Hike #1213; Stroudsburg to Columbia
4/11/19 Stroudsburg to Columbia with Jennifer Tull, Jennifer Berndt, and Celeste Fondaco Martin
This next hike would be a point to point between Stroudsburg PA and Columbia NJ.
I’ve been getting so immersed in doing my then and now photo compilations that I’m starting to let it dictate where I might run my night hikes next, because I want to get these photos.
There are a lot of people doing them these days, but I’m light years ahead of just about anyone at this point. I’ve been setting them up for so many years, and I know the places better than most, but the more I put out, the more anyone can just steal them.
McMichael Falls today
I’m basically giving the travel map to where they can find the same things I’ve found. In some ways, I just want to watermark everything, while in others I figure I’ve got so many of them that no one will ever be able to surpass me without considerable effort.
Possible old trolley bridge in Glen Park
In order to stay on top of this, however, I have to remain relevant. I have to keep doing it. I’ve done pretty good with that so far, but I still have to keep going. There is always some retiree out there that has all the time in the world to just drive around and make all the then and now comps they can.
The then and nows I was looking to get on this one were mostly associated with the old Water Gap Trolley. I’d had some historic photos of them going up and over the Godfrey Ridge that I didn’t line up in the past.
NYS&W culvert underpass
The first part of my planned trip was to get the photos, but the other part of it was to see exactly where the old trolley line traversed the ridge. I could find no map of it on old USGS, at least not what was available on the arcgis site. I contacted Shane Blische to see if he could dig up anything while on my way to the hike, and even he couldn’t find it. I figure he’s a member of just about every rail fan page around, and has tons of bookmarked resources. If he couldn’t find it, probably just about no one could in short order.
Ascending from the NYS&W bed
I never really do hikes at night around Delaware Water Gap, and at this point I really don’t know why. We did a really good job this time of finishing at a reasonable hour, and I was able to get to the meeting point in just barely over a half an hour.
I made the meeting point the Portland-Columbia Foot Bridge, right where hike #1 and many anniversary hikes for years started. We would finish at that point, which is always a good, sentimental thing for me.
I was quite surprised that only Jenny showed up at the start. This would be a really good hike. I knew we had Jen and Celeste joining late, but still a very low number.
Likely old trolley bed
Regardless, we set out. Since we had others joining late, and I don’t mind having a dog in the van (Celeste was bringing Benny), we took Jenny’s mom’s car to Stroudsburg and left the van in Columbia. Jenny’s had busted for some reason and her mom’s odd hybrid was allowed use for this.
We headed into Stroudsburg, and I still wasn’t sure exactly where I wanted to park. We could use on street or anything, and then I figured we could use the Walmart, but then they have security everywhere and it feels kind of uneasy.
View on the trolley bed
We ended up parking at the Shop Rite. There were some signs at the end of that lot saying customers only, but we figured no one would know and just started walking.
We started by heading through town up the street and past the old People’s Coal trestle area. I pulled out some of my old photos to show Jenny what it used to look like when I first hiked it years ago. I had a photo of it on a hike in September of 2003. The wood components to the trestle have long since been demolished, and only the concrete section of it remained over the road.
The People's Coal place
We headed out into town and followed Main Street for a bit. We turned to the left on Broad Street, which crosses the McMichael Creek at the little dam and falls.
Old Water Gap Trolley bed
I pointed out just down from where where the old Driebe Station stands, moved to the site from nearby Wilkes Barre and Eastern Railroad bed, the wholly owned subsidiary of the New York, Susquehanna, and Western completed across the Poconos from here in 1893.
We headed up hill on Broad Street/191 and crossed over Interstate 80. Just barely up the hill, we turned to the left on Colbert Street and climbed more.
We followed this to the corner where we went to the right on Husten Street.
Old trolley grade
I had wanted to go straight at the corner and descend to the old NYS&W railroad grade, but there was a house there and we’d have to skirt a yard. Rather than screw with that, I figured it would be easier to just walk to Glen Park via the regular access on Collins Street.
