Experience the sights, sounds, history and community of one of the most magical places on earth - the Land Where the Smoke Rises - in and around Kinnelon, NJ
Ken Bitz has organized the first Smoke Rise and Kinnelon hike of this season for Sunday, April 15th, 2012, through Kincaid Woods.
This is a hike that we've been wanting to do ever since Estelle Anderson mentioned back in 2009 [see New Pyramid Mountain Park Trail!] that a new trail had been opened. It's definitely time to check it out!
If you are interested, and available, come join us.
Smoke Rise residents can meet up at 1pm in the Smoke Rise Inn parking lot and head off to the trail head together.
Or, plan on meeting at ~1:10pm at the Kincaid Woods parking lot right by Kincaid House on Powerville/Kinnelon Road.
Ken says that children and dogs are both welcome.
The hike is approximately 2 miles long, not strenuous, and leads to Pyramid Mountain through connecting trails.
If you love hiking in the area, you'll be pleased to know that the NYNJ Trail Conference has released a trail map of Morris County, north of I-80 and south of Route 23.
The newly released TC map of Morris County north of I-80 and south of Rte 23
By Pete Beck, date 5/11/11, rev 9/21/11
The New York/New Jersey Trail Conference has published its first entirely new hiking trail map in 10 years.
It covers the area North of I-80 and South of Rte 23 from High Mountain preserve in the east to Stephens Park in the west. A feature on the map that I find especially useful is the trail head parking areas with enough detail to show the local roads necessary to get to them.
The map is called "Jersey Highlands Trails, Central North Region" and has 230 Miles of Trails in 30 Parks; it can be ordered from the NYNJTC website - http://www.nynjtc.org/cart or picked up at the hiking stores, [e.g., Ramsey, REI, Campmor, and EMS].
I am especially proud of the details shown for Rockaway Township (yes, I contributed). This is a good map to learn to do map reading on and maybe plan a hike from [e.g., 95 Mile Fire Tower at Budd Lake, the old Ogden railroad right of way near Minisink park in Hopatcong, the Audobon Trail in the Sparta WMA, etc.].
For the Kinnelon crowd the trails in Apshawa, Echo lake, Mountainside park, Silas Condit, Kakeout (Butler) reservoir, Split Rock and Pyramid Mountain are covered.
If you are not familiar with the New York New Jersey Trail Conference (the volunteer hiking infrastructure people in our area) then visit their web site, www.NYNJTC.ORG. Of particular interest is their on-line catalog of hikes accessible with a search engine. Also, find out how you can become a volunteer trail maintainer.
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Thank you, Pete, and congratulations on the release of the Jersey Highlands Trails, Central North Region trail map!
Pete writes a blog RT Outdoors about exploring the outdoor spaces of Rockaway Township, Morris County, NJ. He is very active in the Union County Hiking Club.
Added 10/16/11: A reminder from Estelle - "Echo Lake and surrounding Pequannock Watershed are owned by City of Newark and require purchase of a hiking permit from their office on Echo Lake Rd." Thank you, Estelle.
In case you weren't aware, there's a new trail in town at Silas Condict Park in Kinnelon and it's definitely worth checking out on September 25, 2011 [or on your own]! You'll find it identified as the W trail on the Silas Condict Trail Map, although I refer to it as the Bear Mountain Trail.
Regardless, it represents an approximately 4 mile loop hike and transforms - in my mind - the Silas Condict Park hiking experience and you have the opportunity to check it out via guided tour with one of Morris County Park's talented teacher/naturalists! Here are details:
On Sunday, September 25, 2011, Douglas Vorolieff from Morris County Park Commission will lead a hike along the new Bear Mountain Trail in Silas Condict Park in Kinnelon.
When: September 25, 2011 at 9AM
Where: Meet at the Silas Condict Casino (i.e., the main stone building by the lake).
The Route: Along the W trail through the recently acquired area south of the lake and adjacent to Borough owned properties between Kinnelon Rd and Smoke Rise. This area is about 250 acres.
