Hike #273 3/13/7
On a rail bed east of Mt Tabor
3/13/7
Dover-Morristown with Cathy Fisher
On this Tuesday hike, Cathy and I alone walked about 16 miles between Dover and Morristown NJ following for the most part the former Morris and Essex/DL&W Railroad eastbound. We parked at the Dover NJ train Station parking area and began walking toward the tracks.
Along the tracks
Lake Estling
Along the tracks
Lake Estling
Lake Estling
Indian Lake
Indian Lake
Indian Lake
Bushwhacking along Indian Lake
Denville Station
Hiking in Mt. Tabor
Old trolley trestle site in Mt. Tabor
Tracks in Mt. Tabor
Trolley trestle site in Mt. Tabor, near Powder Mill Pond
rail right of way near Mt. Tabor
Abandoned in Mount Tabor
Old rail right of way in Mt Tabor
Rail right of way near Mt. Tabor
Ruins near Mt. Tabor
Abandoned in Mt. Tabor
Old rail right of way in Mt. Tabor
Old rail right of way near Mt. Tabor
JT tracks
beneath the bridge...
Older rail right of way next to current NJ Transit tracks
Old rail right of way parallel with the current one
Old rail bed as seen from the current alignment
Striations
Atop the mountain heading toward Morris Plains along the tracks
Rail bed near Morris Plains
Speedwell Village
Historic Speedwell
Historic Speedwell
Pond in Speedwell Village
Speedwell Village
Speedwell Village
Patriot's Path, Speedwell
Rail yard in Morristown
Rail yard in Morristown
These cars used to be in the rail yard in Morristown
Rail yard in Morristown
Pocahontas Lake along Patriot's Path
Along Patriot's Path in Morristown
Patriot's Path in Morristown
Morristown Station
We walked along the station platform and through parking areas along the tracks. We looked to see if we could get up onto the tracks, but there were too many people working and many posted signs. Since there were roads running so close to the tracks through Dover, we opted to follow those. We walked until we reached a bridge over the tracks and descended to them. We began by walking along the north side of the tracks, and after passing by an industrial building, we walked the south side. Some of the workers stared at us as we walked by. We were also walking along the Rockaway River for a bit. There were some ATV trails along the tracks for a bit that we utilized. We continued walking and soon were walking along Lake Estling to our right. Franklin Road went under the tracks and then paralleled us to the left. I went out on the road because there was a cop coming around the corner, and Cathy stayed on the tracks. I soon rejoined her and we crossed a fill over the lake. To our left, it was called Indian Lake. We climbed down along the lake to a bit of a path, which we thought would take us through, but it did'nt and we had to turn back. Two trains passed at the same time in opposite directions while we were off the tracks; good timing! We continued onto the tracks to the end of the lakes, then turned left into a developement and walked a short distance on the road, then went back to the tracks, went a short distance more, then turned right off the tracks onto another road leading to a private community along Estling Lake. We walked the road out to the Denville Railroad Station where there was a junction, and the former Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad's Boonton Branch continued east, while the former Morris and Essex line went south. We crossed Rt 53 and went over to a mini strip mall where we thought we'd find some food and drinks, but there was only a pharmacy. We continued walking south on Rt 53, which paralleled the tracks closely, and stopped in a little bar and grill place for lunch where we each had a burger and a beer. The burgers were great! We continued south on Rt 53, which moved away from the tracks a bit more. We walked along the road on a little hill and on a parallel street to avoid the traffic heading through Mt Tabor. When we got to where we could see the tracks on a small road to a private community, probably part of the Mt Tabor Lake community, we headed down. We soon reached the tracks next to what I think was called Powder Mill Pond. Here, there was the site of another old rail trestle, maybe the former route of the Morris and Essex line. I was very happy that we'd found this parallel rail right of way, as it kept us off the active tracks, and gave us a walkeable route for a good distance until we reached Rt 10. We went under the highway using the current railroad underpass, then began looking for the other right of way again, but could not find it. We turned off the tracks to the left and checked out the terrain below the active tracks to see if we could find another right of way, but could not. There was a small stream which I knew Cathy would'nt want to cross, so we climbed back up to the active tracks and walked a bit more. Soon, there was another right of way deviating from the currently active tracks on the opposite side, to the right. We walked along this right of way parallel to the active tracks somewhat easily, though it was a bit more overgrown that what we'd previously been on. We walked along this right of way, passing under a power line and then had to cross a stream where the bridge was missing. I did'nt mind getting my feet