Indian Cliffs Hike Tomorrow Sat., July 2nd 9 AM for SR Days

View of the Split Rock Reservoir Looking South from Indian Cliffs

Attention Smoke Rise Hikers! We are leading a group to the Indian Cliffs as a part of the 4th of July Weekend SR Days celebration.  Don't miss the most beautiful and one of the easiest local hikes in our own backyard! We are gathering tomorrow at 9 AM at the end of Beechwood Lane, west of Red Oak Lane, where there is room to park your car right next to the trail head for our hike.

Take a look at the posts in the SR and K Blog for previous trips to the Indian Cliffs overlook. Bring your camera. You may want bug-spray and a bottle of water. Do wear sturdy shoes for hiking. It's a fairly easy trek and we should be back well before noon.

See you there!

Ted, Christine and Emma

New Pond Hike, Smoke Rise Days 2010

As cold and snowy as it is now, we are headed back toward greener times. In case you don't believe me, here's a taste of it from the New Pond Hike I invited you to join us for in Smoke Rise Days July 3 Hike.

Now, this hike is marvelous regardless of the time of year and I encourage you to go and check it out. However, the lush greenery does seem particularly inviting, no?

In this photo above, you see the full Smoke Rise Days New Pond Hike group gathered together at New Pond on the dam.

Total distance:  2.9 miles [roundtrip]
Total time:  2 hours

I share with you the trail details in the map below.

New Pond hike, Smoke Rise

EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking near Newark, New Jersey

When we reached West Shore Drive, part of the group stayed with me and returned along Mountain Road and part decided to follow Ken Bitz to experience the trail that follows the west shore of Lake Kinnelon.

Here they are with St. Hubert's Chapel in the background.

Thank you, Bob Jonas, for sharing these two photos!

Regardless of the trail taken after New Pond, I think we all enjoyed  the hike.

Smoke Rise Summers - Now & Then

Smoke Rise Beach 1960

How are you capturing memories of your Smoke Rise summers?  Are you taking pictures? Here's a really good reason: so you can appreciate how wonderful Summer is and was back then...

These images from Smoke Rise Summers past come from Herb Fisher Jr. [read his previous contributions] who remembers endless great days growing up in Smoke Rise.

Aren't they fabulous? I'm enjoying noticing how much hasn't changed, and what has.  For example, I'm trying to figure out where those rocks in the photo above were [to the right as you look at the swim lanes?]...

These photos remind me, too, to take more pictures including ones of the Sunday sailboat races. 

Some details from Herb.

The first five photos date back to 1960 and capture Herb and his parents, Herb Sr. and Emily Fisher.

Smoke Rise Beach supplied the Adirondack chairs that you see Herb and Emily sitting in on the Rotunda.  Notice the rope barrier [which is now a solid fence].

If I'm not mistaken, adults wanting to get away from children on the beach went to the Rotunda. Children may also not have been allowed there? Does anyone have details and know how long the Rotunda was used in this manner?

Herb and Emily on the Smoke Rise Beach Rotunda, 1960

Emily Fisher, Smoke Rise Beach, 1960

 Young Herb Fisher, Jr. on Smoke Rise Beach.

Young Herb Fisher, Jr. on a sailboat... having given up on sail worthy wind?

For these next two pictures, step forward twenty-five years to 1985 when Herb Jr. and his wife Jan visited Herb Sr. and Emily in Smoke Rise.  Their daughter, Jenny is ~ 7.

By the way, that slide looks fantastic! Emma's reaction when she saw it: "Lucky!"  Notice the swimming platform.  I don't see any lane markers, though. Was a formal swimming area [outside of the swim lanes] not marked off?

Jenny Fisher at 7 years old, Smoke Rise Beach

Jenny Fisher, 7 years old, Smoke Rise Beach

Finally, a photo from 1991 when Jenny is 12 captured here with her mom and grandmother. The lifeguard chairs haven't changed too much!

