Hike #66
In Walpack Cemetary near the end
Hike 66
8/7/2
For my next new section hike in the Kittatinnies, I was joined by Tea Biscuit and our
young friend Kyle Gruter-Curham, who lived down the road from us in Port Colden. Also,
Kyle brought along with him his Pitbull, Petie.
Kyle with Petie, and Tea Biscuit on an old road above Walpack Center
At a lake on the Walpack Ridge Trail
A bridge over a tributary draining from the lake on Walpack Ridge Trail
A barn along the Walpack Ridge Trail, Thunder Mountain
We headed north into the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and the ghost
town of Walpack Center. We parked along the main road, and headed north on an old
woods road to Walpack Ridge Trail. This trail took us through woodlands and down
across a creek, passing by a lake, and then out to Thunder Mountain where there were
abandoned farm buildings we checked out. There was also another more inhabited
building I later found to be some sort of art place.
The barn along Walpack Ridge Trail, Thunder Mountain
Old barn on Thunder Mountain
Another barn on Thunder Mountain
Tea Biscuti in the upper level of the barn.
After reaching the nearest dirt road, we also explored an abandoned barn, climbing inside,
but were scared out as some sort of large animal was moving about in the walls. From
here, we passed by another lake, then walked the dirt Thunder Mountain Road through
woods and swamp lands to Khun Road. Along the way, Petie chased after a chipmunk,
caught and wounded it. Tea Biscuit was able to catch the wounded thing, but got bit.
Fortunitely, during the weeks to come, he did not develope rabies!
Lake on Thunder Mountain
Swamp along Thunder Mountain Road
Pond along Kuhn Road
The private dinner we crashed at Bevans, Peter's Valley Craft Village
We passed by some beautiful ponds on our way to the Peter’s Valley Craft Village at
Bevans. We were in need of more water, and Tea Biscuit and Kyle were quite hungry, so
we decided to look for some kind of food store. We found what appeared to be a
restaurant, so we tied Petie to a tree, and I stayed with him, while Tea Biscuit and Kyle
headed up to the building and got on a line for food. A man approached them telling them
this was a private catered party, but was sympathetic to our situation, and gave us
permission to come up and have what’s left over after everyone gets their food! We were
happy to accept and helped ourselves when signaled!
Old Bevans Church and cemetery
Flatbrook Roy WMA
From here, we headed south past the Bevans Church and cemetary to a dirt road in
Flatbrook Wildlife Management Area, and across the Flat Brook on an old truss bridge.
We then turned north on Brook Road.
In the abandoned building in Flatbrook Roy WMA
Deer in Flatbrook Roy WMA
Abandoned house in Flatbrook Roy WMA on Creek Road
Flatbrook abandoned house
Along Steffen Trail, Stokes SF
Along the way, we found an abandoned house, which we of course had to explore. The
house was almost completely obscured by trees, and hard to notice even though it was
right along the road. We found a great spot along the Flat Brook to swim, but there were
too many fisherman using the spot as well. We continued along the beautiful dirt road to
Rt 560, where we turned right to Rt 206. There was a pizza place here, unfortunitely
closed. We then walked Rt 206 south to Struble Road and the trailhead for the Steffan
Trail. We followed this trail uphill through tall stands of pines and to a small ridge, and a
woods road, which took us out to another woods road near “Woods Road” (actually the
road’s name) and the Jacobs Ladder Trail to the AT. We followed the AT, passing a view
of Lake Owassa, and some obscured views of the Poconos, to Brink Road.
Along the AT at a lookout over Lake Owassa
Weird area along the AT with no plants
Somewhat of a view west from the AT in southern Stokes SF
Along Creek Road west of Walpack Center
Barn west of Wallpack Center
Inside the old barn
Abandoned house west of Wallpack Center
Abandoned house west of Wallpack Center
Abandoned house
Abandoned house
Abandoned house
Abandoned house
Abandoned house
Fields near Walpack Center
Heading into Walpack Center over the Flat Brook
Crossing the Flat Brook, Walpack Center
Downtown Walpack Center
Downtown Walpack Center
At Brink Road shelter, we met an older AT hiker who had travelled the entire AT from
Springer Mountain Georgia, drinking water and not treating it for hazardous substances all
the way to this point, and not getting sick. I was amazed by this claim.
We continued on Brink Road to Shay Road Trail, which follows a dirt road to Dimon
Road, where there is a camp. We next turned off Dimon Road onto Stoll Trail, which took
us back to Struble Road. I was unsure where to go from here, so I luckily had a compass
given to my by my grandfather years before, which showed us Struble Road’s route
actually broke off of the paved road, and headed downhill. We followed the road downhill
passing through a logging area, to Mountain Road. We followed Mountain Road south,
which seemed to go on forever. We soon reached an old barn, and across from it, almost
totally obscured was an abandoned yellow house. We immediately had to get inside, so we
made our way to the back and entered. Broken glass was everywhere, but the rooms were
in remarkably good shape. We wandered around a bit in the house, then made our way out
to the driveway, with a three car garage. When we had our fill of house exploring, we
continued on Mountain Road to the Walpack Cemetary and the main road into town.
When we reached the bridge across Flat Brook, Petie could not cross because his paws
would fall between the metal decking, so Tea Biscuit had to carry him across. It was not
long and we were back in Walpack Center.
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