Kinnelon Critter File: Coyotes

Coyotes have been in the news lately, particularly in Kinnelon where a coyote attacked and killed a Smoke Rise resident's dog in early October 2010. [In Rye, NY, they attacked a young girl in June and in July.] Notices of caution have started circulating which indicates that it's time for a Kinnelon Critter File on Coyotes!

Coyotes are not unique to our area; they have successfully established themselves throughout the Unites States, including suburbia and even Central Park NYC.  A search on 'coyotes' will bring up web pages on Living With Coyotes in Massachusetts, Montgomery, AL, Southwest Desert USA and more.

[From New Jersey's Great Northwest Skylands, read Coyotes in New Jersey: The Life of Wiley.]

Per MassWildlife:

"Coyotes are the size of a medium-size dog, but with longer, thicker fur. Coyotes have a long, bushy, black-tipped tail that is usually carried pointing down. A coyote is typically 4-5 feet in length, from snout to tip of tail. Their snout is long and slender, and their ears are pointed and erect. The pelts of coyotes in Massachusetts range from grayish-black to blondes, light tan, dark tan, red or even all black. Females weigh an average of 33-40 lbs and males are slightly larger (average 34-47 lbs)."

"They can be active night or day, and sightings at dawn or dusk are common. They remain active all year-round and do not hibernate. Once a coyote has established itself into an area, it will actively maintain a territory that may vary in size from 2 to 30 square miles. One family of coyotes often encompasses one or more residential suburban areas or towns. Coyotes are highly territorial..."

They will eat carrion, but prefer fresh meat. They are valuable in controlling rats, squirrels, and woodchucks. In addition to small animals, they eat fruit and vegetables, pet food and GARBAGE!

[By the way, now I know what role T. Llama plays with the sheep at Four Corners: he guards them against coyotes... although probably not against bears.]

Interestingly, many of the recommendations for protecting oneself from coyotes are the same as for bears. Here is what NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife suggests on how to deal with coyotes:

Never feed a coyote. Deliberately feeding coyotes puts pets and other residents in the neighborhood at risk [this seems like a no brainer to me; then again some people try to feed bears].

Feeding pet cats and/or feral (wild) cats outdoors can attract coyotes. The coyotes feed on the pet food and also prey upon the cats.

Put garbage in tightly closed containers that cannot be tipped over.

Remove sources of water, especially in dry climates.

Bring pets in at night. Coyotes view cats and small dogs as food and larger dogs as competition [remember, coyotes and dogs are related and can breed].

Put away bird feeders at night to avoid attracting rodents and other coyote prey.

Provide secure enclosures for rabbits, poultry, and other farm animals.

Pick up fallen fruit and cover compost piles.

Although extremely rare, coyotes have been known to attack humans. Parents should monitor their children, even in familiar surroundings, such as backyards.

Install motion-sensitive lighting around the house.

Clear brush and dense weeds from around dwellings - this reduces protective cover for coyotes and makes the area less attractive to rodents and rabbits. Coyotes, as well as other predators, are attracted to areas where rodents are concentrated, such as in woodpiles.

If coyotes are present, make sure they know they're not welcome. Make loud noises, blast a canned air siren, throw rocks, or spray them with a garden hose.  Per MassWildlife: "Don't let coyotes intimidate you! Don't hesitate to scare or threaten coyotes with loud noises and bright lights. Don't hesitate to pick up small objects, such as a tennis ball, and throw them at the coyote. If a water hose is close at hand, spray the coyote with water in the face. Let the coyote know it is unwelcome in your area."

Finally, if you observe coyotes in the daytime that show no fear of humans or if a coyote attacks a person, immediately contact your local police and the Division of Fish and Wildlife at 908-735-8793; outside of normal business hours call the DEP Hotline at 877-WARN-DEP.

The Smoke Rise Newsletter recently issued the following guidelines:

Be aware of where your children are when outside. Never leave them unattended.

Do not let your dog outside day or evening without supervision or on a leash. Small dogs are particularly vulnerable to predators, but a predator can attack a larger dog just as easily if circumstances allow. Invisible fencing does not stop an animal from coming onto your property. 

Cats are very vulnerable to predators. Many cats have been reported missing in Smoke Rise alone this summer and coyotes are assumed to have been the reason. PLEASE do not let your cat outside. In addition to the chance of being bitten by any number of wild animals, your cat may expose your household to disease. 

If you see a coyote, call the Kinnelon Police [and Smoke Rise Security if you live in Smoke Rise] stating date and time of day.

Here are links to a few other coyote resources:

Coyote FAQs from DesertUSA
Wikipedia entry on Coyotes
From the New York Times, Mysteries That Howl and Hunt

If you know of other resources or recommendations for dealing with coyotes, please let me know or add them in the comments section.

Be safe!

