,the ATV trails broke off in many directions, and we struggled to find our way as it wasgetting very dark. The only reason we could see at all was because some lights fromindustrial areas shone into the woods. I soon found my way back to the right of way, and we walked them straight on,sometimes struggling through weeds in the dark. I was delighted when I reached the activeNJ Transit/former Jersey Central railroad tracks. Skyler and I crossed and fought throughsome thick weeds between the tracks and someone’s back yard. We sat in this little oasisof woods only a few feet wide for a bit drinking wine. When we felt a bit better, wequickly ran across the yard, part of an apartment complex, out to the nearest road, thenheaded out to Rt 533/East Main Street. We walked along the street heading west. Alongthe way, we stopped in at Burger King, or maybe it was McDonalds, I don’t remember,but I do remember that it was funny that I was obviously drinking my bottle of wine in thestore. We continued on the street which closely paralleled the tracks into Somerville. I knewwhere we were by the time we reached the Somerset Courthouse. There were a lot ofrough looking characters walking around, but no one bothered us. Just as we thought we were starting to make good time, safe on the lighted streets despitethat fact that it was very dark, we started finding interesting stores. We had to go into acomic book store we found, and I looked at new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle comics.Next, we went into some kind of a music store, then once again into an all around antiquestore which was interesting. I got Cathy some pins there. After quite a lot of time putzing about, we finally reached Skyler’s car and headed back toThree Bridges where we found my car was safe! As we were in the car, we used to joke how Skyler's car was immortal. It was an old ford that was beat to hell, and rather funny. When I said that it was immortal, Skyler said "It has inside it Blood of Kings" (making a reference to the "Highlander" movie). I came back with the response "Too bad blood of kings is up to over three dollars a gallon now!".