Hike #212 4/9/6
The group along Lake Aeroflex, Kittatinny Valley SP
4/9/6
My next venture would take us to the main body of Kittatinny Valley State Park justnorth of Andover in Sussex County NJ. We would make use of trails I had never used in apoint to point hike from here to Waterloo. Joining me for this trek were past participantsFred Hafale, Dave Finton, Jim “Mr. Buckett” Mathews, Ira Rubenstein, Lidya ?, GerryMartiniak, and Tom Conroy.
Sussex Branch Trail parking lot in Andover
Kittatinny Valley State Park mine
In Kittatinny Valley State Park
Kittatinny Valley State Park
Lake Aeroflex
Kittatinny Valley State Park office
Kittatinny Valley State Park
Kittatinny Valley State Park office
Kittatinny Valley State Park office
Lake Aeroflex
Tower in Kittatinny Valley State Park
Kittatinny Valley State Park
West end of Kittatinny Valley State Park near Goodale Road
A field in Kittatinny Valley SP
Gooddale Road, Kittatinny Valley State Park
Abandoned house
Abandoned house
Abandoned house
Abandoned house
Kittatinny Valley State Park
Wetlands off of Gooddale Road
Swan nest in Kittatinny Valley SP
Swan nest in Kittatinny Valley State Park
Scrambling up a rock outcrop in Kittatinny Valley SP
Pond in Kittatinny Valley SP
Andover NJ
Historic marker in Andover
Sussex Branch historic switch box in Andover
Sussex Branch culvert below the Lackawanna Cutoff
Approaching Lackawanna Cutoff underpass, Sussex Branch Trail
Under the Lackawanna Cutoff on the Sussex Branch
Sussex Branch Trail south of Andover
Sussex Branch Trail at Lackawanna Cutoff underpass
Billboard in Whitehall NJ
Allamuchy Mountain State Park outcropping
Allamuchy Mt. State Park outcropping
Cranberry Lake bridge
Cranberry Lake bridge
Former Sussex Mine Railroad bed
Sussex Mine Railroad bridge abutments
Along Mine Trail, Allamuchy Mt. State Park
Mine in Allamuchy Mt. State Park
Old iron mine, Allamuchy Mt.
Sussex Mine Railroad bed
Sussex Mine Railroad bed
Sussex Mine Railroad bed
View of Sussex Branch from the original mine railroad right of way
Along the former Sussex Railroad near Waterloo Road
Site where the Sussex Railroad crossed the Musconetcong River
Dirt road to Waterloo Village
Collasped mule bridge in Waterloo
Collapsed bridge in Waterloo Village
Collapsed bridge in Waterloo Village
Collapsed bridge in Waterloo Village
Collapsed bridge in Waterloo Village
Base of Morris Canal Inclined Plane #4 West.
Collapsed bridge across Waterloo Lake
Reading Waterloo interpretive signs
Waterloo Village
Waterloo Village
Waterloo Village
Waterloo Village
Morris Canal, Waterloo Village
Morris Canal, Waterloo Village
Morris Canal in Waterloo Village
Giant pipe under Rt 80 at Waterloo
Fred commented that because he showed up two weeks in arow, he should be given a promotion, so from this day forward we began calling him“Major Tom”! Also, two newcomers, Justin “Itty” Matthew and {name unknown} joined. We met at the grassy pull off parking area we had used several times before near theWaterloo Village entrance and shuttled cars north to the Sussex Branch Trail parking areaon the north side of Andover. We began walking north a bit on the Sussex Branch rail right of way, and soon make aright off the railbed onto one of the Kittatinny State Park Trails. We looped back to thesouth a bit and had a couple pointless ups and downs over some hills. A lot of this trailwas tagged as a route for what was probably a bike race. We continued around a cornerand found some sort of a mine site. We continued wandering, as the trail would split andcome back together on it’s way out to a gravel road. We turned right on the gravel roadand walked down towared Lake Aeroflex, also known as New Wawayanda Lake (becausesome scout group that used this site used to be located on Wawayanda Lake in northJersey). We walked to the left along the edge of the lake using a dirt road, which led usaround a loop to the Kittatinny State Park office. I cut through some weeds whileeveryone else went around the corner. We went into the park office and I chatted with the woman working there. I believe itwas my Kittatinny Waterfalls article that was in the curren Skylands Magazine and Ipassed out a couple to the group. After taking a break and collecting some new maps, wecontinued around the building onto another trail, up hill and back down the other side intoa field. We headed out for a ways until it was evident that the trail was leading back intothe direction we came from, so we turned back. We walked down the dirt road on the wayback to the Sussex Branch, and then headed out across a grassy field toward anotherpond.
