Hike #279 4/22/7
4/22/7
Morristown-Bernardsville with "Amish Paul" Hassler, Dave Riedel, Fred Hafale, Tara Dugas, Jay Shah, Drew McRath, Jean Fletcher, Jude Shabrach, and "Major Tom" Conroy
Beginning, Patriot's Path Morristown
Getting ready to hike, met at a parking lot in Bernardsville
Parking lot in Bernardsville
Parking lot in Bernardsville
Patriot's Path, Morristown
Patriot's Path, Morristown
Patriot's Path along the tracks in Morristown
Morristown
Morristown, Patriot's Path
Patriot's Path, morristown
Patriot's Path, Morristown
Patriot's Path, Morristown
Patriot's Path, Morristown
Patriot's Path, Morristown
My next hike would bring my group and I along a series of trails connecting Morristown and Bernardsville NJ. If hiking were not enough, I decided this would be a good time to revive the white meat coat idea and look like scientists, as we did on a hike almost exactly five years before! I pulled out the very meat coats we wore on that hike, and lent one to Dave Riedel, and I wore the other. I passed out other shirts to others in the group. I met the group in the morning at the Bernardsville Train station that Cathy and I had eaten in the previous fall. Joining me this time were past participants Fred Hafale, "Amish Paul" Hassler, Jean Fletcher, Dave Riedel, Jude Shabrach, "Major Tom" Conroy and newcomers Tara Dugas (from Bethlehem, orgiinally Piscataway), Drew McRath, and Jay Shah. Tara came through the AMC young members group, Jay came through the New York/North Jersey Chapter of the AMC, and Drew came through Myspace.com. My longtime friend Bob "Bode" Bodenstein met us at the beginning point to say hello, seeing as though he lived in Bernardsville. Jay and I drove the group to the beginning point, the Super Food Town grociery store near the Wal Mart on Ridgedale Avenue, Morristown. I passed out the lab coats to Dave, Drew, Tara, and Major Tom; no one else wanted to wear them in the heat. We began walking across the parking area and up to Ridgedale Avenue to the corner of Hanover Street. We turned left here and it was only a short distance to where the Patriot's Path crossed the road. We began following it, as it took the rout of an apparently unused former frontage road to Rt 287 which we were close to. We made our way around a corner, and then the trail turned off the road at "No Trespassing" signs and ascended. Apparently the road led into the Morristown jail. We continued as the trail took us alongside the railroad tracks owned by the Morristown and Erie Railroad. It was surprising that the trail followed the active tracks so closely. We followed this out to another part of Ridgedale Ave and crossed at the same point as the railroad crossing. This was a weird place I thought to have a trail, since it was along not only active railroad, but there were even cars parked on the tracks at a siding. After crossing Ridgedale, the trail crossed to the other side of the tracks and continued along a fence line a on a path near the tracks. This led us out near the entrance to a cemetary, then to a road where the blazes took us along streets briefly. Soon, we were in a small municipal park on paved trailway along the Whippany River. The trail wrapped around a curve in the river, then led us out into a parking area for this park. There were people in the parking area looking at us funny, as we waltzed by in our lab coats. We soon reached Martin Luther King Street and the trail took us left under the active NJ Transit, former Morris and Essex Railroad. We crossed the road to the next section of trail, paralleling the tracks below and along the Whippany River at Pocahontas Lake. This section was of crushed stone improved surface, and it took us by the nice dam of ? Lake, then continued through the strip of woods till the trail ended at part of a rail yard where my friend Bode's organization stores their historic rail cars.
On MLK street, Morristown
Pocahontas Lake, Morristown
Pocahontas Lake, Morristown
Pocahontas Lake, Morristown
Pocahontas Lake, Morristown
Morristown
Patriot's Path, Morristown
Morristown
Morristown
Morristown
Speedwell Lake
Speedwell
Speedwell, Patriot's Path
Speedwell
Speedwell
Speedwell
Speedwell
Speedwell
I walked over to the abandoned building across the top of the dam at Speedwell Lake....
