7/8-7/9/17 Hackettstown to Netcong with Tom Vorrius, Gina Zuvich, Daniel Trump, Ken Zaruni, Galya, Karl Franz (Red Sean) Reardon, Vivekan Arther, Richard ?, and Shayna Michaels
Our next hike would be a great point to point trip between Hackettstown and Netcong NJ. I had scheduled it following some past favorite routes, but mainly because we had developed a new section of the Morris Canal Greenway in Hackettstown on June 3rd, National Trails Day, and I had not brought a group on it since we completed it.
Starting off...
Work was done by myself, Corey from Department of Land Preservation, two volunteers from Hackettstown, and Mike Muckle and the Youth Corps of Phillipsburg. I was kind of anxious to get a group out and show the great work. I figured this would be a good one to do for my regular weekend hike, as I could get there by four, and there would be a good amount of interest in such a hike. It really sucks that every other weekend for the entire Summer my regular hike plans were shot, but this was really making the best of it.
View at apartments
We met at the Netcong train station, our end point, and then shuttled as few cars as possible to the Weis market in Mansfield.
We walked around the back of the place looking for a path I to get back up into the apartments behind, but we didn’t see anything really good, so we kept to the road, Nikitin Way, until we got to the first building on the right. There, we turned left through the parking lot, and reached a sidewalk section that went around the buildings to the west side. We followed the series of sidewalks around buildings heading to the west, then slightly north into a wide open field section.
Scene along the section of the Morris Canal we'd be walking in Hackettstown
We crossed directly, heading for the corner, and I led everyone to a path that connected from Mansfield Village to the next section, Warren Village. We turned right on the road on the other side a short distance, cut past the pool area, then made our way onto a paved trail that weaves around an open area to the north of that development, with a bit of a view to the east.
Historic Morris Canal image in what is now Florence Kuipers Park
Another informal path cut through a swath of woods to the right from the paved path and led to the back of another development around Alexandria Drive. We continued straight across the back of this one heading almost north. Along the way, we basically cut through someone’s barbecue, which was in a sort of common area, and they asked “Are you hiking or something?”. They were certainly not used to seeing anything like this.
Buck Hill Road
We reached the parking area on the north side and turned left for a bit until there was a reasonable cut-through to the railroad tracks. From there we turned right only a short bit to cross Rockport Road, and then reached the overpass for Buck Hill Road, which leads to the Morris Canal towpath.
It’s amazing the road is in such deplorable shape now. It used to be so nice. The driveway used to be the access to the Cuff House, which sat along the canal and dated back to canal days. In my first hikes up on this section of canal, which is part of Florence Kuipers Park, Mrs. Cuff used to come out and chat with us.
Morris Canal at the Cuff House in 2003
The entire canal, towpath and prism, were all mowed at the start of the trail from the road back then. When I looked to the right and realized how much it had grown in, I was totally floored. It wasn’t that long ago we had walked this and it was still clear.
The same view today, with trees grown in
Sadly, Mrs. Cuff passed away sometime in the early 2000s, and the house sat vacant for a long time. I hadn’t gone back up for a while until some time soon after the fire in 2010 or 2011. I found the house vacant and abandoned, all ransacked by people partying.
The Cuff House on one of our hikes in 2007
It wasn’t long after that when vandals went in and burned the place to the ground. I was so sad to hear it had happened. The land is fish and wildlife owned, and like so many government owned houses, it sat vacant for anyone to destroy. Not long after that, someone also burned the old garage that was adjacent to it. Today, there is nothing left at the site, and where the house used to be is starting to grow in as badly as the old canal is. I’m just totally blown away at how much different this place looks today.
The canal enters a nice wooded area on a steep shelf. In the canal days, it would have been all fields and pastures to the left, and to the right, down closer to the tracks was an ironworks.
Historic canal image probably near Cuff House
Today it’s mostly all pretty dense forest in this first section. It’s so thick there is no seeing anything toward Hackettstown until getting close to Harvey Street. It is a very peaceful walk though, with the Rockport Wildlife Management Area property skirting on both sides.
Historic image of the ironworks in Hackettstown below the canal
We continued through the woods on the towpath, which was kind of a mess to get through. It had just rained earlier in the day, and so we had some very large puddles to get around.
Historic canal image in Hackettstown
There were a couple of down trees, which we had to climb over, but the mud doesn’t bother me. I walked right on through while the others took more time to go around them.
Florence Kuipers Park section
We reached the access point off of Roosevelt Avenue, and continued down a washed out section where Warren County had erected a wooden bridge. It’s sort of vandalized, but with positive statements in artistic letters, so it’s been kind of let go.
It wasn’t long from there before we reached Harvey Street and the access to Florence Kuipers Park.
Here, there is the foundation of the old store that used to serve the canal. It was overgrown for years, but the Youth Corps have recently been working to clear it out, and it looks good.