Jenny, Jan and Emily Fisher, 1991, Smoke Rise Beach

Herb says movie night on the beach was a regular occurrence while he was growing up. And, although he doesn't remember camping on the beach, he says that Jenny participated in it when she visited. Jenny loved visiting Smoke Rise.  According to Herb, "The magic is still there. There is no better place on earth for Emma or me or others to grow up in than Smoke Rise."

Inspired by Herb's marvelous photos, I took this one a few weeks back with miPhone. I'll have to take more with my regular camera so you can see better detail. There's our slide [not as dramatic an incline, but a big hit nonetheless], the marked off swim area and general summer fun from July 2010.

Smoke Rise Beach, July 2010. Notice the slide in the distance....

Thanks, Herb, for sharing these images of Smoke Rise Summers back then.

What memories do you have of growing up in and around Smoke Rise and Kinnelon?

Smoke Rise Days July 3 Hike: Will You Join Us?

Smoke Rise Days 2010 are fast approaching! I have important information to share with you... a Hike on Saturday, July 3rd.

That's right. We are referring to it as the New Pond Trail Hike.

Will you be there?

Here are the nitty gritty details.

Date: Saturday, July 3rd
Time: 9:00 am [please be on time]
Meeting Place: Beechwood Lane cul de sac

More specifically, walk or park at the end of Beechwood Lane [west of Red Oak Lane] and you will see the trail head - located between lots #20 and #21.

As described in The New Pond Trail, we will take Old Mountain Road trail South to New Pond.  From there we will take the newly reopened New Pond access to West Shore Drive, and then retrace our steps back to Beechwood Lane through the woods.

Approximate time for the hike: ~ 3 hours

[If you'd prefer a half hike, consider parking a car by the New Pond trail head on West Shore Drive.]

Given that it will be warm, I strongly encourage each hiker to have his/her own water.  If you have any allergies, please be prepared.

Children and dogs welcome.  Please note that Mountain Road has significant ups and downs.

Otherwise, wear light colored clothing and good hiking shoes, have a walking stick and bring a camera.

See you then!

3 Smoke Rise Beach Rules Worth Respecting

It's officially beach season around Kinnelon and I'm reminded [after a day spent at the beach] that I've wanted to post about Beach Rules. Although I'll specifically address Smoke Rise Beach Rules, I'm willing to bet that my comments are just as relevant to other Kinnelon lake beaches such as Fayson Lakes, Lake Reality, Lake Rickabear...

By the way, the Beach Guidelines in their entirety with 11 individual points and two pages of detailed rules are published every year in the Smoke Rise Summer Recreation Booklet. It doesn't hurt to read them once a year.

In this post, I intend to specifically focus on 3 rules and why I personally believe that these rules are worth respecting.  I am not writing in any official capacity other than as a resident, a beach-goer, and a parent.

These are the three beach rules I'd like to explore - and rant about - in more detail.

+ Eating and drinking are prohibited on the sand...
+ Glass containers are prohibited at the beach...
+ Guests must be accompanied by the Smoke Rise resident they are visiting...

Eating and drinking on the Smoke Rise Beach

This is my biggest pet peeve. Eating and drinking on the beach are prohibited and yet I see beach goers doing it. Why? Even pools have this rule. We're fortunate at Smoke Rise Beach that a solution - the grassy picnic area - is within just a few feet of the beach. So why not encourage kids and visitors to respect the rule and consume food/drink on the grass?

At a lakeside beach, though, the rule matters even more than at a pool because of animals - as in Kinnelon Critter File animals. Animals are attracted to food.  Food on the beach in the sand means animals - geese, bear, raccoons, etc. - come check things out and make their own mess.

Personally, I don't like having to dodge goose grease to get to the water's edge. And I certainly don't like stepping on sand-covered fruit pieces or french-fries, or stabbing my foot on a plastic fork - which I have done. Do you?