Speedwell
Speedwell
Speedwell
Speedwell
Speedwell
Speedwell
Speedwell
Almost in to the abandoned dam building...
Speedwell
Speedwell
Speedwell
Speedwell
View from inside
View from inside the structure in the middle of the Speedwell Dam
View from in the Speedwell Dam building
View from the building on the Speedwell Dam
Patriot's Path, Morristown
Patriot's Path, Morristown
Patriot's Path, Morristown
Patriot's Path, Morristown
Patriot's Path, Morristown
Patriot's Path, Morristown
Patriot's Path, Morristown
Patriot's Path, Morristown
Patriot's Path
Patriot's Path
Lewis Morris Park
Lewis Morris Park
Lewis Morris Park
Lewis Morris Park, Patriot's Path
Event at Lewis Morris Park
Owl, Lewis Morris Park
Lewis Morris Park
Patriot's Path, Morristown National Historic Park
Patriot's Path, Morristown National Historic Park
Patriot's Path, Morristown National Historic Park
Patriot's Path, Morristown National Historic Park
Patriot's Path, Morristown National Historic Park
Patriot's Path, Morristown National Historic Park
Patriot's Path, Morristown National Historic Park
Patriot's Path, Morristown National Historic Park
Patriot's Path, Morristown National Historic Park
Patriot's Path, Morristown National Historic Park
Passaic River head waters
Frog
Frawg
Me stripping
Taking a dip in the Passaic River, Morristown NHP, Jockey Hollow
Passaic River in Jockey Hollow
Passaic River in Jockey Hollow
Passaic River in Jockey Hollow
Passaic River in Jockey Hollow
Passaic River in Jockey Hollow
Jockey Hollow, Audobon trails at Scherman Hoffman Sanctuary
Jockey Hollow
Schermann Hoffman Sanctuary
Near bernardsville
Near Bernardsville
Road walk to Bernardsville
Bernardsville NJ
Bode on a bike!
Bernardsville NJ
Bode on a phone!
Having a break in Bernardsville
Bernardsville NJ
Bernardsville
Bernardsville
Bernardsville Station
Temporarily, the trail ended here, but we ignored it and walked through the yard to the next road, where the blazes resumed and followed another road to the left to Speedwell Village. We continued on across Speedwell Avenue into the Speedwell Lake park where I'd done hikes to and from before. From here we checked out some of the lake, and I carefully made my way to the water and began walking out the edge of the dam to an old pump house. When I got out to the edge of the pump house, I noticed the wall was a bit higher than I'd anticipated. Still, I managed to pull myself up and climb around to the inside of the building to have a look around. There was'nt really anything in there other than a unique perspective of Speedwell Lake vicinity. I carefully made my way back across teh dam to Patriot's Path and we continued on along Speedwell Lake out to Lake Road and crossed the bridge, then paralleled what might have been Lake Valley Road, then turned into the woods near the Sewage Treatment Plant. We crossed the fill for the old Rockaway Valley Railroad, then headed along the Whippany River out to the site of Watnong Station, the last passenger station on the line. From Sussex Ave I think it was, we turned onto a secondary branch of the Patriot's Path, a paved branch heading up hill a bit on the opposite side of the Whippany River from where we were originally. There was an old garage on the right as we headed up hill, and the pavement had a lot of roots upheaving it. We continued on, passing a red blazed branch of the Patriot's Path on the left which ascended to Fosterfield's Living Historical Farm. I would save scouting that trail for another day. We continued on, heading gradually down hill, then turning over ninety degrees heading back toward the main branch of the Patriot's Path on the Rockaway Valley Railroad right of way. We crossed what I think was Washington Valley Road, then continued on the Patriot's