We reached that point and descended, and I looked at the road bridge going into the park. It was built over the little box culvert for the NYS&W built about 1881. Next to it was a smaller bridge at a lower level. I wondered if this might have been the trolley bridge originally. It’s really hard to say where that came through.
Old trolley grade
We skirted the ball fields and made our way into the woods on the old NYS&W grade. We didn’t follow it all that far before turning right up a slight ramp to Godfrey Ridge.
I don’t know if this ramp was the trolley grade, but it could have been. I have a notion that the grade going into Glen Park might be built on what is today Clermont Ave, but I’m just not sure. Regardless, we had to make our way up and over Godfrey Ridge, and part of my plan was to try to pin down exactly where the trolley went. We’d find it.
Historic image of the Water Gap Trolley
The paths we were following seemed to have a bit of a grade, but they didn’t last too long, or maybe they were just a bit eroded. Regardless, as we continued, I found the grade.
Water Gap Trolley grade today
It was somewhat overgrown at a higher elevation than the clearer ATV path we had been following. I headed up to confirm, and the grade we were following soon joined what we then knew to be the trolley grade. At that point, it started to get really relaxing.
My then and now on Godfrey Ridge
We moved on to the more open area along the right of way below utility lines. It was a beautiful spot, and amazingly steep on both sides of us.
Off to the left, there was a great view of the Brodhead Creek valley. The power lines have kept what would have been the historic view from the trolley opened up.I watched closely for where some of my historic photos might have been taken, but I was having trouble finding some. One of them would have required a somewhat steep climb above, so I decided to forego that one.
The next ones I had to watch closely for. We got to a section where we started to get more woods around us, and I figured that I’d probably passed it. Just before it was too late, I turned around to face the other way and I saw what I knew to be the view.
Brodhead Creek
The Brodhead Creek seemed to meet the edge of the trolley path, so I knew exactly where we were. It was a great little spot. I was so happy I’d figured these spots out. I’d had these drafts of then photos on my Metrotrails page for the longest time, and every time I went through it drove me nuts that I didn’t know where that site was.
From here, we moved on along the narrow shelf heading to the east. I figured the Water Gap trolley would have taken us all the way around the slope of Godfrey Ridge ot the east.
View along the trolley bed
The Water Gap Trolley was also known as the Mountain View Trolley, and it was able to overcome more elevation than standard railroads due to light weight, and traveled along the north edge of Godfrey Ridge to a point I was unaware of to cross.
Mountain View Trolley offered rides between Delaware Water Gap and Stroudsburg PA skirting the edge of Godfrey Ridge for fifteen cents starting in July of 1907.
The trolley, unlike other services that were similar, ran year round. It served not only the local tourism, but served as a school bus for the local children.
View on Godfrey Ridge
Other trolley lines during the following years of “trolley fever” came to the Delaware Water Gap region, but it was all short lived. Buses soon arrived and eliminated the interests in this form of transport. Under it’s last name, Stroudsburg Traction Company, the last trolley ran over the Godfrey Ridge in September of 1928.
Now, all of the land on Godfrey Ridge I have heard is owned by Monroe County, but I haven’t gotten it fully confirmed. There is some sort of a trails plan for it.
View from the trolley bed
The ridge has long been a favorite of mine, and it’s an untapped destination with the overcrowded Delaware Water Gap right there. I feel like I need to keep posting more things on it to cover it before too many people find out what they’re missing and ruin it. Now that I realize how easily I can get to it from the water gap, I could even do hikes on it in the Winter and it’d still be pretty easy. Once we figured out where to be, it was mostly quite simple.
Trolley bed
The rail bed skirted the hill side and headed out to a saddle in the ridge. To my slight surprise, the trolley bed did not go all the way out and around the Godfrey Ridge. It passed right through this cleft. We followed it through and entered a bit of a cut. Another woods road went to the right, which looked like a trolley ramp, but was not. The trolley bed got a bit more overgrown and continued straight ahead into the most level area. There were a couple of trees down over it, but it was mostly easy to follow.
