Summer Daze in the Pines

[Piney Boy]

Hope all is well with everyone here, its been a while since I've posted. Reason mainly is I haven't been out and about in NJ much this summer. I've kayaked the Wading and Mullica on several trips, but the summer usually pushes me into hiking the upper elevation in PA. I love the swamps in winter, but the heated months just have me dreading the bugs at sea level. Have done the Thunder Swamp Trail, Black Forest, St. Mary's Wilderness, and today am heading up to Ricketts Glenn for a long weekend. Next month the wife and I are hiking the Bechler River Trail in Yosemite, that should be my summer highlight.
Guess I have done some Jersey things; visited Wheaton Village, Cold Spring Village, and gone on a slew of fishing trips, but without the hiking it just isn't the same for me.
So, hope everyone is doing well, beating the heat, and having a great summer.

 

[piker56]

I hear you about the heat and bugs. I just got back from a week in the Adirondacks in NY. It was hot and buggy there also, but the hiking was great, the country is just beautiful. Went white water rafting for the first time. I think I'll take the Batsto, but it was a lot of fun. I look forward to getting my canoe out in the Pines though.

 

[Gerania]

There are other nice parks, but Ricketts Glen is one of my favorites. I was going to go there this weekend or mid August to hike and just found out yesterday that the falls trail is closed, Yeah, there's a lake and there are other trails thought I don't feel like making that long a trip for a NEPA woodland hike.

I have no desire to walk around the Pine Barrens right now, too many bugs, too humid.

 

[long-a-coming]

I hear you about the heat and bugs. I just got back from a week in the Adirondacks in NY. It was hot and buggy there also, but the hiking was great, the country is just beautiful. Went white water rafting for the first time. I think I'll take the Batsto, but it was a lot of fun. I look forward to getting my canoe out in the Pines though.

my 17 footer(which I purchased through the classified section of this site) is ready to roll. Let me know if your going out there

 

[grendel]

How was st. mary's? I have not been there in about 7 years and it is less than 2 hours away.

 

[Piney Boy]

I hear you about the heat and bugs. I just got back from a week in the Adirondacks in NY. It was hot and buggy there also, but the hiking was great, the country is just beautiful. Went white water rafting for the first time. I think I'll take the Batsto, but it was a lot of fun. I look forward to getting my canoe out in the Pines though.

Where in the Dacks were you? I'll be going up to The Siamese Pond Wilderness this Fall. Beautiful hiking indeed.

 

[Piney Boy]

There are other nice parks, but Ricketts Glen is one of my favorites. I was going to go there this weekend or mid August to hike and just found out yesterday that the falls trail is closed, Yeah, there's a lake and there are other trails thought I don't feel like making that long a trip for a NEPA woodland hike.

I have no desire to walk around the Pine Barrens right now, too many bugs, too humid.

Stay away til the Falls Trail reopens. Still nice, Lake Jean is pretty and some other nice hiking spots, but without the Falls its an average wilderness. Maybe in Mid-August the Trail may reopen, check the website now and again, they post info on trail closures.

 

[Piney Boy]

How was st. mary's? I have not been there in about 7 years and it is less than 2 hours away.

St Mary's was beat up in the spring. Fall down was wicked and trails were barely passable in spots. It was a total bushwhack, and with summer here I would say stay away until the undergrowth starts to die off in late fall or early winter.

 

[piker56]

Where in the Dacks were you? I'll be going up to The Siamese Pond Wilderness this Fall. Beautiful hiking indeed.

We camped at a small camp ground on the Schroon River in our pop-up. It's about 20 minutes from Lake George. The woods where I hiked was along the north western portion of Lake George. I was the only hiker out, and the quiet (except for frogs and birds) was almost overwhelming. I had lunch at a small beaver pond. It was just a great hike. I saw a lot of bear sign, but no bear. I also saw an antler scrape that was really tall. Are there moose in that area?

 

[Piney Boy]

We camped at a small camp ground on the Schroon River in our pop-up. It's about 20 minutes from Lake George. The woods where I hiked was along the north western portion of Lake George. I was the only hiker out, and the quiet (except for frogs and birds) was almost overwhelming. I had lunch at a small beaver pond. It was just a great hike. I saw a lot of bear sign, but no bear. I also saw an antler scrape that was really tall. Are there moose in that area?

The only place I know of moose in the Dacks is way up in Adirondack Park, it almost borders Canada. A buddy was out there last spring and brought back some pics. Biggest animal I've seen half close to this region are elk in PA, still an impressive animal to see up close.

 

[Gerania]

Stay away til the Falls Trail reopens. Still nice, Lake Jean is pretty and some other nice hiking spots, but without the Falls its an average wilderness. Maybe in Mid-August the Trail may reopen, check the website now and again, they post info on trail closures.

I just checked Lehigh Gorge online and there are no advisories. I haven't been to Glen Onoko falls in years.