Hike #227 7/16/6
In Morales Nature Preserve
Hike 227
7/16/6
For this next hike, I planned to re-do part of a hike I had last done on hike #105 on 8/20/5 with Skyler, Tea Biscuit, and Joe Millionaire, but only make it a loop. The hike we planned to do that day, I decided would be best as two separate sections, one beginning at Round Valley, the other a loop near Flemington.
In Bernadette Morales Nature Center, Flemington
Bernadette Morales Nature Center
In the Uplands Reserve
Home ruins in the Uplands Reserve
Cemetery in Flemington
Cemetery in Flemington
Cemetery in Flemington
Cemetary
Old rail station in Flemington, formerly Lehigh valley Railroad
Former Lehigh Valley Railroad bed in Flemington
Former Flemington Fair Grounds before it was developed.
Former Lehigh Valley Railroad bed near the former fair grounds.
Crossing the former Flemington Fair Grounds.
Making our way through Assiscong Marsh
Making our way through Assiscong Marsh
Wings section of the South Branch Reservation.
Wings section of the South Branch Reservation
Deer Path Pond
Fields in Deer Path Park
Deer Path Park
Peter Buelle Trail on Round Mountain
Vincent Arbraitis Wetlands Study Area, Hunterdon Arboretum
Wetlands study area, Hunterdon Arboretum
In Hunterdon Arboretum
In Hunterdon Arboretum
Garden Gazebo at Hunterdon Arboretum
In Hunterdon Arboretum
Trail bridge under Rt 31 at Hunterdon Arboretum
Crossing the brook bisecting Hunterdon Arboretum and Echo Hill Environmental Education Center
Stanton Road bridge near Stanton Station
Swimming at Stanton Station.
Swimming at Stanton Station.
Swimming at Stanton Station.
Swimming at Stanton Station.
Swimming at Stanton Station.
Swimming at Stanton Station.
Former LV railroad north of Stanton Station
Flemington Court House
Union Hotel, Flemington
Inside Flemington Court House
Inside Flemington Court House
Inside Flemington Court House
Inside Flemington Court House
Flemington Courthouse
It took till this date to finally get around to doing the loop I planned on that date! My loop would begin at a park I had not yet hiked in yet, the Bernadette Morales Nature Center on Capner Street in Flemington NJ. For this trip, I was joined by past participants Fred Hafale, "Major Tom" Conroy, Laurie Ellicott, and Gerry Martiniak. We also had newcomers Peter and Matt Buxbaum, Barry Frajer, and Marguerrite Brennan to start. We began walking along the easternmost trails in the Morales Center, when I got a call on my cell phone from Jason Itell, another newcomer who had run behind. I gave him directions, and very quickly he had caught up with us. We continued on the trails to the east, veering off accidentally at one point to some sort of a maintenance area, but soon were back on the right track. Many of the Morales Trails were manicured nicely, even with a sort of sawdust type material. We made our way around a corner and then entered the Uplands Reserve on another trail, which was soon aligned with the former driveway to the estate. Peter Buxbaum was able to give us the history of the area, and how the home was owned by a prosecutor or something from the Lindhberg Trial which took place neary in Flemington. The estate was named "The Uplands" by it's tenants. As we walked the old driveway, we soon came to the foundations and ruins, with plumbing pipes sticking up out of the ground. We made our way to the farthest end of the park when Peter, who was a Hunterdon County judge, and Matt decided to head back, but not before he offered for me to call him later and he'd give us a tour of the Flemington Courthouse, possibly the most famous courthouse in the United States! I told him we'd take him up on his offer as we neared town later, and thanked him. The rest of us continued on a narrower footpath soon taking us back out to the former driveway. The bridge over the Burnett Brook that carried the driveway in had long since been destroyed. We followed the driveway back to the connector trail to the Morales preserve, then walked the westernmost trails to make another loop back to where we were parked. From here, we crossed Capner Street into Mine Brook Park, which was mainly grassy lands. We crossed over the brook and headed up the other side, then followed a trail that took us out to one of the north-south running roads back to Capner Street again. We walked along the road, and into a cemetary down the hill into town.
