Hike #243 10/15/6
10/15/6
Group shot at Pinwheel Vista
Wawayanda State Park-Clinton Resevoir with Fred Hafale, Dave Finton, Sue Bickford-Martin, Fred Mader, "Major Tom" Conroy, and Joe Schmidt
Also lost the journal entry to this hike as well. Anyone have a copy? It'd be on the pic discs I used to hand out...
Approaching Wawayanda Mountain on the AT
Approaching Wawayanda Mountain on the AT
Approaching Wawayanda Mountain on the AT
AT in Vernon Valley with Wawayanda Mountain
AT in Wawayanda SP, Vernon Valley
View heading up Stairway to Heaven, Wawayanda
Stairway to Heaven on the AT, Wawayanda Mt.
Heading up Stairway to Heaven on the AT
Pinwheel Vista
Pinwheel Vista
Pinwheel Vista
Pinwheel Vista
Pinwheel Vista
Pinwheel Vista
Pinwheel Vista
Pinwheel Vista
Pinwheel Vista, looking down Wawayanda Mountain
Pinwheel Vista into Vernon Valley
Pinwheel Vista and a view down the ridge.
Pinwheel Vista
Pinwheel Vista
At Pinwheel Vista
AT in Wawayanda
AT in Wawayanda
View from the AT in Wawayanda
AT in Wawayanda
AT view in Wawayanda
View of Mt. Adam and Mt. Eve from the AT in Wawayanda
AT in Wawayanda
Wawayanda, abandoned homestead site along the AT
Fields near the AT in Wawayanda
Cedar Swamp Trail, Wawayanda
On Cedar Swamp Trail's floating puncheons
Cedar Swamp Trail
Cedar Swamp Trail
Cedar Swamp Trail
Cedar Swamp Trail
End of Cedar Swamp Trail
Old car along Banker Trail, Wawayanda
Along Old Coal Trail, Wawayanda
I almost ran head on into this Porcupine on Clinton Road
Clinton Reservoir dam
I remember for this one we met on the corner of Paradise Road and Schoolhouse Cove Road in the Newark Pequannock Watershed and shuttled cars north to Rt 94 on the Appalachian Trail.
I remember we started this one out walking through the fields, but then had to make the steep ascent up what's called "Stairway to Heaven". I anticipated a cool day so I wore a liesure suit but I ended up feeling like I was burning up by the top anyway.
We walked the AT from Pinwheel heading northbound and saw some new flagging going off to the right and I assumed it might be some of the new Ironbelt Trail. Still not sure...
I remember Pinwheel being the only view except one view, I think from the Barret Road crossing, north toward Mt Adam and Mt Eve I believe it was. I recall ascending a bit from here along stone rows discussing my brother's sarcasm from previous hikes and how Dave was going to retaliate (lol). We continued on the AT northbound and made a turn to the south on one of the other ones like Iron Mountain Road. I can't remember which. I know heading south though we used the Cedar Swamp Trail, which was an interesting trail that had flooded out and the puncheons along the way were all floating. It was a difficult place to cross, but we did it and continued south.
We somehow ended up on Old Coal Trail down to Clinton Road, but I'm not sure what other routes. I want to say Black Eagle to something? I wanted to use other trails I had'nt done in the past.
Once at Clinton Road, I think the rest of us left Major Tom and Joe behind. I decided to run as hard as I could down Clinton Road to get to the cars. I was pretty paranoid about leaving any on the Newark/Pequannock property after dark, even though I had permits.
As I was running around the bridge on one of the sharpest bends on Clinton Road, I almost ran straight on into a Porcupine! He was startled and went to the wall of the bridge while I, in shock, had the sense to take a picture of him. If I had been tired before, I was cured of that for a while. I continued to run, and when I reached Schoolhouse Cove Road I think I waited a little bit. Dave might have been ahead of me at this point, I don't remember. At some point I ran back the road to my car and drove it back to the intersection to offer the other drivers rides. I don't remember if I drove anyone but Major Tom and Joe. I'm sure Dave finished on his own, and I recall Fred and Sue might have too but I just don't remember!
GOOD NEWS! Major Tom still had a disc I had given him of this past hike...so the original journal entry is SAVED, and presented here! THANKS TOM!!!
