Hike #254 11/26/6
Another old one that's fun to look back on...so Jason...what happened to those two girls anyway???
11/26/6
Tohickon Valley/Ralph Stover State Park-Bulls Island-Lockaton Creek-Lambertville with "Amish Paul" Hassler, Wyatt Hassler, Jim "Mr. Buckett" Mathews, Susyn Mihalasky, Katie Wich, "Major Tom" Conroy, Kelly Driscoll, and Joe Tag
The group at High Rocks Vista
Tohickon group shot
Ralph Stover State Park
Dam in Ralph Stover SP
Ralph Stover SP
Ralph Stover SP
Old bridge over the Tohickon at Ralph Stover SP
High Rocks Vista
High Rocks Vista
High Rocks Vista
High Rocks Vista
At High Rocks Vista, Ralph Stover SP
High Rocks Vista
In Tohickon Valley Park
Tohickon Valley Park
Tohickon Valley Park
Point Pleasant PA
Delaware Canal Tohickon aqueduct, Point Pleasant PA
Washed out Delaware Canal below Point Pleasant
Washed out Delaware Canal
Delaware Canal
Delaware Canal
Delaware river from the canal
Wing dams on the Delaware
Along Delaware Canal near Lumberville
Delaware Canal, Lumberville PA
Delaware Canal, Lumberville PA
Bulls Island foot bridge
Lumberville store
Bulls Island foot bridge
Delaware and Raritan Canal, Bulls Island
D&R Canal, Bulls Island
Along Quarry Road
Quarry Road
Quarry Road at Delaware Bluffs
Zega Lockatong Preserve
In Zega Lockatong Preserve
Crossing the Lockatong in Wescott Nature Center
Lockatong
Crossing the Lockatong at Wescott
Crossing the Lockatong, Wescott Nature Center
Structure in Wescott
Wescott Nature Center
Wescott Nature Center
Wescott Nature Center
Wescott Nature Center
Pump mail box near Rosemont
View near Rosemont
Near Rosemont
Near Rosemont
Near Rosemont
Near Rosemont
Wickecheoke Creek preserve
Wickecheoke Creek
Wickecheoke Creek
Prallsville Mill
A note from Amish Paul in Prallsville
D&R Canal, Prallsville
D&R Canal in Prallsville
Along old Bel Del rail line in Prallsville
Bel Del rail line in Prallsville
Prallsville area park
Stockton NJ
D&R Canal near Stockton
Along D&R Canal in Stockton
D&R Canal south of Stockton
D&R Canal approachign Lambertville
Old rail car in Lambertville
D&R Canal in Lambertville
Lambertville NJ
Finishing our hike in Lambertville
My next hike would once again take me along part of the proposed route of the Highlands Trail in Pennsylvania, as well as through many parks in NJ and PA. We met at the end point, in Lambertville NJ behind the Inn along the river, then shuttled cars north to Ralph Stover State Park in Bucks County PA. Joining me this time were "Major Tom" Conroy, Jim "Mr. Buckett" Mathews, Susyn Mihalasky, Katy Wich, "Amish Paul" and Wyatt Hassler, Joe Tag, and newcomer Kelly Driscoll, who was a longtime friend of Katy Wich. Mr. Buckett had been running behind, and he met up with us on the road while heading to Ralph Stover State Park. Six of us were crammed into my car! When we reached Ralph Stover SP, we had to wait for Katy to show up, as she was running behind. We waited along the Tohickon Creek, which was beautiful. We went to the map boxes to pick up extra maps before walking too far. We then headed down along the creek and a mill race toward a nice wooden bridge. While here, Katy told us that she was on Stover Park Road, while she should have been on State Park Road. Still, it was only a quarter mile from us, so we told her we'd meet here there. We walked across the lovely red wooden bridge and up the Stover Park Road, soon meeting Katy and Kelly. I instructed them to turn back and meet us at a nearby parking area. The rest of us continued on the road, with nice views of the creek below to our left. Amish Paul had blazed some of the Tohickon Creek Trail, and was very familiar with it, so we had him lead the way through here. We soon turned right off the road onto a trail leading to the High Rocks Vista, where Katy and Kelly were parked. All of us now together, we walked down to the views over the Tohickon Valley, with large fences over the way. We made our way on the trail along the fences, continually seeing great views. I was wearing a full suit and tie with a vest, which turned out to be far too hot. I soon had to put my jacket into my backpack. People were commenting on how well I was dressed, and that he did'nt usually see people dressed like that on a trail! We continued on through Tohickon Valley County Park, along the top of the ridge, then gradually descending, at one point down almost to the creek, then back up a bit. There was a rusty frame of an old vehicle left alng the trail we goofed off on. Amish Paul turned on an upper route to take a shortcut while Wyatt led us on the lower route. When we rejoined, we made our way into a more developed part of the park with fields and playgrounds where the trail appeared to end. We now had to walk the road down hill to Point Pleasant. We walked through a cemetary on the way down. When we reached Point Pleasant, we stopped in at a small general store for food and drink. Amish Paul bought me a giant cookie and some chocolate milk, and Wyatt and I shared some Pepperjack cheese. We soon left and crossed the Tohickon Creek, with a nice view of the canal's aqueduct to the left, then followed a short section of the road to where we could access the canal towpath easily. Unfortunitely, the towpath ahead was marked as closed soon ahead. We ignored it as we did the last visit, and walked on through. The canal was just as eroded as it was the previous Summer, and I got everyone to walk along the concrete close to the road as not to be seen. We continued on this terrible section until we reached Lumberville. Here, we stopped in another general store and used a footbridge over the Delaware to Bulls Island. When we reached the Island, most of us turned left and walked the fields with picnic areas and restrooms and such. We made our way to where we'd need to turn back, and I decided to climb down and make my way out toward