Hike #205 2/5/6
On the LV Rail bed, Metuchen
2/5/6
For my next hike, I again wanted to do the furthest continueous east section I had everdone. This would be an interesting section because it would focus on utilizing publictransportation once again, and was more urban than other hikes I had done in the past.Joining me for this one were Skyler Jermyn, Bill Fabel, and Sue Bickford Martin.
Train ride to Metuchen
At Newark Penn Station
Newark Penn Station
Metuchen NJ
Old rail bridge site in Metuchen NJ
Old LV rail grade in Metuchen NJ
Old LV rail grade in Metuchen NJ
Old LV rail bed in Metuchen NJ
Along the former LV rail bed at Dismal Swamp
Old LV rail bed through Dismal Swamp
Old LV rail bed through Dismal Swamp
Dismal Swamp
Bio hazard Skyler, Dismal Swamp, Plainfield
We met at the train station in Somerville on Sunday morning. Bill was a bit lost, but wedirected him to where we were. To my surprise, there was a weird paying system whereyou were to fold up dollars and poke them into pay holes in parking area boxes! We allpaid up, then made it to the platform just in time to catch the next train! We road the train eastbound to Newark, where we scurried out of the train to anotherplatform. From here, we were to take another train to Metuchen where we’d beginwalking once more. While we waited, I noticed the acoustics in the long platform areawere quite good, so I began singing Righteous Brothers songs loudly as people stared onin amazement, not so much at my vocal skill, but more at my lack of inhibitions I suppose.
We soon hopped a train, and we got into some ridicules conversations. A group of girlsseated nearby gawked at us like we had two heads or something. When we reached the train station in Metuchen, we walked down the main street to alittle deli where we got some junk food, then walked back toward the active tracks we rode in on, then down a side street passing some run down looking buildings andbusinesses. We made our way west until we reached a phantom bridge. The twoabutments on either side of the road were made of stone, and seemed to turn to the east abit. Skyler and I climbed to the right of way and walked through some weeds, while Guillermo and Sue walked a clear path below us. As it turned out, the railbed we werewalking was a connector to the higher line, while the Lehigh Valley Railroad’s branch toPerth Amboy, the route we were following, was actually at the lower level they werewalking. We continued northwest on the right of way, which was very clear and nice to walk. Sue told us she had done arial photography of the industrial buildings that used tostand in the area. We also passed under the former Reading Railroad’s through trussbridge. Much of the way we were walking along tracks that were overgrown, with ATV trails to their side. We took a side trip out of the way on a road looking for trails in the Dismal Swamp Preserve, but we could’nt find anything.
Rail car on former LV line in South Plainfield
Old LV railroad in South Plainfield
Polish National Home near South Plainfield
New Market Lake
At New Market Lake
New Market Lake
Dam at New Market Lake
We continued north on the railroad, mainly inwoods, but with some apartments at times to our east. There were some huge puddles wehad to walk around (or in my case through). We were also sorrounded by signs postingthis as a contaminated area, and not to trespass. As we neared South Plainfield, the tracks were still used as an industrial spur and had railcars parked on them. We of course had to climb them. When we came out into the open area again we opted to walk more closely to a parallel paved road. There were a coupldjunctions to the east of us on what I believe was the Lehigh Valley Railroad’s main line.We decided to walk around a block in South Plainfield and have a look for stores, butfound nothing. We then walked over a foot bridge over the Bound Brook, which wasplaced on the abutments to a former street bridge. We then walked an overgrown trailalong Bound Brook and the railroad, but when we saw someone walking toward us wemade our way up a hill to a road parallel to the tracks. We walked along the road just south of the Bound Brook, which separated us from theformer LV tracks, through someplace called “Samptown”. Skyler was happy that therewas a Polish National Home building. There were also a few strip clubs. I can’t rememberif it was on this stretch or the following one, but we passed by a huge steel manufacteringplace along the way. We decided to make a side trip on a cul de sac looking for an access to the HighlandAvenue Woods Reserve. We found the woods, but we were told there’d be no way ofhiking the loop in there as it was all under water! We turned back and walked the road outto New Market, where we were able to