Hike #202; Hampton to Crestmoore

 Hike #202 12/18/5

12/18/5

On Columbia Trail near High Bridge

 For my last hike of 2005 before flying back out to Cathy, I figured I would do part of myhike I had done from Crestmoore to Washington, this time beginning in Hampton andwalking to Crestmoore. I began by going to church in Hampton Presbeterian with my grandfather. I wanted to show up one last time before I left.

Former CNJ line in Glen Gardner

Along the former CNJ line in Glen Gardner

Columbia Trail in High Bridge

Columbia Trail near Readingsburg

Columbia Trail in Ken Lockwood Gorge

Ken Lockwood Gorge

I surprised him by showing up, then visited mygrandmother’s grave before meeting Fred in Hampton.  Fred and I climbed up to the CNJ tracks and walked south through Glen Gardner to HighBridge. Most of the snow had melted off the tracks and it was easy to walk. The onlychange in High Bridge was that the High Bridge Branch had part of it’s right of way pavedthrough town. We continued through Ken Lockwood Gorge and across the deckedtrestle. Since the last visit here, the guardrails had had chain link fences installed on top ofthem, which I did’nt like. Along the way, I was called by Eric Pace, who decided to join us in Califon. We met himas we walked by the station. He called us again, and it turned out he was only feet fromus. Rambo’s general store was closed, so we continued on through Vernoy toCrestmoore. I called my grandfather to pick us up when we got there, and the three of uswalked out Rt 513 back to Califon, where we were picked up on the outskirts, and takenback to Eric Pace’s car. Eric drove us back to Hampton.

1.) Me on former Jersey Central Railroad just south of Glen Gardner (FH)2.) Fred on the CNJ just south of Glen Gardner3.) Me on the former High Bridge Branch in High Bridge, now Colombia Trail. This was asomewhat recently paved section (FH)4.) Fred and I on the High Bridge Branch in Ken Lockwood Gorge (FH)5.) Same shot as above with my camera6.) The right of way in Ken Lockwood Gorge (FH)7.) Ice in Ken Lockwood Gorge (FH)8.) Fred and Eric Pace at the Bob Jenkinson Tree Farm in Crestmoore

Jenkinson Nursery section of Columbia Trail