4/18/10 Otter Hole (Norvin Green) to Boonton with Amanda Rosenblatt, Jack Lowry, Susan Duncan Dawson, "Naaron" Young, John Pershouse, Rob and Carol Creamer, Fred Hafele, Jean Fletcher, Nilam Shah, Kyle Zalinsky, Russ "Lord Byron" Rapp, "DJ Ray" Cordts, Eric Pace, "Amish Paul" Hassler, and "Major Tom" Conroy.
The sermon on the Mount? I think not, just some crazies in Norvin Green State Forest
Here's a link to all of the pics from this hike, be sure to check the sub folders for everyone else's pics!
http://s839.photobucket.com/albums/zz313/sneezehorse8/hike%20480%204-18-10/
My next hike would be a connector, finishing at our friend DJ Ray's house in Boonton NJ, after starting at Otter Hole, where I'd hiked from before, in Norvin Green State Forest. It would be an incredible hike with a lot of diversity and some difficult terrain.
This time I decided to make the theme simply "crazy outfits". I told everyone to wear whatever ridicules thing they wanted, and Kyle and I wore our priest outfits we'd acquired earlier in the year!
I know we looked insane as we arrived at the Otter Hole parking area. Almost everyone looked ridicules. DJ Ray and Lord Byron were both dressed in drag, DJ Ray had a giant wig of black curly hair like Jack's only much bigger. Major Tom had a hula skirt I think, Rob was in pajamas, I can't even remember what everyone else had.
Kyle and I took to the head of the group ascending along Hewitt-Butler Trail southbound.
Kyle ascending Torne Mountan on Hewitt Butler Trail from Otter Hole
Everyone else was getting pretty far behind while Kyle and I practically ran.
Hewitt-Butler Trail in Norvin Green State Forest, Torne Mountain
Once everyone was caught up, we sang a few songs while Jack played guitar, mostly of religious theme. I remember "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison was one. I think we also did Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky".
Kyle trying to force blessings upon Amish Paul
We continued along the trail for a bit as it made it's way around the side of the Torne Mountain, and turned off the trail over to the famous "Stone Living Room" of Weird NJ. It was destroyed several times, but always put back together by someone.
Stone Living Room, Torne Mountain NJ
We all took yet another break here, and there was probably more songs and sermons as well. We then moved on to the Hewitt Butler Trail south.
Stone Living Room on Torne Mountain NJ
As we began to descend off of the south end of Torne Mountain, there were some incredible views.
View from the south side of Torne Mountain
We descended for a while into a saddle, then ascended yet again to the magnificent views of Osio Rock. From there we could see New York City in the distance as well as almost 360 degrees.
NYC view from Hewitt Butler Trail in Norvin Green SF
View from Osio Rock, Norvin Green State Forest
View from Osio Rock, Norvin Green State Forest
We took yet another break to admire the view. We then descended off the rock with views toward Lake Kampfe to a less sparcely wooded area. I remember passing a giant rock with a cleft in it kids were climbing in, and thinking I wanted to try it but we were already behind from stopping so much. Kyle took off his religious garb because it was getting too hot, and Major Tom was too embarrassed to keep his on.
Stream crossing south of Osio Rock on Hewitt Butler Trail
We crossed over a stream on rocks and followed a section on woods roads and such.
Along Hewitt Butler Trail south of Osio Rock
We were now getting close to the property of Camp Vacamus. Fred told me the trail used to go into and closer to the camp, but that the state park service acquired the land adjacent to it so that the trail could keep off of this property. Still, there was one lean to structure that was left along the trail, but it had unfortunitely collapsed.
Abandoned ruins of a lean to along Hewitt Butler Trail near Camp Vacamus
The trail took us down hill further and soon came out at Camp Vacamus where we took another break. There was a brightly green painted bus and a scenic lake here. We were very close to Macopin Road.
The group by the trailhead at Camp Vacamus
When we regrouped we headed southeast on Macopin Road (now I think we could have done it more quickly another way but oh well). I'd gotten Kyle to put his robes back on so we'd look more different.
Along Macopin Road near Butler NJ
Bus stop along Macopin Road, Butler NJ
We took the road down to Hamburg Turnpike and we regrouped again. Before turning right.
Along Hamburg Turnpike, Butler NJ
I think I walked the tracks parallel with this for a bit of time, then we went left on Decker Road up hill. Kyle wasn't into the fun this time, wanting to take the robe off. I egged him on to keep with it. I knew something was wrong with him, and I figured it was the drugs, but I didn't bring it up yet.
Along Decker Road, Kinnelon NJ
Along Decker Rd, Kinnelon NJ
At the end of Decker Road we had our lunch break. There was a Burger King right there that a lot of the group went into (I think I did too, at the last minute), and the rest of us went into the Stop N Shop. Kyle and I went in and got lots of free cookies from the bakery.
In Super Stop N Shop, Kinnelon NJ.
Once we were out we all congregated along the side of Rt 23. It was sort of annoying because some got their food and stuff right away, and then when I announced we were getting ready to leave others were like "Oh wait, maybe I will get something after all" and they held everyone else up.
