Hike #568 Skyline Preserve to Kahkout Reservoir
Butler Montville Trail along Kakeout Reservoir
7/10/11 Skyline Preserve to Kahkout Reservoir with Joe Blevins, Jaque Melo, Dave "Captain Soup" Campbell, "DJ Ray" Cordts, Chris Herbig, Fred Hafele, and Glenn Rothman.
My next hike would be a point to point one covering several parks and trails I had not yet seen in the southern Wyanokies and Morris County Highlands. Earlier in the year, the NY/NJ Trail Conference put out a new "Jersey Highlands" map series, managed by my friend Craig Nunn, and on this were a few preserves I knew nothing about in close enough proximity to ones I'd been meaning to incorporate in my hikes. The route would take us through Skyline Preserve and Apshawa Preserve, a bit of Norvin Green State Forest, Morris County's Silas Condit Park, and around Kahkout Reservoir. I had originally intended to hike to Pyramid Mountain, but my plans got shuffled a bit.
Busted up old dam in Skyline Preserve
Abandoned old car in Skyline Preserve, Southern Wyanokies
We met at our end point, which was supposed to be the Pyramid Mountain visitor's center, and then shuttled north to the Skyline Preserve along Weaver Road in the southern Wyanokies. I had never been to this point before, althought it was pretty close to Otter Hole where I'd started hikes before.
Skyline Preserve trail
Skyline Preserve trail
We found pull off parking along Weaver Road, and then headed back along the road west until we found the entrance to the preserve. This was a NJ Conservation Foundation piece, so unlike the other trails in this part of the state, it was not maintained nearly as well as the ones that the NY/NJ Trail Conference would do. It was blazed to the standard of most trails with triple at beginning and end and double blazes for turns, but the markers were too large, the size of Hunterdon's. The route was sometimes difficult to follow. We walked into the woods and passed a wrecked old car, and then headed up hill along some rocky outcroppings.
Van Norstrand Lake from the Skyline Preserve
The trail turned off to the right a bit and made it's way close to the eastern shore of Van Norstrand Lake. It was pretty, but definitely not something I wanted to be swimming in despite how hot it was.
A lake in view, probably High Crest Lake? From the Skyline Preserve
The path took us to the south for a ways, and then over some more rocky outcroppings. It descended to a brook, and then the amount of blow downs made it hard for us to figure out where the trail was supposed to go. DJ Ray endd up going the wrong way off to the left onto a rocky outcropping and it was certainly tough for him to get down. We ended up finding the route which led up hill to a somewhat cleared spot where we could actually see the New York City Skyline.
NYC skyline from the Skyline Preserve
I didn't put it together that this was why the preserve had this name until we got to this point. My original plan from that viewpoint was to bushwhack down the ridge a bit, but that didn't look fun, so we continued on the yellow blazed trail to close in the "lollypop loop" as they call them to where we had previously been. We turned right, and then where the trail turned off of a woods road section, we continued on the woods road down hill.
This woods road led to an intersection with another, where we turned right. This took us in the direction I was originally intending to go anyway. Even better, it took us right up to the shore of Arcadia Lake, at a nice hidden spot where we could take a swim. This was a perfect spot at the perfect time for us. We had a really nice break here.
Arcadia Lake
Old bridge site on a tributary out of Arcadia Lake
Cascade along a nice brook
Frog
DJ Ray and a frog
It was an amazing place to swim.
I swam out for quite some distance, but being out on the lake further made me realize that
there were homes on the other side just barely out of sight within the trees. There were
private accesses along the side. Too bad, because there were some really cool rocks I would
love to have swam out to.
Somehow, Joe lost stuff from his wallet around this area. If any of you hoodlums try to go
out and find anything, all the missing cards are cancelled, so don't try!
Old walls of a former orchard area near Camp Vacamus
Along abandoned section of Ashbrook Road
We continued from here down hill on the old woods road which passed a spillway dam of the
lake. DJ Ray and Herbig took a bit longer because he left something behind as well. When
they caught up, we took another old woods road off to the right. This led us across the
stream again.
Nice old orchard walls along abandoned Ashbrook Road
Ruins along abandoned Ashbrook Road, southern Wyanokies
Abandoned Ashbrook Road, southern Wyanokies
An old well
Old gate at former orchard site
As we continued on this road, we came to some very nicely built stone walls on the left
side. It had a gate area going into as well. There was a sort of hut just off of the trail
to the left. I figure we must have been on state land now, but far from the nearest trail,
the Hewitt Butler Trail, by at least a half mile. I think the woods road we had been
following before might have once been the former route of that trail. Camp Vacamus was just
to the south of there, so I figured the building was part of that.