wet, but Cathy decided to cross on the active tracks. I soon had to join her on the tracks because the path I was folllowing was getting overgrown, then joined the active right of way. Soon, we made our way to some sort of other path, not necessarily a rail grade, maybe a road or trolley line, following it for a ways until we got to an industrial area and turned left. We walked along the parking area and access road, stepping around sensors as not to set off an alarm. We continued out to Rt 10 and walked parallel with the tracks along industrial places. One of them was Mennan, and I can't remember the one we walked across. There was an insanely fat man that we walked a short distance behind, who I think we freaked out. We took a break at a little spot along a retention pond near this facility, then continued along the highway out to the Morris Plains railroad station where we went inside to use the restrooms. From here, we continued southward toward Morristown on Rt 202/Speedwell Ave. We turned left at one point because I wanted to see if there were any trails or access to the railroad at one point, but there was not and we ended up walking into a fenced in business parking area and had to turn around and walk all the way back. We continued south on 202, and just before we reached Speedwell walked a little path parallel to the road through woods to an apartment area. We continued down hill on the road from here into Speedwell Village. Cathy took a break while I read historic markers on the old buildings and took photos. We soon continued on to the Patriot's Path, following along a road briefly east of Speedwell Lake. The blazes ended near a road to an old rail yard where some historic rail cars were kept, so we continued on through here despite signs posted forbidding trespassing. There were many really nice old rail cars, and after passing them all the Patriot's Path blazes resumed. We continued on the improved crushed stone surface trail to the south until we reacked Martin Luthor King Jr. Road where we turned right. We followed some side roads around some ball fields where some games were going on, then up hill to a main drag out to the railroad station. We hurried across the parking lot to the platform, and then realized we were on the wrong side of the tracks to get the westbound train! We ran down stairs and back up the other side, and luckily the train was running behind. We waited maybe a half hour for the train, and rode it back to Dover. Surprisingly, they did not charge us for tickets, either because it was running late or because they just did'nt get to us in that distance. It was neat seeing where we'd walked from the train as we headed back.
1.) Cathy walking the former Morris and Essex tracks just east of Dover2.) Lake Estling from the tracks3.) Cathy along the tracks along Lake Estling4.) The tracks crossing a fill between Lake Esling (right) and Indian Lake5.) View over Lake Estling6.) Another lake view7.) View of homes along Indian Lake8.) Another view of Indian Lake9.) Cathy along Indian Lake with the tracks on the hill to the right10.) Cathy at the Denville Station area with the tower in view and Boonton Branch behind it11.) Cathy along the road in Mt Tabor12.) Site of former rail bridge near Powder Mill Pond13.) Cathy along the tracks at Powder Mill Pond14.) Me with the old right of way and bridge site15.) Cathy on the right of way heading southeast16.) Ruins of an old house from the right of way17.) Cathy on the right of way18.) View northwest on the right of way19.) Another view of the old house ruins20.) Old shed near the house21.) View southeast on the right of way22.) Me on the right of way23.) Cathy continueing on the right of way24.) View north on the former Morris and Essex from under the Rt 10 bridge25.) Cathy under the Rt 10 bridge26.) Another old right of way parallel to the currently active NJ Transit tracks27.) Cathy on the parallel right of way nearing Morris Plains28.) Some other sort of right of way, road, trolley, or something, south of the tracks29.) Beautiful striations as seen from an industrial area just north of Morris Plains30.) Large buildings up on a hill above us31.) Cathy in Morris Plains32.) Cathy on a path along Speedwell Ave, nearing Morristown33.) Cathy in Speedwell Village34.) House in Speedwell Village35.) Cathy in Speedwell Village taking a break36.) Pretty view of a pond in Speedwell Village37.) Cathy walking through Speedwell Village38.) View into Speedwell Village39.) Cathy on the Patriot's Path just east of Speedwell Village40.) Future Patriot's Path route in old rail yard, Morristown41.) Jersey Central Railroad engine in the Morristown rail yard42.) Old passenger cars in Morristown43.) Cathy on the Patriot's Path, Morristown by the old rail yard44.) Lake view from Patriot's Path just west of MLK blvd.45.) A nice dam along Patriot's Path, Morristown46.) Cathy along the Patriot's Path in Morristown heading east.47.) Cathy at the Morristown Station, former Morris and Essex Railroad48.) Cathy and I at the Morristown Station waiting for the train...which we did'nt have to pay a cent for! Lucky us!
Morris Plains
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