Hike #64
At Fairway golf course for a break
Hike 64
7/23/2
Inside Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Beaver Brook Wildlife Management Area
Once again, I had scaled off another new section hike, this time beginning at Manunka
Chunk, and walking home using the most interesting routes I could find. I called this one
the “Warren Hills Hike”. The plan was to walk from Manunka Chunk back to Washington
using as many alternative routes as possible through public open spaces and railroad
abandonments. I had recently begun working at the Belvidere A&P following the closing
of the Mansfield store, and I hated it. Still, a saving grace was it’s location, and oftentimes
during a lunch break I would drive to these locations to see where I could hike.
In Beaver Brook WMA
On a woods road in Beaver Brook WMA
Fields in Beaver Brook WMA
View from Beaver Brook WMA near Upper Sarepta Road
Descending through fields and fences in Beaver Brook WMA
Bridge in Sarepta NJ
Bridge in Sarepta
Stream in Hope Twp.
Our grandmother dropped us off along Rt 46 at Manunka Chunk, and we headed up and
through the tunnel south. When we reached the other side, we walked through the fields
of what was now part of Beaver Brook Wildlife Management Area, searching for a route
atop the hillside. We managed to cut through woods into several fields, but got pretty lost.
We began following an old farm road down hill with some nice views, but it took us out
back near the railroad bed and Upper Sarepta Road, which is where we did not want to
be. We opted to follow the road up hill to the Beaver Brook WMA sign with a nice view
over the countryside, and cut across the field downhill into Sarepta. We then followed
Sarepta Road across Beaver Brook out toward Rt 519. On the way, we stopped and
laughed histerically at a horse rolling around on it’s back gleefully in it’s own excrement.
Making our way east on 519, we had run out of water, and stopped to refill at Four
Sisters Winery; unfortunitely none of the sisters were hotties to our dismay, if that’s who
were the ones there.
Stream crossing in Hope Twp.
Stream in Hope Twp. near Swayze Mills
Old farm in Hope Twp.
Long forgotten woods road over Jenny Jump Mountain
Tea Biscuit found this chair on an old woods road on JennyJump Mountain
Riding a bike, carrying a chair at Mountain Lake. Hilarious.
More riding a bike carrying a chair at Mountain Lake.
Mountain Lake NJ
The Spring House at Mountain Lake
Beach at Mountain Lake
We continued along the road, looking for signs of Jenny Jump State Forest on the right,
but could find nothing. We ended up going way too far, past Swayze Mill Road, and
decided to cut into the woods at an abandoned farm near Beaver Brook. The weeds were
thick, and nearby fields were overgrown, so we decided to walk through the middle of the
creek back west until we found a place we could access clearer fields.
Soon, we found a somwhat clear farm road, and followed it parallel to Rt 519. We did’nt
know how to access the State Park, but I knew that a trail descended from near Mountain
Lake to 519 because Cathy and I had followed it in the months before. All I did not know
was exactly where it reached the road. Tea Biscuit and I soon came across a run down
house just off the road, and though I was nervous about asking the tenants for directions, I
was more fed up with being lost. No sooner did we arrive, there was an odd, very old man
in front of the place whom I asked for directions. I recall him being a rather plump older
guy, with a thinner old guy with him who did not say much. Tea Biscuit commented after
we left that he was bleeding from his ears! He directed us to the farm road past an old
pond; we thanked him and were on our way, slightly freaked out.
Ascending through the fields, we passed the pond and entered the woods ascending an
old woods road, soon to reach the blazed Mountain Lake Trail. We followed this trail to
another side trail which loops around the piece of land. Again, we managed to get
ourselves a bit lost. Tea Biscuit found an old chair up on the mountain, which he carried
for some time, sitting upon it when we stopped for breaks.
When we came back out to the regular Mountain Lake Trail, we descended to where the
road becomes a paved residential dead end street, and continued to Mountain Lake Road
on the west side of the lake. Tea Biscuit found an old bicycle...again...and rode it down
the road all the way to the springhouse at the lake’s northwest corner where he left it. This
would have been not so weird, but he was riding while carrying the chair he found! We
were getting quite thirsty, as we had already run out of water since the Four Sisters
Winery. The Mountain Lake Spring house is a locally popular spot for taking potable
water. After stocking up, we headed back along the west end of the pond to the beach.
When we reached the Mountain Lake Beach, One of Tea Biscuit’s friends was the
lifeguard! He commented that he saw some crazy guy riding by on a busted bike carrying a
chair and screaming.
Walking Green Pond Rd from Mountain Lake
Right of way of the Lehigh and Oxford Railroad, Buttsville
Abutment for a former Lehigh and Oxford Railroad bridge
Along former Lehigh and Oxford Railroad nearing Oxford Quarry
Our friend from Jordan who used to own Rita's store in Oxford
Former Oxford Iron Mines Railroad
Having a beer near Oxford
We took a swim out through the lake, and after stopping for a break, continued on. We
followed roads back along the lake and onto Mountain Lake Road into Buttsville, where
we headed across the Lehigh and Hudson River Railroad’s bed to the long abandoned
Lehigh and Oxford Railroad, which operated a short steep line up from the L&HR to the
Edison Quarry. Only two bridge abutments were still standing, but the fill and grade were
recognizeable across a yard, and we followed it into the woods.
