Hike #33
Hike 33
Beginning along the Paulins Kill Valley Trail in Hainesburg NJ.
5/27/1
Now that the weather was warm, Ronald was ready to hike again. Tea Biscuit had’nt
been as interested because there were parties going on on Sundays, but was now back for
more. In addition, Ronald’s brother, Ryan Short and their cousin, Frank Fentzlaff, both
joined. We nicknamed Ryan “Peeps” because he and his brother looked similar to those
marshmallow easter chick candies, and Frankie we came to call “Alf” because it was his
previous nickname.
Hainesburg NJ
My plan was to meet Conrad, with the other three, at Dunnfield, and do the hike we did
the previous September in Worthington State Forest. We talked to Conrad on Ronald’s
cell phone, and he decided not to come. Ronald walked around the parking lot sipping
some sort of alchahol, when I made a spur of the moment decision to do an all new hike.
Along Paulins Kill Valley Trail, Hainesburg
At former Hainesburg Junction
We piled back into the Camaro and drove to Hainesburg and the New York,
Susquehanna, and Western Railroad bed, now the Paulins Kill Valley Trail, to do a figure
eight loop hike between this point and the Delaware Water Gap.
Abandoned building at Hainesburg Junction
Along abandoned Lehigh and New England Railroad, Hainesburg
Abandoned LNE railroad, Hainesburg
Paulins Kill trestle on the abandoned LNE line near Hainesburg. Even on this early hike we were experimenting with video. It would be amazing if this footage were to surface somewhere.
We began walking west, under the Paulins Kill Viaduct (built by the Lackawanna Cutoff)
to Hainesburg Junction where the Lehigh and New England Railroad broke off (this line
had “trackage rights” over the NYS&W from here to Swartzwood NJ where the lines
separate). We checked out an abandoned building and continued on the L&NE line west,
through weeds soon reaching a through style truss bridge over the Paulins Kill River.
Knowlton township, along the LNE right of way near Colombia
Peeps was videotaping a lot of this hike, though what became of it I do not know.
We moved on crossing Rt 94 near Warrington, and on to Colombia passing a cell tower
and the municipal road department of Knowlton. The right of way had been paved to
access the road department, and obliterated completely by Rt 80 to where it crossed the
Delaware.
LNE rail bed at public works property, Colombia NJ
We had to make our way up the road to cross Rt 80 on a road bridge, first
stopping in the Colombia McDonalds. We tried to walk through the drive thru but they
would’nt have it. We hung around a bit for my Cousin, Tanner to come in, as he worked
there at the time. After chatting, we continued down Decatur street into Colombia. The
NYS&W passed through here but almost all remnants are gone. We did, however see a
few remains of the piers to the L&NE trestle where it crossed the Delaware. This trestle
was removed years before.
Crossing Colombia Portland Foot bridge
Former Lackawanna Railroad north of Portland PA
Lackawanna Railroad near Slatefored
Old tower at Slateford Junction
We crossed the Portland footbridge and stopped in Port Mart for choco milk, then headed
north on the DL&W. Soon, we came to Slateford, where the DL&W cutoff joined the old
main line. This is the railroad that made the old main secondary, as it cut off several miles
of travel to the city. We explored the old tower on the site of the junction, which was
quite cool. The stairs had been removed and the only way to get in was from the hillside in
the back.
Climbing into the old tower at Slateford Junction
In the old tower, Slateford Junction
Where the stairs used to be in the Slateford Junction tower
Tower at Slateford Junction
Former Lackawanna Railroad near Slateford PA
A turtle in Delaware Water Gap along the tracks
Heading north, we found a considerable amount of turtles basking on the tracks
throughout the Water Gap. As we neared the northern end of the gap, we passed Caldeno
Creek Falls, a lovely waterfall that cascades down from Resort Point, where the stream
actually flowed through the kitchen of the Kittatinny House, an enourmous hotel that
burned down. The water was flowing pretty well.