Description: The trail will take us through parts of Bear Mountain in Kinnelon.
To participate in this hike, you must register. To register, please call and leave a message at 973 283-2880 or email Ken Bitz at kbitz@optonline.net.
Note: no dogs.
Sadly, Emma and I won't be able to participate. However, Ted will be there!
To give you a preview of what to expect, here are photos and my trail map from last December's Morris County Hike a Park a Month event during which we previewed the Bear Mountain Trail. So many participated [~45] that we formed two groups, pictured here.
Here's the trail map with photos. Notice the range of terrain, including a really cool rock formation to squeeze through. It's a fantastic trail!
Tom Edmunds shared the following as we prepared for the hike last year:
The creators of this route through our recent acquisition in Silas Condict Park (Duncan Douglas, Tom Carr and Ron Luna) will be leading us over a quite challenging and adventuresome trail with great views and a good warming workout fit for the cold we anticipate.
We strongly encourage all to wear good hiking boots as there are several areas where secure footing is advisable. Hiking sticks will also help but be careful of depending on them on smooth rock surfaces. We’ve chosen a direction to hike this loop trail so it will appear to be more downhill than up ----of course you know I sometimes overstate the case.
Don't forget to register! Then, after the hike, let me know what you liked most.
The Smoke Rise Lake & Environmental Committee, and more specifically Ken Bitz, request that you Save June 5th, 2011 for a hike to Sterling Forest's Bare Rock.
Ken proposes a similar visit to Sterling Forest, with a hike along the new orange trail that goes to Bare Rock, which offers a fantastic view of Greenwood Lake. It is about the same difficulty as the hike to the Fire Tower.
Here are details for this spring hike to Sterling Forest's Bare Rock Trail:
Date: Sunday June 5
Time: 12 noon
Where: Meet at 12 noon sharp in the Smoke Rise Inn parking lot.
Destination: Bare Rock in Sterling Forest
Distance: 4 miles
Rating: moderate
Features: Climb to Bare rock and enjoy a fantastic bird's eye view of Greenwood Lake
Participation: Adults, children, friends and dogs
If you plan on participating, please let Ken Bitz know via email at kbitz@optonline.net.
In this post, I share with you details on the actual Ringwood, NJ, Lake Sonoma Orange Trail hike we took. This photo above was taken from a magnificent overlook point with our trail guide, standing in the middle....
The 3.4 mile trail [which took us approximatley three hours] included fantastic vistas, several creeks, a waterfall, a submerged mine, a bat cave that the kids checked out, and our first ever geocaching quest for cache sites.
The kids particularly enjoyed exploring the cave below. Note: if you decide to do this hike, be sure to have in your pack a flashlight or two! Per a sign posted by the cave's mouth, exploring is discouraged during the winter months when the bats hibernate. The bat population, though, has been significantly affected by white-nose syndrome [see USA Today's Biologists head to bunkers to fight bat disease].
Inside the cave!
The Ringwood, NJ, Lake Sonoma Orange Trail Hikers!
Were you aware that a magnificent furnace still stands by the Split Rock Reservoir dam along with the remains of a village? We saw for ourselves on April 10th when Emma and I met up with Lisa Contreras and her son for the walking tour of Split Rock Village described in 4/10/10 News: Hikes & Ramstein Beer Open House.
Led by noted New Jersey historians Joe Macasek and Bierce Riley, we had the opportunity to participate in a walking tour of the Village of Split Rock, including the forge and furnace, and learn about some of the history of the area.
Joe distributed several documents to help illustrate the story he and Bierce shared about Split Rock Village. I was able to scan three of them; the others were too big.
Splitrock Furnace Track gives you a sense for the large tracks of land created in the 1770s specifically for the purpose of creating iron which required water, woodland and iron ore. The Splitrock tract consisted of 3,000 acres which included the Durham Forge, the Splitrock Forge and Furnace and the Cobb mines.