Path out to Whitehead Road and into Lewis Morris Park. On the way, we met a woman named Janice Lester and he husband. She was surprised we were wearing such strange clothes, and seemed quite interested in my hikes. I gave her my e mail and offered to add her to my distribution list regarding the trips. We walked with her for a while through Lewis Morris Park before she decided to turn back, having begun at Speedwell Lake Park. The rest of us continued on over the gently rolling hills in Lewis Morris Park out to Rt 24. The main branch of the Patriot's Path turned right, and I'd followed that before, but we would cross the road and follow another branch which headed towards Jockey Hollow and Bernardsville area. We crossed the road and took a break along the edge of Sunrise Lake in Lewis Morris Park, and there was some sort of festivities going on on the other side. We hung out for a bit, then headed further south. Most of us stripped of our crazy jackets as it was the hottest day we'd hiked yet this year. As we walked through the park, there were festivities and tents to our left, so we headed over to see what was going on. Major Tom, Amish Paul, and I wandered through the tent picking up interesting information to use on future hikes, and chatted with a few people before we moved on along Patriot's Path. As we re entered the woods, we met the Fuenteses, whom I'd known for years. There was Rachel Fuentes, who I went to High School and had art class with, and her mother walking the trail with Rachel's young child (I graduated with her brother, Andrew "Edge" Fuentes). It was quite coincidental in that I helped Mrs. Fuentes with a pressure washer the day before. We continued on, and the trail left Lewis Morris Park, entering Morristown National Historical Park. We passed by some reproductions of some sort of soldier encampments and the trail took us up and down many little hills. Fred knew of an easier way to get back to Bernardsville than the Patriot's Path, so he, Jean, and Jude decided to take the shorter route. We crossed a couple brooks on bridges, and the larger one we took a break along. I decided to go for a dip in the stream. It was great to finally be able to submerge myself into the water comfortably. We continued on from here, and the trail led us along what I think was the NJ Brigade Trail heading kind of down hill. I decided to turn off the Patriot's Path for a bit on the white blazed Connector Trail heading into the Schermann-Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary owned by the NJ Audubon Society. We followed this trail in to the red blazed Dogwood Trail and used it to take us down hill steeply on switchbacks. We eventually came back to the Patriot's Path along the way, which led us down to Hardscrabble Road. We turned left, which ended up being a mistake. The road took us across the Indian Grave Brook and south from there to an intersection which I think was Child's Road/Rt 613. We turned right and followed it for what seemed like an eternity out to Rt 202 in Morristown. I'd been in contact with Bode on the phone, and he met us by the intersection. We all stopped by the Dairy Queen nearby for some ice cream, which we all felt we needed. Since there was now less cars to do the shuttle back to Morristown with, I instructed everyone to wait for us at the Diary Queen while Drew, Jay, and I continued on to the railroad station where we jumped in Drew's truck back to the beginning. All went okay, and except for waiting in the sun at Dairy Queen for a while, everyone was okay. I also got pulled over on the way home in Washington Township Morris County and found out my car was'nt registered. Fortunitey, Major Tom had his PBA card, and I was let go. All in all, a good hike.
