Meet William P. Child: Smoke Rise Map Creator

William P.Child, a long time former Smoke Rise resident, is the creator of the Smoke Rise Map described in Support St. Hubert's Chapel in Smoke Rise!

He reached out to us after that article was published and shared wonderful details about the map, growing up in Smoke Rise and his love of art and music.

I'm pleased to share those details with you here.

---------
William P. Child writes,

Growing Up in Smoke Rise

I was born and lived a few years on Long Island, N.Y., but for most of my young life I grew up in Smoke Rise, living at the same residence, 445 Pepperidge Tree Lane, for over 20 years - with my family, parents Ernest (Jim) Child Jr. and Elizabeth (Betty) Child, brother Jim and sister Susan - from 1955 to 1975/76? when we moved to Lake Mohawk, in Sparta to have a lake access residence for our family deep keel sailboat and small water ski runabout.

I am proud to say I am from Smoke Rise, and have many fond memories of life there.  My dad could never beat Mr. Ray Edwards in sailing back in the day, though he tried every Sunday, so his name might not be on the sailfish winners plaque (though it might be for second place?).

I went to Kiel, Stonybrook, junior 7th and 8th grades and the first year of high school at KHS, before transferring to Avon Old Farms in Avon, Ct (same school Pete Seeger graduated from in 1936 and Kristian Bush of Sugarland graduated from in 1988 - Bush's family is renown for the Bush Beans famous product, the one with the dog on the commercial that might give out the family recipe if allowed). 

I was in one of the first "rock" bands, The Aztecs, that played for Kinnelon Junior and High School dances back in the mid 60s and am friends on Facebook with an original member of the Aztecs and Smoke Rise neighbor, Gregory Applegate Edwards. (I'm friends on Facebook with several old friends from Smoke Rise and Kinnelon.)

I have myself written over 135 original songs (copyrighted 31) and am in the Jefferson Township Community Chorus, which performs on Jefferson Day (super nice fireworks display at night too!), including a song I wrote in 2005 "My Sweet Home Jefferson," that we have sung there the last 5 years. Music and art, and Nature are major aspects of my makeup and it all started in Smoke Rise during my youth.

For fun you can hear some of my songs on Youtube or at Reverbnation.com

The Smoke Rise Map

I extensively hiked the terrain, trails, etc. of beautiful and misty at times Smoke Rise on many short hikes (many off-trail) several times a week for many years, keeping written logs and rough sketches of all springs, rivulets, interesting rock formations (Sacred Mesa is one discovered? and shown on my map just west of Hawks Wing - my given name to Green Hill just south of Pine Tree). All of the Indian (Lenape or Delaware) names, as stated in the Legend on the map itself, were derived from various books mostly those of Herbert Kraft and M.R. Harrington. 

Other interesting names were derived from my investigation/knowledge/creativity. It was a long painstaking process (you should see my normal handwriting.. ugh) to get all the details onto the board with quill pen and nib and ink, and brush on the water color layers for elevation visual aid -- all with no major uncorrectable or cover up for "mistakes".

I finished the map original and, it being the country's bi-centennial in 1976, thought it might be great to have copies made and sell them door to door, framed or unframed (interesting that many of the frames were obtained at the present frame shop in Sparta before I was the resident framer as I am presently). I went to The Fairfield Press in Fairfield, N.J. and agreed to pay for 400 copies (a mere start and about 30 second run, then stop the 4 color separation offset litho process large machine).

The original map (in my attic) had a much darker blue to the ponds and lakes but the artists at the Fairfield Press colored them in with the blue you see on the copies now. I still have some of the original copy run in my back porch. I recently sold one to Ms. Karin Rohrer who lives in New Hampshire now (if I remember correctly).

I signed the map in the lower right hand corner with my then abbreviation "logo" C (wrapping around wp) Child/William Phillips. After obtaining a Master Arts degree in Painting, from Long Island University in Greenvale, N.Y., I decided it was better on new projects to spell out, clearly, my name for future clarification of the true artist.

St. Hubert's Chapel

I wish you all good luck with the fund raising program for a very worthy continued preservation of St. Hubert's Chapel (I've rowed and sailed there many times). It's a GEM of a structure like a jewel in a "jewel of a lake" as well. Check out the structure's (reddish stone Old English Cotswold (name of Smoke Rise Mansion, too) style and symbolism of Avon Old Farms, funded and designed by the first woman, Theodate Pope Riddle, architect licensed in Connecticut, who was a survivor of the Luisitania (refusing to take up room in a lifeboat that more needy needed, grabbed a life jacket and jumped overboard). She vowed if she survived to use any power or monies her family had to make a school for young men, that they might make a better world for all (students actually worked the farm in the early years).

