11/12/6
Rieglesville/Milford/Nockamixon Cliffs area with Jim "Mr. Buckett" Mathews, Ron Phelps, "Amish Paul" Hassler, Wyatt Hassler, Jason Itell, and Jennifer Heisey
The group on the Milford bridge
Starting out in Rieglesville NJ, on the Musconetcong Bridge, former Bel Del Line
On the old Bel Del, Rieglesville NJ
Washed out Delaware Canal just south of Durham Furnace
View from atop Nockamixon Cliffs, Top Rock
View from Top Rock, Nockamixon Cliffs PA
View from Top Rock, Nockamixon Cliffs PA
View from Top Rock, Nockamixon Cliffs PA
View from Top Rock, Nockamixon Cliffs PA
View from Top Rock, Nockamixon Cliffs PA
View from Top Rock, Nockamixon Cliffs PA
View from Top Rock, Nockamixon Cliffs PA
View from Top Rock, Nockamixon Cliffs PA
View from Top Rock, Nockamixon Cliffs PA
View from Top Rock, Nockamixon Cliffs PA
View from Top Rock, Nockamixon Cliffs PA
View from Top Rock, Nockamixon Cliffs PA
Lake Warren, State Game Lands #56
Trail at Lake Warren, SGL 56
Mmmmm listerine....
At Ringing Rocks Park
Ringing Rocks
Ringing Rocks
Ringing Rocks
Ringing Rocks falls
Falls at Ringing Rock Park
Falls at Ringing Rock, High Falls Creek
Along High Falls Creek
Along High Falls Creek
Along High Falls Creek
Along High Falls Creek
Along High Falls Creek
Cascade on High Falls Creek
Cascade on High Falls Creek
Delaware River from Milford bridge
On Milford Bridge
On Milford bridge
Me on Milford Bridge
Dinner at the Ship Inn in Milford
Dinner at the Ship Inn in Milford...mmm...Pheasant Plucker
This was another one that unfortunitely I lost the original journal entry to so I'll try to remember as much as I can...anyone have a copy?
This was a scouting hike to help find a route for the Highlands Trail as it is extended into Pennsylvania. The first in a series of hikes in fact. Jen Heisey was working for Appalachian Mountain Club at the time and spearheading the project.
After meeting in the morning at our end point, Milford NJ, we shuttled vehicles to Rieglesville to the north. We first wandered around by the former Bel Del Railroad tracks and the Musconetcong River looking for public land an an approach from the NJ side. We knew the trail would cross the old Roebling Bridge in Rieglesville, but not where it would go on the other side. There were really three options:
One would involve taking the Delaware Canal south to the Tohickon Valley northwest to Nockamixon State Park and head west from there. Another would be to take Delaware Canal north to Lehigh Canal and try to head south from the Bethlehem area, and the last was my idea, to use either the first plan but only with amendments which I would show on this trip, or take an abandoned railroad nearby.
We crossed the bridge and turned right to get to the Lehigh Canal towpath (a trail bridge was put in over the canal in 2009 for the Highlands Trail). We took the canal south, and along the way I pointed out the end of the former Quakertown and Eastern Railroad, a nearly forgotten line that came up from Quakertown PA which I saw as an attractive route. I would'nt scout it till later.
We continued along the canal which got a bit tough to follow due to recent washouts, but we managed. When Rt 611 turned away from the river we got onto Rt 29 and headed steeply up to the top of the Nockamixon Cliffs. I knew public land existed at the top and that it was ideal for the HT, and kept with it's character. We wandered along the top with nice views to the north across the river, but soon we came to houses along the ridge. I was surprised to see them. Even the pamphlet on the Delaware Canal said it was public land. We continued. Soon, just as we reached a popular viewpoint known as Top Rock, a guy came out of his house asking what we were up to. I told him, and after we talked for a bit then he was fine, and even told us we could come back to enjoy the view if we knocked on his door first. We enjoyed our lunch on the rock with the great views. This incident would be one of the things to get me in trouble with AMC in the future.
We walked out the guy's driveway and turned left down Center Hill Road until I saw a power line on the right. This was where a woods road went into State Game Lands #56. I opted not to access here since it was posted and I was now gunshy to that, and we bushwhacked in further to the east. We ended up making our way to the old woods road and headed south. It was a bit overgrown at first, but the further we went, the clearer it got. This eventually led us south to Lake Warren, a nice area where it was like developed trails around the outside. The dead end road from it I believe was called Nature's Way.
We turned left onto Lake Warren Road, then another left onto Marlenstein Road. Another left too us onto I think Lonely Cottege Road, and then we turned right on Ringing Rocks Road. Soon we came to the parking lot and followed the trail in to the giant boulder field where we could pound on rocks and have them make ringing sounds. We crossed some of the boulder field and then cut to the other trail which led us to the waterfall nearby. I think the creek is called High Falls Creek. From here, we ventured off trail to follow the creek down hill to Rt 29. Along the way, we met a guy who was scouting out for "creeking", hardcore kayaking on dangerous creeks. We thought it was weird that this guy was wearing a helmet walking along a tiny creek. Apparently after heavy rains they have a crazy time.
We continued down to Rt 29, and then I can't remember if we somehow got to the canal towpath or if we walked the road, but we got to Upper Black Eddy PA and took the bridge across into NJ where we had a great dinner in the Ship Inn in Milford to end my 250th big hike.
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