Old store foundaton on Harvey Street
From Harvey Street, we turned right very briefly, then to the left along the back of some apartments. We then emerged through a yard at the parking lot for a local barber shop. When I had the big group here, the proprietor came out of his business and walked us through the entire section, saving us the road walk. There were so few of us, and no one appeared to be around, so we just walked on through anyway and no one said a word. We then reached Rt 46 and crossed directly onto Canal Lane, which was built directly over the old canal and apparently makes use of it’s aqueduct over Hackery Brook.
Historic image of Morris Canal with old Harvey Street store in view
We followed the road out to the end, and there was a guy out working when we passed the last house. He warmly greeted us, which was nice because I was wondering how people locally would feel about the greenway coming through.
From Library of Congress Archives, Morris Canal possibly near where we started at Buck Hill
Next, the canal enters the property of The Hills at Independence, which Warren County is working on acquiring. I’ve heard it was originally filled in, but they were forced to dig it back out.
Morris Canal section at Hills at Independence in 2007
This was another place where trees and weeds were growing substantially. My first time walking the section in 2003, there was nothing at all. Even by 2007, there were smaller trees than thee are today. It’s looking quite lush now.
Hills at Independence section in 2017
We walked through the next section, which is still mowed off rather nice, and then passed the playground for the Hills at Independence. This section led us to the new section acquired by Warren County, as well as an addition to the Mount Rascal Preserve
The new trail section
We developed the trail beyond the Hills at Independence on the berm side of the canal rather than the towpath out of respect for the adjacent landowners’ privacy. It makes for a bit rockier, a bit uneven trail, but it’s still very nice through there and provides views of the canal, which still holds water in much of the section.
There are still a few trees we have to chain saw in there, which I’m willing to do if anyone wants to loan me the saw and go out there with me. Otherwise, it’s very good and passable.
We reached Old Allamuchy Road, where this trail section ends, and went straight across on the towpath on the property of Cochran Funeral home. In the past, they didn’t mind us walking through, and even said hello and chatted with us in the past, but this time a guy outside just scowled at us.
Red Sean enjoys some lomaine
On the other side of Rt 517, the trail goes through the Towpath Apartments property, then behind M&M Mars snackfood plant. The section is outstanding, but it’s badly overgrown. This time of year, with water in the canal and briars on the towpath, we opted not to try to follow that. A quick jog up 517, then right on Bilby Road gets us back to the trail in short order. Also, this provided us with the opportunity to get some food and drink at a strip mall along the way.
We went into Sonny’s Food Mart where they had my favorite Arizona RX Energy, so I got some of that, and we stopped and got some of Weyerbacher’s Insanity, because that was on sale next door, and I saw my old friend Thom Lanterman, who used to date Jillane’s sister, in the store with his wife. We got to chat a little bit, and it was good to catch up.
The towpath near Bilby Road
We gathered at a little spot with outdoor dining to the far end of the place, and we went into Sonny’s Pizza II on the corner for some food, except Red Sean got some Chinese food of some sort. He was carrying lomaine broth for a while after our stop, which was rather strange.
The girl inside the pizza place that served us had recently walked the section of trail that we had just opened, which was nice to hear, since it really was so new. i was surprised that anyone had even heard of any of it yet.
Washout spot
Once we were all ready to go, we headed down Bilby Road to the trail section.
It was very nice to see that someone had been back recently to maintain the entire section. It was all cut back and a pleasure to walk. Since the passing of the trail crew leader, Jakob Franke, it was questionable who might step up to get some of the often tough work done. It would seem his crew must be taking the initiative to keep things moving along.
We followed the trail out past the major washout spot where the little stick bridge had been made to go over, and then headed to the more recently cleared section.
Old houses
We skirted several abandoned bungalows to the left of the towpath, in the section that was the last one completed by Jakob Franke before his passing.
We crossed the access road and continued to the old house along the towpath and checked that out, then continued parallel with Waterloo Road on a high shelf. The entire section was still kept up in very good shape, and in fact, someone had done even further improvements.
Near the house there were little ups and downs and disturbances in the treaway. Now, they were all cleared better and little wooden structures allowed for easier passage.
We passed a couple of concrete structures along the canal, which were put in around 1927 during the canal’s dismantlement to make sure it continued to drain.
We continued with no problems to the crossing with Waterloo Road. Just beyond is the Saxton Falls dam and Lock #5 West.
Lock 5 was a guard lock to a slack water section of the canal. Beyond this lock, rather than occupy it’s own trench, the canal utilizes slack water provided by the canalized Musconetcong River. The canal continued in the river up stream to Lock #4.
Historic image of Lock #5W, probably after abandonment
Lock #5 West is a cool spot as far as locks are concerned because it was sort of preserved. The lock was filled in for safety, but it was kept clear and still has the look of the lock from afar.