Glass containers on the Smoke Rise Beach

When you think of all of the cool plastic containers available, why would anyone make use of glass ones? Forget wine glasses or champagne flutes, use plastic! Use plastic water bottles, plastic goblets, etc. And, unless you are drinking water, stay on the grass with your consumables.

I have personally witnessed and heard of injuries incurred from walking on broken glass in the sand.  It's not pleasant.  We're all better off with the glassware banished.

Beach guests must be accompanied by Smoke Rise resident

As a kid, I wasn't allowed to casually visit a community pool without being invited in and accompanied by a member.  Same goes for the Smoke Rise Beach.

Interestingly, this is the first year I remember hearing the Beach staff remind us to have guests sign in at the Beach office.

Ok. Enough with the rant. Let me know what you think about Smoke Rise Beach rules.

And, then, go enjoy the kayaks, canoes and paddle boats and life around the lake.

New Pond Trail Re-Opened

On May 2nd, 2010, Ken Bitz with Kathy Tabor and Lola Weiss - two long time residents and hiking enthusiasts - spent several hours re-blazing the old Blue trail from the West Shore Drive trail head in Smoke Rise to re-open New Pond Trail.

For the first time since the South Glenn Road construction project [~ 6 years?], Smoke Rise hikers may now hike from Beechwood Lane along old Mountain Road to New Pond to West Shore Drive without obstruction and without going near the South Glenn homes. [See post titled The New Pond Trail.]

[This hike, by the way, will be the one we take for the annual Smoke Rise Days hike in July. More info to follow.]

As Ken said in his email to me: "It was great to be able to re-open the trail!"

Thank you, Ken, Kathy and Lola, for making this possible!

PS: Ken says that Kathy and Lola confirmed the existence of the Bear Mountain Trail in Kinnelon. That's the mountain between Spice Bush and Kinnelon Road that you drive by on the left as you exit the East Gate. Plans are to reopen that trail in late June. Stay tuned for more info.

Happy Hiking!

Sand Castle Building Contest - Smoke Rise Days 2009

There's something about sand castles that captures my imagination. That's why I truly love the Smoke Rise Days Sand Castle Building Contest. Is it the same for you?

I'm in awe over the feats of creative sand engineering combined with intensity of cooperative effort that generates something totally unexpected. I remember one team recreating a scaled version of Lake Kinnelon complete with St. Hubert's Chapel back four or five summers ago...

Sand castles also take me back to the days of endless childhood summers when we sometimes took off for a day at the beach. Entertainment consisted of water or sand. Given 60 or 70 degree water temperature, sand quickly captured my attention and I would pour heart and soul into digging, shaping, forming and building the most preposterous castle I could imagine. True magic.

I recently described to my friend Regina - whose husband Glenn is the drummer for our very own Kinnelon Aisle Five band - the sand castle building contest. Coincidently, she had just participated in a sand castle team building exercise and learned the art [and science] of sand castle building.

Did you know that the key to high quality sand castles is WATER? That's right. The wetter the sand the better. Makes sense although I had never thought it through.

Also, don't forget to 'dribble' the wet sand mixture...

If you are interested, here are links to Sand Castle Tips and Tricks, page 2 and page 3. [Regina, are any major tips missing?]

I'm hoping that next year we enter the contest, and that Regina and her daughter join us; my daughter has started to think about what she might create.

Meanwhile, here follow the results of the 2009 Smoke Rise Days Sand Castle Building Contest.