We made our way to another road which paralleled the rail right of way for a bitand then led us away from it toward Rt 206.After a short distance, there was anabandoned house on the left side of the road. I climbed into the back of it, and most of theinternal part of it had collapsed into itself, and one portion the roof had caved into it. Wecontinued on the road until we reached a bridge over a swampy area and the north shoreof another lake (I can’t remember the name of it). We crossed the bridge, but soon turned back option to bushwhack along the shore of thelake heading back to the railroad grade. After a bit of fighting through brush, we saw anesting swan out on the water. We continued on and split the group. Fred, Dave, Lidya,Mr. Buckett, Major Tom, and Gerry headed out along the edge of a rocky outcroppingwhile the rest of us decided it would be fun to climb it. Ira was particularly enthused withthis as I recall. We soon rejoined and headed back south on the rail grade to Rt 206 whereMajor Tom cut out early. The rest of us turned off the right of way to Rt 206 because Iwanted to see the remnants of the older Sussex Mine Railroad which did not always sharethe same right of way of the later railroad. We walked along 206 through town, and Istopped and got a slice of pizza along the way. Not everyone was happy with doing theroad walking, and there was little I could see of the original railbed, only a few pieces ofthe level grade just to the east of 206. We continued on the road until we got to the center of town and walked a side streetback to the Sussex Branch south. We passed under the Lackawanna Cutoff and soonneared Cranberry Lake. I admired the high cliffs of the mountain to our west, thinking itwould be fun to climb up there, but there were some construction vehicles and a largepiece of private land between us and the outcropping. There was also some dissatisfactionwith the close proximity of the railbed to the highway through this section. We walked along the shore of Cranberry Lake; everyone else walked down to the railbedearlier, and I walked the berm of the lake to the dam before climbing down.
We continuedsouth, and I tried to walk the pieces of the original mine railroad where they wereaccessable. One that was particularly visible was at the large cut south of Cranberry Lake.The original right of way bypasses the rock to the east. Soon, as we entered Allamuchy Mountain State Park, the Iron Mine Trail began toascend to the right. It passed by a stream and climbed steeply, passing some sort of oldequipment about halfway up. We switchbacked around a bit, and continued to ascend,reaching the trail’s namesake, an old Iron Mine. It was only a few feet deep, just enoughto give shelter, but still interesting. We soon descended back to the Sussex Branch. When we reached the little waterfall where the Highlands Trail crossed the right of way,the Mine Railroad diverted from the later track to the west. I opted to lead the group thisway on the narrower, more intimate right of way. It eventually brought us back to themain Sussex Branch after passing by the edge of a part of Jefferson Lake. Before we reached Waterloo Road, we reached the former junction between two tracks.The main trail followed the 1901 right of way that went to Stanhope to join the main linein Netcong, and the one to the right was the earlier line to Waterloo Junction, as well asthe original mine railroad route. We took this route to Waterloo Road and crossed to viewthe site of where the bridge crossed the Musconetcong. We then looked for mine railroadremnants heading along Waterloo Road west. Some of the fill appeared to be on the northside of the road briefly. I would suspect the railroad used what is now a gravel road near the Indian display inWaterloo Village. When we reached this point, there were no trespassing signs, so wewalked just beyond the entrance and cut through the woods to the road. We then followedthe dirt road into Waterloo Village with it’s beautiful old architecture. We continued outto where the Morris Canal crossed Waterloo Lake. The wooden bridge across the lake hadbegun to collapse in the middle, which did not stop me from walking across it. The canal’sinclined plane on the other side of the lake was in nice shape as well. Bridge abutmentswere visible from where the Sussex Railroad crossed the plane. After a break, wecontinued west along the canal towpath. Waterloo Village had a beautiful watered sectionof the canal still intact. It was clear at first, but then became very overgrown. The canalgot narrower until it disappeared into the fill built for Rt 80, so we crossed along this andheaded into the woods toward the parking area.