We continued on, and the very nice walls continued. There were more openings in them, and
then to the left there was the shell of an old building made of concrete. The area all of a
sudden became much more interesting.
Ruins along abandoned Ashbrook Road
I had assumed that this was once a camp, either part of Vacamus that was long abandoned or
some other camp who's name everyone has forgotten. I was wrong.
In the days to follow, I checked with Frank Henion from the State Park Service who I work
with, as he grew up there (in fact, Lake Larriwein at Camp Vacamus was known until recently
as Henions Pond, and still came up as that on Google Earth).
Ruins along abandoned Ashbrook Road
Ruins of an orchard place along abandoned Ashbrook Road
Frank told me that this was actually once an orchard, and that it was built and owned by the
assistant to Alexander Graham Bell I believe. I can't remember the name, but I know Bell's
assistant's name was Thomas Watson. Maybe it was him. Locals were employed at this site to
build the wall at something like ten cents per foot or something he said.
We continued past the ruins out along this former road way, the abandoned part of Ashbrook Road. Several former buildings were
along the route. The old road came out at the dead end of Ashbrook road.
Abandoned house on Ashbrook Road
We walked up the road and then passed by an abandoned house that appeared to be burnt out.
We didn't try to go in since there were tons of other houses around.
Sign to the Apshawa Preserve off of Macopin Road
We followed Ashbrook road out to Macopin Road and turned right. The road walk wasn't all that
far. When we got to the corner of Northwood Road, there was a sign with hikers on it
pointing us to the Apshawa Preserve, our next destination. This was another NJ Conservation
Foundation property.
Apshawa Preserve map kiosk
White Trail, Apshawa Preserve
White trail, Apshawa Preserve
White trail, Apshawa Preserve
Overlook from the white trail, Apshawa Preserve
We followed the trail to the right, a white blazed one, which went into a deer extruder
fence line. We couldn't figure out how to open the thing up. Glenn had been there once
before, but couldn't get in through the gate in the Winter.
Once we figured it out, we went in and followed the white trail up and down over ridges. The
trail was still blazed with the extra large markers, but done with proper turn blazes.
We went through sort of a dip and then ascended to a rocky outcropping where there was a
view over the hills to the southwest. The trail descended to the right here and then made
it's way to the shore of Butler Reservoir. It was very pretty and looked rather inviting,
but there were too many fishermen arond to try to swim.
Butler Reservoir from the white trail
We continued on the trail as it left the edge of Butler Reservoir, and reached a small
secondary pond.
Beaver pond along the white trail
The pond was lovely; it had an earthen dam holding the water back, but it had long been
purged in the middle. Since that time, like I have seen so many places, beavers have come in
and redammed the purged site, and then continued to built their dam up over the top of the
old human construction. We turned off of the white blazes for a right onto the yellow. This
trail was much more overgrown, and followed the south side of the beaver impoundment. The
level of the water was obviously much higher than when the trail was first cleared, and so
it went into the water a couple times. We were able to get over the first couple places, but
then it went right into the water. The level of the pond raised to enlarge it much further
into the lowland at the intake to the lake. We couldn't follow the yellow trail through, and
had to turn around, retracing our steps to the white. We then continued on the white blazes
across the old dam to reach the other end of the yellow trail.
Beaver dam in Apshawa Preserve
Northern end of Butler Reservoir
We soon passed another view point over the main Butler Reservoir, and continud on the white
blazes. I didn't realize the white trail was not a full perimeter, so we continued on it
rather than turn left on another red trail as I had actually intended. As per my maps, the
white trail dead ends out in the middle of nowhere. We followed it for some time until we
realized we were far from the Butler Reservoir, near an interesting standing glacial
erratic.
Glacial erratic in Apshawa Preserve, white trail
Apshawa Preserve
Butler Reservoir from the red trail
Butler Reservoir from the red trail
Butler Reservoir along the red trail
Butler reservoir's south side from red trail
Butler Reservoir from red trail
This came out bad, unfortunately. The cool thing was that the entire ground was covered over with amazing vines.
View from green trail, Apshawa Preserve
View from green trail, Apshawa Preserve
View from green trail, Apshawa Preserve
View from green trail, Apshawa Preserve
Green trail, Apshawa Preserve
Little waterfall on Apshawa Brook
Little waterfall, Apshawa Brook
Little waterfall, Apshawa Brook
My injured leg
My injured leg
I was overdue for an injury. Probably fractured it. Ugh. Or bone bruise.