the canal. Wyatt and I were at first the only ones walking along a road to a campsite to the north, then we turned back to walk part of the Delaware and Raritan Canal towpath back toward the entrance to the island. Katy joined us here. We headed back to the bridge over the canal, then crossed the right of way to the Bel Del Railroad. Amish Paul decided he would take a shortcut and follow the canal back toward Lambertville, and he would wait for us at Prallsville further south. Major Tom considered taking the shortcut as well, but he opted instead to go for the challenge and stay with the group. The rest of us walked across Rt 29 ad up hill on Quarry Road. Much of this road was dirt, making it greater to walk. There was a stone lined flume to our right, which passed under the road further down, which I figured must have been a rerouting of a creek at one time. The remains of a quarry was visible to our right. We were sorrounded by State Land for a while, which excited me about doing more hikes. We followed Quarry Road to the end and turned left on Federal Twist Road, then right on Raven Rock-Rosemont Road. We began walking down this road, and I noticed a sign to the left showing another public land preserve, not county or state. I was now even more enthused about doing more hikes in the area. We soon reached a beautiful old truss bridge over the Lockatong Creek, and to the left was a parking area for another preserve! This would have been the Zega section of the Lockatong Creek Preserve, with a trail called "Mimi's Trail". A trail map we picked up there showed that the land butted up to the Wescott Nature Center where we were planning to walk anyway, so we began following Mimi's Trail. We weaved through some woods, then came out into a large field, crossing it and re entering woods. There were a couple picnic benches here, so we decided this was a good lunch stop. We had some good conversation, then headed onward. The trail took us down and along the Lockatong Creek for a ways before it abruptly ended. We continued on briefly along the creek, now in Hunterdon County Land. The trail in the Wescott Nature Center was on the other side of the creek, so we needed to find a way across. I found one spot where there were logs and sticks backed up almost all the way across. I walked out as carefully as I could, then moved another log across the remainder of the way for everyone else to use. I stood in the water to assist everyone. Wyatt opted to just take his shoes off and walk through the water. I believe Susyn was the first to cross the log, followed by the others. There was a man and his two kids watching us trying to cross from on the hillside above. I helped everyone across, and we continued on across some interesting rocks, then reached the Wescott Trail. We walked up hill on the trail and through the woods. Wyatt found some little kid's tippy cut and carried it until we caught up with the man and his kids, and it turned out they had dropped it! We made our way out of the woods and through some fields on a mowed trail, reaching the Wescott Nature Center Parking area. We turned east out of the park on Raven Rock-Rosemont Road to Rosemont, then walked along a bit of Rt 519 south toward Prallsville. We were able to walk on grass and through some fields along the road to alleviate the pain of road walking. To my surprise, another public preserve took up one of the fields to the east, part of the Wickecheoke Creek Preserve. Wyatt and I ran through the fields a bit, and we made our way down hill, crossing and walking along a nice fence on a lawn beneath evergreens. Soon, I believe it was Javes Road was coming in from the left below us along the crek, and Wyatt and I climbed down to it. Amazingly, we found another new trail along the creek. I signalled everyone to join us, and we walked the trail through the Wickecheoke Creek Preserve and into state park land, coming out on Rt 29 in Prallsville on the north side of the creek bridge. We crossed and made a right into the Prallsville Mill area. We walked around the mill and made our way over to the D&R Canal, but it was closed to public, part of someone's driveway here, so we had to walk the Bel Del rail right of way. We looked for Amish Paul, but could not find him. Not long after we decided to move on, we found a note written on the rail trail saying "I LEFT" with an arrow pointing south. We knew it was Amish Paul, so we continued on. We soon cut into a playground area and Wyatt and I swung on swings a bit. As we ran through the fields a family looked at us funny. I commented how even the kids looked at us like we were immature! We were now in Stockton, and we headed out toward the bridge over the Delaware, but turned left onto the canal towpath, which was separate from the railroad at this point. We followed the towpath south till it rejoined the railroad and continued toward Lambertville. Soon, Amish Paul was visible in his car across the canal, in a parking area. He pulled out to find a place he could meet up with us. The next chance was an abandoned railroad spur bridge, but he missed that. He'd fallen asleep in his car along the way, and we walked by him without him noticing. Wyatt really wanted to finish the hike, and was worried that his dad would make him go home with him if he caught up. Still, he caught up with us at the D&R canal parking area near the Rt 202 bridge over the Delaware. He did not want Wyatt to come back with him, as it was'nt far to the end, so he let him finish the hike, after first giving us each some candy (Wyatt got 35 lbs of candy for Halloween). We continued on the towpath into Lambertville, and crossed a footbridge to get back to the railroad, then the parking area. Joe and Susyn drove us back to our vehicles at the beginning.
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