I actually found out about Avon Old Farms School through a good friend, Bob MacGinnis (sp?), back in the day who attended Avon as well. His parents may still live in Smoke Rise (I haven't been in touch with Bob for years). See how influential Smoke Rise was to my life! The map was pretty much a labor of love.

Thank goodness beautiful and historic Smoke Rise is still going and I hope doing well in these tough times.

Sincerely and flattered,
William P. Child

--------
Thank you, Bill!

Do you have memories of life in Kinnelon and Smoke Rise? Which were your favorite haunts? Let me know!

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 Smoke Rise Trails Map Available!

Yes, the new, updated Smoke Rise Trails Map is now available. This is a project that Ken Bitz and the Smoke Rise Lake & Environmental Committee has been hard at work on since early Winter.

It's a two part document: a magnificent 11X17 document [see image on right] and a booklet guide with details on the trails based on my blog posts about our hikes around Smoke Rise.

You can download both parts of the Smoke Rise Trails brochure here:

• For the Smoke Rise Trails map click on this link
• For the Smoke Rise Trails guide booklet click on this link

According to Ken Bitz, the 11x17 version of the Trails map and the Guide booklet will be available from the Smoke Rise Office at a nominal cost of $1.00 for the map and $5.00 for the Guide.

The oversized version of the Trails map is visually dramatic and a great resource.

Let me know if you have any questions or feel free to contact Ken Bitz at kbitz@optonline.net.

Happy Smoke Rise Trails!

Sterling Forest Bare Rock Hike on June 5, 2011

Sterling Forest Visitors Center - May 2009

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.

We last visited Sterling Forest on May 17, 2009 to visit the Fire Tower. That was a spectacular hike with  breath-taking panoramas. [Note to self: I need to share with you my photos from that hike...]

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.

Be sure to bring water and a light snack.

If you're curious about the hike, you can learn more via NJ Hiking.  Check out Sterling Forest – Bare Rock, Fire Tower Loop and Sterling Forest - Bare Rock, Fire Tower. Both posts include directions, details and links to trails maps.

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 Hemlock Trail: Re-Opened!

Consider a hike along the newly re-opened Smoke Rise Hemlock Trail.

Hurray! Ken Bitz, from the Smoke Rise Lake and Environment Committee, shares the following news.

The Hemlock Trail is open for fall hiking!

The project to clear and re-blaze this 0.5 mile trail that was undertaken by Boy Scout Ben Wasserman and his troop has been completed. The Hemlock trail that is accessed at the corner of Brush Hill Road and Summit Terrace South is open and very inviting for a nice hike in the weather that the crisp fall brings.

The committee is working on a new updated map of hiking trails in our community, which will be available when ready.

Emma, Ted and I haven't yet had a chance to experience the newly re-opened Hemlock Trail. However, we enjoyed it very much in its previous state and look forward to an even better hike soon!

You can also find a detailed listing of Smoke Rise hikes in Smoke Rise Hiking Trails: The List.

Smoke Rise Hiking Trails: The List!

This post about Smoke Rise Hiking Trails is inspired by Ken Bitz' recent article in the Smoke Rise Newsletter listing Fall Hiking Trails.

Based on Ken's list, I've created a master Smoke Rise Hiking Trails list which includes posts I've written detailing the specific hike, directions, photos, observations and trail map. I'll update it as hikes take place.

[Note: I intend to do the same for the Morris County Park Commission hikes and hikes in Kinnelon outside Smoke Rise.]

Please contact Ken Bitz at kbitz@optonline.net for questions, information, maps, and other guides relating to Smoke Rise.

Smoke Rise Hiking Trails

West Shore Trail – Approximately 1.3 miles. The trail goes along the west side of Lake Kinnelon. It is rated easy. The yellow blazed trail can be accessed across from 780 West Shore drive, or at the cul-de-sac at the end of West Shore drive

See Lake Kinnelon Hike.

Mountain Road Trail - Approximately 2 miles. This is an old woods road that has varying topography. It is rated easy. The Blue blazed trail can be accessed just after 814 West Shore Drive, or the parking area at the end of Beechwood.