Lock #5W today
The Morris Canal was abandoned in 1924, but when it was much drained in 1927, this section was left watered as it was re-purposed as a swimming pool. Today, there are still ladders and such that descend into the now dry canal prism from the swimming pool days.
Historic image of Lock 5W
There is no sign of the lock tender’s house or other associated mule stables at the site. Most of the original structures were dismantled probably soon after the canal’s abandonment.
Lock 5W today
After the Flood of 1955 ravaged the area, the Water Bond Act of 1958 was passed. Multiple dams and reservoirs were approved in the years to follow including the controversial Tocks Island Dam. That dam was defunct by Carter in ‘79, and de-authorized by Clinton in ‘92, but what people don’t realize is that there are still approved dams on the books, including Waterloo Valley. I can’t help but wonder if one of the reasons more funds are not allocated to Waterloo Village has anything to do with the proposed reservoir, which likely won’t happen anyway....but who knows.
Historic bungalo image at Saxton Lake
The area is known as Saxton Falls, and in the years after the canal, Saxton Lake became a little bungalo community off of Colony Road just to the north.
Saxton lake today
Many homes were built in the area in the sixties, and Colony Road used to be littered with them. Many were still lived in not that many years ago, but the state acquires more of them all the time, and they sit abandoned until they are demolished. I believe only two of the houses in the immediate area are still inhabited now. Three abandoned ones still stand of the sixties ones, four of you can’t the lock #4 tender’s house, and at least seven have been demolished in very recent years.
Original Saxton Lake dam historic view
I have lots of good memories exploring the abandoned houses off of Colony Road over the years. We even used to take shelter during heavy rains in them while hiking through.
Historic view of original Saxton Lake dam
The dam at Saxton Lake is a modern one, built to replace the original dam that was associated with the Morris Canal. The original was stone and crib work like many dams.
Saxton Lake dam today
It was brutally hot, so I couldn’t wait to get in the water. It wasn’t the most attractive place to jump in, but I had to cool off. I went into the river and took a dip first, and Richard went in right behind me. He was actually the last one I’d think would be next to get in, but he was all up for it. Red Sean soon followed. I tried to entice Tom to come in, but he had recently injured his leg with a bad cut I think in a motorcycle accident, so he was keeping it dry.
Historic image of Saxton Lake from the lock site
After cooling off, we got out and started to head back onto the canal trail to the east, along the edge of Saxton Lake where the bungalos used to be. There were still steps and such in place going up the slope.
Saxton Lake today
The trail led us out onto a bit of a causeway, and it was getting rather overgrown. My friend Teun used to maintain this section, but he moved to Connecticut or something and has’nt been able to join us as much, and certainly hasn’t been able to do the trail work.
Still, we moved on along, and as I recall we cut up the hill a bit early through some weeds, past an old house site to get to Colony Road for easier walking. The Highlands Trail is aligned on Colony Road prior to the canal because it’s easier.
Historic image just after construction of the new Saxton Lake dam
We followed along the road a bit, and then turned to the left when we got to the last house that still had someone living in it. There actually might be three now that I’m thinking about it more. Colony Road took us out to Waterloo Road.
Saxton Lake dam today
We walked the bit of Waterloo Road to the east. The canal towpath used to go over Saxton Lake by way of a long causeway. Some of it is stilll in place and can be followed to a dead end where it’s purged out. The original route then led out to Lock #4 West.
Historic image with the original Saxton Lake dam
The road walk section to Lock 4 went by relatively fast. The lock has been filled in at this point, but the lock tender’s house still stands, although greatly altered.
Historic image from Library of Congress at Lock #5 West
After the abandonment of the canal, it must have gone through several phases as a private home, and then as a well known bar and restaurant known as Elsie’s. There was an addition put on the west side of it, which was partially over the old canal lock, and that was the restaurant.
The first time I went into the structure back in 2003, it was still in pretty good shape. Unfortunately, much of the historic wood frame work was gutted and discarted behind the building, now in the weeds. At least the shape of it still retains some of it’s historic ambiance today. It is hoped that it can be used as some sort of interpretive site at some point.
We walked past the building, and the canal prism starts back up, but rather than try to walk through the weeds, we just followed a section of Waterloo Road again for a bit. The trail turns from the road soon to follow the old route of Waterloo Road, off to the left, while the current route has overtaken much fo the canal, with only a bit of a ditch remaining.
Historic image from Library of Congress; Morris Canal towpath causeway approaching Lock #4 West
We descended from the abandoned road section, and the greenway trail then crosses Waterloo Road, jogs to the right a bit, then back to the left to resume on the towpath.
Historic image of Lock #4 West
At one time, there was an ore dock at this location to served the interests of an iron mine that was just up Allamuchy Mountain to the north. We continued to the east along a very nice section of topwath, but a house was built over part of it. The trail comes back out to Waterloo Road briefly, then cuts back over to the towpath again after the the private land interlude.