Our next task was to find the long abandoned Flemington Branch of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. We found what looked like it must have been the most obvious route, and headed north. We knew we must have been going the correct way when we saw a railroad era piece of architecture in an industrial area to the west of us. As it turns out, this old white building was probably the old railroad station. We soon found what was no doupt the right of way, and now part a major road back to Rt 31 and Rt 523. We followed the road, then crossed 31 where a railroad grade was evident. Rt 523 appeared to be built over some of it as well, but it soon broke off to the north, or the left of the road, and we followed. We were not able to go very far before getting stuck in heavy weeds. I made my way to the right to see if there was a way around. I found an open area with retention ponds which I walked around, but could find no through route. I headed back and decided we'd break off to the left toward the former Flemingon Fairgrounds and Speedway. We walked across the speedway area, then out to some large piles of dirt. I climbed up one to get my bearings, then led everyone to the left back toward 31, then walked north to Bartles Corners and turned right, parallel to the Assiscong Creek. We soon reached River Road I believe it was and headed north to the parking area for Assiscong Marsh, then headed into the woods. Assiscong Marsh is a Hunterdon County park, part of the South Branch of the Raritan Reservation. We continued through Assiscong Marsh across the former Lehigh Valley Railroad tracks, then to the South Branch of the Raritan River. We broke the group up here; Fred, Gerry, and Margurerite (was there anyone else?) decided to walk north to the next bridge while the rest of us waded the river at almost the same spot I did my first visit. We continued to the Wings Section of the South Branch Reservation and made our way to the trail north. We followed the trail through the Wings Section which took us along the back yards of houses and woods and wetlands to the left. We continued to to the next road and waited for the others to catch up with us. Next, we headed up the road to Deer Path Park and began following their outer perimeter trails as we had before. These trails soon joined the Parcourse Circuit Trail and did some of the exercises at them. I found that I was still able to do ten one armed push-ups! Unfortunitely, I was not nearly as good at sit-ups and pull-ups. We continued and turned right on a Readington Parks Trail. At first, just as I did on the previous visit, I thought this would be part of Deer Path Park, but I was wrong, and we should have continued straight. We walked for a ways on the Readington path, then turned back after reaching a creek crossing. We soon followed Deer Path Park trails along the perimeter and past the pond in the middle. There were a few that decided not to do the eastern loop of the park, I think Fred was one of them, but I can't remember. Those of us who did decide to do it continued east from the pond into an overgrown field with small trees growing, looking unlike the manicured park we had just been in. We looped around and made our way along the north side of the pond and met up with the rest of the group. Fred decided not to do the eastern section of the park, opting to stay and wait for us near Round Mountain, but I could'nt find him when we arrived. I wandered around till I found him. The water fountain on the restroom was not working correctly, so Jason decided to see what he could do with it. After a bit of fooling around with it, he jokingly asked "I don't suppose anyone would happen to have a half inch wrench, would you?". To our great surprise, Laurie produced the same wrench and nonchalantly handed it to Jason. Astonished, Jason asked her if she carried a set of wrenches with her everywhere; coincidentally, she found this wrench a little earlier in the hike! Fred turned up shortly, and from here we made our way to Woodschurch Road. We crossed the road and started heading up Round Mountain, only this time on the westernmost trails, which I had not yet followed. We began in a meadow and then headed into the woods. We rejoined the main trail after a brief descent, then headed to the top of Round Mountain, which is barely a mountain because it sits only 600 some feet above sea level. We continued down the other side on the Peter Buelle Trail to Foothill Road, then turned right out to Stanton Road as we did the previous time. We continued and turned left into the Hunterdon Arboretum from the rear. As before, we walked the southernmost trail through the park, out to the swamp study area and puncheons. Some decided to stay put at the Arboretum while the rest of us walked the other two east-west trails out and back through the Arboretum on the northernmost trails. This would be covering new ground, as we walked up a bit of a small hill and along the northern end of the Arboretum fence. We soon reached the parking lot and headed over to the Arboretum building. We had left Major Tom's car here earlier, and Marguerrite and Gerry decided