Hike #594; Phillipsburg Area Loop

 Hike #594; Phillipsburg Area Loop

11//11 Phillipsburg Area Loop with "Major Tom" Conroy, Dave Dech, and Albert Crouse

In the Marble Hill Preserve

My next hike would be a big loop around the Phillipsburg NJ area. I had a preplanned meeting to join Warren County Planner Dave Dech and Albert ?, another planner who had done extensive work to GPS the trail system, to talk about what we could do with recently acquired grant money on the trail system.

I was to meet them at 2pm, but I figured since I had the day off, I called my old buddy Major Tom to see if he wanted to do some hiking around the area to join them at the scheduled meeting time. He was free, and so I drove right to his house at I think it was Park Ave near First street.

Ditch along the Morris and Essex tracks in P Burg

We walked quite a few of the streets for a while out through Phillipsburg. I remember we walked by my former boss, Steve Ellis's place, and then headed out past the police station and the library. We crossed Rt 22 and then walked along Roseberry Street south to the former Morris and Essex Division Lackawanna tracks, now Norfolk Southern and followed them to the right. We came to a ditch with a path into it, so we took a quick side trip to explore. There was no easy way through, so we returned to the tracks and followed them to the historic Roseberry House and descended.

Historic Roseberry Homestead, Phillipsburg

We then walked up hill for a short bit on Warren Street, and then cut to the left through the abandoned roads of a former industry as I'd done on a recent hike, then turned left on Anderson Street. We continued shortly to Wilson Street and followed it shortly to the foot bridge across the street to Walters Park.

Somewhat of a view in Walter's Park, Phillipsburg

We followed along some paved paths through Walters Park. One led sort of south, then came to an intersection where we went right past some fat people sitting around eating. There were some workers out, and we passed them to a section of grass on the southern side. There was no paved trail, but we skirted an embankment where we had seasonal views of the lower part of Phillipsburg. We continued to the loop road and the path that began leading down hill to Center Street.

Descending from Walters Park, Phillipsburg

ATV path between former CNJ tracks and former Lehigh Valley RR right of way

Wandering in Phillipsburg

I had intended to follow this path the previous time out here, but I missed it. This time. Tom and I headed down, but cut first over to the former Central Railroad of NJ tracks. We followed them to the left for a bit over Center Street. Pretty soon there was an ATV path that led to the right into a bit of a ditch, and then onto the abandoned right of way of the former Lehigh Valley Railroad. I had not walked this section in years, as it led through a nice cut ahead. The cut section was pretty clear and easy to walk on.

Former Lehigh Valley Railroad cut

The rail bed emerged from the cut and then went over top of Center Street yet again. We passed a spur line trestle I'd gone onto the previous time out, at the place we climbed to the rail bed on during that previous trip, and continued as the rail bed went up onto a high fill.

Former Lehigh Valley Railroad bed, P Burg.

We continued along the rail bed, and the weeds were somewhat high. The recent snow we'd had knocked them down into what was a better beaten path, but not great either way. We followed the right of way out toward South Main Street where we crossed on the deck style girder bridge with nice views in both directions.

View of South Main Street, P Burg from former LV rail bridge

We made our way further along the rail bed, which was still somewhat overgrown but had a clear area to the right. We continued on across McKeen Street, and then across the abandoned section of Jefferson Street on a bridge that was still there although the ties were rotted. On the other side the rail bed was cleared and mowed.

Former Lehigh Valley Railroad, Phillipsburg

We continued on as the right of way went closer to houses that were occupied. A cop went by but didn't bother us. We soon came to the side path which led into the Mt. Parnassus cut.

Former Lehigh Valley Railroad, Phillipsburg

I'd wanted to go in there, but the problem was we wouldn't have enough time to meet Dave and Albert if we went, so we continued on the rail bed out to the Delaware trestle. At this point, we descended to the left down to the former Morris Canal, and where it once passed beneath the still active former Belvidere and Delaware Railroad, now used for excursion trains.

Former Bel Del Railroad at the LV railroad and CNJ underpasses, Phillipsburg

We crossed the tracks and followed a path down to the Delaware River beyond. Here, we had a nice view of the abandoned Lehigh Valley Railroad bridge across the Delaware to Easton. We walked along the river toward the bridge.