See The New Pond Trail.
See Help Reopen New Pond Trail.
See New Pond Trail Re-opened.

Split Rock trail – Approximately 1 & ¾ miles. This trail is accessed 1 mile into the Mountain Road trail, and runs west to the Split Rock reservoir. It has varying topography and interesting brooks to cross, and brings you to the beautiful Split Rock reservoir.

See Split Rock Reservoir Hike.

Indian Cliffs trail – approximately 1 & ½ miles. This trail is accessed ½ mile into the Mountain trail and goes west to Indian Cliffs. An interesting ascent brings you to a beautiful overlook of Split rock reservoir. You can back track to mountain road trail or continue down a deep descent to the split rock reservoir, and return to mountain road through the split rock trail.

See Indian Cliffs Trail Hike.
See Indian Cliffs Hike - Gorgeous Bright Early Fall Day.

Hemlock Trail – Approximately ¾ mile- This short trail that is the process of being rehabilitated, is accessed at the corner of Brush Hill road and Summit Terrace South. There is a large glacial erratic at the trail entrance. Many of the Hemlocks have died but the trail is still interesting and lets us be alone with nature right in our own neighborhood.

See The Hemlock Trail in Smoke Rise.
See The Full Hemlock Trail in Smoke Rise.

Bear Mountain Trail- approximately 2 miles. This trail has been marked with pink ribbons, and will be blazed in the spring. The trail is accessed at the end of Smoke Rise road. It is a beautiful hike of moderate difficulty that gives scenic overviews of our community. Note: this trail is closed and not safe to hike from October 1 until February 1, due to hunter activity

See Kinnelon's Bear Mountain Trail  - Part I

Other Smoke Rise Hiking Trails

The Old Birch Spring Trail in Smoke Rise

• Old Country Road Trail and the Beaver Dam Hike
• Beaver Dam and Charlotteburg Road Hike
• Charlotteburg Reservoir Hike

Slightly longer hike:

• Hike to Durham Pond From Smoke Rise
• Another Hike To Durham Pond

Don't forget to read Cornie Hubner's Didja Know? story titled Trails.

Kinnelon's Bear Mountain Trail - Part I

Yes, Kinnelon does have its own Bear Mountain, located on the North side of East Gate Road and extending behind Borough Hall toward Silas Condict Park.  We had heard there were trails, but hadn't had a chance to explore until Ken Bitz, from the Smoke Rise Environmental Committee, shared the updated Smoke Rise Trails Map which included the Bear Mountain Trail!

[Note: I will publish the updated Smoke Rise Trails Map in a separate post and include links to previous articles describing each hike in detail.]

Here is the description of Bear Mountain Trail which has just recently been marked:

Bear Mountain Trail - approximately 2 miles. This trail has been marked with pink ribbons, and will be blazed in the spring. The trail is accessed at the end of Smoke Rise Road. It is a beautiful hike of moderate difficulty that gives scenic overviews of our community. 

Note: this trail is closed and not safe to hike from October 1 until February 1, due to hunter activity.

Given the October 1 hunting warning, we talked our friends the Grays into joining us on October 26, 2010 to explore and document for you the Bear Mountain Trail in Kinnelon! Our group consisted of 4 adults and 3 children ranging in age from 5 to 10.

Before setting off, I asked Ken for a few more details. Emma and I had driven by the end of Smoke Rise Road and had found no indication of a trail. We followed Ken's instructions, that once you reach the end of Smoke Rise Road, walk straight and follow the power lines [Note: the power line poles are gargantuan metal poles] that eventually connect to Spice Bush Road.

On your left, after a rock outcropping, you'll notice 2 small foot bridges. Take the second bridge [the first one doesn't seem to go anywhere] and follow the pink ribbons.

The pink-ribbon marked trail rises gently for quite a while with a few switchbacks.  We passed a number of other trails going off in other directions which are apparently unmarked [to be further explored]. All the while, our trail gained elevation until we left a pleasant trail of no great difficulty and found ourselves on a fairly difficult trail scrambling over rocks and through scrub and up some fairly steep sections.

We finally reached a long granite ridge almost at the highest elevation after which we could find no further pink ribbons [per Ken, at that point, the trail will need to be blazed on the rocks].  The obvious trail does continue up the ridge rising as it goes until there is a fairly precipitous although perhaps possible descent with no ribbons in site or a further ascent with no clearly marked trail. At that point, we retraced our steps back along the pink-ribbon marked trail.