walk along a beautiful stretch of New Market Lake on a paved trail. There were little pavilians out on floatiing docks we walked out on,and Skyler, Bill, and I jumped up and down on it to make it bounce. We continued around the lake, with some lovely views, soon reaching the dam on Bound Brook at the western end of the lake. I was very surprised at how nice this part of NJ was. I did not at all expect places in Piscataway and South Plainfield Townships to look nice. We crossed a bridge over Bound Brook on a road, then followed parallel streets to therailroad. Where one street turned right, we decided to continue straight on a path throughthe woods. When the woods seemed to end, we walked out to the tracks, where we werenot really visible from an roads anyway. We decided to make our way back onto roads byrunning across a yard to the street. We probably should have continued on the tracks,because the road took us far out to South Ave, which paralleled the former CNJ tracksjust south of Dunellen. In this area as I recall were lots of albums thrown off into theweeds. There were quite a few of them, probably still good, but I did’nt go back for them.I remember seeing Olivia Newton John for certain! We walked South Ave and sooncrossed over the LV tracks again. We walked parallel to them for a while, but sooncrossed over them to the north side in a very industrialized area. Immediately on the otherside were a lot of businesses. This spot is called Middlesex. Bill I believe got someChinese food, while I went into a liquor store and got some wine as I recall. We sat undera tree for a bit before walking on. We continued on the road closely parallel to the tracks to the north. We crossed over theAmbrose Brook, as well as Green Brook on the way to the town of Bound Brook. BoundBrook was wall manicured, and much more beautiful than I thought it would be. Therewere a lot of mexican food restaurants, and I really wanted to try them, but we continuedon. At one point, we tried getting closer to the railroad, and Skyler and Bill walked out tothe next road while Sue and I walked the street around. By the time we walked out by Middle Brook, I had to pee terribly bad, and so I climbeddown below the bridge. I had already finished nearly half of the bottle of wine I’d bought!I walked covering it by my jacket most the time. We soon reached Finderne, where I recognized the area from our last hike through here.It was getting quite dark by now. I can’t remember all that well, but I think we stoppedsomewhere to get some kind of food again. As we headed down a hill toward Somerville, Skyler noticed a little kid’s bicycle alongthe road with a sign that said “Free”. Skyler yelled out “WOW! A FREE BIKE!” andjumped on it riding down the hill. A guy in the house next to it yelled out “HEY, ASSHOLE!” as he was riding off! He decided after going quite a ways to bring the bike back! By the time we were walking into Somerville, I had finished my bottle of wine and it wasquite dark. We returned to our cars, and Skyler and I were in no shape to go far, so wewent a short distance to Barnes and Noble and sobered up eating Snickers Bars andreading books!
Photos!
1.) On the NJ Transit train heading from Somerville to Newark, Bill "Guillermo" Fabel,Sue Bickford-Martin, and Skyler Jermyn sit waiting
2.) Guillermo, Sue, and Skyler in Newark Station waiting for the train to Metuchen
3.) Me, Skyler, and Guillermo looking cool with our shades
4-5.) Skyler at former Lehigh Valley Railroad crossing in Metuchen. The abutments were fora connector track, while the through Lehigh Valley Railroad crossed the road at grade behindon it's way southeast (left) to Perth Amboy. We continued ahead to the right.
6.) The connector track's right of way looking northwest
7.) Skyler on the former LV Railroad in Metuchen
8.) Guillermo, me and Skyler on the former LV Railroad in Metuchen
9.) LV Railroad passing under former Reading Railroad in Metuchen area
10.) Guillermo on the LV right of way along Dismal Swamp
11.) Me in a puddle north of Metuchen near Dismal Swamp
12.) Closeup shot of me in a giant puddle
13.) Skyler along a piece of the Dismal Swamp
14.) This is somewhat gross, but very funny! Dismal Swamp along the right of way
15.) Skyler climbing a rail car in South Plainfield Twp.
16.) Skyler at a rail crossing in South Plainfield
17.) Skyler at the Polish National Home, South Plainfield Twp. Samptown area
18.) Bound Brook approaching New Market Lake
19.) Pretending to fall off a dock on New Market Lake
20.) Guillermo and Skyler on a pavilian dock at New Market Lake
21.) The dam at the west end of New Market Lake, New Market NJ
22.) Guillermo and Sue on the former LV Railroad tracks south of Dunellen
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