Hike #318 11/25/7
A very interesting hike to look back on. It was one of those hikes that proved to me at the time that I really just can't please everyone sadly. DID YOU JUST THROW A BATTERY???
11/25/7 Pennington/Lawrenceville loop with "Amish Paul" and Wyatt Hassler, Fred Hafale, "Action Adam" Stevens, "Major Tom" Conroy, Graham Copeland, Jim "Mr. Buckett" Mathews, Jaye Berman
On Lawrence Hopewell Trail
My next trip would bring us once again to northern Mercer County and the town of Pennington where I'd now focused two hikes already. This time my aim would be to cover an area of trails looping east of Pennington. We met at Pennington Market at 8:30 am, where I was joined by "Amish Paul" and Wyatt Hassler, Fred Hafale, "Major Tom" Conroy, Jim "Mr. Buckett" Mathews, "Action Adam" Stevens, Graham Copeland, and newcomer Jaye Brennan.
Pennington NJ
Curlis Lake Woods map
Curlis Lake Woods
Curlis Lake Woods
Car in Curlis Lake Woods
Curlis Lake
Mercer County Farm Park
Mercer County Farm Park
Mercer County Farm Park
Mercer County Farm Park
Mercer County Farm Park
Mercer County Farm Park
Mercer County Farm Park
Rosedale Park
Rosedale Park
Rosedale Park
Rosedale Lake
Rosedale Park
Rosedale Park
Rosedale Park
Rosedale Lake
Rosedale Park
Rosedale Park
Rosedale Park
Rosedale Lake
Rosedale Lake
Pole Farm
Pole Farm
Pole Farm
Pole Farm
Pole Farm
Pole Farm
Lawrence-Hopewell Trail at Pole Farm
Lawrence-Hopewell Trail
Lawrence-Hopewell Trail, Community Park
Lawrence-Hopewell Trail, Community Park
Lawrence-Hopewell Trail, Community Park
Lawrence-Hopewell Trail, Community Park
Lawrence-Hopewell Trail, Community Park
Lawrence-Hopewell Trail, Community Park
Lawrence-Hopewell Trail, Community Park
Historic marker in Lawrenceville
In Lawrenceville
Old trolley right of way in Lawrenceville
Lawrence-Hopewell Trail in Lawrenceville
Trail near Lawrenceville
Preserved land near Lawrenceville
Making our way through woods and fields near Lawrenceville
The woods outside of Lawrenceville
Field east of Lawrenceville
Terhune Orchards where a trail ends
Fields east of Lawrenceville
Terhune Orchards trail
Action Scratch Adam
Bristol Meyers Squibb property
Bristol Meyers Squibb on the Lawrence Hopewell Trail
BMS on LHT.
Trail through Shipetauken Woods
Trail in Shipetauken woods
Terhhune Orchard along the trail
Terhune Orchard trail
Terhune Orchard store
Rosedale Park, east side
In Rosedale Park
Sunset over Rosedale Lake
Rosedale Park
Sunset in Rosedale Park
Downtown Pennington, Wyatt and I found hula hoops and left the everywhere
Pizza place in Pennington
Immediately, someone made some sort of comment that offended Jaye, and so it was evident she would not like much of what the group had to say. I got along fine with her however, as did Fred and Graham. We began walking from Pennington Market to the rear of the store where we descended to the railroad tracks, then headed up to the nearest street out to Main Street and headed south. We continued to Baldwin Corner where we soon found the entrance to Curlis Lake Nature Preserve on Howe's Lane Trail. We had hiked through here on our previous visit as well. We followed one trail differently on a slightly longer little loop, the continued across the little creek and along the edge of Curlis Lake heading north. We soon turned right and entered part of the Mercer County farm park, and petted a horse for a bit. Graham fed him some carrots and an apple, which it happily chewed for quite a while. We soon continued to the left along the fence line to the south side of the field and headed into the woods on a trail, but it was going the wrong way so we bushwhacked back to the field heading around the south side, then to the north. We soon made our way into the woods adjacent to the field, then out to the field and to Federal City Road where we turned right briefly across a little bridge and headed into Rosedale Park. We walked along the edge of Rosedale Lake through a pretty little grassy area with picnic benches and a few trees to the north side dam of the lake. We continued around the lake shore and headed onto another trail on the east side, which was wide like an old road. We followed it briefly to another trail to the right which went closer to, but not along the east side of the lake. This trail returned us to the wider lane trail we had been on before, then out to Blackwell Road where there was a little parking area, and a trail across the street heading through fields into a north Mercer County Park called Pole Farm. We headed up a very gradual incline to a gas pipeline where the trail turned right briefly, then left onto another pathway through a field to the north. I was a bit directionally challenged, thinking we'd gone the wrong way, but it turned out okay. We soon reached a model airplane flying area, but no one was there. We took a break while I got our bearings, and Wyatt and Action Adam did some silly sword fighting with sticks. Jaye got mad at Wyatt for throwing batteries he'd found on the ground when there was a garbage can right there. We continued on heading mostly south to an abandoned roadway leading out to Keefe Road. We turned right on Keefe Road briefly to the Lawrence-Hopewell Trail. I did'nt know previously, but the Lawrence-Hopewell Trail continued north of Keefe Road. The reason we came out where we did was because a map on the internet showed me the trail did not go through that far yet. We followed the trail's paved surface south from here through a bit of woods and across a new looking bridge over a creek and entered Village Park. The trail seemed to split to make a small parcourse loop, though we stayed on the main trail. Continueing south, the trail took us out to a road, where it followed a bit of a dead end street, then continued through to another dead end via a sidewalk. Wyatt slam dunked a pile of leaves into a basketball net along the road, and