Hacklebarney State Park

I went to Hacklebarney twice  - the first time was in Mid September.  Many people had recommended this as a great place to hike, so I was really looking forward to it.  The weather that weekend was great!  Perfect early fall weather, foliage was starting to turn.  I took my faithful HP Photosmart camera, which took some great pics.  We had a wonderful time - followed the main trail then branched off to the yellow trail, followed that till it met back up with the white and red trails, then took the red back.  When I got home, I went to upload the pics - and somehow lost them all.  There was only one showing and it was corrupted.  I tried testing my camera again and this time it was acting strange - turning off (not shutting down but just blacking out) after a few seconds.  I sadly realized that it was time to get a new camera. 

After a bit of research and looking at prices, I headed off to Best Buy and returned with a Sony Cybershot.  I took it out the next day when we went to Hacklebarney again.  The pictures weren't nearly as good as the ones with the old camera, in my opinion.  You can see for yourself.  They were very dark, and blurry.

 Hacklebarney has some paved paths, and other more "rustic" paths that are for more of a "hiking" experience, but none of the trails are particularly difficult.  If you want a nice nature walk with beautiful scenery, without worrying about tripping over roots and rocks, come here.

 We followed the red trail, which follows the Black River, first taking the upper trail, then the lower trail back to the parking lot.  The lower red trail was part of what we did the last time. 

 Here you can see the wide, paved paths.

Beautiful, but not much of a workout!!  Though we did get a good 3 mile walk or so.  Just not many hills or anything.  After the hike in September I stopped at the Hacklebarney Cider Mill and got some delicious cider and donuts!  I wanted to stop there again, but didn't because it was crazy crowded!  They were having some sort of shindig there.

Washington Valley Park - Yellow Trail

A few days later we headed back to Washington Valley Park.  With the park map now in hand, it was much easier to find my way into the other side's parking lot.  The Orange trail connects only to the road and not the parking lot, so I avoided it because I didn't want to walk along the road, nor park off the side of it.  So we explored the Yellow trail.

The first thing we did was head down towards the hawk watch.  There were several people there.  It over looked a noisy stone quarry.  If it had been on the weekend, maybe it wouldn't have been so bad.  But it was not really relaxing, so we left quickly.  I could also tell some of the people on the platform did not like having Sammy around. 

There was a little waterfall, but I couldn't get a good angle on it.

Above the falls

We walked along the river for a time.  

The hiking was mostly fairly easy, slightly rocky near the river but not too bad.  Then it went upwards and through forest.  It was quiet - not many animals like last time.  Pleasant.

Along the river

Right near here, we saw a pair of heron.  So beautiful!  They were flying though, and I didn't get my camera out fast enough.

We did see a deer on our way out though!  He was making lunch out of someone's lawn.

Washington Valley Park - Red & White trails

Heard about this park on njhiking.com, as part of their short hikes section.  It was nearby, so I figured it was perfect for us.  It was a bit hard to find!  But eventually we managed to get in.

Washington Valley Park is shaped sort of like a butterfly.  I had intended on going to the east "wing" but ended up in the western one instead. The west "wing" has 3 trails - Red, White and Blue.  The east "wing" has Yellow and Orange.  The west side at least is very popular with mountain bikers, so if you plan to hike there be aware of them.  The trails can be a bit confusing because there are "perimiter" trails and "interior" trails.  One is marked with square blazes, the other with circles. 

 We asked a biker in the parking lot which trail he thought was best,  he basically indicated the blue or red trails.  I headed out on Red. This trail follows the resevoir for a bit, then curves up and through the forest.  

 Going uphill, we saw this in the "valley" below the trail.

 Sammy and I stopped to watch some hawks soar over the quarry.

 Most of this was just dense forest.  Quiet away from the parking lot, though we did see other people.

 
We crossed the little bridge and kept going onto the White trail.  On the White trail we saw a LOT of wildlife, including many deer!  I had seen a 2 snakes (one of whom was eating a frog) on the Red trail, but this was really nice.  I got quite close to a couple of them, and twice a group of them came out of the woods to jump over the trail about 20-30 feet in front of us.  My cell phone camera is crap though, so sadly I didn't get any good pics. 