Soon, we came into a private area with a barn, a house, and a driveway. I think I shouted
out that we were scouting the railroad bed, and we fought through some weeds, near the
end of a new Cul De Sac, and cut through a couple yards, but made it back to the right of
way, and found where it once crossed the creek. The bridge abutments were in a major
state of decay. As we followed the line north, it became more clear, and took us to East
Quarry Road. The right of way straight ahead lying within a fence with animals inside. We
decided to turn left, reaching a corn field parallel to the railbed. This we used to hide our
presence and headed to the end of the field, cutting back into the woods and the railroad
grade. Almost unrecognizeable, the right of way was eroded and overgrown almost
beyond recognition. After a bit, however, the bed became more defined as it was on a
small fill. In addition, there were two small bridge sites, so short that we were able to run
and jump their length. We soon fought through a bit of undergrowth which led us directly
to the road to the Edison Quarry, now Tilcon. Consequently, this road was built on the
L&O Railroad, as well as the Pohatcong Railroad Thomas Edison owned. The Pohatcong
Railroad stretched from the quarry, with a connection to the L&O, out to the DL&W
main line in Oxford.
Tea Biscuit and I turned left onto the road/Pohatcong Railroad bed, heading toward
Oxford. The rail right of way broke from the road to the south soon, and we continued on.
This right of way was particularly clear, and even included pavement at least in some
spots; it was probably used as a road following the railroad’s abandonment.
We passed one house along the way before reaching Rt 31, where the right of way
straight across to the DL&W was too overgrown to access. When we reached Oxord, we
visited our friend from Jordan at Rita’s General Store for snacks (Tea Biscuit would
always be looking for some kind of dirt cheap junk food, and our buddy would hook him
up with a stupid deal). We also stopped by the Oxford Liquor store where I got us each a
tall can of Molson Ice.
Our next route was to follow the long abandoned Oxford Iron Mines Railroad. This one
is a bit easier to locate, as it is recognizeable where it crossed Rt 31, and a bridge
abutment still stands in someone’s back yard. We continued on Axford Avenue (which is
built on the original 1856 DL&W right of way) and onto the Iron Mines RR bed across
Tunnel Hill Road and Jonestown Road, after which the access road to Oxford Furnace
Lake is built on the right of way. Years earlier, the road was quite rough as they never
removed the railroad ties before paving!
The railroad bed broke off to the left of the road where it turns downhill, and we
continued along it’s route. The clouds began to grow thick, and we stopped in a small cut
to have our beers. While walking, beer gets to my head much quicker, and I was soon
laughing quite a bit as we followed the railbed, passing someone’s house to the left, and
through a cut and heavy weeds. Soon, we were near houses to the right, and the weeds
got so thick we had to make our way out to Jonestown Road. We did not continue on the
right of way to the mines site, instead walking Jonestown Road to the entrance of Griffith
Woods, a Washington Towship Municipal Park. On the way, it began raining heavily.
Entering Griffith Woods at Jonestown
In Griffith Woods
Lake Marguerrite, Washington Twp.
We did not look around at the scenery much on the Griffith Woods Trail, making our way
along the route quickly. The trail took us along old stone rows and across a few creeks via
wooden bridges. Soon, we reached Lake Marguerrite, the second half of the park. We
walked a loop around the small lake, then came out back on Jonestown Road, where we
turned left, and to Lannings Terrace.
Lake Marguerrite, Washington Township
Old stone bridge on the abandoned part of Lannings Terrace in Bowerstown
Foot bridge over Pohatcong Creek near Fairway Estates
Outdoor classroom in Pohatcong Creek Natural Area
With chocolate milk in hand, on the final stretch back to Port Colden.
Lannings Terrace was once a through route to Bowerstown, Washington Twp, but was
abandoned. The road is now only accessable a short distance on both ends. After passing
two house, we continued on the road downhill. At the road’s end, we crossed a beautiful
old stone bridge, and came out on the southern paved and open section, which terminates
at the Project Excel School in Bowerstown. Continueing on, we followed Bowerstown
Road to Mine Hill Road and the Fairway Greens Golf Course. When we reached the
clubhouse, I used the payphone to call Cathy so she’d know we were safe. We were
surprised to learn that she had headed out looking for us as she did’nt want us walking in
the thunder and lightning. We were still willing to continue, so we crossed the golf course
where there was an access trail to the Pohatcong Creek Natural area. We entered the
natural area, crossed a footbridge over Pohatcong Creek, and continued upstream, passing
Warren Hills’ outdoor classroom and their cross country running track. The trail led us
out near the school’s regular track; we followed the access road behind the school to the
main parking lot, and across to the DL&W right of way.
We followed the ATV trails paralell to the tracks, then around the Warren Lumber
Company fencing to the Washington Yard, where we took another ATV trail to the
Warren Plaza and Acme. We stopped in the Acme and bought a gallon of Chocolate Milk
each (chocolate milk is awesome). The rain had now stopped, and clouds were just
beginning to dissapate. We then walked Rt 57 back to Port Colden, stopping to talk to our
friend, Kyle Gruter-Curham along the way.
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