Trolley bed
We accidentally went the wrong way for a short bit, and saw a pretty nice seasonal view of the Delaware Water Gap. It took us to a trail that goes steeply to the top of Godfrey Ridge, which I’d taken in the past on hikes.
We turned back to the trolley bed and continued to follow it. It took some quite tight switchbacks out there, and I wasn’t totally convinced we were still on it. It got all the more shocking when it went into an indredibly deep cut and made a couple of very tight corners I’d not expected to see.
Water Gap view
I figure they wouldn’t have created such a crazy cut unless it was for some sort of a railroad.
Old trolley bed
We followed the cut down hill after a hairpin turn, and then emerged on another down hill grade. This one was a woods road going down hill that didn’t appear to be trolley right of way, but there was a gentler, more controlled grade just below it, which had in part been covered over for this road. I figured we were still on it.
We followed this grade down hill gradually, and soon came to a couple of side paths that went off. We could see the backs of the houses in the Water Gap area, and I started to see where we were going.
Trolley bed.
There was an abandoned building straight ahead, and I wasn’t sure where the trolley line was supposed to have gone. The houses of Parkway Drive were all within view. I pointed out where there was an abandoned stone building up slope a bit. I don’t remember what it was. I think someone told me it was some sort of power house for the trolley, but I really can’t remember and can’t find it on any of my posts to confirm currently. It would have needed something there for sure, and no one seems to know where the infrastructure is.
Trolley bed
We had heard from Jen and Celeste who were on their way, but not quite there yet. Rather than wait in town, I figured we could just go and expore the ridge a bit more. We went up behind the stone ruin, where there is another grade I had originally thought to be the trolley bed, but it was different than the way we had come down.
I was thoroughly confused. If this was the trolley bed, because it was more obviously graded, then what was the major cut we followed down the hill?
Trolley bed
I started thiing that just maybe, there were two trolley lines up and over the ridge. It is quite an incline. Maybe they had one for the ascent, and one for the descent. If traffic operated both ways, and was done so when the Delaware Water Gap was a more peak destination, it would certainly be merited. People traveled to the Delaware Water Gap year round, and there needed to be some way to get through.
The trolley, unlike other services that were similar, ran year round.
The oddly deep cut
It served not only the local tourism, but served as a school bus for the local children. Other trolley lines during the following years of “trolley fever” came to the Delaware Water Gap region, but it was all short lived. Buses soon arrived and eliminated the interests in this form of transport.
It’s last operating name was Stroudsburg Traction Company in 1928. It wasn’t that short lived as far as trolleys go, so it’s a wonder I can’t find it on any maps. I think traversing the ridge leaves me with more questions than I went in with.
Water Gap view
We made our way back to a collapsed building area below the stone ruin, and then emerged from the woods on a clearing adjacent to Rt 611.
I knew to come out at this point because I’d planned hikes in the past to access the property by way of a point directly across from the Delaware Water Gap Cemetery. As always, I like to use as much interesting open space as possible, and I wanted to walk directly between the undeveloped Godfrey Ridge lands and the cemetery, so we did that this time, only backwards.
Rock cut on Godfrey Ridge
We walked through the cemetery, and continued on out to the main street where we turned left and headed down hill into town. At the bottom of the hill, we passed one of the old hotel buildings and turned to the left on Broad Street.
Likely trolley bed
We headed over to the hot dog and pie place I always love to stop at. I remembered Michele telling me that Scott, her husband, ahd been working there, so I had hopes of seeing him there. Unfortunately, he no longer works there, but we still got the hot dog and pie special anyway. Or I did at least.
We sat there and took a break, and it was barely any time at all before Celeste and Benny came walking up as I was finishing my hot dog. I had just barely finished my pie by the time Jen showed up as well.
