Hike #86; Hackettstown Area

 Hike #86

In Hackettstown

Hike 86

 

3/30/3

 

Yet again, another Hackettstown loop hike.

This time, Tea Biscuit and I parked the Camaro at Stephens State Park near

Hackettstown and began exploring some trail there in the rain. After climbing around in

the pavilions we began following the trails system.

Pavilion in Stephens State Park

Pavilion in Stephens State Park

Abandoned Mine Hill Road heading down Mt. Olive

Tea Biscuit chasing a ball down abandoned Mine Hill Road, Mt. Olive

Abandoned Mine Hill Road, Stephens SP

Pulling a windshield wiper organizer we got our dad, Hackettstown

We began by taking the outer loop of trails to the east side of the park. One of them was

unblazed and appeared to be nothing more than an ATV path after a bit, so we turned

back. One trail that was not on the map, a yellow blazed path, took us uphill to a knoll,

and then back down to Stephens Park Road, which was now being used as part of the

trail. The road was abandoned years ago. At one point, I saw older yellow blazes which

had been painted out or worn, leading me to believe the trail was rerouted at some point.

We turned left, or south on Stephens Park Road, which took us out to where the road is

still used, passing new houses and farmlands. While we were walking, it began snowing.

Soon, we reached Mine Hill Road, another abandoned road, which we followed downhill

towards Hackettstown. We took turns kicking a ball down the hill along the old road. I

think we must have lost it somewhere.

We continued into Hackettstown past the Stardust Diner, and up Rt 46 towards Resevoir

Road. The plan was to go back to the abandoned house we’d been to recently and retrieve

the windshield wiper organizer for a present for our dad’s fortieth birthday.

Willow Grove Street, Hackesttstown

Willow Grove Street, Hackettstown

We went into the house and got the thing, then took turns rolling it down the highway

back into Hackettstown. When we reached the center of town, we stopped at the corner

deli for sandwiches (which were absolutely terrific, and cheap!), and we watching as

people walked by the wiper organizer outside. Fortunitely, no one stole it after all of our

efforts, and we continued walking down Willow Grove Street past Hackettstown

Hospital. The snow began accumulating rather strongly before we got back to Stephens

SP, and we struggled to fit the thing into the Camaro, but we did it, and we bought Nutty

Bars made by little debbie to put in it. Dad seemed to like it, maybe more because he knew

what we went through to get it!