 Length:  ?? Can't seem to find any listings.  Elevation: Minimal. 

Maine Hiking - Schoodic Mountain

A week after Blue Hill, we tackled another mountain.  This time we went east instead of south, to the Donnell Pond preserve.  It was a bit hard to find, and once I finally found the road in I wasn't aware of just how long you had to go on this narrow dirt road, when large dump trucks would come flying out from nowhere.  It was a bit nerveracking and I almost turned around, but just when I thought I should go back, a parking lot came into view!  There were 12 or 18 cars there, and an outhouse (yay!) and kiosk.  I put on my boots and after Sammy had done his thing, headed down the trail to the beach.

The beach was GORGEOUS.  It was a beautiful day, absolutely perfect.  There were a few families/groups on the beach, maybe 4 or 5, but it was quiet except for a couple kids playing.  I ate my PB&J and enjoyed the view while Sammy lay in the sand.  I was surprised it was so sandy.  I got out my camera to take some pics and found that the new rechargeable batteries my mother had bought were crap.  They'd been charging several days and let me take 3 pictures before they died.  Lesson learned: always pack extra batteries. 

We then walked up the beach and headed toward the trail that went up Schoodic Mtn.  It was easy enough at first, and beautiful.  It was by far my favorite place to hike in Maine (so far) but hey, I haven't been that many places.  It got a bit steeper and I just took it slow.  There seemed to be a lot of people coming down.  Several of them seemed to have nothing but flip flops on.  I was shocked. The older folks seemed to be huffing and puffing, the kids acting like they were taking a sunday stroll.

We climbed and climbed, eventually coming to a point where we were climbing over boulders.  We met the lady we had talked to the the parking lot, who didn't seem all that friendly then but did now.  She told me it was 10 or 15 more minutes.   10 or 15 minutes later we met another couple, who insisted it was only 10 or 15 more minutes.   Climbed for another while.  We then met a third group, a family that also had a dog, who also said it was 10 or 15 minutes.  Jeepers. 

Eventually we got there, it actually was I think, less difficult to get up than Blue Hill, the last part of it anyway, though it was much longer.  The first lady, the parking lot lady, when I told her I'd come up from the beach said "Oh yeah, that way's brutal."  Great.  I seem to have a knack for picking out the worst trails. 

The summit (this time I was sure it was the summit!) was worth it.  It was spectacular.  I am angry still that I had to take my pictures of it with my cell phone camera. 

The trail back to the parking lot was much easier I must say, though to be honest I prefer going up the hard way.  My fear of heights makes it difficult to stomach scampering down piles of rocks on the side of a mountain.

Length: Aprox 3 miles.  Elevation: About 1000 feet. 

Schoodic Mtn Hike - Aug 20 2010

Maine Hiking - Blue Hill

One August morning when I was feeling particuarly peppy and motivated, I decided to actually tackle some *real* hiking, and go climb Blue Hill, one of the "classic" Maine hikes, popular with tourists, as it right on the coast and overlooks the coastline and Acadia.  Beautiful place.  It was a bit warm but I didn't think it was that bad - upper 70s.

I found it with some difficulty, but eventually got it.  I drove right past the sign I was looking for (I didn't see it till we left), so I missed the left turn, went downtown and got all turned around in the tourist traffic, and went up another road the guide book said would work, turned at the road across from the fairgrounds like it said, and there it was.  There were many other people there, a lot of them tourists with out of state plates.  I guess that included me!

We started up the long slow incline part and I was already puffing by the time we got to the info kiosk.  I stopped to read all the info, and study the map (there was none to take with me so I had to rely on memory) and take some pictures.  We were already up far enough that there was a good view. 

 

From this point I had 2 options - a service road or the Hayes Trail.  I decided to take the Hayes trail (which I regret now!).  This involved climbing what I think they said was 400 stairs.  At the top, I had the option of taking the long way around or going straight up.  My original plan was to take the short route up and the long way down so I could enjoy the view on the descent.   But I was so tired after 400 stairs that I decided to switch it.  I followed what was called the South Face trail which was supposed to meet up with the other trail that came up the other side, the Osgood trail but after some time I thought I was going down the mountain and figured I'd made some sort of wrong turn and had gotten on the trail going back down instead of up.  But backtracking didn't show me another trail so I guess I was wrong.  Now I could either say forget it and go down the stairs or go up.  Of course I went up! After some water and a snack of course.  And some more pictures.

