North Jersey hikes

BEHR655

BEHR655

Piney
Feb 19, 2003
2,736
42
Maple Shade, NJ
What happened to the N. Jersey forum???

A friend and I headed north on Sunday for a couple of hikes.
First we went to Wildcat Ridge WMA up in Hibernia. That was just a short hike of about 1.5 mile round trip. The purpose of that hike was to view raptors at the hawk watch there. We saw a couple of Red Tails and also a Rough Shoulder far off in the distance. There were several Turkey Vultures there and it was kinda neat seeing them from above.
From there we headed west to the Delaware Water Gap. From the parking lot for the A.T. We took the red trail up to Mount Tammany. The red trail rises about 1000 feet in 1.3 miles. I wish they could work these things out so they were the steepest at the beginning and level out near the end BUT NOOOOOO, they gotta save the steepest part for the end. Bastards.:mrgreen: It was a nice hike up but a little rough on this old out of shape guy. I'm embarrassed to tell you how many people passed me on the way up.
We took the 1.8 mile blue trail down and that was nice to. Much easier of course but the rocky trail was getting to my feet, they're still hurting. We did a small bushwhack over to the green trail so that we could follow the Dunnfield Creek back for a longer time. The green trail eventually dies back into the blue trail which also follows the creek back to the parking lot.

Steve
 
BEHR655 said:
I'm embarrassed to tell you how many people passed me on the way up.
Steve
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We would really like to know :mrgreen:

Sounds like a nice day.


Guy
 
I was gonna do the same Bear, but the distance disappointed me. My car ain't what she used to be and its all I got. I was gonna go to the Sourland Mountain Preserve for a five mile hike they have along their small ridgeline. It is relatively close, up by Somerset County, but I had no one to go with anyway so I sat and cried all day instead. :cry:
 
bobpbx said:
I was gonna do the same Bear, but the distance disappointed me. My car ain't what she used to be and its all I got. I was gonna go to the Sourland Mountain Preserve for a five mile hike they have along their small ridgeline. It is relatively close, up by Somerset County, but I had no one to go with anyway so I sat and cried all day instead. :cry:
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Maybe we can get one in before the BIG hike.
 
Bear you were in my territory . . . mt. tammany is like my backyard nowadays. Its so radically different from hiking the pines -- a few years back I had to go there every week for about 6 weeks before I could wake up the next day not feeling like i was struck by a vehicle. And that incline is great! no smoke breaks up that mountain . . .
 
I like the idea of the North Jersey stuff too. I had been trying to dig up a trip report of my sectional hike of the NJ A.T. If it pops back up I'll post it.:)
 
Maybe we can plan to do the 3.75 mile hike up the A.T. to Sunfish Pond and return via the Dunnfield Creek trail (3.5 miles). Those familier with the creek trail will agree it is beautiful with a couple of fun crossings. With travel time it's an all day affair.

Steve
 
BEHR655 said:
Maybe we can plan to do the 3.75 mile hike up the A.T. to Sunfish Pond and return via the Dunnfield Creek trail (3.5 miles). Those familier with the creek trail will agree it is beautiful with a couple of fun crossings. With travel time it's an all day affair.

Steve
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Yeah man, lets. I've done that twice, its good for the heart. Both times I was in my early 20's though. Yikes! Give us some dates.
 
My absolute favorite North hike is Tillman Ravine at Stokes; been going there since I was 11. The ravine itself isn't all that long, only 3/4 of a mile I think, but near the end are cellar holes and the remains of a dam. At the end of the ravine is an old cemetery for the semi-ghost town of Walpack. Another quarter to half mile past that is the town itself.
 
bobpbx said:
Yeah man, lets. I've done that twice, its good for the heart. Both times I was in my early 20's though. Yikes! Give us some dates.
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I'll work on that. I wonder if the fact that there are ruins of a saw mill on the Dunnfield Trail (I've never seen it or don't rember it if I did) would spark the interest of others.

Steve
 
BEHR655 said:
I'll work on that. I wonder if the fact that there are ruins of a saw mill on the Dunnfield Trail (I've never seen it or don't rember it if I did) would spark the interest of others.

Steve
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I'm definatly in for that hike . . .
 
Bobbleton said:
Bear you were in my territory . . . mt. tammany is like my backyard nowadays. Its so radically different from hiking the pines -- a few years back I had to go there every week for about 6 weeks before I could wake up the next day not feeling like i was struck by a vehicle. And that incline is great! no smoke breaks up that mountain . . .
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My boy Scout Camo [Camp Weygat] was taken over by the park service & is just south of Mt. Tammany. We used to walk up a path along the stream feeding our swimming lake and thru the remains of an ancient slate quarry to a road [same road came from the south boundary of the camp] and then walked that road up onto a huge flat area that brought us to the mountain. there was a marked trail that went north, over a huge boulder field, to the AT w/ a turnoff that led [west] to a lookout above the 'Indian Head' rock formation. It is the BEST view of this feature and it really looked like an indian chief on the rocks. Last time I saw this view was in July 1968...It is alot easier a walk than the Dunfield creek trail w/ most of it in the shade. I'm feeling the need to go back.
 
Just to "wet" your appetites. A small fall on Dunnfield Creek.

63167050-L.jpg


Steve
 
Dunnfield Creek is just one of the great spots in the area! Rolling to rocky terrain with High Point and its views. I definitely be down to go, only I'd most likely turn it into an overnight and stay at an A.T. shelter or campsite.
Gotta watch those North Jersey bears to, they have a reputation as muggers with through hikers.:)
 
i have done a 11 to 12 mile loop up the red dot trail along the ridge to a crossing trail past sunfish pond and then down the AT every year for the past 4 years

sometimes in the other direction, but it do not like coming down the red dot trail on tired "rubber legs"

this is a real huff and puffer for me and complain like hell but still come back
 
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