Along Patriot's Path below Fosterfields
1.) Me standing at the Bernardsville Trail station before shuttling to Morristown (RB)2.) The group at the shopping center on Ridgedale Avenue in Morristown (PH)3.) Preparing to leave from the shopping center (PH)4.) Still at the shopping center (FH)5.) The group on the Patriot's path near Rt 287 and Hanover Ave.6.) Drew and his dog lead the way on the Patriot's Path near Morristown and Erie Railroad adjacent to the Morristown Jail7.) Drew along the Patriot's Path on the railroad tracks8.) The group where the Patriot's Path crosses the tracks9.) Machinery parked on a Morristown and Erie siding near Ridgedale Ave crossing (FH)10.) Crossing the tracks (FH)11.) Railroad crossing Ridgedale Ave (FH)12.) Patriot's Path on the west side of Ridgedale Ave (FH)13.) Walking Patriot's Path west from Ridgedale Ave (FH)14.) On Patriot's Path in Morristown along Whippany river15.) Dave and Tara on the Patriot's Path in one of the municipal parks16.) Me, Drew, Dave, Tara, and Major Tom in our crazy scientist's outfits on Martin Luther King Street, Morristown on the Patriot's Path17.) The dam at the base of Lake Pocahontas18.) Another one of the dam (FH)19.) Yet another dam shot (PH)20.) Swans on Lake Pocahontas (FH)21.) Rail yard along future route of the Patriot's Path23.) Tara and Dave where the Patriot's Path currently ended at the rail yard24.) Dave, Tara, and Drew in the rail yard25.) Leaving the rail yard (FH)26.) More of us leaving the rail yard (FH)27.) The Whippany River and Speedwell Lake dam from Speedwell Ave on the Patriot's Path (FH)28.) Speedwell Lake Dam (FH)29.) On Speedwell Ave bridge (FH)30.) Me going through my bag on the Speedwell Ave bridge (FH)31.) Drew and Tara on the bridge (FH)32.) More of the group on the bridge (FH)33.) The Speedwell Ave Bridge with a view of the older bridge site, now washed away (FH)34.) The dam at Speedwell Lake (FH)35.) Me wading across the top of the dam (FH)36.) Me approaching the edge of the old structure at the dam (FH)37.) Attempting to climb the structure (FH)38.) More of me trying to climb (PH)39.) Still climbing (PH)40.) Almost up...(FH)41.) I'm up! (PH)42.) Carefully making my way along the edge...(PH)43.) Still up there...(FH)44.) Peeking around the corner...(FH)45.) Turning the corner..(PH)46.) I'm still there...(PH)47.) I'm going inside...(PH)48.) Looking out the back of the old structure on the dam...49.) View out the front window of the structure50.) Another view from the front looking toward the bridge on Speedwell Ave.51.) Tara and Dave looking across the lake at the dam52.) On the alternate Patriot's Path route above the Whippany River (FH)53.) An old garage or something along the Patriot's Path54.) Still on the alt Patriot's Path near Washington Valley I think55.) Taking a break along that alternate path (FH)56.) Still resting...(FH)57.) Drew, Tara, Major Tom, and Dave on that alternate route still...58.) View from Patriot's Path on the alternate route on the hill59.) Continueing along the alternate route back toward the main Patriot's Path route60.) On Patriot's Path just west of Whitehead Road61.) The group ahead of us on Patriot's Path62.) Patriot's Path in the northern end of Lewis Morris Park63.) Sunset Lake in Lewis Morris Park (FH)64.) Another view of Sunset Lake (FH)65.) Canoeists on Sunset Lake (FH)66.) Along the Patriots Path along Sunset Lake (PH)67.) Talking to a girl about her Owl at an event at Lewis Morris Park (PH)68.) Closeup of the Owl69.) View of the festivities area at Lewis Morris Park (FH)70.) Jean, Fred, and Jude on the Patriot's Path in Lewis Morris Park71.) Tara and Dave heading down some nice stairs in Morristown National Historic Park72.) Patriot's Path in Morristown NHP73.) Me, Paul, and Drew in Morristown NHP (FH)74.) Taking a break along Patriot's Path (PH)75.) Swingin' on vines...(PH)76.) In Morristown NHP (PH)77.) This just might be the Passaic River...(FH)78.) The group approaching the river79.) Taking a break at the river crossing80.) Taking a dip!81-82.) A frog!83.) Me stripping to take a dip in the river (PH)84-88.) Me taking a dip in the river (PH)89.) The river looking down stream90.) Heading down hill on the Dogwood Trail91.) Looking dowh hill along Dogwood Trail92.) Map of the Scherman Hoffman Sanctuary Audubon Society land93.) Along Hardscrabble Road94.) More along Hardscrabble Road95.) Dave along Childs Road96.) Major Tom under the spring blossoms in Bernardsville97.) Bode on his bike in Bernardsville!98.) Taking our break at Bernardsville Dairy Queen99.) Bode at Bernardsville Dairy Queen100.) Still at Dairy Queen101.) Renovations of historic structures in Bernardsville102.) The center of Bernardsville NJ103.) Another downtown Bernardsville view104.) At Bernardsville Station
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