Rockaway hones in on the Rockaway area and the location of various iron mines and forges.
Finally, The Village of Splitrock Furnace lays out the village itself and its many buildings. According to NY/NJ Trail Conference Split Rock Loop/Four Birds Trail Short Loop, "the 32-foot-high charcoal-fired Split Rock Furnace [was] built of stone in 1862 to smelt magnetite ore into the iron needed for the Civil War. The furnace operated for only about ten years, and was abandoned in the 1870s."
Joe Macasek holding up 'pig iron'.
From the blast furnace documents Joe shared, "The massive stone blast furnace stack supported a tall, brick-lined chamber that was loaded from the top with alternating layers of iron ore, charcoal and limestone. The burning charcoal fanned by a hot air blast, melted the ore at 2500 degrees F breaking the chemical bonds and separating the metallic iron from the ore. Molten iron collected in a crucible in the bottom of the furnace and was tapped twice a day. Because the iron was melted in contact with the fuel, it absorbed carbon from the charcoal, producing cast iron, generally as pigs. At a finery forge, the pig iron was remelted and the carbon removed to make malleable wrought iron."
Furthermore, "... it took approximately an acre of woodland to supply enough charcoal to run the furnace for one day... The operation ran continuously with two crews, each working 12 hour shifts to keep the furnace running smoothly."
Fascinating.
Joe and Bierce regularly conduct historic hikes for Industrial Heritage Walkers. The most recent one was the Mt. Hope Mineral Railroad Walk. If you're interested, I suggest you contact Joe Macasek directly at macgraphics1 [at] verizon.net.
Here are my photos of Split Rock Village and Furnace and the hike we took afterward when we hooked up with Tom Kline for a vigorous 3.9 mile hike. Our original destination was the Wildcat Ridge Hawk Watch - which wound up being too ambitious for the morning. However, the kids spotted both a bear and a blue-spotted salamander [see photos].
You may enjoy this detailed article on Wildcat Ridge. It helps put the area into perspective.
As promised in a previous post, here are details about the next Smoke Rise & Kinnelon hike organized by the Smoke Rise Lake & Environmental Committee... It takes place on Sunday May 16th, 2010 and will take us to Ringwood, NJ, to a newly created trail!
Details: Plan to meet on Sunday May 16 at 1PM in the parking area at the Smoke Rise Inn.
Per Ken Bitz' description:
"This hike will be led by members of the NY/NJ trail conference who made the trail. We will be seeing Iron Ore mines that functioned from the revolutionary war through WWI to provide iron used in making cannon balls. Our guide will give us information on how these mines functioned as well as local history including the Ramapough Indians and the evolution of the Jackson Whites."
Note [added 5/10/10]: As described in the reference for the "Jackson Whites, " these people themselves prefer to be referred to as the Ramapough Mountain People, because of a historically pejorative connotation attached to the original phrase.
Please contact Ken Bitz at kbitz@optonline.net for more information or if you are interested in participating in this hike.
Do you recognize this overpass? Here's a hint: I took this photo from Route 23 heading North in Butler / Kinnelon, just past the Ford Dealership and right by the Butler Chrysler Dodge Jeep dealership at Cascade Way. According to Tom Kline, this overpass most likely connects Butler to the the Butler-Boonton and Butler-Montville trails.Here's what Tom wrote me after reading New Pyramid Mountain Park Trail:
I read your blog post about new trails at Pyramid Mountain.
Now here is a bit of trivia for you but I do not have back-up information to prove my claim. Just a recollection of something that my father once told me many, many years ago. But I will get to that in a minute.
There were two ancient trails that crossed Kinnelon from the 1930s and perhaps even earlier. They were the Butler-Boonton trail and the Butler-Montville trail. Now known as the white trail and the blue trail, both wind on either side of Kakeout reservoir and traverse through Pyramid Mountain. Although re-marked and perhaps called out by different colors, one ended in Boonton and the other ended in Montville. You can actually take the white trail all the way from the dam of the reservoir right past Tripod rock to the top of Pyramid Mountain and considerably beyond.