View of former LV RR bridge, toward Easton

To the right of us, there was a stone abutment of a much older bridge I would presume. The height was much less than that of the existing bridges. I knew there were different bridges that spanned the Delaware at this spot, but the most amazing one to me was a double decker one, which carried one rail line on top of the other one, supposedly both the Central Railroad of NJ and the Lehigh Valley. Could this abutment have been the remains of that former bridge since it was low enough to accomodate a double decker bridge? I'm not sure.

Old bridge wall. Maybe the double decker one?

Former CNJ bridge over the Delaware

Along the Delaware in Phillipsburg

Old railroad bridge junction site, P Burg

We hiked on past the old bridge site, and then back up behind the piers of the existing bridges. We had more good views out of the CNJ trestle, and then I slipped climbing over rocks a bit. There was a lot of old stone work which could have been more remnants of previous bridges. The stones were well cut, so it makes sense that it was either part of a bridge, or remnants of former Morris Canal structures.

Morris Canal Arch, Phillipsburg

Old former trestle site next to existing P Burg trestles

Looking between the rail bridges over the Delaware

We made our way down into the former basin of the Morris Canal, at the base of Inclined Plane #11 West. The archway that the boats would have passed through from the Delaware had water coming in under it this time, when often it was dry. I walked around the water and then made my way onto the ladders and concrete heading up the right side of the culvert, structures added following the abandonment of the canal.

Major Tom climbing the ladders from the Morris Canal arch

Major Tom tried climbing up the ladder, but when he got to the top, he saw that it would be necessary to cross over a hollowed building on I Beams so he opted to climb back down and walk around. I walked out onto the Morris Canal arch where there was an older gentleman standing there looking around. He said "Never been to this part of town!". We chatted a bit about the history of the Morris Canal, and he was quite interested.

Atop the Morris Canal Arch, Phillipsburg

pathway along the Delaware, P Burg

Northampton Street Bridge along the Delaware

Major Tom soon joined me on top of the arch. The man was actually a mail man on his lunch break, and he had to be on his way. We soon followed, heading off of the arch and onto the shore heading upstream along the Delaware. There were a lot of trees that had recently fallen, but we were able to get around or over them. The ground was very sandy and nice to walk on.

Along the Delaware in Phillipsburg

Beneath the Northampton Street Free Bridge

Northampton Street Bridge

Northampton Street Bridge

As we walked, we saw one tent set up where apparently a homeless person was living. I'd seen a whole community of them one time I was there with the county's Municipal and Charitable committee.

We made our way out and under the former Lehigh and Hudson River Railroad bridge, then under the Northampton Street free bridge. We walked up along the boat launch ramp to the streets. On the way up there was a guy laying up against the wall, probably on some sort of drugs.

When we reached the former Bel Del railroad tracks, we decided to walk them north to meet up with Dave and Albert. Major Tom was falling behind a bit, so I told him I'd run ahead to meet them, then come back to direct him where to go.

I hurried ahead, and turned off of the tracks when I reached the old Phillipsburg Pump House. Dave and Albert soon met up with me. I ran back across the Pump House property to flag Major Tom over to the driveway off of the tracks.

Albert put on his big GPS backpack, and the four of us were soon off, out across River Road and onto the old woods roads heading up Marble Mountain.

I'd met Dave through Warren County a couple years back, and knew he'd really get a kick out of these hikes. Although this wasn't a big group, it would be a good taste of the kind of stuff we do.

We headed up hill, and then turned right when we got to the side road that went out to the Fulmer/Marble Hill Mine.

Dave D in the Marble Hill Fulmer Mine

We passed the ruins of foundations, and then came to the mine itself. We all went inside and had a look around, and talked about what we should do for interpretation of the site.

Looking out of the Fulmer Mine

We knew putting up chain link fences wouldn't keep people out, but a wooden fence or something might at least leave the idea that we "tried". We were still uncertain what would be smart before leaving.

Fulmer/Marble Hill Mine

Marble H ill pit mine

Marble Hill pit mine

We made our way along the trail beyond the mine, and soon came to the open pit mine, my biggest concern for liability on the property. I showed Dave how it was fine at the lower approach, but that the upper end was rather steep and right next to the existing cleared path. He seemed to agree, and we decided that either erecting a fence or rerouting the upper trail further from the vertical edge of the mine would be the best route to take. We then continued back down the trail and headed past some more mine sites, smaller pits or shafts before this trail came back into the main trail, which would become part of the Cross Warren Trail we'd proposed.