to cut out with him. Fred, Jason, Laurie, Barry, and I continued on and under Rt 31 using an underpass, which was also the route of another red blazed trail. It led us through the woods and across Prescott Brook (it was an easy crossing despite the fact that there was no bridge.). We next made our way into the Echo Hill Outdoor Education Area, another Hunterdon Park. We crossed a small field and then came to what appeared to be a mill race. We turned right and ascended Echo Hill, making a loop through woods and then along the edge of another field with Cedars in it. There were a lot of berries through here, and Laurie, Jason and I endulged in eating tons of them, which certainly slowed us down a bit! We continued on the trail descending to the access road to Echo Hill. The trail continued on ahead, but I knew if we followed it we would only have to turn back anyway, so we headed out to what I believe was Lilac Drive, heading soth to Stanton Station, a former station stop on the Lehigh Valley Railroad, where we turned and crossed the South Branch of the Raritan River on a beautiful old truss bridge. Laurie, Jason, and I took a good dip in the river which was great seeing as though it was such a humid day. We made our way up to the parking area to the Stanton Station section of the South Branch Reservation and began to follow the trail along the riverside south. It was a nice riverside trail, which apparently left the South Branch Reservation and traversed private land briefly. It then took us into another section of the South Branch Reservation and ascended a hill before descending to the Lehigh Valley Railroad tracks. The trail seemed to end here, and perhaps it officially does, but we took the tracks to the left to a through girder bridge over the South Branch, and just before the bridge, another trail broke off along the river to the right. We followed it along riverside on an obviously lesser used trail, though it was well blazed. One particular spot had some really high weeds in a meadow parallel to Rt 31. We soon came out to the railroad tracks yet again across the river from Rowlands Mills. We decided to walk the Lehigh Valley RR tracks south from here to Rt 31. No sooner did we start walking the tracks, but Jason and I noticed ticks crawling all over us! More than I had ever seen in my life! Within a period of fifteen minutes, I acquired 42 ticks as I counted pulling them all off! Jason did not count his, but he must have been close to the same. Everyone else was spared so many of them because we were in the front. I beleive Fred had many of them as well. We made our way along the double tracks and ascended to Rt 31, and headed south. The road walk here was probably the worst part of the hike, as there was no trail section or anything. We walked past the Hunterdon Medical Center and north toward Flemington. Along the way, there was a garden center on the right, and Jason said if he was'nt so tired he would run out under their sprinkler system. We both paused and looked at each other, then threw our bags down and ran out under the sprinklers. I knew for sure by now that Jason would fit in with us just fine. Also along the 31 route, while I was running to catch up, the hook on my camera bag had broken off, and only the bungee that I'd also attatched was holding it on me. It was annoying that the bag kept bouncing up and down at this point. I had used that camera case since Peeps gave it to me way back. I hoped to fix it one day. We continued down the main street in Flemington, and I called Peter Buxbaum back about the courthouse tour. He had already called me a couple times asking how far we were, but we still had a long way to go both times. Now we were ready to meet him. Fred and Barry decided they had too far to drive back, and passed on the tour, surprisingly. This was amazing, as we started the day with so many people and finished with only three of us! We met Peter and Matt in front of the old Flemington Courthouse on Main Street, and he opened the doors. The courthouse was totally renovated since my last visit, made to look as it did during the Lindhberg Trial. There were historic photos set in current locations from where the shots were taken, and it was fantastic. The place was not open to public yet, and most of it was unfurnished. We felt very lucky to have this exclusive tour, and thanked Peter for his kindness. If that were not enough, after checking out the old courthouse, he walked with us down the street and took us for a tour of the new courthouse, which was incredible as well! The columns in front were made to look aesthetically pleasing like the old courthouse, but it also had the efficiency of modern day. He showed us the courtrooms and his office, which was very nice. We said goodbye to Peter and Matt and headed back down Capner Street, stopping many times along the way for berries. We reached our cars just before dark, having had a great full day!
Photos by Mike Helbing and Fred Hafale (FH)
Inside Flemington Court House
Inside Flemington Court House
Flemington Court House
The new Flemington Court House
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