As the name implies, I believe at one point in time, these trails started in Butler. You know, like downtown Butler.
So the little bit of trivia is the one and only pedestrian walkway (bridge) that crosses Route 23 and currently located just about where the new Butler Jeep dealer is (also at the foot of Cascade Way) was constructed to insure that the trail was not broken by the highway. If you follow Cascade way up to Kakeout Road, voila, you have arrived at Bubbling Brook Road, where the trail now starts.
As I said, I don't have the documentation to back it up but perhaps the Butler Museum folks could address the issue. Alternatively, perhaps the New York New Jersey Trails Conference may have some back ground information and ancient trail description.
It is awfully odd that it is the ONLY pedestrian walkway the crosses the ENTIRE length of Route 23. I think 23 ends somewhere down in Montclair and extends all the way out to Port Jervis. If you are looking for an in the car adventure some day...check it out. High Point is always a cool place to visit also!
Thanks, Tom!
What do you think?Have you taken the Butler-Montville and Butler-Boonton Trails?
Lots to look forward to for this Saturday, April 10, 2010, between Ramstein Beer and Morris County Park Commission (MCPC) hikes! We'll all three be at the Open House; Emma & I will be on the Split Rock Village Hike. We hope to see you!
Ramstein Beer Open House & Tours
Hey! Here is reminder for this weekend’s Ramstein Beer Open House and Tour, this Saturday, April 10. Just as in March, there are two tour sessions:
2 PM, 1st session, and
3:30 PM, 2nd session
There will be the Maibock, Classic Wheat, and unfiltered Amber available on draft as well as the Blonde and Classic in bottles.
Growlers (1 and 2 liter ) will be available for sale, and SR Fresh Hot Sauce will be there with the Cayenne-Cherry, Habanero, and XXXXTra Hot, Hot Sauce.
On Saturday, April 10th, Joe Macasek and Bierce Riley will be leading a walking tour of the Village of Split Rock, including the forge and furnace, sponsored by the Morris County Park Commission. It's an archeology tour that will last approximately 3 hours.
We meet at the Split Rock Reservoir parking lot at 10:00 a.m., rain or shine. The MCPC charges $5 per person and provides nice handouts.
To register call 973-285-6542, but if you’d like a reply, contact Joe Macasek at macgraphics1 [at] verizon.net
From research online, I've discovered that Joe Macasek and Bierce Riley are noted historians. Bierce Riley is actively involved with the Society for Industrial Archeology. Joe Macasek is vice president of The Canal Society of New Jersey and has written Guide to the Morris Canal in Morris County.
[Here is a description of the book: This layman’s guide to the 35 miles of the Morris Canal in Morris County is heavily illustrated with 40 photos, prints and diagrams and 29 maps. It includes walking and driving tours along the canal, the history of the canal and its relation to the industrial revolution, and an explanation of the canal’s famous inclined planes. It is the first guide of its kind, easy to read and fun to use.
Given that we are surrounded by signs of the Morris Canal, I thought you would enjoy some information about it. A world famous engineering marvel of its time, the Morris Canal was approximately 102 miles long. It primarily transported anthracite coal, iron ore, limestone, and agricultural products. Operating from 1831-1924, the canal employed a system of 23 lift locks and 23 inclined planes to overcome the impressive elevation change of 1,674 feet.
Tom Edmunds, Russ Ness and Janet McMillan have put together with the help of Mendham Township folks a series of loops to please all hikers. The loops give us options for altering the final route and for drops-outs etc. The Mendham Township Parks website is very informative.
Given last week's rains, Tom anticipates several muddy areas.
If you plan on participating in the Mendham hike, please contact Tom Edmunds, MCPC Trails Mapping/GIS at tedmunds@morrisparks.net.
The group will meet at India Brook Park (NOT India Brook NATURAL AREA) on Ironia Road in Mendham Township.