I jumped into a pile of leaves. We soon passed a school, and Wyatt and Action Adam pulled some sort of old picture frame pieces or something out of a garbage can to sword fight with. We were soon in the town of Lawrenceville, and there was a bakery along the road where we decided to take a break. I had a terrific double chocolate cookie. We soon continued on and crossed nearby Rt 206 on an angle and entered the Lawrenceville School property where signs led us along the trail through the property. The trail was actually just the access roads through the school property. The signs for the trail abruptly ended at some point near the south side, so we looked around a bit. We started walking up the hill on another road, and on the way I asked a lady we saw if there was a way through to Bristol Meyers Squibb property where the trail was to go, and she directed us to a path nearby. We walked what appeared to be an abandoned road down to a little bridge over a tributary, before which we began to follow a foot path to the right. The footpath took us through the woods, at first on a very obvious path. The path continued on, and came to a fork where one way it went right, and the other way led out to a field. When we reached the field, we followed the left side, and Fred checked out a little bridge over a creek out to a cultivated field. There was a farmer there working the corn field, so we opted not to go out there and instead go back to the field we came from. I led everyone along the north side and onto a path on the east side. This path took us over a couple puncheons (bog bridges) so we knew we were on a trail. We also came to a nice observation deck over a wetland. Though these obviously placed objects were here to cater to walkers and hikers, the trail was not obvious any more and looked like it barely got used. We soon lost all signs of the trail and decided to try to make our way to the north. We made our way across a field, actually a marsh land with thick enough grass that we could walk across it without getting wet, to a low area holding water. We could'nt find another way around it to the north; I fought through sticker bushes to see if we could find a way around, to no avail. Fred turned back as Amish Paul had found a way across through the meadow area. This led us out to another corn field, by now all plowed. We continued north along the fields, and realized we were headig directly for the farm house, so we crossed the field where it was separated between different kinds of crops with a farm lane in between. We walked to the end of the field and crossed a small tributary in a line of trees. We made our way out to Rt 206 along a pumpkin patch without anyone stopping us, fortunitely. We began walking Rt 206 eastbound, and finally reached the Bristol Meyers Squibb property and headed north a bit onto a path around their little lake. Fortunitely, Fred and I got done with our photography before a security guard woman came by and told us if we took pictures our cameras would have to be confescated! Only Fred, Graham, and Jaye were up front with me, the rest of the group stopped for a break out on the lawn further away. I explained to the security guard what we were doing, and she was off. When the others were'nt getting up to join us, we headed on. As we walked north close to the buildings, the security guard stopped us again and told us we could'nt be too close to the building. We turned left from here and headed out to Carter Road. Unfortunitely, we were actually looking for Carson Road for the next preserve. I figured I would'nt bother with it this time and we'd simply head to the Shipetauken Woods I think it's called, by walking Carter Road north, and just where Carson Road intersected, across the street heading west was the next trail section. We headed first onto the access road then onto the trails section. Fred, Graham, and Jaye went ahead of us on the trailway. I wanted to stay back with the rest of the group for a bit by this point, and so we laughed and had a good time for a bit, but the other three came back to us at one point because the trail apparently ended, and they were hearing gun shots. I told them not to worry about it and led them back to the correct trail. We followed the trails to the Terhune Orchards easily, where I sent Fred, Graham, and Jaye ahead to the end. I hung back with the rest of the group and we had a good time wandering through the orchard and checking out their farm store. We soon walked along Cold Soil Road for a ways heading west. There was a nice grassy area behind trees to the north side of the road for us to walk on which made the road walking a bit more pleasant. We continued on, and I spotted a trail to the righ heading into a thin line of trees between someone's house and a driveway. heading into the woods. The trail led us to an intersection where we turned right, but it led us to private property so we went left again. This trail led us out ot a pond at it's northern outlet, which I first thought was Rosedale Lake again, but it was not. We continued on trails heading west which did lead us back to Rosedale Lake. We walked back across the dam and out to Federal City Road. We walked along the road, and almost decided to walk roads to get to more trails, but then opted to cut it short (which still ended up being about 21 miles) by walking out to Delaware Ave. Graham drove by and picked up everyone but Wyatt and I, graciously driving them back to their cars. Wyatt and I continued through town and found some hula hoops, which Wyatt hung on signs and such on the way back. He kept one, and by the time Mr. Buckett came and picked us up only a few short blocks from where we were parked. We had dinner at a pizza place right there in Pennington near the market, which was actually quite good. Wyatt decided to leave them the final hula hoop! HA!