Along the hike, we could hear sounds of a marching band from the Kinnelon High School. At the highest points, we saw the Smoke Rise riding fields and other mountains in the distance [Buck Mountain?]. Had the trees not been so leafy, we expect that we could have seen forever! [See picture above.]

Here are details of our Bear Mountain trail which I started documenting at Long Meadow and Smoke Rise Road. For a number of reasons - not least of which is that I don't fully believe what trail tracker documented [we had to have gone farther than 1.4 miles] - we are eager to set out with Ken Bitz in the spring to fully understand this trail!  That will be Part II of Kinnelon's Bear Mountain Trail.

Note: in terms of Kinnelon Critters, we noticed signs of dear and bear.

Bear Mountain Kinnelon NJ

EveryTrail - Find trail maps for California and beyond

In the meantime, if you have any experience with trails along Bear Mountain in Kinnelon, would you let me know? We'd love to find a way to hike to Kinnelon's Borough Hall...

On another note, if you can share perspective on the hunting scene in Kinnelon, I'd appreciate it. I hate having to wait until the Spring to go exploring.

Ted &

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!

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!

Help Re-Open New Pond Trail On 5/2/10!

Be part of the experience of a lifetime on Sunday, May 2nd, 2010 with the Smoke Rise Lake & Environment Committee:

Come help re-open the Smoke Rise New Pond Trail!

As Ken Bitz described the hike in the recent Smoke Rise Newsletter:

This will be a working hike to re-open the trail from West Shore Drive to New Pond. We will have a fun afternoon of cutting back growth along the trail, re-blazing the trail markers, and putting in place the trail head sign. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has designated a 300 foot area around New Pond to preserve its natural beauty.

We will meet at the trail head which is between 814 and 818 West Shore Drive at 1pm.

Boys Scouts, Girls Scouts and others needing and wanting to do community service, here is an opportunity! Simply contact Ken Bitz at kbitz@optonline.net for details.

If you haven't already, you might enjoying reading our post about New Pond Trail..

By the way, this is one of 2 hikes organized by the Lake and Environmental committee. The second is scheduled for May 16th. I'll write about that one separately.

Reminder: Tripod Rock Hike 11/8/09

Don't forget! We have a fabulous hike in store for this Sunday, November 8, 2009 and the weather looks more than promising.... Tripod Rock in Pyramid Mountain Park.

We meet at 1pm at the Smoke Rise Inn parking lot.

Details, maps, links and other goodies can be found on my previous post about the hike. Save The Date: Tripod Rock Hike, Pyramid Mountain Park, 11/8/09.

Check it out.

See you there on Sunday.





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Save The Date: Tripod Rock Hike, Pyramid Mountain Park, 11/8/09

Save The Date for the second fall hike that the Smoke Rise Lake & Environment committee has organized: on Sunday, November 8, 2009 at 1pm to TRIPOD ROCK at Pyramid Mountain Park.

As Ken Bitz describes:

A short ride down Boonton Avenue brings you to Pyramid Mountain. We will hike the blue trail into the white trail to see this marvel that nature left to us thousands of years ago by the melting Ice age. A huge boulder sits upon 3 smaller boulders. Can we push it off and end the mystique? We will meet at the Inn parking lot at 1 PM. All are welcome, the children will especially like this hike.

Here are links to descriptions of the Tripod Rock hike:
+ Hike 1 on Pyramid Mountain
+ This link includes photos of Tripod Rock
+ This link to Pyramid Mountain Park includes a fabulous photo of Tripod Rock
+ The Tripod Rock Caper
+ Tripod Rock Spiritual Energy Vortex and Summer Solstice Observance

You can view/print a copy of the Pyramid Mountain Park map via this link.

Last week's hike to Indian Cliffs attracted 30 intrepid hikers [see Indian Cliffs Hike -- Sunday Oct. 4 -- Gorgeous, Bright Early Fall Day] and we all had a blast!

I hope you'll join us for this amazing hike to Tripod Rock, too!

For information about these hikes, or any other trails in the area, please contact Ken Bitz 973-283-2880, or email kbitz@optonline.net.