I got tired of waited and headed out anyway, and that got everyone moving along. We crossed over 23 onto Kakeout Road, another site where the German American Nazi Bund camp was supposedly active, and headed south.
VOTE YES! Kinnelon NJ
We continued to a right turn on Bubbling Brook Road, which was soon gated. We passed a crumbling ruins of a dam on the left, and soon saw blazes for the Kinnelon-Boonton Trail. The road took us up to yet another dam, only this more significant one was much newer and made of concrete.
Dam at the bottom of Butler Resevoir
Butler Resevoir Dam
We continued north on the trail as it entered some beautiful woods along the resevoir. This was a serene area on a pretty easy trail. Kyle was falling behind so I stayed back to wait for him. Where the trail turned to the right away from a rock outcropping Kyle stopped me and told me he was going back. I couldn't believe it. He said he couldn't go on any further. I confronted him on what was wrong, and he said "It's these damn cigarettes, they're taking away all my energy" and he made the motions of smoking. "Are you sure that's it?" I asked him knowing it was certainly more than that. "yeah" was all he said. I pleaded with him that we were nearly half way done already, and that the way back was more difficult than the remainder of the hike, but he insisted he had to go back. I asked him what he'd do then, how would he get home? He didn't seem to have the answer so I reluctantly gave him my car keys and told him to be careful. I figured at least that way I wouldn't have to go and get my car back from Otter Hole. Eric was also behind and when he asked me where Kyle was going even he couldn't believe it.
We continued along the shore southward, and when we got to one of the tributaries into the resevoir we crossed it on a lovely rustic footbridge.
Footbridge over a tributary to Butler Resevoir
It always annoyed me to see how everywhere it seems so easy to install foot bridges of simple design but that in Hunterdon County doing something like that was impossible, or made impossible by people who just want to throw a wrench into things.
Footbridge crossing near Butler Resevoir
Foot bridge near Butler Resevoir
We eventually crossed Fayson Lakes Road after going out onto the peninsula of land on the south side of the resevoir, and the trail took us along a hillside and then out to an open area where we were'nt sure where to turn. Fortunately, I was able to see the way, and Fred knew the way as well, and we ascended to Miller Road where the trail turned right.
I believe the trail went back into the woods on a woods road, then ascended to cross Miller Road again between houses in Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Areal. We continued south on the Kinnelon Boonton Trail until we reached Bear Rock, a giant glacial erratic at a trail junction. From here, we turned left onto a yellow blazed trail across Bear House Brook and a wetland on a puncheon.
Crossing Bear House Brook and wetlands on a Puncheon
After this, we ascended a ridge to the Mennen Trail. We then took a break, and some of us went left briefly to visit Tripod Rock, an incredible famous glacial erratic balanced on three smaller stones. Jack and I layed under it and sang a bit.
Tripod Rock, Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Site
We continued south from here to the top of Pyramid Mountain. I gave Eric directions to go around a different way that would be easier, closer to Taylortown Resevoir, so he met us below. The view was fantastic. Fred, Jean, and I'm not sure who else cut out, having left a car at the visitor's center. I guess they knew we'd run late.
View toward NYC from the top of Pyramid Mountain
We descended along a trail section that had recently been realigned, and then headed down over a wetland to the visitor's center and parking area. DJ Ray opted to cut out here, and he had Erin Rapp pick him and a bunch of the others up. Amanda, Rob, Jack, John, Susie, Naaron, Nilam, and I think maybe Amish Paul continued on. I gave John a lot of credit for wanting to continue, as he'd never done one of my hikes before and this was a hum dinger! Also, Rob was doing fine with the high mileage while Carol was knocked out, something that a few months before would have been the opposite.
We crossed the road onto a yellow blazed trail, which was pretty easy, and followed it to a woods road that came out near Lake Valhalla. It cut through someone's yard, but I figured it was okay since it was shown on a map. We continued down Lakeshore Drive to the south end, and then cut into some woods, apparently an older road route, parallel with the current road out to Vista Road where we turned left.
We continued on to a ball field on the right, then cut across it out to Valhalla Road and went right. This took us to the railroad tracks where we turned right and followed them.
Along former DL&W Railroad's Boonton Branch
We continued on the tracks for quite a while. After crossing Fulton Street in Montville, there was an old railroad siding to the north side of the active tracks, so we opted to follow that for a bit instead.
Abandoned track along Boonton Branch
It seemed to take forever to walk this section of tracks after such a tough day. John and Naaron were very far back, and I told Naaron to just take John to a road and we'd pick him up when we got to the cars, but John was far too determined not to quit. He continued on. I called Kyle up and he'd made it back to Boonton alright. I told him we'd soon be at the station in town and to meet up with us there, which he did.
Along Boonton Branch, Boonton NJ Once we were in town, Rob really wanted to get going. He'd driven separately from Carol, so he took off. The rest of us I think all stopped at the Boonton Avenue Grill at Ray's request. He wanted me to see the place he'd been hanging out so much. I wasn't really in the mood to be stopping for food, and neither was Kyle really, so we took off pretty soon. Amazingly, John and Naaron showed up as well. We covered certainly over twenty miles on this one!
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