Hike #563; Paulins Kill Valley

 Hike #563; Paulins Kill Valley

6/16/11 Columbia to White Lake with "Action Adam" Stevens, Corrin Dylnicki, Jesse Anderson, Jillane Becker, and Cory Stracco

Group shot along Paulins Kill Valley Trail nearing Blairstown

The next hike would be one of the more impromptu night hikes I had been wanting to get back to for some time. Being at White Lake gives me the opportunity to do so many more night hikes ending right at my home. It seemed like an obvious easy one to do the Paulins Kill Valley Trail again from Columbia to White Lake. Action Adam joined me at my house, and we carpooled down to the Portland-Columbia Foot Bridge where we met up with Corrin and ?.

On Portland-Columbia Foot Bridge

We walked across the foot bridge and back. Corrin and Jesse had brought bikes, but then stashed them along the edge of the foot bridge on the PA side. We walked across the foot bridge back into NJ, then turned right following the trail route that had been striped along the edge of the road out under the toll bridge to the path down below Rt 46. I had to miss this little section when I did it a month or so prior because it was under water.

New section of Paulins Kill Valley Trail under Rt 46

We could have just as easily ran across Rt 46 rather than gone underneath, but it's kind of a neat section, and we could see the ruins of the old dam where it used to go across the Paulins Kill. We climbed back up on the other side and crossed the Rt 46 bridge over the river, then turned left on the original 1876 Blairstown Railroad right of way along the new trail section.

New section of Paulins Kill Valley Trail below Rt 46.

We continued out parallel with the rail bed heading slightly down hill, then up on the old ATV trail out to the road along side of Columbia Lake next to the dam.

Columbia Lake dam

Metal pipe at Hainesburg Junction

From there, we followed the rail bed on out under Rt 80 through the giant pipe, and then out to Warrington. We didn't bother going through the next section of rail bed that was overgrown, because I figured on an evening too many people would be home. We just turned right the short distance and then left on Brugler Road. We did go onto that section even though it was posted off, and continued to the state park property. This section was much more dry than it was the previous time.

When we reached Hainesburg Junction site, someone noticed an interesting looking metal thing sticking up out of the ground next to the old telegraph office site I had never noticed before. Not sure what it was.

We continued out under the Paulins Kill Viaduct, but did not bother going into it because we figured we'd be able to goof off more later if we skipped it.

We continued parallel with Station Road and headed into the woods out toward Vail. On this section, there was a deer in the trail directly ahead of us. It didn't seem to be afraid, so I joked about going up and giving it a hug. Action Adam took this seriously and ran up to  hug it. It ran, but as soon as he stopped running, the deer stopped and looked at him. He ran again, and when he stopped, again the deer stopped. We just followed close behind it until it turned off to the right of the trail.

Deer near Vail

We kept on the trail and made our way across a few grade crossings and eventually came to the Blairstown Airport at Kalarama. Here, we turned right and headed over to Lake Susquehanna like we'd done the previous time, checked out the abandoned restrooms and took a swim in the lake. Only Action Adam and I were crazy enough to go in. A lot of vegetation formed since the last time I was in it, but it was still refreshing. We climbed onto the dock thing and jumped off, and then we were on our way.

Action Dark Adam

Action Podium Adam

We next made our way to the abandoned house nearer to the airport. Of course we had to go in. This time, there was a podium set up with an anarchy symbol on it, and lots of chairs around like some group was having a regular meeting there.

Action Anarchy Adam

In the abandoned house

Found a book

Deteriorating roof

Furnace in the abandoned house

Basement of the old house

Cave crickets in the old house

Basement of the old house

I made my way up to the second floor again to have a look at the old beams, and pointed out to everyone how the addition was added to the building from it's original roof, who's frame still existed in the walls. We could see the difference in the hand cut old beams from the new ones. No one really wanted to get on the mostly missing upper level.

This time, we also went into the basement to have a look around, which I'd never bothered doing before. It was certainly an old basement as well, because it was all still stone. It was also full of cave crickets.

There were also a lot of books scattered about, and we sifted throgh them to try to figure out copyright dates and such. No real luck.

Abandoned house

We continued on the trail around the outside of the airport and crossed the road to do the long stretch to Blairstown. As we walked, there was a young guy walking closely behind us. We acted like he wasn't there for a while, but then after a while I figured I'd better say "Hi". At first I thought he was pretty normal, but he must have had a mental handicap because he was pretty out of it. He walked with us for a bit on our way out to Blairstown where we emerged in the large parking area.

Blairstown along Paulins Kill Valley Trail

Action Adam and I took off to the left in order to try to hit Dale's Market before it closed. We just barely made it. I thought the liquor store would be opened later too, but it wasn't we missed that one. In Dale's we got some junk food and Action Adam got a slab of some really tasty cheese which he shared with me.

In Dale's Market

Dale's Market, Blairstown

Foot bridge in Foot Bridge Park

It was quite the disappointment not seeing the liquor store open, and the kid was walking out saying, no we close at 8 on week nights.

We crossed back over the foot bridge, and Corrin and Jesse had decided to try to get a ride back home since it was late. They crossed over the foot bridge to meet their ride by the gas station, and Action Adam and I continued on a little bit.

Resting in Foot Bridge Park

Jillane was planning to meet us soon, and so we found a bench or something to wait on. Soon enough, she was in the park, having parked at Dale's I think. When she appeared from the shadows, she had our neighbor friend Cory with her, whom we had just met recently at White Lake.

We continued along the trail out across a couple of bridges over the Paulins Kill. This section of the trail was amazing, and the lightning bugs were lighting up everything like a fireworks display in a more incredible way than I had ever seen. We walked through this all the way to Marksboro where Cory cut out at his house.

The remaining three of us walked up the road for a bit.

Paulins Kill Valley Trail at Marksboro

Trail near the barn at White Lake

Home....love it

Leo!

Sweet Carrot

Our living room

Sitting down to rest after another fifteen or so miles.

We walked up the road and continued straight instead of following the Ridge and Valley Trail through the Marl Works and up through the woods to the house. We continued to Stillwater Road and turned right, then took the new grassy trail which Allen Barlow had constructed from the barn owned by Warren County out to the parking area and boat launch. We continued across here to the new connector trail to the Ridge and Valley Trail which I had cleared recently. We followed this out to my driveway and then followed it to the house.

We retrieved the cars and I spent the rest of the night with the kitties. Wonderful way to end the day.