Likely trolley cut
Together, we all walked up the main street and past the old hotel with the jazz club we’d stopped at on a previous night hike. We then reached the Appalachian Trail route, which ascends to the right on Mountain Road.
We headed up hill, and the AT turned to the left on Lake Road, and we continued on Mountain. This took us out to the Water Gap Country Club entrance, where we turned to the left to continue on the abandoned portion of Mountain Road. This abandoned road route was one that I’ve loved for years.
Likely trolley bed to the right
Almost no one walks this old road. It really only goes to Totts Gap Road, and has a very lesser known connection to the Minsi Fire Road to the east, and only if you know where to look for it.
We headed up hill where the road was still paved, but badly washed out. Some utility poles and fallen wires are surprisingly still in place on the way up.
I pointed out where there used to be a house off to the right. I was thinking to go to the porch of it, where there’s a good view, but then wanted to continue and use our day light.
Collapsed garage on Godfrey Ridge
I pointed out where there used to be a dam on the brook to the left of us, and where the old woods road would have made it’s way over. A part of me would have loved to follow that and then just get on the AT along the ridge, but that’d have been a bit further up hill than what we were doing.
We continued on along the road, and soon there were deep rutted puddles in it. In the past, these were far worse than they were on this occasion, which surprised me because we’ve been getting a pretty healthy amount of rain.
Ruins on Godfrey Ridge
The creek beside us was the Caldeno Creek, which flows to Lake Lenape and then out to the site of the former Kittatinny House hotel, which burned down a century ago and is now Resort Point Overlook.
Most maps, including Google, falsely attribute this as “Caledonia Creek”, which was the name of Thaddeus Stevens’ estate in central Pennsylvania. “Caldeno” is actually an amalgam of the names of the guys who first found the creek, and more recent trail maps have put it wrong.
Godfrey Ridge
We continued along, and the road became quite level. After a bit, we passed a lovely little pond on the left. I’d forgotten that was even there. Some of the hikes I’ve done in the area I ended up following a gas line clearing, so I’d have missed it.
We passed the pond and continued out to Totts Gap Road, which is paved and open to vehicles at this point, and we turned to the left. We followed it to the point where it’s closed, but the vehicle barrier getting to the top was open. This alarmed me.
Old trolley bed
I knew that if the barrier was open, that the national park police were probably up there. The Appaachian Trail route can be driven from the point at the top pretty much out to the top of Mt. Minsi. I’ve passed them on it in the past and not had a problem, but now there are some of them who know my name.
After having an incident with them several years ago, I know they are out to try to cause me problems because they’ve contacted other facebook friends and questioned them about me.
Old Glenwood sign, now abandoned
On another occasion, another friend was stopped by them, and they said “I see your facebook friends with Michael Helbing” and went on to say that I’m a “person of interest”.
Ever since I first got my job with state parks, I heard about the NPS rangers and how they were harassing the state guys in Worthington. I took phone calls and heard about a lot of inappropriate behavior that made me more wary of them all the time. The worse was when they had me in a chair to be questioned, and they insisted they saw me going out the back door of a building that had no back door.
Delaware Water Gap PA
The Appalachian Trail is a twenty four hour facility, and having read the National Trails System Act extensively for my reports on Tennessee Gas, I knew we could be there. Totts Gap Road is technically a municipal road. The only thing really off limits is the cave near the top of the ridge.
None of that matters though, because if someone saw us on that road, they’d definitely tell us not to be there, even though at this point anyone could have driven up it. I wanted to avoid all of that, so we hurried up the ridge pretty fast.
Old Mountain Road
We reached the peak, just beyond where the drivable road turns to the left. We then continued over the Appalachian Trail and immediately started descending the other side. I showed everyone the cave on the right, which has a lot of lore surrounding it.
There was one story in an old AT book that said that it was a gold prospect spot, and that they’d loaded a rifle up with gold dust and shot it into the rocks in order to justify prospecting there.