The group in Waterloo
Along the Morris Canal towpath west of Waterloo
Abandoned former Waterloo Road from before Rt 80
Morris Canal where it flows into an abandoned quarry near Waterloo
Morris Canal where Rt 80 obliterated some of it near Waterloo Village
Musconetcong River near Waterloo
Morris Canal where Rt 80 obliterated some of it near Waterloo Village
Abandoned former Waterloo Road from before Rt 80
Musconetcong River just down stream from Waterloo Village
Along the Morris Canal just west of Waterloo Village
Building ruins in Allamuchy Mountain State Park near the Rt 80 underpass
Ruins in Allamuchy Mt. State Park near Waterloo
We had gotten back earlier thananticipated, so when everyone else cut out early, Fred, Gerry, Mr. Buckett, and I decidedto continue a bit. We walked through the pipe under 80 we had used in the past, thenmade our way along the abandoned portion of old Waterloo Road, and crossed Rt 80’s fillto the towpath where we took a nice break. I ran ahead to check out the MusconetcongRiver Bridge while everyone else waited behind. Soon, we walked the towpath back out to Waterloo Road. Along the way, we met a guywho was looking for coins and such with a locator. Mr. Buckett and I chatted with him abit about prices of gold and how metal prices were going up. The man had’nt foundanything yet, but told us he almost always found something! We continued along the towpath back to Waterloo Road were we saw Fred hadcontinued down the road. I thought it would be best to go back, as Gerry was ready toturn back and he needed a ride. Gerry is always easy going, and was willing to wait aroundfor us, but I did’nt want to leave him there so I went back anyway. On the way back to theparking area, we saw the frame of an old stone building to the north, though I don’t knowwhat it was for.
Photography by Mike Helbing and Fred Hafale (FH)...here's a link to all of the pictures from this hike followed by their descriptions...
http://s132.photobucket.com/albums/q13/sneezehorse/hike212%204-9-6/
1.) The crew preparing to walk, Kittatinny Valley State Park Sussex Branch, Andover NJ (FH)
2.) Checking out a fenced in abandoned mine, Kittatinny Valley SP (FH)
3.) The group on trail along Lake Aeroflex, Kittatinny Valley SP (FH)
4.) Along Lake Aeroflex (New Wawayanda Lake), Kittatinny Valley State Park
5.) Still along Lake Aeroflex (FH)
6.) Lake Aeroflex (FH)
7.) Kittatinny Valley State Park office
8.) The group approaching the KV State Park office on a park road
9.) At the state park office (FH)
10.) Kittatinny Valley State Park office (FH)
11.) swampland in KVSP (FH)
12.) A tower view from KVSP (FH)
13.) Crossing a field in KVSP (FH)
14.) In Kittatinny Valley SP, west of the Sussex Branch Trail
15.) Dave Finton strangling me in KVSP
16.) Along one of the roads in KVSP (FH)
17.) Abandoned house in KVSP
18.) Inside the abandoned house; the floor had already collapsed
19.) Looking into the upper floor of the abandoned house
20.) More of the abandoned house
21.) View of the marshlands in KVSP
22.) Another nice marsh view in KVSP
23.) A swan and it's nest in KVSP off trail (FH)
24.) Another nice view of the swan and it's nest
25.) Ira Rubenstein climbing a rock outcropping in KVSP