We had to backtrack alnog the white trail, and Fred found the rad blazes going off to our
right. We began following that, leading along lovely shores of Butler Reservoir, sometimes high above the level of the lake on rocky outcroppings. When we neared the south side, the trail leveled off, and there were woods roads in the area. The foot path stayed off of the woods roads for the most part, but since the route was easier on the roads, more people used them and the foot paths were grown in.
We eventually came to where an access road led out to the main dam of the lake. This looked like an excellent spot to take a swim, so we all took a good break. Most of us swam around, which was somewhat gross because there were so many lily pads and other vegetation, but it was so hot we didn't really care.
After our break, we headed back to the trail, which now stayed on the woods roads for a bit. We turned right on green blazes which took us through another deer extruder fence (I don't remember when we left the previous one, I guess before Butler Reservoir) and made it's way slightly down, then up hill onto a steep area. The trail was pretty good, but we lost it nearer to the top. I found a view point that was sort of on a dead end of the trail. We spent a bit of time trying to find the right route.
After finding the correct trail, we made our way to another overlook, then started to
descend rather steeply. There was another group of guys heading up the mountain the opposite
direction we were heading. I was surprised to see any other hikers at all. There was no one
at all in the Skyline Preserve, and in the Apshawa Preserve we had passed only a few people
fishing or hanging out by the water.
When we reached the base of the descent, there was an old woods road along a beautiful
section of the Apshawa Brook. Just above the trail crossing site was a small double
waterfall spot with what looked like a deep hole below it. There was an overhanging rock
above the little falls to the left.
We all went over to check it out, and I got up on the overhanging rock. I asked Joe if he
would go in the water and let me know if it was deep enough to jump off of the rock into the
water. He figured it wasn't because there was only one small spot where I could safely land.
I went to try it anyway, and of course i whacked my shin something terrible on an underwater
rock, much like Action Adam had done on my previous Wyanokies hike. It ended up being really
painful to hike the rest of the day, and for the next few days.
Fred, Glenn, DJ Ray, and Herbig all cut out here to close in the loop at Apshawa Preserve.
They had spotted a car at the end of it. Joe, Jaque, Captain Soup, and I continued on the
woods road down hill along the creek. We opened up the gate much like the trail gates, and
then descended until it became a sort of driveway leading out to Rt 23.
Historic marker along Rt 23 by Smoke Rise
Once on Rt 23, we crossed four lanes of traffic and turned right. I was originally thinking
of going down to wade across the Pequannock River, but with my hurt shin and the uncertainty
about depth we opted to walk up the highway to the west a little bit, to the entrance to the
gated "Smoke Rise" community. We followed the access road and then turned left on the former
1881 right of way of the New York, Susquehanna, and Western Railroad. I had already walked
this section years before, and this was the first spot where this hike connected to a
previous one.
Former NYS&W Railroad by Smoke Rise
We followed the tracks for a while heading southeast. I got my phone out and used it for the
GPS for a while because I wanted to watch closely the boundaries of Silas Condit Park, our
next section. When we reached the estern end of that, a Morris County park, we bushwhacked
straight up the mountain to the right. I kept the GPS out to make sure we were on or close
to the boundary the entire time. We actually ended up going up the mountain too far and got
too close to people's yards.
View from Sheep Hill
We turned right near the top and skirted the edge. We somehow ended up walking through the
base of people's private land, which afforded us a great view from what was known as Sheep
Hill. This alone made it worth it. We managed to bushwhack along the ledge until we got to
the main part of Silas Condit Park. It was such a relief to see an active use recreation
area with picnic benches. We all sat down for a moment to take a break at an isolated bench
in the woods.
Silas Condit Park
We continued from here on an unmarked, quarry stone trail that led out to Canty's Lake in Silas Condit Park. We walked by pavilions and such looking for a concession stand. People were eating, and we were drooling over it all. We had already covered more distance than expected on at least three occasions, and I had planned on being at Kinnelon at the shopping mall by this time.
Canty's Lake, Silas Condit Park
View west from white trail in Silas Condit Park
Silas Condit Park view
Silas Condit Park view
Silas Condit Park view
White trail, Silas Condit Park
White trail, Silas Condit Park
White trail, Silas Condit Park
White trail, Silas Condit Park
Cave on white trail from Silas Condit Park
We walked along the shore of the lake on the west side, and continued out of the open mowed
area into the woods. In this area, we came across a white blazed trail which I did not know
existed. I figured they had just blazed another portion of the existing unmarked trails, but
this was not the case. It turned out to be an all new white blazed loop that stretched far
beyond what the boundaries of Silas Condit Park were shown as on my map. They must have
aquired more property or something. The trail climbed, sometimes steeply, to west facing
views toward the lower lands around Smoke Rise.
