Hike #529 12/5/10
12/5/10 Berlin to Winslow with Jillane Becker, Jason Kumpas, and Teun Ott
The group along a power line road in Winslow Wildlife Management Area
My next hike would be a point to point in Camden County, similar to the one we'd done the year prior.
It was time again for Carol and Rob Creamer's Decemberween Party, and many hikers were sure to attend. Unfortunately, although many were in attendance only Jillane, Jason Kumpas, and I attended. In addition, we were joined by newcomer Teun Ott. A native of Holland, he has lived in the US for most of his life and we had some interesting conversations.
At the Decemberween Party
Decemberween Party
Decemberween Party
The party was fun, but like always everyone was up far too late and none of us got much sleep. Jillane and I were given the computer room to sleep in, which would have been fine but her cat kept us awake wailing loudly to get out.
Decemberween Party
Decemberween Party
Decemberween Party
In the morning, we walked from the Creamers' house on Dunham Loop, southern Berlin, onto Rt 691 to 720. The previous year we turned right onto 691, and earlier this year we came from that direction. This time we would head south.
We immediately turned right onto Penbryn Road, a very small road, and followed it to Penbryn Lake and walked along the shore.
Penbryn Lake
We then crossed back over Penbryn Road and came to railroad tracks. We didn't really follow them, we got onto an ATV path heading out into the woods to the south. This took us parallel with Penbryn Road, and some guy working on leaves in his yard stared us down from through the trees and across the road. We also saw an abandoned house next to the railroad tracks but there was an occupied one right next to it so we didn't try to go in.
The ATV path turned left and skirted the rear of some industry.
ATV trails near Penbryn Lake
We continued along the edge of a fence line as the ATV paths became more obscure, but then turned right and followed a very wide ATV path along a power line right of way heading south more. We followed this for some time, and when it started to get wet as it approached the Great Egg Harbor River, we bushwhacked off of it to the south.
Power line right of way south of Berlin NJ
This proved to be incredibly difficult and ultimately pointless. We bushwhacked in a loop. We followed a hunters trail which somehow took us back to the north. We wasted a lot of time and just ended up back near the industry we started at. I led everyone through a bit more woods out to Reading Ave and the railroad tracks.
Railroad tracks south of Berlin NJ
We continued along the tracks and road, and then made a right turn onto New Brooklyn Road heading south. We continued across a utility line, and then came to a road that went to the right parallel with New Brooklyn Road, then returned; it was a small development. We turned here, and then made a right turn off of it onto an abandoned sandy road going straight out into the woods.
Pine Barrens north of New Brooklyn Park
Pine Barrens north of New Brooklyn Park
After a while on this woods road, we turned left from it onto a narrower path that had been used by ATVs. We looped all over the place on a series of paths that took us in circles and back and forth. It seemed like we'd never get out of this section.
In Pine Barrens north of New Brooklyn Park
Pine Barrens north of New Brooklyn Park
The trails eventually led us out to power lines. We were able to turn left and follow them out to 7 Causeways Road. When we first got onto them some people on ATVs saw us, and then opted to turn around.
New Brooklyn Lake
New Brooklyn Lake and dam
We turned right and crossed the bridge over the Great Egg Harbor River which feeds New Brooklyn Lake, and admired the view across. We then were on our way back the way we came to a path on the south side of 7 Causeways Road. Some lady had some stuff fly out of her car as she drove by, but I don't remember what it was. All I remember is I went back and handed one of whatever it was to her. She walked up the road and picked up the rest of her missig stuff.
New Brooklyn Lake and 7 Causeways Road.
Power line path in Winslow Wildlife Management Area
We continued across 7 Causeways Road onto the woods road along the power lines. We followed this into Winslow Wildlife Management Area and stayed on it for quite some time. We continued south along the utility right of wa for a while, and came to a nice lake on the left hand side. There were vehicles here as they were able to access this point.
Lake in Winslow Wildlife Management Area
From here, we continued on to the south staying on the power line. Teun and Jason K went ahead for a bit while Jillane and I fell behind for a while. This was a long section of just the power line. Tops of trees had been cut off to keep room for the wires, but otherwise it wasn't as wide and open later on as a lot of power lines which made it nicer.
Pretty!
We came to the end of this section on a road shown on maps as "Inskip Road". It actually looked more like the earlier algnment of an on ramp to the Atlantic City Expressway. We followed this shortly and then crossed West Fleming Pike I believe it was.
Abandoned piece of highway, shown as "Inskip Road"
Pretty
Hot
Pretty
On the other side we continued along the utility rights of way for a while. We turned left off of the power line to walk a parallel one because it looked like it'd be easier for a bit.
Winslow WMA along a utility line
The adjacent right of way was a bit narrower, though hillier as well. We continued along it until it turned right to cross the AC Expressway. We took a path into the woods to the left to reach Rt 73, Mays Landing Road. We then turned right on the road and walked along it for a bit.
Utility right of way near Atlantic City Expressway
Abandoned former Rt 73, Pine Barrens
We soon turned right onto the abandoned former alignment of Rt 73, probably from before the construction of the Atlantic City Expressway. We were easily able to follow this south for a while until we came to the Expressway itself where the former road would have gone straight across.
Hiking abandoned former Rt 73, Pine Barrens
We now had to follow another utility right of way parallel with the AC Expressway for a bit, which was a bit tougher than anticipated. We soon came to a wet stream crossing area on the right of way. I think some of the group tried to go right on through at first, but I figured the only way was to climb the fill a bit for the Expressway, then circumvent the wet area entirely. After failed attempts I think the entire group followed me.
Along Mays Landing Road, Rt 73
The utility right of way soon took us back to the open portion of May's Landing Road next to the Expressway, so we continued on it beneath the highway and south to the intersection of Piney Hollow Road and Albertson Road. it was here we were able to pick up the former Central Railroad of NJ tracks. We turned left on them heading northeast.
Former CNJ Railroad tracks near Winslow NJ
We passed back under the Atlantic City Expressway and then came to an access on the right to a public nature preserve of some kind, though I can't remember exactly who the managing group was. It had a really redundant gate at the front of it that had large enough trees growing in front of it that it hadn't been closed in several years.
Weird redundant gate
We continued along the tracks and crossed Hay Street in Winslow NJ. I knew somewhere in this area we needed to turn left off of the tracks into a small municipal park where the cars were, but I was in a conversation with someone and missed it. We had to turn back, and I used my gps on my phone to let us know where we needed to go up. We couldn't see anything clear above because were in a slight cut.
Along the Central Railroad of NJ tracks in Winslow NJ
We bushwhacked out to the south end of the park and walked across the ball field to the parking area and playgrounds where we were parked.
Park in Winslow NJ off of Hay Street
We closed out the day on the playground equipment there. It was not nearly the most exciting hike we've ever done, but it was nice, and I found a few places I want to go back to explore more, and make a much better hike of it.
Park in Winslow NJ where we finished the hike.
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