Family Built:
1st place: Sleeping Fisherman, Westra family
2nd place: Curse of the Kraken, Schrope and Calia families
3rd place: Swimming with the Fishes, Fradkin, Matucci and Donus families

Built by Big Kids:
1st place: Turtle by Colin and Vanessa Smalley, Sophus, Aoifa and Aine Schanche
2nd place: Taj Mahal by Finn Witt
3rd place: Elephant by Hope Weinstock and Bronwyn Olstein

Built by Not as Big Kids:
1st place: Submarine by Tel Waalberg, Ryan Vasquez, Austin Tighe
2nd place: Pig Roast by Kristina Kalafsky, Samantha Ramsden, Emma Jones and Lara Ullrich
3rd place: Sports by the Thompson children

Built by Little Kids:
1st place: Smoke Rise Tower by Roshan and Tarik Narma
2nd place: Tennis Ball Roller by Olin Witt
3rd place: Volcano by Anthony Bassi and Miles Contreras

[Link to my photos of Sand Castle Building Contest entries.]

Other Smoke Rise Days contest results [from the August 1st, 2009 Smoke Rise News]:

Fishing Contest
1st catch of the day: Sydney Coutts

Most fish caught:
1st place: John Calia with 30 fish
2nd place: Max Hofbauer with 21 fish
3rd place: Matt Morreale wih 18 fish

Heaviest fish caught:
1st place: Scotty Smith, 3lb 0oz catfish
2nd place: Kevin Skvorecz, 2lb 4oz pickerel
3rd place: Colin Smalley, 2lb 0oz bass
3rd place: Andrew Tskinkelis, 2lb 0oz bass

Fishing fun facts:
44 Anglers entered this year's contest; 29 turned in catch to be counted/weighed. 157 fish were caught in 3.5 hours [i.e., 44.8 fish per hour]. Gene Orcutt has been running this contest for nearly 30 years. Thank you, Gene!

Frog Jumping Contest:
Champion: Anthony Bassi with Skipper
1st runner up: 5 time defending champion Olin Witt with Margarita 6
2nd runner up: Ryan Smith with Burt
3rd runner up: Anna Santy with Crystal

Honorable Mention for Bobby Lewis and Josh Schrope with the most impressive frog - Godzilla - a 5lb giant and the largest frog in the history of the Smoke Rise Days Frog Jumping contest.

Horseshoe Contest:
1st place: Bobby Herrington and Nino Capra
2nd place: Andy San Filippo and Jim Pitts

Many thanks to Dave Owens who adjusted the game schedule at the last moment to accommodate the increase from last year's 6 teams to this year's incredible 19! If you're interested in playing regularly, contact cn [at] craignoble [dot] com.

Minimalist Regatta [another event I am determined to participate in one of these summers]:
12 & Under Rubber Chicken - Caroline Lavallee.

There you have it for the Smoke Rise Days 2009 contests. If you'd like to share any photos, please let me know. I'd particularly like to see a photo of Frogzilla -I mean Godzilla.

I'd also love to hear whether our frog jumping contest looks anything like Serious Frog Jumping in Calaveras County... [aka Frogtown].




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Swim For A Cure - July 5, 2009

Thank you, Sunita Narma, aka Flower Car Lady, for sharing the following post about the upcoming Swim For A Cure taking place this Sunday, July 5, 2009. Will you be there?

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“Smoke Rise Days” is the official name for the 4th of July weekend long celebrations down at the Smoke Rise beach in Kinnelon. It is a weekend full of BBQs, fireworks, arts and crafts for the kids, and a time for all the neighbors to gather and celebrate our Independence Day. One special activity being held a during Smoke Rise days is the Swim For A Cure fundraiser.

Smoke Rise resident Katy Schrope has once again organized what has now become an annual event. The “Swim for A Cure” fundraiser to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society will be held on Sunday July 5th from 9 am-12 noon. You don’t need to be a great swimmer to participate. There are kickboards and you can swim laps one at a time or any time during the 3 hour timeframe. The event will be held in the swim lanes at the beach. Kids, adults -- all are welcome. Breakfast is generously donated once again by Marcia Lafayette of Coldwell Banker Real Estate.

Pledge forms are available at the beach as of June 1st. Donations can be made per swimmer lap or in one flat amount. Checks can be made out to “The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society”.