We continued through woods, and soon passed by the Waterloo concert fields, which are to be used again soon for more concerts. The large trusses that made up the old stage were just demolished within the month, and a smaller system of sound and light will be used.
Historic image, maybe Starport?
We got to Kinney Road and turned to the right, across the Musconetcong, and left the Morris Canal towpath. There were cars parked along the edge of the road approaching the Tilcon Lake, but we surprisingly didn’t see anyone around.
Historic image of Morris Canal near Waterloo
We headed out to the waterfront and took a dip. It was a beautiful night, and not a soul was around. This was a great little break spot. The nearly full moon came up and was so bright it cast a shadow for us.
Moonlight
We continued around the lake on an old quarry road, and it wrapped us back out to Waterloo Valley Road. The road is so little used that it made a great walking route. We continued along it out to almost the intersection with International Drive after crossing the tracks, then turned to the left a bit. We cut across the Holiday Inn parking lot, then headed toward Continental Drive. We followed this to the Sussex Branch rail bridge, which was never used by a train, but the existence of the right of way forced the construction of the bridge.
Moonlight
We hung out on the bridge and watched traffic a little bit briefly, then crossed the bridge and turned left to descend to the Morris Canal once again. The path leads parallel with the Rt 206 connection, and then passes by the masonry ruins of the lock tender’s house for Lock #2 West.
The lock appears to have been completely obliterated through the construction of the newer Rt 206 bypass, either that or it’s filled in very close to the highway. The section beyond, just to the east, is among the most beautiful and well restored sections of the entire canal. It’s probably the longest watered section.
Historic image at Lock #2 West
A few years ago, a Braille trail was routed onto the Morris Canal towpath in the area. While I commend the effort to create something special for the blind, this to me is one of the more idiotic moves on the entire canal route.
Likely scene near Stanhope and Lock 2W
First of all, why would a braille trail be routed along a body of water? Second, this was the most historically accurate looking piece of the canal, and was the best in the state before the addition of the safety railings. If we take a lesson from the Chesepeake and Ohio Canal, they don’t allow anything that detracts from the historic ambiance of the canal. In fact, the only unmarked section of the entire Appalachian Trail is the section on the towpath, because it was felt that even simple paint blazes would detract from the historic value.
Historic view near Lock 2W. Postcard dates to 1906, produced by George V. Millar & Co. of Scranton PA
We continued on the towpath until we got to where the canal crossed the Musconetcong River. This was a slack water crossing in canal days, but now it’s just a concrete bridge over it. This is also the spot Lerch jumped off last year and broke his foot.
On the other side of the Musconetcong was the base of former Inclined Plane #2 West. We walked up Plane Street, and I pointed out to everyone some of the sleeper stones still in place at a small swath on the hill, where there is an historic marker.
The former canal in Stanhope
We went around the corner at the top of the plane, and across a couple of parking lots. There is a spur canal there, which goes to a turn area, as well as an old mill ruin. The main canal continued through what are now parking lots near the Stanhope House, then resumes as a canal and towpath just before reaching Lake Musconetcong.
The canal entered the lake and utilized that waterway across to Inclined Plane #1 West. There was a causeway that carried the canal across, but the replacement of the dam keeps it just barely submerged and out of sight.
Historic image of Lock #1 West and Lake Musconetcong
I believe I pointed out the tops of the lock walls for Lock #1 West, but I can’t quite recall. We were right there so I think I did. We turned to the right at this point, away from the canal, and headed south on Main Street toward the station.
Historic image of Lock #1 West
It didn’t take too long before we were back at the Netcong Station, with it’s well lit lights and historic station, formerly of the Morris and Essex, later Lackawanna Railroad.
Netcong Station
Tired but feeling good, we all sat down in the parking lot for a break before pulling out. The rest of the group was discussing going to the diner for something to eat, but I had to be to work at seven the next morning unfortunately, so it was best that I didn’t go.
Historic image of the crossing at Netcong Station
While we were in the lot, a police officer pulled up wondering what we were up to. I told him about the night hike and where we had been. He found it to be very interesting, and I had a nice long conversation with him.
We’ve been interacting with police more often with the hikes, and it’s nice to say that it’s all been very positive. They’ve all been down to earth and pleasant to chat with, while still looking out for best interests and making sure everyone was alright.
The group at Netcong Station
The hike went really great; the group was excellent and we all had a good time. Even though it was the same amount of distance as all of the other hikes, this one seemed more relaxing than a lot of the other ones we’d been doing before it. A lot of the night hikes to follow would have a similar feel, which was exactly what I needed considering the craziness I’d been through over the past six months. Great trips like this one, with awesome fun people make dealing with having to work the crazy hours more palatable.
No comments:
Post a Comment