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Indian Cliffs Hike -- Sunday Oct. 4 -- Gorgeous, Bright Early Fall Day

Indian Cliffs Hike From Smoke Rise at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: Share GPS Tracks

30 people! That's how many came out for the hike to Indian Cliffs on Sunday, October 4, 2009. From kids to seniors, and we had a great time. Oh, there was a nasty surprise with a hornet's nest for a few of us -- a first, by the way, for our hikes -- but everyone enjoyed the bright clear day, the unbelievable view from the top of the rocks on Indian Cliffs, and the interesting descent and return via Split Rock Reservoir and the Charlottesburg Road.

We collected our group at the Smoke Rise Village Inn parking lot at 1 PM and proceeded to the trailhead at the Beechwood Lane cul de sac to begin. Oh yes, we had 5 dogs as well, who were clearly interested in leading the hike, as well as every mud puddle along the way.

Here are Christine's photos:

This is a particularly fun hike in that it poses some difficulty with the terrain and elevation changes, offers spectacular views, takes you to places that are otherwise very difficult to reach, and also along some of the area's 19th century carriage roads, now nearly forgotten, which were the main roads of the Kinnelon area in their day.

[If you click on the EveryTrail link above, it will take you to more information about elevation, average speed and other details.]

Thanks, everyone, for coming and thanks, Ken, for organizing us!

Related Posts:
Indian Cliffs Hike
Split Rock Reservoir Hike

& Ted

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Another Hike to Durham Pond

Durham pond at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: GPS Trail Maps

On September 6th, we set off with the Contreras determined to follow in Bjorn Walberg's footsteps as described in Hike To Durham Pond From Smoke Rise, NJ.

I had successfully installed my copy of Trails; Ted had spent time experimenting with it; we had paper copy backups of Bjorn's path and felt ready to set off into the unknown with water, bear bell and cameras.

As you can see if you compare our trail to Bjorn's we didn't quite follow in the same footsteps. We took the reverse approach. However, we we had a blast discovering TomTom lookout on the White Trail [part of the Four Birds Trail] that with the Blue Trail circles Split Rock Reservoir - from which we were able to see Indian Cliffs, discovering many unexpected signs and communications and finding the Boys Scout camp.

We also saw the most amazing stone bridge that reminded us instantly of the four bridges that Francis S. Kinney built around Smoke Rise.

There's definitely a mystery there. Did Kinney intend to purchase the area around Durham Pond? We read speculation that the area might have been considered for development of a private estate around the late 1800s. Was it related to one of several iron mines and forges in the immediate area, including under the Durham Pond bridge and dam and at Split Rock Reservoir? The History of Winnebago Scout Reservation describes that "a railroad once carried the ore down out of the mountains mine slag the rock left after the iron was removed from the ore. Signs can be found along the road near the dam at the south end of Durham Pond."

In any case, the bridge is magnificent and transports you to a different time and place.

I've uploaded my photos of the hike to Flickr and share with you a slideshow of them all. By the way, if you click on the red pin markers in the trail map above, you'll see thumbnails of photos taken linked to specific locations along the trail.

Enjoy!

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Save The Date: 10/4/09 Indian Cliffs Hike

Please save Sunday 10/4/09 for a hike to Indian Cliffs for a breathtaking view of the Split Rock Reservoir.

Plan on meeting at 1pm at the Smoke Rise Inn parking lot.

All are invited, including children and dogs, says Ken Bitz from the Smoke Rise Lake & Environment Committee.

Several of you from outside Smoke Rise have expressed interest in this hike. Please email me if you can join us.

If you'd like a taste of what's to come, please read my previous post on the subject: Indian Cliffs Trail Hike.

See you then!




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The Full Hemlock Trail In Smoke Rise

And, now, as promised in The Hemlock Trail in Smoke Rise, the FULL Hemlock Trail....

This was our first hike of 2009 which we did on January 1st - an invigorating way to ring in the New Year.

We took the long way around - on foot - to get to the official trail head on Summit Terrace.

If you remember from the official trail description for the Hemlock Trail:

The head of this trail begins at the intersection of Summit Terrace South and Bush Hill Road.

Note the large glacial erratic at the trail entrance. Fabulous, isn't it?

Now, the trail description refers to many giant Eastern Hemlocks, including a particularly large one with a ten foot circumference within the first 100 yards on right side of trail.

Hence the name of the trail, right?

We noticed the hemlocks. Unfortunately, none were alive. Some blight had killed them. What remain are tall, imposing skeletons - including that of the large ten foot circumferenced hemlock.

Does anyone remember what happened?

The first markers we noticed were yellow. The rest, though, were orange.