The trail to the summit was undergoing renovations. Apparently the new trail is much more difficult (this was said by some people going down that I crossed paths with).  At first it wasn't too bad, then it started getting very steep and rocky.  Still wasn't that bad.  One last part was on a narrow ledge which scared me.  But after we came around the bend on the ledge we were faced with what looked like a pile of rocks.

I was like, forget it!  No way!  and so Sammy and I had a rest before we went down.

Then a couple of minutes later, a 12 ish year old boy comes scampering along and practically hops up the wall of rocks like it was the stairway to his girlfriends bedroom.  Well!  If that kid could do it so easily surely I could manage it.  So I tackled it.  It wasn't quite so easy for me.  I'm old, fat and filled with the kind of fear that old fat people hiking alone on the mountain with only a 20 lb dog that won't bark and you know, isn't Lassie and isn't going to go running for help can feel.  I struggled mightily and had just about given up when a man and his about 8 year old daughter come into view going down.  Me, redfaced, sweaty and breathing heavily watch in awe and disbelief in the realization that this child climbed up here and seemed fine, not even out of breath.  Man I was pathetic.  I told them I was planning on turning back and they were like "oh no, its right here, another 20 feet or so, you can do it!"

I do not know if I ever actually made it to the top.  I made it to some sort of ledge/clearing place.  I didn't see a sign saying it was the summit, but I didn't see where the trail went after that, though there was supposed to be a tower and the service road there as well.  ???  I called it good enough and started back down.  I almost cried twice on the way back down that wall of rocks.  I was terrified that at best I'd sprain my ankle and at worst I'd fall down and crack my skull on these rocks. But I survived.  Halfway down an older man came up and told me there was an easier way down - but I'd have to go all the way back up first.  Great.  We opted for continuing the way we came. We saw him in the parking lot while I was stretching and the easier way was the service road.  Maybe next time.

This hike was definitely a step up for me on difficulty!  I was sore for days, but proud.  The next week I tackled another small mountain/big hill.

Length:  2 miles (1 up, 1 down) + whatever I did on the South Face trail.

Short Summer Hikes in Maine

This summer I spent in Maine, where I grew up. My hometown has some really nice trails that are owned and maintained by the city. The largest of these is City Forest, and there are a few others. We went on all but 1 of them.

The Maine weather was fantastic all summer.  Sammy and I took short hikes/nature walks all over the place, in and around town.  My town and one of the neighboring towns have land trusts, and this means large conservation areas with walking/hiking trails. 

First we went to City Forest. Had a nice 3 mile hike-made a loop of the East and West trails, connected by the "rabbit" trail. Was level and easy, smelled delightful - spruce and pine. There were lots of birds, and blueberries! Mostly forest with a field of wildflowers.

This was taken with my camera phone - sorry for the poor quality. We also went through Essex Woods and Prentiss Woods, both of which I quite enjoyed, but I don't seem to have any pictures. 

I also did a short trail at Gould's Landing.  Don't really recommend it though.

 

Sammy and I also went on a trail we found at Craig's Pond, a popular swimming spot.  

There may have been others.  We made an attempt to climb Chick Hill, but it didn't go very well.  We found a trail, not sure if it was the one we were supposed to be on.  Eventually got creeped out and left!

Camp Kettle Run - June 19, 2010

June was scorching, and busy.  I didn't get much of a chance to hike anywhere. I did take my girl scout troop camping, to Kettle Run in Medford NJ.  It is one of several girl scout camps in NJ.  Saturday I got up very early, about 6 am.  I'd gone to bed early (14 9 and 10 year olds will wear you out!) and I couldn't sleep very well on those awful cabin cots.  It was lovely out - quiet and peaceful.  I was a bit chilly in my tshirt and shorts, which was refreshing, it had been so hot for a month.   I took some pictures, and then decided to explore, learn my way around and scope out our nature hike for later.  I figured I'd have a couple hours before the rest of the group was up.  I had breakfast (leftover teddy grahams and a granola bar) sitting on the picnic table outside.