Coyote Image courtesy of Coyotes in Montgomery.

2010 CROP Walk: Will You Join Us on 10/24?

Will you join us Next Sunday, October 24, 2010 at 1:30pm for the 2010 CROP WALK?

Emma and I are looking forward to next week's CROP WALK in Lincoln Park.  Will you join us?  It's a fun event and easy to walk for the whole family.  Plus, it's a chance to walk around mostly flat, sidewalked neighborhoods with friends and check out some pretty cool Halloween decorations.

If you check out the post I wrote last year for the event, CROP Hunger Walk in Lincoln Park, NJ on 10/25/09, you'll see a map of the walk itinerary.

The CROP Hunger walk was started in 1969. CROP Walk events are ecumenical, inter-faith, multi-cultural and all about local community, with 25% of the funds raised go to help hunger-fighting programs in local communities. "We walk because they walk" to find food and water.

[Note: the water angle brings to mind Blog Action Day 2010 which took place Friday 10/15/10 and focused on water. Here is my post on the subject: Blog Action Day: Water and AOC3.]

Here is a link to the document that Our Lady of the Magnificat has created about participating. Fill it out and return it to OLM Religious Education Office - which is open during the week from 9am to 3pm - by Wednesday, October 20, 2010.

Or, simply show up at St. Joseph's Church Hall in Lincoln Park on 10/24/10.

The form details that:

• 2010 CROP Walk takes place: Sunday, October 24, 2010 at 1:30 P.M.
• Arrive by 1pm so you can register at St. Joseph’s Church Hall in Lincoln Park on Comly Road.
• The CROP walk, which is less than 2 miles, is sponsored by the Church World Service, an interfaith community organization that alleviates hunger at home and around the world. Contributions help this organization continue their services, such as providing resources for safe drinking water, purchasing field and garden seed for planting, and stocking food pantries. Twenty-five per cent of the contributions received at this walk go to local food pantries in our area.
• You can help by walking, sponsoring a walker, or making a donation. Encourage others to participate, too!

According to Mary Ellen O'Connor Shyne, a group from Kinnelon High School will be participating.

Emma and I will be there and hope to see you, too, rain or shine! And, if you can't make it, you are most welcome to sponsor us :-).

Here are a few photos from last year's CROP Walk to help you with your decision.

CROP walkers have the streets of Lincoln Park to ourselves, including ambulance and police protection.

You will witness some of the coolest Halloween decorations ever.

Spooky - even in brilliant sunshine!

Happy CROP Walk 2010!

Smoke Rise Memories: Jim Rohrer

In response to the Didja Know? The First Home in Smoke Rise, former Smoke Rise resident Jim Rohrer sent me an email with Smoke Rise memories. With his permission, I share it with you here.

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Was [the first home in Smoke Rise] just up from the beach entrance? (Timothy house?) Or was it the one further up the hill? (a cute stone Cape style?)

I recently returned to Smoke Rise to visit and saw the scaffolding all around the Tower.  What's going on there? Looks like they intend to replace some of the granite squares that were pushed off.

I remember climbing the Tower many times with friends Herb Fisher, Phil Kline, Russ Sacco and others. (We never pushed any of the stones off. That happened before we ever got up there.) This was probably around 1963 give or take a couple of years.

As Herb Fisher mentioned before, climbing the Tower was quite adventurous (and DANGEROUS). We would lift one of us to the ledge of the lowest window and that person would pull himself up to the window and help the next one up. Once inside we would walk up the side railings going sideways. The stairs couldn't be trusted. They were rusted and most were missing. Once we got to the top we were always amazed at the view. The risk was worth the reward. We would stay up there for hours.

Obviously we never mentioned any of this to our parents.

I grew up at 722 Ridge Road. We were the first family to build and live on Ridge Road. My parents (Mildred & Harry Rohrer) started construction in 1955 and we moved in Oct. of 1956. ( Side note: the bus stop for all children who lived on Mountain Rd and Ridge Rd was all the way down the mountain at the intersection of Gravel Hill and Green Hill. The buses wouldn't go up the mountain. Especially in the winter.There was a big green wooden bus shelter there. Many other bus shelters were placed around various sites in Smoke Rise back then.)

Hilltop Rd. was just a wagon road in the woods right next to our house. It was made by ore miners and loggers from earlier days. We used to hike and hunt back there and often found remnants of old mine sites (pits) and rusted equipment. These wagon roads would lead all the back to Charlottesburg and Split Rock Reservoirs.

Those hikes are still very vivid in my memory. We would leave at sun up and return sometimes after dark.

It was a sad day for us when the developers started the Hilltop Rd phase of Smoke Rise expansion.

