Hike #230 8/6/6
The group on Nor Bath Trail
Hike 230 8/6/6
This next hike would be one that would end at Musikfest as I had done with the Lehigh Canal the year before. I planned a route beginning in Northampton, PA to Bethlehem. I had some participants meet at the Wendy's just off Rt 78 near Hellertown and then headed to the Brodhead parking lot at Lehigh University, the end point.
Nearing bethlehem on the LNE
Hanging at Musikfest
In Northampton PA
Nor Bath Trail
Park along the Nor Bath Trail
Along Nor Bath Trail
Nor Bath Trail
End of the Nor Bath Trail
Climbing dirt piles near the end of Nor Bath Trail
South of Bath PA
Former LNE railroad north of Bethlehem, south of Bath
Former LNE railroad north of Bethlehem
Former LNE railroad north of Bethlehem
View along Former LNE railroad north of Bethlehem
Former LNE railroad north of Bethlehem
Former LNE railroad north of Bethlehem
Former LNE railroad north of Bethlehem
Former LNE railroad north of Bethlehem
Former LNE railroad north of Bethlehem
Former LNE railroad north of Bethlehem
Jason swimming under an old LNE rail bridge in Monocacy Creek
Former LNE railroad north of Bethlehem
Grist mill in Bethlehem PA
LNE railroad tracks, Bethlehem PA
Tea Biscuit found a bike in Bethlehem
Partying at Guillermo's
Partying at Guillermo's
Partying at Guillermo's
Partying at Guillermo's
We ran into Mr. Strout at Musikfest!
Hangin at Musikfest
Joining me this time were past participants Skyler Jermyn, Leonard Adam, Jason Itell, Pete Fox, David Noble, and Margo Reybitz, and newcomers Randy Melick and Michele Morholt, sister to my good friend R.J. We shuttled cars to Northampton and were able to park on a side street along the former Northampton and Bath (Nor Bath) Railraod where it broke off the former Central Railroad of NJ, still active through here. Everyone introduced themselves and we were on our way. The group seemed overly happy from the beginning. We walked along the tracks, taking us along an industrial area to the left. Soon, the tracks ended, and immediately there was the beginning of the Nor Bath Rail Trail. We began following it, and there were interpretive signs with numbers pointing out the sites of historic structures. We headed through some overgrown meadows and soon came out into a large new development! I was not prepared to find this, but the route of the trail was marked along a sidewalk leading through the development that obliterated signs of the railway. When we reached the other side, we were back in seclusion. I began drinking wine and such that I had brought with me. I figured that since this would be ending at Musikfest, it would cost too much money to buy liquor there, so I'd bring my own. I drank that bottle fast, then pulled out a special mix that I had made in the morning using remnants of other drinks that was'nt enough to fill their own bottles. It had parts of Malibu Coconut Rum, some kind of peach wine, and a little bit of berry Arbor Mist, and the result tasted fantastic! We passed that one around, because it went down so well. Needless to say, that drink did'nt last long! I had plenty though, most of which was left over from the Seis De Mayo Party a while back. As we walked, I discovered that Michele was R.J's sister. I did not look at the name reading "Michelle Eva Morholt" on the waiver in the morning, and was totally blown away that it was her! We had been in school together, as she graduated maybe two years ahead of me. After I knew who she was, we talked quite a lot for the rest of the trip! Being good friends with her brother, as well as her sister Christine in High School, and enjoying many good times with their father as one of the Boy Scout Troop 1954 parent leaders. The world seemed to get even smaller yet, for as we talked, Randy began telling me about his art work. I was absolutely blown away that the incredible steel sculptures in the scrap yard in Easton, the ones we had hiked by (and in one case Peeps climbed on!) on hike #47 back in February of 2002, were made by Randy! Randy had done all sorts of art work for many businesses in the Lehigh Valley, and was now working with engraving on tomb stones. We soon reached a park where there appeared to be music and a lot of eating going on, so we took a walk out to see what the big deal was. As it turns out, it was a private party and there was nowhere selling food, unfortunitely. We hung out for a bit, then headed out on our way. Soon, David and Margo had to turn back due to previous engagements. We bid them farewell and the rest of us continued on the Nor Bath Trail. We passed through woodlands and along fields until we reached the end of the trail, where the railroad went into what appeared to be an industrial complex. There was access to Race Street to the left of us, while I decided we would try to continue onward. We followed the path to the right which led us into an open field with giant piles of dirt in it. I immediately climbed up one, and Randy and Michelle climbed the other. Taller ones stood behind us. We continued around the giant piles skirting them to the right. I climbed up another very tall one to get a view of the area and to judge where we'd turn next. I could plainly see the former Lehigh and New England Railroad heading south, so I climbed down. We did not see the former junction site with the Nor Bath Railroad, but we were near it. In fact, we were just south of the center of the town of Bath. The railroad paralleled the Monocacy Creek. I had gotten a phone call from Jim Delotto and his girlfriend, Anastasia who planned on meeting up with us. Delotto parked his car at what was probably the park we had stopped in, and then walked Jacksonville Road to the railroad crossing where we met the two of them. We took a break on the road bridge while Delotto signed the trip report. I accidently dropped my pen in the water and had to chase it down stream, and Jason was trying to demonstrate how to make the crossing signals go off without a train going. It did'nt work, and we did'nt feel like hanging around too long (because I'm sure he could have done it). The tracks took us through both beautiful farm land and through nice woods.
