Hike #469; Lyons to Summit

 Hike #469 2/15/10

2/15/10 Lyons to Summit with Joe Tag and DJ Ray Cordts

DJ Ray and Joe on our train ride back at the end, Summit NJ.

Along a path

For my next hike I wanted to closely follow the former Peapack Gladstone Branch of the Lackawanna Railroad from Lyons to Summit, to finish this section. Walking this line, since it was very active, proved to be tricky so I opted to follow the closest parallel roads for this line in the past. Unfortunately, no one was at the station when I arrived for the hike! While waiting around, I called my friend Joe Tag to see if he'd like to join, since he lived so close to their, and he said he'd be about an hour, but he'd come! I was happy, and so I went and bought Kit Kat Bars and munched for a while waiting, and talked to the cashier trying to convince him to join the hikes.

When Joe arrived, it couldn't have been better because he knew the area better than just about anyone.

I think we walked Cross Road to Basking Ridge Road, (or Maple Ave?) then turned right on I think Pond Hill Road parallel with a beautiful gorge I had no idea even existed. We walked and soon crossed the railroad tracks. I went out onto the trestle over the gorge for a better look, then came back and we walked the road south to I think Thackeray Road? Joe pointed out that there used to be a road that came across the river below to the east, but that it was long abandoned. An old stone bridge was still in place over a tributary, but not over the river itself.

We took I think Pond Hill Road south to Stone House Road over the river. We then crossed to stop at a little market for snacks. We turned left, then right on Meadowview Road next. This took us out to Northfield Road where we turned left over the tracks. On the other side, we were surprised to see somewhat of a trail above the tracks and parallel with I think Millington Elementary School. We followed this pathway which led us out to a wooded section and to our great surprise, an actual trail!

Trail in Millington!

We walked through this preserve to the south side, which was nice, and when we came out the other side on I think Chestnut Street we found out it's name! There was also a road to the north called Largo Road that was now just a bike path, another trail!

Joe at the trailhead in Millington area

We continued to the east, and passed St Vincent's Cemetary to the south. We then skirted some ball fields to the north. Much of the road walk read "bike route" and I think we pretty much followed that out to the main road in Stirling NJ. We turned right to the railroad station where we were joined by DJ Ray.

Together, we crossed the tracks and turned left on Warren Ave. This dead ended at a industry of some sort. We cut through the property in the snow and then got up on the railroad tracks for a bit.

On the tracks in Stirling NJ

When we turned off the tracks we went through a field to the left side to the north, to Delaware Ave. We then turned right. The road took us a ways and then dead ended...sort of...it was abandoned mid way in for a bit, then became an active road again. We walked the abandonment out to Morristown Road and turned right. We followed this all the way to Valley Road and went into some fields I believe...ball fields with paved paths around it. Some were plowed, some not. We followed them as they came closer to Valley Road, and paralleled. When the path ended we could see tape off the road, presumably where the pedestrian path would be extended to.

We then walked Valley Road into the town of Gillette. Here, we stopped I think at a Stewarts where Joe treated us to Hot Dogs for lunch!

We had to continue along the road into Berkely Heights where we stopped I think at a Stop N Shop Supermarket or something and I got some more food, I don't remember what. We talked to a guy repairing a bank machine that carries the tubes of checks or whatever underground, and it was neat to see how one was put together. We tried to walk through a section of woods before stopping I think but couldn't get through.

Next, we walked Snyder Ave to an area, presumably a new park under construction. It was a big disturbed area which we cut across and into the woods. This took us out on the end of the cul de sac of Kline Blvd. We followed this straight from a utility line to Union Ave, turned left, then turned right onto Pearl Street to another right on Central Ave through Murray Hill. We knew our friend Shelly Janes worked there so we tried to call her, but she couldn't come out to meet.

We then walked through New Providence area and continued on Central. This road became more of a local road and eventually came to a dead end, but at the end it was now a trail, which I'd presumed!

This took us along a tennis club, then soon we turned left and came out along a ball field. We skirted the ball field and then came to it's access road where we could see a giant abandoned greenhouse in the woods to the north.

We then walked along the road northward to New Providence Station where we went into a Kings Supermarket. DJ Ray and I got some food...I think it was some soup or something, then moved on along Passaic Ave to a right on Beekman parallel with the tracks. At the next intersection we went left over the tracks on High Street to Kent Blvd leading into Summit. We passed a nice old church and then came right into town. We walked to the railroad station where we waited for the train. The train took us back to Stirling, and DJ Ray drove us the remaining way back to Lyons to finish a really interesting day hike!