We continued on the trail, hoping that it would take us out somewhere at least near where
we'd expected, but it just kept going.
The trail looked pretty new, and we could even see how some of it had already been rerouted from the ridge through some insanely dense Mountain Laurel thickets, either for safety or study.
Eventually, we left the edge of the ridge, and headed down through a saddle then back onto a
secondary one. In this area, it was surprising to find the trail leading us through a cave
of probable glacially moved rocks.
Cave on white trail from Silas Condit Park
Cave on white trail from Silas Condit Park
Cave on white trail from Silas Condit Park
We then headed around to the north again, toward closing
in the loop. The trail eventually took us onto another quarry stone path. Where the white
blazes turned left, we turned right to get back out to the access road to Silas Condit Park.
Entrance sign
Kinnelon Mall
Kinellon Mall
We headed out to Kinnelon Road and turned right, passing a church that was strangly multi-denominational (Jewish and Protestant). We turned right onto Kiel Ave and pretty much followed that road to the Kinnelon Mall for a much needed break.
Kinnelon Mall
Pizza at Kinnelon Mall
In Kinnelon Mall
In Kinnelon Mall
We all went in and made a nice stop at a pizza place. The mall was quite retro, with only a couple of stores on the right, and a grocery store and it's registers on the left. The pizza was pretty good (Captain Soup said it was better than the Pocono Rim area pizza places).
Abandoned dam below Kakeout Reservoir
We turned back out of Kinnelon Mall, and then turned right onto Kakhout Road. This took us south to the right turn on Bubbling Brook Road, the northern end of the Butler-Montville Trail. We followed the coblazed road and trail to the dam of the Kakehout (Butler) Reservoir, and then stayed on the shore of the lake on the beautiful trail section I'd done a couple times before to the hidden little cove where we stopped for one great, final swim.
I didn't tell the others, but I had been in contact with DJ Ray for a while. Knowing that the hike had by now been significantly extended further than I wanted to go, I asked Ray if he'd be willing to come pick us up, but to do it as a surprise. He liked the idea, and so got in his car to head to where the Butler Montville Trail crosses Fayson Lakes Road. While I was swimming, I watched as DJ Ray's car passed across the causeway to the south of us.
Butler Montville Trail at Kakeout Reservoir
I stayed behind the rest of the group, meanwhile Ray got on the trail and started heading toward us. Along the way, he found a kid's water gun and picked it up. When the others finally caught up with him, he attacked with his water gun. Captain Soup, I hear, was not entertained much, probably because he didn't realize Ray was here to rescue us. When Ray arrived, I explained to the others that we had done significantly more than expected, and Ray was the hero of the day.
Butler Montville Trail near Fayson Lakes Road
We all walked together back to Fayson Lakes Road to close out another amazing day.
Busted up old dam in Skyline Preserve
Abandoned old car in Skyline Preserve, Southern Wyanokies
Skyline Preserve trail
Skyline Preserve trail
Van Norstrand Lake from the Skyline Preserve
A lake in view, probably High Crest Lake? From the Skyline Preserve
NYC skyline from the Skyline Preserve
Arcadia Lake
Old walls of a former orchard area near Camp Vacamus
Along abandoned section of Ashbrook Road
Busted up old dam in Skyline Preserve
Abandoned old car in Skyline Preserve, Southern Wyanokies
Skyline Preserve trail
Skyline Preserve trail
Van Norstrand Lake from the Skyline Preserve
A lake in view, probably High Crest Lake? From the Skyline Preserve
NYC skyline from the Skyline Preserve
Arcadia Lake
Busted up old dam in Skyline Preserve
Abandoned old car in Skyline Preserve, Southern Wyanokies
Skyline Preserve trail
Skyline Preserve trail
Van Norstrand Lake from the Skyline Preserve
A lake in view, probably High Crest Lake? From the Skyline Preserve
NYC skyline from the Skyline Preserve
Arcadia Lake
Old bridge site on a tributary out of Arcadia Lake
Cascade along a nice brook
Frog
DJ Ray and a frog
Old walls of a former orchard area near Camp Vacamus
Along abandoned section of Ashbrook Road
Butler Montville Trail along Kakeout Reservoir