From Morristown take route 510 (old rt 24) through the center of Mendham Boro, in about 1.5 miles look for Ironia Rd on right ( a rather sharp, steep turn). If you get to a blinking light, you’ve gone too far.
Take Ironia Rd , another 2 miles and look for entrance on right, park at soccer fields.
From route 10, turn left on Dover –Chester Road, bear left just after Ironia Fire house and large RC Church on left on to South Rd.
Follow South Rd ( about 1.5 miles) and turn left on to Ironia Rd. The Park entrance is on left a short way up Ironia Rd.
If you know this area you can take Sussex Turnpike through Randolph, on to Calais Rd and then Dover-Chester/South Rd etc.
Be prepared for a 9 AM start and a 3.5 to 4 hour hike through some simply magnificent scenery of Morris County including Buttermilk Falls and the India Brook gorge. This may be a more-than-moderate hike in a few spots.
Tomorrow we're off to hike Randolph, NJ. Only fair to share with you details from our February Fosterfields hike, right?
As Tom Edmunds from MCPC reports, fourteen showed up for the Fosterfields hike, and four used snowshoes for a portion of the route - including Emma who did pretty well for a first time snow-shoer. For the record, it did tire her out. It also prepared her for the snowshoeing lessons that the second graders had this week at school!
We started out at the back end of Fosterfield and covered approx. 4.3 miles in 2 hours.
Tom explains: "this was our first hike in the Municipal Trail series as we traversed a short section of the new Spence-Doremus trail in Morris Township between Washington Valley Rd and Schoolhouse Lane."
Many thanks to Trails Foreman Russ Nee who followed us in the SUV to collect snow shoes and rescue a tuckered out Emma!
What I enjoyed about this hike: experiencing Patriot's Path, realizing that Fosterfield's Farm leads to unexpected trails and a very satisfying hiking loop, and connecting to municipal trails.
Thank you, Russ, Janet and Tom. I can't wait for our Randolph adventure!
The Morris County Park Commission next Hike a Park a Month Club group is coming right up. Destination: Fosterfields Living Historic Farm in Morristown. Will you be there?
Here are details. As with all of the MCPC hikes, please do contact Tom Edmunds, the hike organizer, to confirm that you will be participating.
MEETING AT: Far parking area. Visitor center will be opened if you wish to stop there first but you must move back to far parking area for the hike.
OTHER NOTES: The Farm will be holding a Winter’s Day on the Farm event at 12:00 to 4 PM---do join in, there is a small fee. Perfect for kids and grandkids. The theme is From Sap to Syrup.
DIRECTIONS: From Interstate 287
Traveling North: Take Madison Avenue Exit 35 and turn left onto South Street. Proceed WEST to the Center of Morristown. At the Morristown Green look for County Rt. 510 WEST. Turn Right onto 510 WEST (Washington Street) and go one mile. Turn RIGHT onto Kahdena Road. Entrance to Fosterfields is at top of hill on LEFT.
Traveling South: Take Madison Avenue Exit 35 and bear RIGHT onto Rt. 124 WEST, to center of Morristown. Follow above directions.
If you are interested in participating, you MUST contact Tom Edmunds at tomwedmunds@verizon.net.
I'm excited about this hike because Emma and I have visited and really enjoyed the farm. At the same time, we've seen the kind of marvelous discoveries that Tom and Janet McMillan have uncovered for us and have high expectations for what is to come!
We are set to be there and look forward to seeing you, too!
Surprise Encounter With Smoke Rise Neighbor Offering Memorable Hospitality
Many thanks to Tom Edmunds and Janet McMillan from the Morris County Park Commission for putting so much enthusiastic effort into creating a memorable and unexpected Silas Condict hike that led to an encounter with unbeatable Smoke Rise hospitality!
As announced in Saturday 12/5/09 Silas Condict Hike, we met at Silas Condict Park for the last group hike of 2009. Approximately 30 hikers took part, including Silas Condict Trail Adopter Susan Schaechter, Tom and Janet, to hike a recently opened area of the park.