Along former LNE Railroad near Bath PA
There were some nice little bridges over the creek along the way; Michelle and I decided to take a dip in one. As we continued south, I climbed onto a rail car when someone noticed we were missing a few people. Delotto, Anastasia, and Skyler were not behind us. I tried calling them back to no avail. I finally got a call back from Delotto while I was running back on the tracks. As it turns out, Delotto figured it would be a good idea to turn off and walk on Rt 512, Bath Pike, rather than the tracks, not knowing it would take him far away from the tracks, though it would cross them again later. Randy also decided to exert some energy and run ahead of us. He waited for us in a nice spot near a large cut. We continued on the tracks south following the Monocacy Creek and finally rejoined Delotto, Skyler, and Anastasia just south of Rt 22. We continued on south as the tracks traversed part of Monocacy Park, and we took another dip in the creek below it. As we neared Bethlehem, I talked to both Bill "Guillermo" Fabel as well as my brother Tea Biscuit on the phone, and they both planned on joining us if only for the last few miles. Somehow, they met up while walking the tracks north from Bethlehem, and were together by the time we found them! There were beautiful historic structures along the tracks as we headed toward town. As he had many times in the past, Tea Biscuit found another old bicycle along the tracks. I tried riding it, which was nearly impossible, but somehow he got it going well enough to ride it over the ties for some time. Finally, the wheel bent in half and he tossed the bike into the weeds. We soon came into the north side of Bethlehem and passed a junction with another branch of the former Lehigh and New England Railroad to the right. Guillermo invited us to his house just up the hill from the tracks, and we all took him up on it. We congregated in Guillermo's living room and he generously offered us his beer. We had a great time, laughed and carried on for a while. We were now in Bethlehem, just about the end of the hike, at Musikfest. After hanging out for over an hour, Len and Pete decided to take off and get back to their cars. The rest of us did'nt hang out for too much later. We all soon headed down the streets into Bethlehem's festivities. We walked right by my Junior Year High School Biology teacher, Mr. Strout, and only Tea Biscuit recognized him. He and Michelle and I stopped to talk to him for a while before we headed on. He seemed in high spirits and in better shape than I'd ever seen him. It seemed odd to see my old teacher smoking a cigar and drinking a beer. We had a few laughs, and he told us about some of his annoying students, and then we were on our way again. When we reached the part of Bethlehem closer to the river near the Hill to Hill Bridge, Guillermo decided to head home, and Tea Biscuit took Delotto and Anastasia back to their car near back at Jacksonville Road. Randy and Michelle, as well as Skyler headed back as well, and I was left alone. I was thinking about hanging out a little longer as I stood in the large croud of people alone, still feeling rather drunk. Instead, I figured it best to get back to my car. I walked up to the stairs to the Hill To Hill Bridge across the Lehigh, then walked the streets back to the Brodhead lot at Lehigh University. When I got there, Skyler was just about passed out in his recently bought Mazda Miata (his ford, "The Goomba" named after a Super Mario Bros. character he'd been driving since he first hiked with us in 2000 had reached it's last days.). I was able to drive home safely enought, though I hung out for a bit. I was feeling pretty tipsy there for a while, but such is the way of a Musikfest Hike.
Old rail bridge in Bethlehem, former CNJ line
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