Hike #333 3/8/8
3/8/8 Morris Canal; Hackettstown-Hopatcong State Park with Wyatt Hassler, Jason Itell, Jackie De Melo, and Russ Moyer
Musconetcong Crossing site in Stanhope
For my next hike I would do the next section of the Morris Canal heading east from Hackettstown to Lake Hopatcong.
Along the driveway to the Cuff House, Hackettstown
Cuff House driveway in Hackettstown
Cuff House driveway, Hackettstown
Along the Morris Canal, Hackettstown
Morris Canal, Hackettstown. Now a road.
Morris Canal, Hackettstown
Morris Canal, Hackettstown
Morris Canal, Hackettstown
Morris Canal, Hackettstown
Morris Canal, Hackettstown
Former aqueduct site on the Morris Canal, Hackettstown
Morris Canal, Hackettstown
Morris Canal, Hackettstown
Morris Canal, Hackettstown
Morris Canal, Hackettstown
Morris Canal, Hackettstown
Morris Canal near Bilby Road
Morris Canal in a newly cleared section east of Bilby Road
Morris Canal below Allamuchy Mountain
Abandoned house near Saxton Falls
Abandoned house
Abandoned house where Jason tried explaining about the erotic cartoon magazine we'd found.
Yum. Abandoned house near Saxton Falls
Abandoned house near Saxton Falls
Morris Canal
Morris Canal
Morris Canal at International Trade Center
Morris Canal near ITC, Mt. Olive
Morris Canal nearing Stanhope
Morris Canal near Stanhope
Bridge over the Musconetcong at the base of what was Inclined Plane #2 West
Morris Canal, on a Musconetcong River bridge
Former Inclined Plane #2 West
Morris Canal inclined plane #2 West
Morris Canal
Morris Canal, spur canal in Stanhope
Old mill ruins at Stanhope
Buried guard lock on the Morris Canal, Lake Musconetcong
Dam on Lake Musconetcong
Inclined Plane #1 West at Lake Musconetcong
Morris Canal Feeder below Lake Hopatcong
Dinner after the hike
Dinner after the hike
We met in the morning in Hopatcong State Park at Lake Hopatcong, and some ranger lady told me we had to be back by 5:30 pm, so I decided once everyone showed up we'd shuttle cars to a pull off parking area along the state park nearby. Joining me this time were Jason Itell, Russ Moyer, Jackie De Melo, and Wyatt Hassler. "Amish Paul" Hassler was planning to join, but was'nt able to catch up with us unfortunitely, as he decided to wait and sleep in his car for a bit.We shuttled mine and Amish Paul's cars to Hackettstown train station and began walking the tracks west to the dirt road that accessed the Morris Canal towpath we had walked the previous trip. Fortunitely, the rain that was predicted held off for quite a while. We headed east to Rt 46 on the towpath, through Florence Kuipers Park, and then crossed to Canal Lane built on the canal. We walked this to the end and continued on a nicely mowed section of the canal, and watched a lot of deer run by. We passed a playground and entered a wooded area behind a lot of houses in Hackettstown. It was'nt too bad to walk, we were able to bushwhack very easily along the canal heading east. We eventually came out to a side road near Rt 517. It was a little overgrown briefly, but not too bad, and there was a makeshift shelter where someone had apparently been living, made of plastic and such. After crossing the road, a good section of the towpath had been cleared next to a funeral home until we reached Rt 517. We stopped off at a convenience store, since it would be the last for at least quite a while, then we crossed the road and entered the towpath apartments area, which had a parking lot over the canal prism. We continued behind a dumpster onto an awesome cleared section of the canal. We followed this section for a long ways until it became overgrown, and we had to cut down to an abandoned right of way of the west bound Morris and Essex Railroad line, part of the Lackawanna system (the east bound line next to it was now NJ Transit). We headed out to Bilby Road and then were able to pick up another section of the canal which had only been cleared the previous week with a Bobcat skid steer with some sort of mower! We hiked this in a good section east, but then it became too overgrown to continue, so we headed south bushwhacking badly to the railroad tracks again. We followed the tracks to Waterloo Road and turned left, then ascended to the canal towpath again using the Highlands Trail. We continued on the towpath out to Saxton Falls. When we reached Saxton Falls, I was sad to see that some of the buildings along the way had been torn down. It had begun raining very hard by this point, and I was soaked, so we were relying on the houses to get dry. We just continued on along the towpath, which ended up being under water of Saxton Lake shortly, so we had to bushwhack up a hill to the left. Fortunitely, there was an abandoned house I had'nt been in yet, so we went in to dry off. Once inside, I changed my clothes a bit, since I was so wet. We hung out and dried off, and we laughed at some sort of cartoon porno magazine that was inside. We continued from here to where the Highlands Trail came up from the towpath, and unfortunitely the next abandoned house, the Ditmar House, had been ripped down as well. We continued on out to Waterloo Road and headed onward to the next canal section. We passed the abandoned restaurant like building, then were along the towpath. There was another abandoned building on the right, followed by one more. We of course had to go inside where we found an interesting sign alluding that Spackle was good for repairing teeth... We continued on along the towpath, coming out to the road twice to go around homes, and twice because the road has overtaken the canal prism and towpath. We soon turned away