For us, it was a special treat to walk over to the park and visit the fun and interesting Silas Condict Casino where we met up with the group. The Casino building evokes the Roaring Twenties inside as I had hoped. A wooden bar along one side of the room faces a small stage area on the other side and I can imagine bathtub gin being bottled in the back and served at the bar in the front while scenes of 80 years gone by fill the room! There is quite a view with windows giving directly onto the lake. Thank you to MCPC Park Foreman Jim Neill for making the space available to us.
The trail was every bit as spectacular (really) as Tom had promised. A climb to one of the steepest points in the park, down along a temporary trail route that **Janet and Tom had carefully marked and taken a leaf blower to the day before**. Pretty special!
Our path in the attached image is faintly highlighted in yellow.
Total distance: approximately 2 miles with lots of ups and downs.
Tom and Janet hope that the trail will soon be added as a new blazed trail offering park goers a respectable loop to hike.
My hike summary doesn't capture the most amazing part of the hike: an encounter with Smoke Rise resident and Silas Condict Park neighbor Harry C. Hicks -- the father of the “golf ball trail” -- who met us behind the Smoke Rise Community Church. At that point, we had no idea what to expect...
Harry made a cryptic phone call [something about 30 hikers rather than the original 17 expected], before leading us along the trail and through a gate into his property. You see us all assembled around a pond in the photo above. From there, he invited us INTO his house - all 30 of us! - where his wife Marnie graciously offered us her famous Christmas Hot Cider Punch made from only the best fresh spices and ---only she knows.
[Emma being an enthusiastic consumer of Christmas cheer sweet-talked Marnie into a tour of her beautifully decorated living room; she also met Barna the 18 year old cat.]
Thank you, Marnie, Harry and Barna, for sharing your hospitality!
The last 1000 feet back to the main trail of Silas Condict took us along the 'golf ball trail' so-named because it is whimsically marked off by golf balls - which, by the way, are easier to spot than many trail markers are.
One last note about the morning. As soon as we stepped back onto the main trail, it started to snow.
What a memorable hike, from beginning to end and all points in between!
[Below you'll find my trail file. Unfortunately, I lost GPS contact for a good portion. However, between the hike map image above and the trail file, you can guesstimate the actual trail.]
Here is the slideshow of my photos from the Silas Condict Hike.
2010 Morris County Park Commission Hikes
Janet, Russ Nee and Tom are planning 2010 hikes starting with a rather loosely scheduled hike for January on the 9th at Lewis Morris Park (meeting at the Sunrise Lake boathouse). For more information, please do contact Tom Edmunds [tedmunds@morrisparks.net] directly.
If you plan on attending, please make contact with Tom Edmunds from the Morris County Park Commission to reserve a spot. His email is tedmunds [at] morrisparks [dot] net. And, if you must cancel last minute, please do let him know, too.
DATE: December 5, 2009
PLACE: MCPC Silas Condict Park in Kinnelon, NJ
TIME: 9 AM start about 2.5 to 3 hours
MEETING: Far parking lot opposite picnic shelter and the “casino”. We hope to have access into the casino.
NOTE: This may be a difficult hike for some as it will require bushwhacking in a few areas and some steep slippery slopes especially if we have snow/ice beforehand. Definitely wear good hiking boots and your favorite walking stick/cane.
If you remember back to Morris County Hiking Trails in Daily Record, that is when I learned about Hike A Park A Month. I followed up with Russ Nee - listed in the article as contact - and eagerly enlisted for this hike.
We lucked out with the weather: no rain during the hike despite the looming Nor'easter parked by Manhattan. Eighteen fellow hikers took part in our 4.3 miles and 2 hours 38 minutes hike.
In addition to the environmental benefits that this park offers, it also has historic meaning. More specifically, Hog Pen is an area where "settlers built stone walls between the two [ridges] that served as a sanctuary for themselves and their livestock during the Revolutionary War's Battle of Springfield in 1780. The land is also an integral part of a trail system which eventually will link Pyramid Mountain through Boonton Township to Wildcat Ridge."