The trail needs clearing. We had to creatively skirt many of the fallen trees.

You'll note a marvelously located bench - a perfect place for reading the Sunday paper perhaps. [Per Ted & Emma, the bench may no longer be. A tree may have fallen on it. TBD.]

The trail heads down a natural path or ravine. It looks to become a stream during rainy periods with water funneling down toward Hoot Owl Pond.

To our left as described, we saw magnificent mini-palisades, highlighting the marvelous variety of terrain that 've noticed throughout Kinnelon and the Pyramid Mountain or Split Rock reservoir hikes.

Although I took photos of these palisades, they don't do justice to their natural beauty.


Past the palisades, the trail/ravine continues to Hoot Owl or climbs to the left.

The official Hemlock Trail goes up to the left for a short steep portion, across flatter terrain and then down to the infamous bog area.


We noticed throughout most of the hike many other marks in the snow.

Not necessarily human, though.

Rather, deer! Many, many deer prints.

We believe we had come across the equivalent of a deer highway given the concentration of hoof prints and other signs.

Back to the bog portion of the trail.

In deep winter, as we had in January 2009, the bog is frozen over and the boards more stable. Missteps weren't that treacherous although some boards were iced over.

I consider this trail particularly magical in deep winter because of the Hoot Owl Pond connection.

When Hoot Owl Pond is frozen, you can extend the hike by crossing the pond, sliding here and there and checking out the pond dam. I have some photos of that that I'll share with you - ideally before skating season starts up again!

Once through the bog, there's a last climb and then you reach the trail end at the Hemlock Lane cul-de-sac.

There you have it: the full Hemlock Trail in Winter and Summer with contrasting pictures!

I'd love to hear stories relating to the heyday of this trail. It must have been truly magnificent.



But, what happened? Were the trees destroyed by the hemlock wooly adelgid?

It also seems that this trail hasn't seen much use lately. Wouldn't it be nice to get it back into trail shape? Hmmmm.

I hope you'll check it out, if you haven't already, and will you let me know what you like most about the Hemlock Trail?

Thanks!




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The Hemlock Trail in Smoke Rise

Last Sunday, Ted and Emma went off for a short hike along the Hemlock Trail in Smoke Rise - allowing me time to put the final touches on my just published e-Book "Social Media's Collective Wisdom: Simplifying Marketing With Social Media".

The Hemlock Trail is described in the Smoke Rise Trails Map as follows:

Hemlock Trail [orange]:

Round Trip walking time: 20 minutes

Head of trail begins at the intersection of Summit Terrace South and Bush Hill Road. Park on the left shoulder on Summit Terrace South near large glacial erratic on right at trail entrance. Note giant hemlock within first 100 yards on right side of trail [ten foot circumference at the base]. Mini-palisades on the left and beautiful stand of hemlocks throughout. Trails ends at cul-de-sac of Hemlock Lane between #12 and #16 Hemlock Lane.

Entire circuit approx. 1/2 to 3/4 mile.

Let me clarify up front: they did NOT do the entire trail [I'll share that with you in a separate post].

And, they did NOT start at the glacial erratic.

Instead, they started at the trail end [as described in the Smoke Rise Trails Map] on Hemlock Lane where you will find a trail marker that indicates "Hemlock Trail" [see photo above].

From this direction, the trail takes you through a boggy area made passable via these boards.

WARNING! Proceed very carefully! Many of the boards are moss-covered and slippery. Others are no longer anchored and stable. A misstep may land you - as it did Ted twice - in the bog!

Once past the bog, you reach the wooded section of the trail, which - in the depth of summer - is green and lush and not necessarily easy to follow.

Ted observed that trail markers were hard to find and follow given leaf coverage. They may also need some refreshing...

Rather than proceed north toward the beginning of the trail [and the erratic], Ted and Emma proceeded south, down the gully and toward Hoot Owl Pond.

Can you glimpse the water through the trees in this next photo? Pretty magical.

Have you taken the Hemlock Trail? What do you love most about it?

Next post, I'll take you through the entire trail. Be warned though: it's a winter scene...







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Needed: Split Rock Trail Maintainers For East Side

Estelle Anderson, who told us about the New Pyramid Mountain Park Trail!, wants to know: would any intrepid hikers, especially Smoke Rise based, be willing and interested in becoming a trail maintainer for the East portion of the Split Rock Reservoir Trail, the portion most easily accessible through Smoke Rise?

