Hike #534 1/1/11
1/1/11 White Lake/Marksboro/Gnome Hollow Area Loop with Jason Itell
Along Ridge and Valley Trail, formerly the White Lake spur from the NYS&W Railroad
On New Years Eve, 2010, Jillane and I decided to have our own New Years Party. Our new home was fantastic and just seemed like it was made to entertain, so we were both anxious to show it off. We arranged a party with about twenty of our best friends and had a great time.
In addition, I arranged for a hike starting right from home the next day on the Ridge and Valley Trail system and sorrounding lands. Amazingly, none of the party goers were willing to hike, and the only one to show up was Jason Itell.
I had to start the day to Action Adam Stevens waking up screaming because Paige Foley had drawn stuff all over his face in his sleep, and someone put baby carrots in his ass crack. He then retaliated by drawing all over Paige.
Despite my urging, no one from the party would come out on the hike except Jillane at first.
We said goodbye to everyone, and Jillane, Jason, and I walked our driveway to the connector trail's unmarked route to the Ridge and Valley Trail. We followed that trail left and crossed Stillwater Road/Rt 521, then headed into White Lake Wildlife Management Area. There were a lot of blow downs in this area, and Jillane decided she really didn't want to hike and went back home.
Along Ridge and Valley Trail, White Lake WMA
Jason and I continued on the trail to where it forked off and took the left one, going in the opposite direction we did on the previous hike. We headed along the field and then up hill steeply at a rock outcropping. Before we reached the top, a hunter came into view. He was pretty cool, just asked if we'd seen any deer. I suppose he was a bit surprised to see us walking through with snow on the ground. He said he was continuing down the direction we came from, so we wouldn't be in his way.
Ridge and Valley Trail, White Lake WMA
We continued up the the seasonal overlook and then past the spot where the blazes had been removed, then down to Sunset Lake Road where we turned right.
We followed the road for a bit to the driveway entrance to the other portion of the Ridge and Valley Trail at the Carrizone tract, and headed south.
We were able to more easily follow this section now because my foot prints were still visible from the previous visit. We continued on those with only one difficult spot heading out to the trail junction where we descended off trail.
In White Lake Wildlife Managment Area
We walked mostly following my previous foot prints until I lost them, then made our way to the field section with a deer stand. I went in it.
Tree stand I went in.
Woods road in White Lake WMA
We headed to the south side of the fields, then picked up a woods road. This was the same woods road we followed the previous time, only from the other direction. This led us through woods and then to a large rock outcropping where it had a fill to help it descend more gradually to the level below.
Woods road descending in White Lake WMA
Fields along Stillwater Road
The woods road took us through another section of an overgrown sort of field. There was a kid riding a ATV back and forth through the yard to the left of us, and he approached the property as if he was going to go ride into it, but when he saw us coming he opted not to do that. He pulled onto the property once we were out, but didn't go far into it because he saw me watching.
We turned left on Stillwater Road/Rt 521 and headed northeast for a bit.
Along Stillwater Road...huh? Lard Pond Rd? I think I'll stay away from there.
We soon turned right onto Old Orchard Road. This took us down hill and past an intersection. This too was the same route I had walked on the previous hike, only backwards. Secured to a tree next to the intersection with Hess Road was a memorial facing away from the road. It had a gun secured to the tree, a real one! We thought this was rather weird.
Memorial on Hess Road, Stillwater vicinity.
Abandoned house
We continued down Hess Road descending toward the Paulins Kill River. This time, rather than just pass the abandoned house we decided we needed to check it out. When there were no cars coming, we dashed around the outside of the building to the side away from the road. There were additional barns or out buildings behind it. I knew we could get in the door around back, but it was in plain sight of the road. When we couldn't hear any cars we ran around and went inside that door. The house was full of all sorts of weird junk.
Abandoned house
Abandoned house
Abandoned house
Abandoned house
Abandoned house
Abandoned house
Abandoned house
Abandoned house
Abandoned house
We wandered all through the inside. The first part we went into was easy to get through, though there was a section of floor collapsing. It seemed to have only crawl space beneath so we could just walk right across. There were two sets of stairs as I recall, a twisting old style one and a standard up and down one.
We walked through both floors. The upstairs was rather clear of stuff, but the bottom floor was scattered with all sorts of junk. Apparently whoever lived there was at one time a commercial pilot, as there were all sorts of logs of flights in a case near the back door, which we were able to easily push open from the inside. We were just visible to the next house from that doorway.
Jason found a book called "The Acme School of Flight". During the entire remainder of the hike he read the entire book and then announced he was ready to fly. He said it contained all of the bare basics on how to fly (i.e. don't crash, etc.).