For our trail details, I've included identification of the path we followed:
It also includes listings of upcoming events - such as the 2010 NJ Audubon co-sponsored hike and a wildflower hike - as well as ongoing projects like the deer exclusion fencing project.
Photos Taken During Hog Pen Hike in Jonathan's Woods in Denville, NJ
Instead of affixing all of my photos to the EveryTrail map, I uploaded them to Flickr and share them with you via slideshow.
Now, the most exciting news of all is that December 2009 hike takes place in our very own Silas Condict Park in Kinnelon, NJ! I hope you will join us.
Here are details. If you plan to attend, please make contact with Tom Edmunds to reserve a spot. His email is tedmunds [at] morrisparks [dot] net. And, if you must cancel last minute, please do let him know, too.
DATE: December 5
PLACE: MCPC Silas Condit Park in Kinnelon, NJ
TIME: 9 AM start about 2.5 to 3 hours
MEETING: Far parking lot opposite picnic shelter and the “casino”. We hope to have access into the casino.
NOTE: This may be a difficult hike for some as it will require bushwhacking in a few areas and some steep slippery slopes especially if we have snow/ice beforehand. Definitely wear good hiking boots and your favorite walking stick/cane.
Many thanks to Tom Edmunds and Jim Florance for this scenic hike. We really enjoyed ourselves, loved learning about the area and appreciated how welcoming the entire group was.
What a great turnout for last week's Tripod Rock Hike in Pyramid Mountain Park! We had approximately 25 hikers [not including two dogs], perfect and unseasonably warm weather and enough trail options that half of the group opted to take another route back to the Visitor's Center.
This was my first visit to Tripod Rock and it truly is a remarkable erratic.
As you can see from the photo, the kids loved hanging out in the cave like space.
In terms of the hike itself, we had a vigorous climb early on, to relatively flat and easy terrain, to a steep descent. Given the many slippery leaves, on particularly steep areas, I opted to slide down on my rear rather than try to walk down.
Roundtrip, we covered 2.6 miles in two hours.
I was impressed with how many others were hiking Pyramid Mountain Park that day. I shouldn't have given the gorgeous day, but it dis seem as if we were constantly passing people.
Here is our hike trail map with lots of photos. By the way, Everytrail has improved the trail information that you can glean. You'll notice when you mouse over the graphic a bar at the bottom of the image where you can click to see the elevation profile for the hike.
Warning: I appended too many photos to the trail file. You may want to [x] out of the slideshow....
Patriots' Path, a 45.5 mile trail running from East Hanover to High Bridge in Hunterdon County
The Columbia Trail, an 8 mile hike along the former Central Railroad High Bridge Line in Washington Township
The Traction Line, a paved trail along a former trolley line from Morris Township to Madison
Did you know about the "Hike a Park a Month" that has been taking place for three years now? To learn more, I contacted Russ Nee, the trails foreman at the Morris County Park Commission [ rnee [at] morrisparks [dot] net ], who shared the following:
Hello Christine. Yes we hike year round. We have many options for hikes in Morris county -- too many to list. I have been with the program almost two years and we hike the first Saturday of every month. No restrictions you just need to able to walk safely. I hope this helps you. Thank you. Russ
Per the article, 30 to 40 people meet at 9am in the designated park facility or trail connection for these hikes. Sounds like great fun.
The article also discusses maintaining trails with perspective from Dave Peck of Denville who maintains the Four Birds Trail, from Hibernia to Split Rock Reservoir.
The Smoke Rise & Kinnelon Blog has no affiliation with The Smoke Rise Club, Inc. All of the opinions shared in this blog are completely our personal views and are in no way those of The Smoke Rise Club corporation. The Smoke Rise & Kinnelon Blog is completely owned and created by Christine & Ted Whittemore.
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