Butler Montville Trail at Kakeout Reservoir
Butler Montville Trail near Fayson Lakes Road
Busted up old dam in Skyline Preserve
Abandoned old car in Skyline Preserve, Southern Wyanokies
Skyline Preserve trail
Skyline Preserve trail
Van Norstrand Lake from the Skyline Preserve
A lake in view, probably High Crest Lake? From the Skyline Preserve
NYC skyline from the Skyline Preserve
Arcadia Lake
Old bridge site on a tributary out of Arcadia Lake
Cascade along a nice brook
Frog
DJ Ray and a frog
Old walls of a former orchard area near Camp Vacamus
Along abandoned section of Ashbrook Road
Nice old orchard walls along abandoned Ashbrook Road
Ruins along abandoned Ashbrook Road, southern Wyanokies
Abandoned Ashbrook Road, southern Wyanokies
An old well
Old gate at former orchard site
Ruins along abandoned Ashbrook Road
Ruins along abandoned Ashbrook Road
Ruins of an orchard place along abandoned Ashbrook Road
Abandoned house on Ashbrook Road
Sign to the Apshawa Preserve off of Macopin Road
Apshawa Preserve map kiosk
White Trail, Apshawa Preserve
White trail, Apshawa Preserve
White trail, Apshawa Preserve
Overlook from the white trail, Apshawa Preserve
Butler Reservoir from the white trail
Beaver pond along the white trail
Beaver dam in Apshawa Preserve
Northern end of Butler Reservoir
Glacial erratic in Apshawa Preserve, white trail
Apshawa Preserve
Butler Reservoir from the red trail
Butler Reservoir from the red trail
Butler Reservoir along the red trail
Butler reservoir's south side from red trail
Butler Reservoir from red trail
Busted up old dam in Skyline Preserve
Abandoned old car in Skyline Preserve, Southern Wyanokies
Skyline Preserve trail
Skyline Preserve trail
Van Norstrand Lake from the Skyline Preserve
A lake in view, probably High Crest Lake? From the Skyline Preserve
NYC skyline from the Skyline Preserve
Arcadia Lake
Old bridge site on a tributary out of Arcadia Lake
Cascade along a nice brook
Frog
DJ Ray and a frog
Old walls of a former orchard area near Camp Vacamus
Along abandoned section of Ashbrook Road
Nice old orchard walls along abandoned Ashbrook Road
Ruins along abandoned Ashbrook Road, southern Wyanokies
Abandoned Ashbrook Road, southern Wyanokies
An old well
Old gate at former orchard site
Ruins along abandoned Ashbrook Road
Ruins along abandoned Ashbrook Road
Ruins of an orchard place along abandoned Ashbrook Road
Abandoned house on Ashbrook Road
Sign to the Apshawa Preserve off of Macopin Road
Apshawa Preserve map kiosk
White Trail, Apshawa Preserve
White trail, Apshawa Preserve
White trail, Apshawa Preserve
Overlook from the white trail, Apshawa Preserve
Butler Reservoir from the white trail
Beaver pond along the white trail
Beaver dam in Apshawa Preserve
Northern end of Butler Reservoir
Glacial erratic in Apshawa Preserve, white trail
Apshawa Preserve
Butler Reservoir from the red trail
Butler Reservoir from the red trail
Butler Reservoir along the red trail
Butler reservoir's south side from red trail
Butler Reservoir from red trail
This came out bad, unfortunately. The cool thing was that the entire ground was covered over with amazing vines.
View from green trail, Apshawa Preserve
View from green trail, Apshawa Preserve
View from green trail, Apshawa Preserve
View from green trail, Apshawa Preserve
Green trail, Apshawa Preserve
Little waterfall on Apshawa Brook
Little waterfall, Apshawa Brook
Little waterfall, Apshawa Brook
My injured leg
My injured leg
I was overdue for an injury. Probably fractured it. Ugh. Or bone bruise.
Historic marker along Rt 23 by Smoke Rise
Former NYS&W Railroad by Smoke Rise
View from Sheep Hill
Silas Condit Park
Canty's Lake, Silas Condit Park
View west from white trail in Silas Condit Park
Silas Condit Park view
Silas Condit Park view
Silas Condit Park view
White trail, Silas Condit Park
White trail, Silas Condit Park
White trail, Silas Condit Park
White trail, Silas Condit Park
Cave on white trail from Silas Condit Park
Cave on white trail from Silas Condit Park
Cave on white trail from Silas Condit Park
Cave on white trail from Silas Condit Park
Entrance sign
Kinnelon Mall
Kinellon Mall
Kinnelon Mall
Pizza at Kinnelon Mall
In Kinnelon Mall
In Kinnelon Mall
Abandoned dam below Kakeout Reservoir
Butler Montville Trail along Kakeout Reservoir
Butler Montville Trail at Kakeout Reservoir
Butler Montville Trail near Fayson Lakes Road
No comments:
Post a Comment