The lower Caldeno Creek Falls, Delaware Water Gap
Delaware Water Gap station
After passing under Rt 80, we passed the old Water Gap Station. It appeared that some
work was being done on it, as it had been falling apart in recent years from neglect. We
cintinued on to an access road, taking it up and across 80. We then walked into town and
stopped for Pizza. Soon, we made our way up the hill looking for the next section of the
AT. When we found it, we followed it for a short distance, then followed a side trail
heading down across Caldeno Creek (named for three men who discovered it, an amalgam
of their names) above Resort Point. This blue blazed trail soon reconnects with the AT,
and we continued on across Eureka Creek at a small waterfall.
Eureka Creek along the AT
Winona Cliff along the AT
Peeps filming us on the AT
We made our way past lookouts includeing Council Rock and Lookout rock at Winona
Cliff, where we would climb off-trail on a section that had been relocated in recent years.
The view was not too good, a result of the bad weather. Although it was’nt raining badly,
the views were not very clear. The trail took us up to a view of the Delaware, and the
piers where the NYS&W railroad once crossed the river north of the Gap.
View along the Delaware on the way up Mt Minsi on the AT
Top of Mt. Minsi on the AT
After a long steep section, we reached the Minsi Fire Road, then ascended the remaining distance to
the main mountaintop view. Unfortunitely, by the time we’d arrived nothing could be seen.
Next, we passed the site of a fire tower which had been removed before I was born
apparently. The AT took us along a fire road on the ridge to Tott’s Gap.
When we reached Tott’s Gap, we turned south on the abandoned and washed out Tott’s
Gap Road. Along this route is an interesting cave which we entered. There are two
conflicting stories pretaining to this cave; one says that this was a gold mine, and that a
gun was filled with gold dust and fired into the rocks to merit search (according to “The
Geology of the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania”) while other sources tell me it was an
Ingersall-Rand dynamite test cave.
In Totts Gap cave
Whatever it was, it’s an interesting stop off.
Resting at Arrow Island parking lot, Del Water Gap
When we reached the bottom of the mountain, we turned east on Laurel Hill Road, which
joins National Park Drive. This was a nice road walk, as much of it was dirt. We
continued to Slateford Farm area, and walked the Arrow Island Trail downhill to Rt 611.
We continued south on Rt 611 after a short period of rain, then got on the Lackawanna
Cutoff right of way in Slateford. We had to walk the road for the beginning of the cutoff
because people had extended their back yards over the right of way.
We crossed the Delaware Viaduct, but did’nt climb into it as the weather was beginning
to look bad. The Cutoff was an incredible undertaking to build, one of the largest cut and
fill projects in world history, and this is still apparent today.
By the time we passed over Rt 94, almost to the Paulins Kill Viaduct, it had begun
hailing! We ran as fast as we could through the hail stones, and not wanting to be on the
bridge during the thunder, we climbed down a manhole into the tunnels in the viaduct.
This bridge, as well as it’s three siblings, the Delaware, Martins Creek, and Tunkhannock
Viaducts, is an incredible piece of architecture. It was apparently designed when the
Lackawanna RR’s engineers studied the aqueducts of Rome, giving them the idea to
construct the aesthetically pleasing mini arches atop the larger ones. The one in
Haintesburg is seven large arches long.
We waited out the storm within the viaduct for some time. I called Cathy on Ronald’s cell
phone to let her know we were alright, and she told us they were calling for severe
weather in Blairstown, NJ, which was basically where we were. After a while of waiting,
we decided to move on. Each arch in the viaduct was a different kind of challenge to
cross. Climbing to the crest of each larger arch were a series of metal ladders, and in each
pier section, it was necessary to climb down and cross, heading back up the other side.
The first of the three arches we needed to cross back to the other side had a rope which
we had to hold onto to lower ourselves into the bottom, and a ladder back up the other
side. In the second pier, we had to hold onto a wire while walking across a thin log (later
replaced by a metal pipe). This one was usually the biggest challenge. Finally, the last arch
was easiest as a plank bridge was built to span the inside of the pier. We climbed down
and using sticks piled against the bridge when it stopped raining.
We stopped for dinner at the Log Cabin Inn, owned by Mrs. DeLuca, who was a
substitute teacher I had known from Warren Hills, and resembled actress, Candace
Bergen. She gave us our drinks for free!
This was a great hike and I was itching to do more new stuff.
Here's where you can see all of the photos from this hike, feel free to steal them for Facebook if you want!
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