In Rosedale Park
0.) Walking down the main street in Pennington NJ (FH)1.) Map of Curlis Lake Woods Preserve1a.) I'm taking the previous picture (FH)2.) On Howe's Lane Trail in Curlis Lake Woods3.) Abandoned car I think on the Redwood Trail near Curlis Lake4.) Curlis Lake5.) Mercer County Farm Park5a.) More of the farm park (FH)5b.) Walking at the farm park (FH)5c.) Walking at the farm park (FH)5d.) Petting horses (FH)6.) A horse!7.) Action Adam petting a horse at the farm park8.) Rosedale Lake in Rosedale Park9.) The group walking along Rosedale Lake9a.) In Rosedale Park (FH)10.) View of Rosedale Lake10a.) Walking along Rosedale (FH)11.) Along Rosedale Lake11a.) Playground in Rosedale Park (FH)12.) Picnic area in Rosedale Park along the lake13.) Main dam of Rosedale Lake13a.) On the dam (FH)14.) Rosedale Lake from the dam14a.) On the dam (FH)14b.) Rosedale Lake (FH)15.) On a trail in Rosedale Park16.) Lake view in Rosedale Park17.) Walking in Rosedale Park toward Pole Farm18.) Video of Wyatt and Action Adam dueling with sticks while Jaye gets mad at Wyatt for throwing batteries.18a.) Amish Paul! (FH)18b.) Taking a break at the Pole Farm (FH)19.) View in the Pole Farm20.) Old farm lane in the Pole Farm21.) The group on Keefe Road22.) Along Lawrence-Hopewell Trail in Village Park area23.) Along Lawrence-Hopewell Trail23a.) Along the trail (FH)24.) View in Village Park25.) In Village Park26.) Another view in Village Park27.) Resting in Village Park28.) Nearing Lawrenceville, I took this video of Wyatt slam dunking dead leaves!29.) Historic marker on a rail trail in Lawrenceville30.) Wyatt in Lawrenceville with some sticks31.) On the rail bed in Lawrenceville31a.) Lawrenceville School area (FH)32.) Action Adam on an unmarked trail near the Lawrenceville School33.) View of marsh lands near the trail33a-33b.) In a line of trees by a field east of Lawrenceville (FH)34.) In a marshy meadow east of Lawrenceville35.) Passing through a corn field east of Lawrenceville36.) Crossing through fields37.) Action Adam sporting his cuts from bushwhacking out to Rt 20638.) Bristol Meyers Squibb building along Lawrence Hopewell Trail38a.) Bristol Meyers Squibb (FH)39.) The trail around Bristol Meyers Squibb40.) Heading into Shipetauken Woods Nature Preserve41.) Goofing off in Shipetauken Woods42.) Mr. Buckett at the north end of Shipetauken Woods43.) Amish Paul in the Terhune Orchards on the trail43a-43b.) Store at Terhune Orchards (FH)44.) In Rosedale Park, Paul lays down again45.) The group goofing about in Rosedale Park46.) Sunset over Rosedale Lake47.) On the Rosedale Park dam48.) Terrific Sunset over Rosedale Park49.) Wyatt and I with a Hula Hoop in downtown Pennington, Delaware Avenue50.) Major Tom and Mr. Buckett in Pennington at a Pizza Place
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