26.) A pond in KVSP from the Sussex Branch Trail (FH)
27.) Resting at a pizza place in Andover NJ (FH)
28.) Historical sign in Andover on Rt 206
29.) Me on an old switch box, where the Sussex Railroad once crossed Rt 517 (FH)
30.) Sussex Railroad underpass of the Lackawanna Cutoff south of Andover (FH)
31.) Approaching the Lackawanna Cutoff underpass
32.) On the Sussex Branch Trail south of Andover (FH)
33.) Under the Lackawanna Cutoff on the Sussex Branch (FH)
34.) Passing under the Lackawanna Cutoff (FH)
35.) Me on a billboard in Whitehall NJ (FH)
36.) Large rock outcropping north of Cranberry Lake as seen from the Sussex Branch
37.) A vertical view of the same rock outcropping
38.) Cranberry Lake footbridge (FH)
39.) A dock along Cranberry Lake (FH)
40.) The right of way to the original Sussex Mine Railroad south of Cranberry Lake
41.) Former bridge crossing, probably Sussex Mine Railroad south of Cranberry Lake
42.) Fred and Gerry passing some sort of abandoned piece of equipment on Iron Mine Trail, Allamuchy Mountain State Park
43.) Iron Mine, on Iron Mine Trail, Allamuchy Mt (FH)
44.) Me in the old Iron Mine, Allamuchy Mt. State Park (FH)
45.) Along former Sussex Mine Railroad, AMSP (FH)
46.) Walking along former Sussex Mine Railroad, AMSP
47.) Gerry Martiniak along former Sussex Mine Railroad at Jefferson Lake
48.) Sussex Railroad crossing of Jefferson Lake
49.) Along former Sussex Railroad's branch to Waterloo, AMSP
50.) Site of Sussex Railroad's bridge over Musconetcong River near Waterloo
51.) Walking into Waterloo Village, probably once part of Sussex Mine Railroad
52.) Broken towpath bridge over Waterloo Lake, Morris Canal in Waterloo Village (FH)
53.) Another view of the busted bridge at Waterloo Village
54.) Morris Canal at Waterloo Lake with view if Inlcined Plane #3W I believe
55.) Morris Canal Inclined Plane 3W (FH)
56.) Messed up old towpath bridge (FH)
57.) Morris Canal, Inclined Plane #3 West
58.) The wrecked part of the towpath bridge at Waterloo Village
59.) The group in Waterloo Village (FH)
60.) Mr. Buckett along the canal in Waterloo Village (FH)
61.) Waterloo Village along the Morris Canal (FH)
62.) Mr. Buckett and the crew along the Morris Canal in Waterloo Village
63.) Morris Canal leaving Waterloo Lake (FH)
64.) Morris Canal at Waterloo Village (FH)
65.) Morris Canal at Waterloo Village
66.) Morris Canal at Waterloo Village, where it is not well manicured
67.) The group before some of them cut out early
68.) Mr. Buckett and I in a pipe under Rt 80 at Waterloo (FH)
69.) Fred, Gerry, and Mr. Buckett on the old alignment of Waterloo Road prior to the construction of Rt 80
70.) Along Morris Canal on the west side of Rt 80, Waterloo Village area (FH)
71.) Along the towpath at the Rt 80 fill (FH)
72.) The Musconetcong River at Waterloo (FH)
73.) Musconetcong River (FH)
74.) Musconetcong River. I had thought this may be where the river was diverted into a quarry during a 1999 flood (FH)
75.) Gerry, Mr. Buckett, and I along the canal near Rt 80 (FH)
76.) Ruins along Waterloo Road near Rt 80
77.) Another shot of the building ruins along Waterloo Rd on Rt 80
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