I am not a great swimmer but I plan on being there and will try to overcome my fear of water and do my part to help find a cure. There is also a fishing contest the same day that starts at 8:30 am and a sandcastle building contest for the kids at noon. It’s a perfect way to spend the day at the beach with something to keep everyone in the family entertained. End the day with tours of St. Hubert's Chapel in Smoke Rise led by Tom Kline.

Hope to see you all at the beach during Smoke Rise days. Happy Independence Day to all.

-Flower Car Lady - Have a happy and colorful day!

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Thank you, Sunita!

From The Smoke Rise Club Newsletter's July 1, 2009 issue:

"Swim for a Cure: "Get Wet" For A Good Cause

The Fourth Annual Swim for a Cure to benefit The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is scheduled for Sunday, July 5 from 9am to 12noon. Please come down to the beach and give your all for a worthy cause! Pick up a pledge form on the bulletin board by the snack shack. Sponsors can pledge you per lap or make a lump sum donation. You just have to swim laps [as many as you want] during the 9-12 time slot on July 5th. Let's honor those who have fought or are currently fighting the battle against cancer. Join us down at the Smoke Rise Beach for a great day of swimming and giving! Please contact Katy Schrope if you have any questions. Thank you for participating!

I wish you, your friends and families all a very safe and happy July 4th holiday celebration not only in Kinnelon, but anywhere 'Where The Smoke Rises.'




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Smoke Rise Days 2009

For all of you Smoke Rise residents, we have the following news. Here's the schedule, just in from George Cox, Smoke Rise Communications Governor, about the upcoming Smoke Rise Days - 2009.

NOTE: Anyone wanting to share their Minimalist Regatta story, please let me know. I welcome photos and a writeup!

Friday, July 3

10:00 AM Tennis Round Robin -- Hard Courts
10:00 AM Pick-up Softball Game -- Ballfield
11:00 AM Hike - Charlottesburg Reservoir – Meet by 744 Ridge Rd. Cul-de-sac
11:00 AM Arts/Crafts for kids at Beach Beach
1:00 PM Beach Games/Tug-of-War -- Beach
7:00 PM Orchestra Begins -- Beach

DUSK FIREWORKS!! Beach -- Wear your wristband!

WRISTBAND PICK-UP/PURCHASE
Smoke Rise Office: Mon – Fri 9am to 5pm
Smoke Rise INN: June 25 & 26, 7pm to 9pm

(Note: Rain Date for Orchestra & Fireworks will be July 5th, same times, wristbands required also)

Saturday July 4

8:30 AM Prediction Run/Walk Registration -- Beach Parking Lot
9:00 AM Prediction Run/ Walk Begins -- Beach Parking Lot
10:00 AM Champagne Regatta Sailing Club
10:00 AM Pet Show -- Village Green
11:00 AM Pot & Pan Parade/Bike Race -- Village Green
12:00 PM Fire Truck Demo -- Ballfield
12:00 PM Volleyball -- Beach
12:00 PM Minimalist Regatta -- Beach
2:30 PM Horse Shoe Tournament -- Beach
3:00 PM Circus Time Amusements -- Beach
6:00 PM DJ & Bon Fire -- Beach

Sunday, July 5

8:30 AM Fishing Contest -- Beach
9:00 AM Swim For A Cure Begins -- Swim Lanes
9:00 AM Morning Run/Walk Begins -- Beach Parking Lot
10:30 AM Weekly Sailing Sailing Club
10:30 AM Equestrian Exhibit Riding Club -- Show Ring
12:00 PM Sandcastle Building Contest -- Beach
1:00 PM Frog Jumping Contest -- Beach
2:00 PM Fly Fishing Clinic -- Beach
3:00 PM Sandcastle Contest Judging Begins -- Beach
NOTE: 1 to 4 PM St. Hubert’s Chapel Tour Beach—Boat Docks

Happy July 4th Smoke Rise Days!




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