We were very fortunate to have been able to grow up in such a wonderful place in the 50s and 60s . My parents sold our home in 1969. Little did I know that I would return ten years later, buying one of the older homes in Smoke Rise (31 Green Hill - the Joseph Smith house built in 1951) and raising our three daughters there for 25 wonderful years. We have been gone for the past 7 years but Smoke Rise lives on in our memories and will forever.

I will look for pictures and try to retrieve them from my older siblings.

Most of my memories are about outdoor adventures, summer planned activities, group trips to the Shore, evening movies at the beach, camping at New Pond, and " Nude Rock", baseball at the field, BIG horse shows, swim meets, hockey games on Hoot Owl, sleigh riding down Brook Valley road (now Echo Valley). They actually closed the top half during the winter. I can go on and on and I will at a later date.

Thanks for jogging my memory of days past in Smoke Rise. I really enjoy your blog.

Jim Rohrer
New Hampshire
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Thanks, Jim, for sharing these Smoke Rise memories. I look forward to more stories and photos from you and your brothers!

NOTE: several readers have asked about the location of the first Smoke Rise Home. I am researching the matter and will report back [Tom - I need your help!]

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.

Ramstein Open House and SR Fresh Hot Sauce this Saturday @ 2 PM

Here is reminder for this weekend’s Ramstein Beer Open House and Tour, this Saturday, Oct. 9. Directions are at the website.

There will be 2 tour and tasting sessions, one at 2 PM, and another at 3:45 PM

Available will be the Ramstein Blonde Hefe-Weizen, Ramstein Winter Wheat, and Ramstein Golden Lager.

1 and 2 Liter Growlers will be in stock.

And SR Fresh Hot Sauce will be there with the Fresh Cayenne-Cherry, Habanero Gold, and XXXXTra Hot Habanero Hot Sauce. Come try them!

Also, we will have some Cayenne Blast and a small amount of Ripe Red Fresno-Jalapeno Hot Sauce. Sweet and Hot.

You Hot Sauce people can check out the new SR Fresh Hot Sauce Website, where the sauces are explained and sold.

As usual, there will be a tour and explanation of the brewing process by Greg Zaccardi, the owner. [See previous post about Ramstein Beer with videos for a primer.]

See you there!

Ted and Christine and Emma

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 &

New Jersey Ski Resources on Facebook

For those of you fantasizing about what it would have been like had the 7 1/4 inches of rain we received between Thursday and Friday been snow rather than rain, here are New Jersey ski related resources on Facebook that you might consider joining or liking.

A special thanks to Liz Holste - who contributed New Jersey the Skiing State: History & Details -  for sharing them with me.  As I become aware of others, I'll be sure to update this page.

By the way, Liz will be doing  book signings at Heino's Ski Shop on Columbus Day weekend (Saturday & Sunday) for the big Heino's ski swap/sale. Consider visiting and saying hello!

New Jersey Ski Resources on Facebook

New Jersey Ski Groups on Facebook

ASRA Ski Racing Group
Craigmeur Ski Club Group
Belle Mountain Ski Resort Group
Ski Mountain Pine Hill NJ Group
Craigmeur Ski Area Remembered Group
Playboy Club Great Gorge NJ Group
Great Gorge New Jersey's Original Ski Resort Group
Skiing in New Jersey? Group
Ski Racers in the SCSHOF Group
Holly Mountain Ski Area Group
Mountain Creek Group
Ski Racers of the Not So Recent Past Group
Old School Hidden Valley Race Team Group
Mount Peter Group
Annie's Book Stop - Sussex, New Jersey, Group with focus on local authors
The Old Barn Milk Bar 
Hidden Valley Ski & Ride Group

New Jersey Ski Related Facebook Fan Pages

ASRA Fan Page
High Life Ski Club Fan Page
Ski.com for mountain travel in North America Fan Page
Snow Bowl Ski Area Fan Page
Liftopia - Discount Lift Tickets Fan Page
Belleayre Mountain Fan Page [Highmount, NY]
Heino's Ski & Cycle Fan Page
Campgaw Mountain Friend Page
Ski Barn Fan Page 
Vernon Valley Great Gorge SKI School 

Campgaw Ski Area Friend Profile

Kinnelon related: James Martello in Memoriam Fan Page

And a ski link that you may find valuable: LiftTickets.com

Added 10/3/10: Liz also recommends these other ski-related links and resources:

• Skiernet.com's New Jersey Ski Area Guide with information on active and Ghost ski areas
• Bill Jones' SnowEast Magazine is a really great resource for information about the ski / snowboard areas all over the east
• If you are interested in joining one of New Jersey's ski / snowboard clubs, you can check them out at the New Jersey Ski Council which is having a season Kick Off Party on Friday night October 29th at the Hanover Marriott 7pm to midnight. FREE admission. Many NJ ski clubs will be there showing what they have to offer. Lots of resorts will be there with giveaways, raffles for lift tickets, etc.

Happy cold-weather and skiing anticipation!