As Estelle sees it, it's so easy to access Split Rock from Smoke Rise, that anyone living in Smoke Rise is an ideal candidate. For others, it involves quite a bit of a hike since access is from Split Rock Road and then one would have to walk the entire section and around the north end to get off trail near Camp Winnebago.

Here's what's involved in tending trails:

Minimum 2 visits during the year to the trail section. Picking up tree "litter" - branches on the trail that impede hikers; clipping back any overgrowth that would brush against a hiker; keeping the blazes painted and fresh so hikers are sure of their way. If there are trees down, then the maintainer advises the Trail Supervisor. There are certified sawyers within the Trail Conference and that's who gets the blowdowns out of the way.

The Trail Conference provides training for maintenance - either to a group or individual. It offers TM101 courses which involves about 2 hours inside and then out to a trail for field work. If it's a couple of people or an individual, then the Trail Conferences does on-the-trail training, instruction and actual work.

Here is a link to the Trail Maintainer Handbook.

I asked Estelle to go into more detail. She says that if a group is interested in maintaining as a group, there are a couple of options.

• Typically the Trail Conference would want the group to become a Member Organization, at a cost of $50 annually.
• The other option would be for two people to be the "lead" maintainers, with a group working under them, and just fill out a crew roster sheet. The leaders would have to be Trail Conference members. All this is because the NY/NJ Trail Conference covers trail workers with Volunteer Insurance and this is how to know who is out there.

Trail work training can be done on the trail; if desired, Estelle and her partner can do a short indoor session somewhere in Smoke Rise, or at the Newark Watershed building on Echo Lake Road, West Milford. But essentially it can be covered outdoors.

When Estelle teaches TM101, she includes 1-2 hours indoors, takes a break and then heads out to a trail to do the actual work. Maintainers need to provide their own tools, which would consist of clippers, loppers, folding saw (or bow saw), work gloves. If working as a group, then the tools can be shared without everyone needing to have all the above tools. Blazing the trail is also part of maintenance; the East shore is blue blazed and she would teach that also.

The goal is not to overwhelm attendees, yet also leave work for them to do; so most likely it would be about a 4 hour day. That way, they can all go back out to the trail and complete what needs to be done.

Estelle concludes that the section has been vacant for several years; this region has only very recently [i.e., as of last November] been taken over and there have been lapses. So all efforts are on getting vacancies filled and all trails back up to Trail Conference standards.

Estelle has been a maintainer since 2002, then co-Trail Supervisor and now Co Chair for Central Jersey Trails Committee. (Central Jersey meaning Central North Jersey).

Let me know if you're interested in becoming a Trail Maintainer, either individually or as part of a group. I know Estelle would be grateful, as would all those hiking these wonderful trails around us.





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Hike To Durham Pond From Smoke Rise, NJ

Sunday trip at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: Share GPS Tracks

Many thanks to Bjorn Walberg for sharing not only details on what looks to be an excellent Kinnelon hike to Durham Pond and back, but also feedback on an iPhone application that I intend to purchase.

First the trail.

The trail from Bjorn's departure point in Smoke Rise to Durham Pond and back measures 4.3 miles total [no approximate distance, thanks to technology!] and took 1.5 hours. Yes, Bjorn and his family walk fast.

Durham Pond is, from what I can read, a reservoir with a dam, possibly part of the Split Rock Reservoir system. I found mention of it in the History of Winnebago Scout Reservation and also in this pdf of The History of Camp Winnebago.

Durham Pond lies at the heart of the Camp Winnebago Boys Scout Camp [here is a link to the Cub Scout Historic Trail document around the Pond; the document is filled with fun details]. It is worthwhile to remember that Durham Pond and the surrounding land as a part of the Scout Reservation is private property and to plan accordingly.

What I like about this trail to Durham Pond and back is that it takes you by marvelous vantage points such as Indian Cliffs, Split Rock Reservoir and the Beaver Pond, yet is goes farther. Now, I haven't yet taken it, but thanks to the map pictured above I have a good feel for how wonderful this trail is. [Click, too, on this more detailed trail link.] Perhaps we should make this the next outing?

Now for the fun technology details.

Bjorn uploaded to his iPhone an application called Trails. The application creates files which can be opened with Google Earth as well as uploaded to sites like Everytrail, Wikiloc or Gpxchange. Cool, don't you think?

Thank you, Bjorn!




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