We continued on from here to scout ahead and see where new trail would need to be cut in order to connect out to the next existing woods road. We decided that Albert's suggesting between two springs would be the best, because it was clearest and had the most gentle slope of everywhere else around. From here, we turned around and started heading back the way we came.

Along the way, we somehow lost the trail, and found our way to another one that ran closer to the edge of the steeper slope. This took us up to where the two other trails came together, the main one and the one to the mines. For the way back, we took the main trail route.

Seasonal view on Marble Hill

The main thing on the route back was a view point. Although somewhat obscured, there was a good spot where we could look across what we, as far as we know, is a nameless gap toward St. Anthony's Nose on the PA side. We discussed how removing a few small trees would also open the view quite a bit more.

We could see the Kittatinny Ridge/Blue Mountain beyond, and it's entire length between Delaware Water Gap and Wind Gap.

View on Marble Hill

There was a nice giant fire pit at the view point as well. We hung around here for a bit, and then began to descend a bit off of the mountain on the old woods road. There were a few more blow downs than in the past, but it wasn't too bad. We made our way back to the bottom to where we could see the vehicle Dave and Albert came in.

Trail heading down Marble Hill

I asked them at this point if they'd like to scout some more for the future trail route parallel with River Road to avoid a longer road walk, and they were both into it so we continued.

The path opened up as an ATV trail following a gas pipeline. The pipe line opened up even wider and began to ascend a hill for a bit.

Once at the top of the hill, we leveled off and the utility right of way got narrower. We then descended down to the dirt road used as an access for a water company. We turned right to follow it. I was thinking that turning the trail off of the pipe line near the top might be wise, and then cross the road directly to the other side of a wash out that fills with water during heavy rain. We just followed the driveway down, and came to the entrance to the giant pipe I've always loved to walk through.

Gas pipeline on Marble Hill

Giant pipe entrance

Giant pipe

Giant pipe

Giant pipe

Giant pipe

Giant pipe

I asked Dave and Albert if they'd be interested in walking through the giant pipe, and they stalled a little bit. We chatted for a bit about the trail route. I had ideas of how we might be able to follow the river, or to cross over the railroad tracks legally. I also told them how I had met with the owner of the Europe Garage which was at the entrance to the water company road to make sure he was alright with a trail coming out so near to his business, and he was fortunately.

Soon, both Dave and Albert were convinced to go through the pipe. Major Tom was a little leery on it for a bit, but before we went in he changed his mind and decided to come. Albert had to take the antenna thing off of his GPS pack, but it worked out fine.

We entered the narrow east end of the pipe, crouched down, and then came to where it got tall and looked moe like a pipe. The guys took a bit of time because they couldn't see at all. All we'd had for lights were our cell phones. Once we were in the main part of the pipe though, we started moving along at a pretty good rate.

In the giant pipe

We came out the other side next to the Delaware, and had a look around at how a trail could possibly come through. It was probably impossible to get around the washout area around the exit of the pipe to the Delaware, because it was so difficult to climb over for the average person.

Giant pipe along the Delaware

We made our way over and began following along the Delaware up stream. The path way from here on was very nice. I showed the guys the rope swing spot, and the area where the giant pipe came out to the Delaware below the Pump House. We continued on passing giant Silver Maple trees to the one hollow one before going back up to where Dave and Albert had left their county car.

Giant hollow Silver Maple north of Phillipsburg

Culvert under the Bel Del near Marble Hill

Older portion of the Bel Del culvert

I found another culvert heading under the Bel Del tracks at the base of Marble Hill, and so I decided to crawl on through. I could see how the railroad had been widened over the years, as the side closest to the Delaware was concrete, but on the other side it was made of stone.

We said farewell to Dave and Albert, and Major Tom and I had some hot dogs at Jimmy's Doggie Stand (somewhat different than "Jim's Doggie Stand" the predescessor that closed nearly a decade ago). It was kind of expensive but okay.

After eating, we walked north along Main Street out toward Rt 22, then stayed on North Main Street to Delaware Ave up hill steeply. We then reached First Street out to Park Ave where we returned to Major Tom's house finishing the day.