Hike #667; Chester/Long Valley/Flanders

 Hike #667; Chester, Long Valley, and Flanders

11/29/12 Chester/Long Valley/Flanders with Gregg Hudis and Frank Meloi

Gregg with a weird wreath thing set up on the Patriot's Path

This next hike would be yet another night hike, this time between Chester and Flanders. I had originally planned to hike the Columbia Trail in it's entirety, but no one was going to show up to do the car shuttle in High Bridge, and Gregg would be a little late. I decided this was an opportunity to do a different trip than anticipated, focusing on some of the trails in that area more. I had been getting out of work early because I was starting at 6 am, and so I was out by 2:30. It made things convenient.

We decided to start in Chester, and so we parked on the east side of town and walked along the road through the old telephone pole farm, then crossed Rt 513 again to enter the school property adjacent to Black River Recreation Area where the Patriot's Path enters the woods. We followed the trail through scrubby autumn olive things and then into woods where there were a few blow downs, but we got around them. We followed the trail out across a power line, the onto the gas line which led us down to the abandoned Chester Branch of the DL&W railroad. Someone had built a weird wreath thing on the trail, right in the middle of the gas line section that we had to walk through. We turned left on the rail bed and followed it west toward Rt 206.The sun was setting in front of us as we walked this stretch, which was really cool. The right of way took us out across a road and then the trail ended. We continued on the right of way behind a private house, then into a former industrial site. There were buildings there not all that long ago, but they'd all been torn down. There were EPA test wells also in the area. We wandered past where the buildings were, then past the turntable pit that was still in place. The station used to stand in this area as well. We made our way out to Bernie's Hillside Lounge, where I used to perform with my friend Ervin years before, but we didn't bother going in. I had recently heard that old Bernie had passed away.We continued on the rail bed, which was still clear and on public land, but not blazed. It took us out to 206. We had to wait a bit to cross this busy road. The reason the main Patriot's Path didn't cross here was because of how dangerous the crossing was. It used to end on the other side, but that section of the trail was sort of abandoned.We continued along the rail bed, and when the blazes turned left, we continued on the rail bed, an earlier Patriot's Path route. The trail was still clear enough to walk, and it took us out onto the westland nearby on some board walks which were still in place, but moved over a bit.We then came out to Furnace Road. It was now pretty dark. We then turned right onto the main white blazed Patriot's path where it crosses the road and followed it through the Pequest Furnace site, then up to the abandoned Chester Branch of the Central Railroad of NJ. The trail followed this across the Black River, in view of the old dam near the furnace, and then took us off of it to the right near the Hacklebarney Mine Railroad juction site. We walked through the evergreen groves ahead, then reached Tanners Brook Road where the trail turns right.We walked Tanners Brook Road briefly, then turned left on a development road where the Patriot's path goes straight on the road a bit before entering Tanners Brook Preserve. I wanted to cut on through to another development road the way I had in the past, but the route was now overgrown and a mess between houses. We cut through an overgrown area, hit the access lane, then hat to cut between two yards in order to get up to the next road. This road took us further through the development and down to Coleman Road. Gregg was impressed with the size of all of the houses in the area. I don't know how people afford them, and what they do with all the space.At the bottom, we turned left briefly on Coleman Road, then turned right into the woods on the Patriot's Path, blue blazed, which resumes on the route of the CNJ Chester Branch. We followed this into the woods and had to climb over two bad blow downs. Unfortunately, somewhere in this stretch, Gregg lost his camera. I figured it was probably when climbing through the fallen trees. After the hike was over I even went back out with a flashlight to look for it at the really bad tree, but could find nothing.We continued on the rail bed, and the full moon was coming up directly behind us in line with the trail, the same as the sun had set. It was really great. We made our way along the trail with some seasonal, but somewhat dark views across the valley, then emerged in the Ort Farm. The trail skirted the side, then turned left on Bartley Road. We followed it to 513 where the trail turned right, and followed it to the Gilette Trail head. We continued past there briefly and had some delicious pizza at a little place not far away. I talked on the phone to Frank Meloi who was on his way to meet up with us.We continued back to Gillette Trail, and followed it down hill through orchards, then across the South Branch of the Raritan on a concrete bridge to the Columbia Trail where we turned right. Frank met up with us on Naughright Road to finish the hike with us.This section was really great to walk at night under the bright full moon. I never really used to appreciate this section of the trail that much, because it was so different and not as interesting as the secton in Hunterdon, through Ken Lockwood Gorge and the little towns. The night time and maybe all of the other places I've been gave me a new appreciation of this section of trail I've walked so many times before.We continued on the trail to it's end, Bartley Road, and then continued across onto the tracks, where it's still used as an industrial spur. We followed them into Flanders and then turned left onto a siding to an industry, leading almost directly to the Shop Rite where Gregg's car was parked, to finish off the hike.It was a really nice time, a good way to spend a Thursday night, and I wasn't out too insanely late so I could get to work alright in the morning.Save for the losing of the camera, it was nice to get out, and rewarding to know I have friends who continue to be willing to do crazy night hikes into the cold seasons.