This next hike would take us to the northern end of NJ in Wawayanda State Park in a point to point hike between NJ Rt 94 and Clinton Resevoir in West Milford Twp. We met at the end point, the corner of Paradise Road and Schoolhouse Cove Road. Joining me this time were Fred Hafale, Dave Finton, "Major Tom" Conroy, Sue Bickford-Martin, Fred Mader, and Joe Schmidt. We shuttled vehicles north to Rt 94 at the Appalachian Trail crossing.
We began taking the AT up hill, and I had forgotten something, probably my cell phone, and had to run back. I caught up, and Major Tom was guarding my backpack that I left. We continued up hill through some fields, then along the base of the Wawayanda Mountain. We soon began to ascend, and much of the way up was stone made stairs, which I have found out is called the Stairway to Heaven. It was much steeper than I had anticipated, but we made out okay. Just about when we reached the top there was a side trail to the left which led to a lookout. I think it was Fred Mader that was waiting for us at the trail junction to make sure we did'nt turn the wrong way. We headed out to the viewpoint for a break. It was incredible! We could see well south along Wawayanda Mountai, down into the Vernon Valley, and into New York. We continued on the AT heading east. There was one trail heading to the right, which was the former AT route. I was planning on following it to Pinwheel Vista, but opted to do that another time due to time constraints. We made our way across Waywayanda Creek, then crossed Barry Road/Lake Barry Road (it's labeled twice on the map) with a nice view into New York. We made our way along a stone row and over a hill to Iron Mountain Road and turned left. This was an important point, as I had now hiked the entire route of the AT in New Jersey I beleive. I had done the section from here to NY state once with the boy scouts in 1996.
There was a lady walking by we said hello to, but she did not answer. Sue commented that she could be on one of those vows of silence. There was some sort of foundation along the trail I checked out here. We continued on the AT to the next dirt road and turned right, or south. We walked along some nice swampy area and it began to drizzle a little bit, but abruptly stopped. We continued to the Black Eagle Trail, taking us downhill to the left, then across the park entrance road. We stopped for lunch break here before moving on.
We headed down the Black Eagle trail to the Hoeferlin Trail, then continued down to Double Pond Trail. We turned right and reached the Cedar Swamp Trail, descending down hill. It was VERY wet! There were many bog bridges that were all floating around, and we had to take extreme care while trying to cross what was really more of a pond in thick Rhododendrons. We made it across, fortunitely, and made it to Banker Trail. We followed the banker Trail south to the Cherry Ridge Trail, where we'd parked for the previous Wawayanda hike over the Summer, and followed the road up hill to the Old Coal Trail. Originally, I was planning on hiking old woods roads south to the parking area, but this time we opted instead to take it a shorter route and go more directly and easily. Fred noted that the woods roads I wanted to use might be flooded and wet.
We followed Old Coal Trail down to the Bearfort Waters-Clinton Trail, and we came out on the road at parking area P5. Major Tom and Joe waited here while I ran along Clinton Road as fast as I could. Clinton Road is one of those roads with a lot of local lore surrounding it. Vanilla John, who had hiked with me a few years ago, had cited how he totalled his car on that road. Well, I ran it with no problem. It was tough, and it was a long way, but I made it to the turn on Schoolhouse Cove Road, a dirt road.
While I was running, I turned to cross a bridge at an inlet to the resevoir, and was stunned when I came only a few short feet from a Porcupine on the bridge against one of the walls on the inside. It was most definitely alive, though I don't know what it was doing there. It may have been stunned by a hit from a car, but did'nt appear to have any injuries as it moved.
I noted the trail crossings along the way. I took note of the Highlands Trail, and continued south passing a couple other trailheads. When I reached the outlet of the resevoir, the old Clinton Furnace was visible off the road, and there was a lovely waterfall below the road. I walked Schoolhouse Cove Road, and it was getting quite dark by the time I got to the cars. Sue gave me the keys to her car, and I drove back; I was surprised that both of the Freds were not far behind me! When I reached the end of Schoolhouse Cove Road, I jumped out of the car and Sue hopped in. She was walking with Dave. I decided to get out and walk back with Dave for a second time doing the length of Schoolhouse Cove Road. Sue went to pick up Major Tom and Joe. It was a bit stressful at the end, but overall I can't complain!
Photography by Mike Helbing and Fred Hafale (FH)
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