I walked down and around the lake. It was so beautiful, the pictures don't do it justice.  There was a mist above the lake that looked truly ethereal. It was a bit lonely - no dog and I felt like the only person around for miles.  But the solitude was nice actually.

I swung to the right instead of staying along the lake, and walked through a stand of trees.  Eventually I came to some campsites that were more like what I was used to when we went camping as scouts - raised platforms with canvas tents. 

Kept following along and found a frog pond/marsh.  There were some boardwalks through it that led to one isolated cabin.  I turned around and came back and cut through a forest to come back to the trail, went back to the main part of the grounds, and started again around the lake.  There was a bridge to another trail which we took later that afternoon for our nature hike.  I'd show pics of that but I can't put pics of the girls online without parental permission.

I eventually came back out and headed up the main road to our cabin past the lake.  The mist had burned off the lake, letting you see the boat/swimming dock on the other side.  This is only part of a large lake that has many islands/peninsulas.

Kettle Run - June 18 & 19 2010

Monmouth Battlefield - May 30, 2010

What better place for a Memorial Day weekend hike than Monmouth Battlefield State Park? This was the scene of a very important Revolutionary War battle, attended by General George Washington himself.


We arrived early because it was supposed to get quite hot that day. Unfortunately this meant the visitors center was closed. However, a very helpful ranger went in and brought me a trail map and a couple brochures that went along paths with info-boards. I decided to wander for a bit. I walked down the hill following the fences. Someone told me that they weren't normally there, they were setting up for the battle reenactment, which would be in 2 weeks. I thought about going, but it was very hot that day.

We walked across a footbridge and around a field. I went back up the hill, and went on a trail that went around a picnic area in the front. That wasn't really what I wanted, so I looked at the brochures and decided to follow one of the historical paths. This would go down through the battlefield and show me some of the locations of key points in the battle. The fields are still working farms owned by 2 families. You could see the apple trees and small plants growing in their rows. The boards and the brochures talked about the battle. It was really amazing to be walking where President Washington may have walked.

By 11 it was quite warm. Poor Sammy also seemed tired for the first time ever. I stopped for a rest and then we pressed on. Stopped again under a big tree for some shade, then went back around through the orchard and back through the field and up. It was gorgeous and meaningful. I got a little choked up thinking about the men who had died on this very ground, fighting for our independence. I said a prayer and whispered a thank you while I was in the middle of the field.

Pictures

Monmouth Battlefield - May 30, 2010

Turkey Swamp - May 16, 2010

Met a friend and her 10 year old daughter for a hike at Turkey Swamp Park, part of the Monmouth County park system, in Freehold. I didn't get to see (or hike) as much of it as I wanted to, because the little girl was NOT happy about being dragged through the woods with her mother and her mother's friend. So we took the Alder Trail, which is only about a mile long and went around the pond.

There were many people there due to an "Outdoor Expo" that while interesting meant no peace and quiet.  There are some longer more difficult trails, so I hope to go back there to check them out.

Length: 1.2 miles

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Turkey Swamp May 16 2010

First Hike - Helyar Woods - May 9, 2010

I started with something easy, with the intention of taking on another half mile or so per week.  NJ Hiking has a page of Short Hikes in NJ so I used that to help me get started.

Helyar Woods is on the Rutgers University campus, quite close to my home.  It's a popular place for a dog walk. It's not quiet - the highway is close by. The trail went through the forest, around by a field (a plaque called it the "field of heroes") and through an old Christmas tree farm. 

Length:  About 1.5-2 miles??  I believe RU says it's 1.5 miles. It's possible we went further as we seem to have strayed from the main trail, which should have been a loop. We turned back when it was obvious this wasn't the right way. I apparently missed the main trailhead, probably because there was something going on there that day and someone was parked in front of it when we got there.  I saw it when we got out, it was over to the right of where we went in/came out.  I guess we went in the out door. 

Link to Picasa Album