Hike #59
Along Orchard Trail from Millbrook Village
This is a neat one to look back on the pictures...I'd gotten this nice Minolta QtSi camera and the pictures were just coming out looking normal. As it turned out I was just using crappy processing and often not the right kind of film. I started using different speed film and the Wal Mart 1 hour processing that was offered at the time (I can't believe even at the time of this writing in 2010 that 1 hour processing is becoming obscelite as is film in general!). The pictures all looked better after this point.
Hike 59
6/29/2
Along Millbrook Road
Along Millbrook Road along the AT
Beaver Dam on Rattlesnake Swamp, Kittatinny Ridge
Along Rattlesnake Swamp Trail
For this new section hike, I was joined by only Tea Biscuit and our good friend, Alan
Eisberg again. It’s always great with Al, he’s so easy going with seemingly no worries. We
even stopped at an archery store before heading to the beginning of this loop that was to
be in the vicinity of Millbrook Village in the Kittatinnies.
We began on Millbrook/Blairstown Road at the end of what was once known as Cutoff
Road. We walked a short distance up the road to the Appalachian Trail lot, and along the
trail past a Beaver Dam. Instead of staying on the AT, we followed the nearby Rattlesnake
Swamp Trail south through the aptly named terrain.
Catfish Pond
At Catfish Pond
Catfish Pond
At Mohican Outdoor Center
Along a trail at Mohican Outdoors Center
Turtle along Coppermines Trail
The trail led us out to Camp Mohican on Catfish Pond, now run by the Appalachian
Mountain Club. We walked along the camp road and visited the little visitor’s center
there, then made our way to Copper Mines Trail towards Old Mine Road. On the way
down, we found a turtle, and jumped in the creek. Al decided to stay on the trail to the
road, while Tea Biscuit and I opted to follow the creek past a series of waterfalls, an old
dam ruin, and the lower Pahaquarry Copper Mine.
Coppermines Falls
Coppermines Falls
Me in the lower Pahaquarry Copper Mine
An old dam along Coppermines Brook
One of the falls on Copper Mines Creek
In one of the old mines at Pahaquarry
Pahaquarry Mines
Pahaquarry Copper Mine
Lower Pahaquarry Copper Mine
The lower mine was surprisingly
unlocked and we went in a bit, using a lighter to see, but decided not to go too far.
When we reached the Copper Mines parking lot, we walked along the Delaware River a
bit before coming back out to Old Mine Road due to heavy weeds. We walked by the
Pahaquarry Flats and the old Calno School on Old Mine Road to the Van Campen Glen.
Along the Delaware near the Pahaquarry Mines
Along the Delaware near Pahaquarry Mines
Along Old Mine Road at Pahaquarry Flats
Old Calno School along Old Mine Road
In Van Campen Glen
Van Campen Glen
Van Campen Glen Falls
Van Campen Falls
We followed Van Campen Creek trail along it’s namesake tributary passing the tumbling
waters and beautiful Van Campen Falls where we took a swim. In addition, above the falls
is another deep hole perfect for swimming, although it is not encouraged. Moving along,
we walked along a natural shelf along the creek which makes for an incredible walk.
We continued through the glen and made our way back to Old Mine Road to Millbrook.
Al decided to steal a park sign off a tree along the way. When we reached Millbrook, we
refilled water, then ascended up Orchard Trail (aka McCool Trail) through old farm lands
to the long abandoned Hamilton Ridge Road.
Van Campen Glen
Van Campen Glen
Van Campen Glen
Van Campen Glen
Van Campen Glen
Orchard Trail near Millbrook
Old Hamilton Ridge Road
Along old Hamilton Road (later became Pioneer Trail)
Hamilton Ridge Road was one of the many paved roads abandoned as a result of the
proposed Tocks Island Dam project in the 1960s which sat in limbo until it’s official
deauthorization in 1991. Now the road is a multi use trail. We followed the road to it’s
terminus at what maps call simply “Hamilton Road”, where we turned right, or west
toward the Delaware. Along the route, fallen phone and electrical wires hung the road. To
my surprise, we came to a huge abandoned house! It appeared accessable, and I called out
before entering to be sure no one else was inside.
Old house along the current route of Pioneer Trail
In the abandoned house
Abandoned house
The house had a sturdy floor and framework, and we explored every room before moving
on. I wrote on the walls “Helbing Hikes 2002” and “Here before Weird NJ”, probably not
a good idea, but I think I put my e mail as well! Whoops!
As we walked a bit further on the road, we came to a second house, a bit smaller, and
probably older. We entered this one as well, again exploring every room. In the front yard
were even the remains of a garden where the species of vegetation varied from those
growing around it.
In front of the second of the two abandoned houses.
Abandoned house
Old garden in front of abandoned house
The car in the collapsed garage
Nearby, in collapsed garages, we also found a VW Bus, as well as what appeared to be a
1930s model chevy! Continueing along the road, there was also a two seater outhouse
teetering on the side of the Delaware River.
The next section was along the Pioneer Trail, a trail recently abandoned by the park due
to a giant washout which made the trail too dangerous. This did not stop us from moving
on, of course. We followed the black painted out blazes to the washout, where we pulled
an insane move and climbed straight up the washout.
Abandoned house
Old garden in front of abandoned house
Double seater out house teetering on the edge of the Delaware
Huge washout that caused the closing of Pioneer Trail
At the top, we made our way over to the remainder of the trail back to Hamilton Ridge
Road, which we followed to Old Mine Road, and back to Millbrook.
From Millbrook, we walked through the village on old Watergate Road past the old
Schoolhouse, and Al tried to start up an earthmover parked there. We walked by
Watergate Lake, and then along Van Campen Creek under a power line.
Just after re entering the woods, we saw a paved road ascend to the left, which we
thought was the Cutoff Road, but instead found yet another abandoned house. This one
was a newer style, with a breezeway between two sections, as well as a garage area. After
checking this one out, we headed back along the creek to the next ascending woods road.
After following it a short distance, we realized this was not cutoff road either, and that it
must have been a simple logger’s road. Still, we decided to bushwack up to Cutoff Road,
which was paved, but broken up. On it’s ascent to Millbrook Road, we could see where
houses once stood along the way due to the succession of weeds growing in disturbed
areas. When we reached Al’s van, we were tired but happy.
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