Mountain Road
While that’s an interesting and flowery myth, it’s likely not true at all. A conflicting and less fun story is that it was simply a dynamite test cave used by Intersoll-Rand. I don’t feel that this, if it’s the truth, detracts from it’s interest in any way.
We continued down hill from here, and the woods road got more and more washed out. It’s been closed pretty much my entire life. My grandfather remembers driving it when my mom and her sisters were little, and he used to take them up to the cave.
Old Mountain Road
The first time he took me up to see it was when we found that the road was blocked by the guy’s house on the bottom, and that access was now by way of the adjacent power line. My grandfather got bit by a German Shepherd when we got there and the guy directed us. It hasn’t changed a whole lot since that time.
It was more traveled than it was back then, because on our way down there was a side path parallel with the road people were using to get to the top rather than the rut of a road.
The old dam site on Caldeno Creek
We eventually reached the power line and could see on into the yard of the guy who still lives there at the end. We turned right and reached Blue Mountain Drive where we turned to the left.
The road passed the intersection with Totts Gap Road at the guy’s driveway, and it is more obvious where it used to continue straight on through.
We continued straight, and the road changed names to National Park Drive. After a little while, the pavement also ended, and it got much much darker.
The pond along Mountain Road
Off in the woods parallel, where Slateford Creek finds it’s headwaters, we could hear a chorus of Spring Peepers. It was quite a nice point to be out there. The road descended somewhat steeply, and with no pavement it was a really relaxing route to walk.
There was almost no one on the road, which made it that much more pleasant. There’s plenty to see along it, including a couple of waterfalls, and a side trip out and around the Slateford Farm, but those wouldn’t be too good after dark, and some were dangerous.
Old building site in Totts Gap
It was nice to see that Laurel Hill Road, to the right, was closed off for bridge repairs it seemed. That meant we would come across even less traffic on the road. I don’t think there was hardly anyone the entire time we were walking along it. After this intersection, it was paved again, and became a parkway style highway when we got to the Slateford Farm entrance. We continued from there weaving down hill to reach Rt 611 in Slateford.
Sunset in the water gap
From there, we turned to the left, but only briefly, to the right turn on Slateford Road. This took us over the former Lackawanna Cutoff, where they had torn out the bridge over the tracks maybe twenty years ago, but they’ll be forced to put it back because the line is to be reactivated.
We continued from here down hill on the main drag, past the bar, and followed it right on to the underpass of the Delaware Viaduct, where the Lackawanna Cutoff crossed over the Delaware River and the road. We could see the bridge as we walked looming over us and the river with some ambient light.
Night explore
From Slateford, it was a pretty clear shot back to Portland. We got on the tracks of the old Lackawanna main line when we reached the viaduct, because Slateford Road goes up to join Rt 611. It was a pleasant walk from there.
We were motoring pretty fast on everything from when we got down from Totts Gap on to the end. It was just that easy from then.
Once we came to the foot bridge, we turned and crossed over. I thought back at how I’d been walking across this bridge at the end of hikes my entire life. Long before Metrotrails.
My then and now at the water gap
From when I started hiking with my grandfather at the age of three, every time we were up by the Delaware Water Gap, or somewhere nearby, we would take a trip to the foot bridge at the end and walk across for a stop at Port Mart. I used to love getting Lehigh Valley Farms chocolate milk back when it was the best (it’s crap since they went with the “tru moo” brand).
Foot bridge
We got across the bridge, and reached my van with no further delay, and I drove Celeste and Jen back first, who were parked nearby one another in the Delaware Water Gap, then Jenny back to Stroudsburg.
I’ve been thinking a lot about all of the things I still want to see, and it’s blowing my mind that there’s still so much I want to explore so close to home. I still haven’t figured out the mystery of the Godfrey Ridge, and I don’t know when I’ll get back. It’s enough to make me crazy. The only lesson to really learn when it comes to that stress is to just keep going.
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