from the road where we came to a regularly watered section of the canal (note that most of the canal was watered on this trip due to snow melt off and a ton of rain). We had to turn right and go under Rt 80 using the Musconetcong River underpass, which was fine. We then regained the canal and entered the restored section in Waterloo Village. We continued through Waterloo Village and crossed the beat up wooden towpath bridge to the former Inclined Plane #4 West, which was in great shape. We headed up hill on this, passing by the former Sussex Railroad underpass (now gone, just abutments) and reached the top. We continued on a beautiful section of the towpath from here parallel with Rt 80 until we came to where it crosses to the other side. We could not run across the highway for one because Jason had recently injured his knee skiing, and because police cars had someone pulled over in sight. We opted instead to stay on the north side of Rt 80 to where it crossed back over to the north side again. We missed the section with Inclined Plane #3 West, which I'd visited once before with Cathy the previous year. We bushwhacked alongside the highway, then came to some sort of industrial office building of some sort, and we followed some sort of perimeter trail they had there for a bit. Soon, the canal crossed back over, and we got on the towpath and began following it again. It had stopped raining around this time, and it was quite pleasant out. We followed the towpath to the International Trade Center, and then came to Rt 206. We crossed on the old railroad bridge parallel with Love Lane, then headed over to the next canal section that was watered near the ruins of a locktender's house. This section of the canal was one of the nicest sections of preserved canal I'd been on. We continued on this to the Musconetcong River where a concrete bridge had been erected over it. The original canal must have relied on slack water here at one time. We headed to the other side, then up the site of former Inclinded Plane #2 West. There was some stone work still in place, and stone braces for the tracks further up before a building was built over the rest of it. We followed parallel roads to the top and then through a park toward Lake Musconetcong. The canal stonework was visible where a lock was, though it had been filled in. We turned right and walked along the south side of Lake Musconetcong, then continued on roads to the east side. We were able to see the site of Inclinded Plane #1 West where it pulled out of Lake Musconetcong. We could see where it crossed the road, but it was'nt apparent that we would be able to walk it, so we followed the parallel roads again. Soon, we came toward Landing where we passed under the Lackawanna Cutoff. Amish Paul showed up and picked Jason up, as he was hurting pretty badly, and Russ, Jackie, Wyatt, and I continued on. We soon reached the site of the former feeder canal to the main canal, which was also used for canal freight to Lake Hopatcong. We began following this as a regular trail north in a beautiful section. It began pouring down rain hard again, and Wyatt had taken off his jacket! We soon reached Lake Hopatcong, and there was some sort of gate that was locked there unfortunately. Once in at the state park, we couldn't find a way out so we had to go all the way around the gates. We soon made it back to where we had parked, and the ranger had been there complaining to Jason and Amish Paul who were already there. Oh well! We went to dinner at a bar and grill near Ledgewood for dinner.
Inclined Plane in Stanhope
0a-0c.) Us starting off along the access driveway to the Morris Canal towpath in west part of Hackettstown (by Jason Itell)1.) Wyatt along the canal prism near Rt 462.) Along Canal Lane in Hackettstown, built on the canal3.) Just beyond canal lane where the towpath is cleared in an apartment area4.) The canal behind houses in Hackettstown5.) The canal behind homes in Hackettstown6.) Wyatt crossing a footbridge over the canal in Hackettstown7.) The canal in Hackettstown8.) Site of an old aqueduct on the canal in Hackettstown9.) The group trying to cross the canal at the aqueduct site in Hackettstown.10.) Heading out toward Rt 51711.) In funeral home property off Rt 51712.) Watered section of canal from Rt 517 looking west13.) Along the canal near Towpath Apartments14.) Beyond towpath apartments just east of Rt 51715-16.) On the towpath in a nice section east of Bilby Road, Hackettstown17.) Abandoned house we ducked into at Saxton Falls during the downpoar18.) Russ in the abandoned building19.) Jason with a cartoon porno in the abandoned building19a-19b.) Did'nt you know? Spackle helps fight cavities!!! (by Wyatt Hassler)20.) The towpath in Mt Olive vicinity21.) Along the towpath in Mt Olive area near International Trade Center.22.) The canal in International Trade Center23-25.) Great section of the canal just west of Stanhope, east of Rt 206. Very much the way it was.26.) Bridge over the Musconetcong27.) here we are on the bridge along the canal, Stanhope28.) Lower end of Inclined Plane #2 West.29.) Wyatt with the remains of Inclined Plane #230.) Historic Marker at Plane #231.) Spur canal to a turn lagoon in Stanhope32.) Abandoned mill site in Stanhope33.) Former canal lock site at Lake Musconetcong34.) Dam on Lake Musconetcong35.) Site of Inclined Plane #1 West on the east side of Lake Musconetcong36.) The feeder canal in Hopatcong State Park37.) Jason and Jackie having dinner near Ledgewood38.) Jason and I at dinner
Dentistry
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