I found a very nice wood carving that we could use in our house, so I sat it alongside the road to come back for later.
Abandoned house
Abandoned house
Abandoned house
Abandoned house
Abandoned house
Abandoned house
Abandoned house
We left the place and descended down hill across the Paulins Kill River, then ascended the other side for a bit. We passed by a house that seemed to be vacated with a giant dumpster full of all sorts of stuff to the left, but we didn't bother going through it.
View from Hess Road
We continued from here along Hess Road up hill and around some really nice bends to the intersection with Stillwater Road (another Stillwater Road unrelated to the previous one we were on). The sign for Hess Road was quite funny. Apparently there were no signs ready, or they didn't want to spend money to make them, so stickers with the word "Hess" were put on a piece of metal and used as a sign.
Hess? YES!!!
Road sign
Bushwhacking
We headed down Stillwater Road to the Paulins Kill Valley Trail and turned left, then bushwhacked up the hill through the woods like I had done the previous time, only this time it was backwards.
Old off trail dam near Gnome Hollow
Spring House
We passed by the old dam ruins we passed the previous time, and this time we saw an old spring house ruin. As we walked up hill toward Gnome Hollow, this time we happened upon three hunters. I knew we were trespassing so I had to think quick on how to get out of this one. I explained we were looking for Gnome Hollow and somehow got off of the trail onto their land and realized we went too far when we reached the rail trail. They were fine about it and we made our way back up the hill to the main loop trail in Gnome Hollow.
Entering Gnome Hollow preserve
We turned left on the Gnome Hollow trail which took us along the woods road we were on previously, but then turned off of it and headed through a bit of a gully between separate ridges. We then ascended to the edge of a nice hillside covered in beautiful green moss coming through the snow.
Gnome Hollow trail
Gnome Hollow Trail
Gnome Hollow trail
The trail continued on the small ledge covered in green moss and rose higher above the rest of the property. We closely skirted the property line to the north, and then came to a point where we descended more steeply to the right parallel with a nice stone row. We passed through a gap in the stone row and then headed back up hill a bit along more of the edge we had just been on as the woods became a little thicker.
We soon passed through a strange 'V' shaped hollow which was very nice and continued to descend a bit.
Gnome Hollow
The trail took us soon to the right steeply for a time, then away from the little valley to the trail along the old woods road. We turned left here and continued out to the former tree farm section of the Gnome Hollow Preserve.
Gmome Hollow Preserve
Here, we saw some signage that still bore the name "Gnome Hollow" on it. We continued past the ruins of a building site that was part of the tree farm and reached the parking area on Stillwater Road (again, not the one I live on, the one we had been on before). We turned right and descended for a bit.
Gnome Hollow
We followed the road for a bit and looked for a place where we could cut off to the left. The Paulins Kill Valley Trail was parallel with us just below, but there was private property in the way. It would be a long way to follow the road to the crossing and head all the way back.
We soon saw a spot that was out of sight from the previous house, but still just out of sight of the next one. An ATV trail connected the two in one of the little valleys with ridges on either side. We hurried down from the road to the ATV path, then hurried back up the other side and down. There were hunters' blinds set up in the area, but they appeared to be vacated at this time thankfully. Just over the hill below us was the Paulins Kill Valley Trail, former NYS&W Railroad. We were able to climb down to that and turn left by holding onto the trees.
We continued walking along Paulins Kill Valley Trail heading west, and crossed over the river on the attracting through style truss bridge before reaching Marksboro.
We could see where the former spur line to white lake used to break off of this line along the way. When we reached the road crossing we turned right and then at the top of the hill picked up the Ridge and Valley Trail on the old spur line.
View northeast from the former rail bed, Ridge and Valley Trail
There were nice views from the rail bed over the farm land to the northeast as we walked to the Marl Works. We continued from the Marl Works along the trail, through the unblazed section and past the former girl scout camp, then down through the lowland to the lime kiln. Here, we turned off of the official trail and followed the unofficial one to the fire pit area and clearing, then down to my dock.
White Lake
Jason and I walked out to the end of the dock and just sat there talking for a bit. It was really nice as the day was coming to an end. The lake was all frozen, and it was very quiet. When we started getting cold we headed up to the house to warm up.
White Lake, on my dock
Me at White Lake
Jason on my dock on White Lake
Jason hung out for a while, had a beer and looked at my fire place to try to figure out why it would let smoke into the house (during the party the night before there was smoke coming in for some reason. We were told the fireplace might not have been properly heated).
The sun set over another beautiful day at White Lake, such a perfect place to live.
Sunset over White Lake
Sunset over White Lake
Sunset over White Lake
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