Hike #376; Warbasse/Franklin/Sparta

 Hike #376 10/6/8

Along the end of Paulins Kill Valley Trail. This was Cathy's second to last hike with me, and may very well be the last photo ever taken of the two of us together. We split up not long after.

10/6/8 Warbasse/Franklin/Sparta Railroad loop with Cathy Fisher

Unfortunitely I lost the original journal to this one in the fire.

Wetlands near Warbasse

Wetlands near Warbasse

Along former Franklin Branch east of Warbasse

Former Franklin Branch near Ackerson NJ

Franklin Branch of the Lackawanna in Ackerson NJ

Fields near Ackerson and Monroe NJ

Old Franklin Branch near Monroe NJ

Old Franklin Branch near Monroe NJ

Along the former Franklin Branch near Monroe NJ

Former Franklin Branch along Rt 94, Monroe NJ

Former Franklin Branch Lackawanna line

Wet ditch we crossed on the Franklin Branch

Former LHR railroad

Former LHR rail line

Former Lehigh and Hudson River Railroad

Old signal tower along LHR line

Wetlands along the former LHR line

Old mileage post on former LHR line, showing mileage between Belvidere NJ and Maybrook NY.

Old abandoned route 15 where it used to cross NYS&W tracks

Former LHR railroad tracks with tons of ballast

This was my second to last big hike with Cathy.

We started in Warbasse again, keeping with the series of stuff I was showing her, which she really enjoyed. We followed the Paulins Kill Valley Trail briefly east toward Sparta, and the plan was to get off and follow the former Franklin Branch of the Lackawanna Railroad.

It was way too overgrown at first and so we instead followed the PKV Trail to Sunset Inn Road I think it was. We continued on the Franklin Branch, after dashing in past someone's house, to the north. When we got to Rt 15 we took a side trip to the north and stopped at a little deli luncheonette place. I think we agreed that it sucked, but we were happy to have had food.

The rail bed ahead was very nice and clear and led us out to the back of the Sussex County Vo Tech School. Instead of going across like I did my first time on this section, we just followed the fence line to the left which took us right around the fenced in property. We then climbed down to the railraod bed again on the other side. It was a little weedy at first, but it got much better.

A very nice section ahead kept us in the woods and parallel with fields, and then up closely parallel with Rt 94. There was a lot of signage here that was'nt here before forbidding trespass on the rail bed.

We soon crossed Rt 94 and then headed into a wooded area followed by some fields. I found a turtle shell in this section, but it smelled so I decided not to take it. I left it on the right side of the path. We continued across a big ditch of moving water and came out on the former Lehigh and Hudson River Railroad. Here we turned right.

I remembered this section of active track being particularly scenic and pleasant to walk, but such was not the case this time. New ballast rock had just been laid and it was terrible for walking. Just after passing Lake Grinnel, which was pretty but we did'nt enjoy it much, a truck rigged for rail driving came by us. We went off to the left of the tracks to let him go by as not to get hell for being on them.

We continued and just before reaching Rt 15 again we came upon the workers at the tracks. We got off of them and went onto a property where it was disturbed like a quarry. We sat there for a bit and waited for them to pass by. I think we ended up walking by them after a while anyway when they came back, but I can't remember. Either way we didn't have a problem.

Rt 15 had recently been rerouted to a bridge instead of grade crossing and we could see the old road clearly with lines still on it.

We soon came to the site of Sparta Junction, now not so much of a junction at all. There was an open fence on the entrance part of it that was not there on my previous visit years before. I'd forgotten that my last time in the area was a bit further south and a fence had been erected there as well. We walked in anyway and just tried to move along quickly. I motioned for Cathy to get as far to the right to be off the tracks as we could. I don't think anyone saw us, and when possible we made our way up hill on the right to get out of sight. We then continued atop the hill behind weeds out to the Paulins Kill Valley Trail which dead ends right near the active tracks. The former NYS&W is still active to the east of there, and the former Lehigh and Hudson line to the south is abandoned shortly ahead.

We turned right and I had a tough time finding the trail because so much of the area had been cleared recently, but fortunitely I was able to find my way to it. I think it was getting dark, or already was dark when we got done. We had to cross the two I beam bridges on the way back, but it was fortunitely pretty easy despite it being dusk. One of the bridges had some redecking done to it as well which wasn't quite as bad.