Take a Hike!

Hello Hikers! With hiking season effectively over for us (though, look for a last minute hike or two during the winter if the weather is nice on a random Saturday), we wanted to thank everyone for coming out.  We logged 40 miles and 7,300 feet of elevation, not too shabby for five hikes in NJ! While the hikes were great, the company was even better.  Truly, what an awesome group to spend some time with.  We are definitely looking forward to next season.   To hold us all over until then, here is a quick 2 minute season recap video Lou made from all the great photos taken during the year.  Enjoy! Thank You! Lou, Jeff, and Karen

Bummer!  The local forecast for Milford has rain coming in around 10 AM.  It's light in the morning, but with the temp in the 40s it would make for a tough hike.  We'll try again soon!

"The Cliff Trail offers some of the most spectacular overlook views in the recreation area of the serpentine Delaware River valley from atop the Raymondskill Ridge. This view was so inspiring to early film makers that several westerns were filmed using this magnificent scenery as stand-ins for the landscapes out west. Early 1900s actors Tom Mix, Walter Miller and Mary Pickford are just some of the stars who once stood on these vary cliffs." .... The National Park Service Time has gotten away from us this Autumn, but we're hoping for some good weather for what very well be the last hike of 2017.  On November 18, we'll head to Milford, PA to hike Cliff Park.  Cliff Park has an excellent effort to reward ratio with one large hill and then almost constant views of the cliffs overlooking the Delaware River.   Also within walking distance of the parking area is the largest waterfall in Pennsylvania, Raymondskill Falls (not to mention a lovely pond and Hackers Falls as we...

Mercer County Park proved to be what one would expect from Central Jersey hiking.  The trail itself was a little repetitive and the views were sparse, but the company was excellent and the day was thoroughly enjoyable.   Also, the blazes on the trail were sparse and the online map colors did not match the blazes in some areas ,which proved to be difficult.  As a result we missed eastern most parts of the park (Kuser Trail).  Regardless, we pushed on and only backtrack once, or twice, or maybe it was three times?  Luckily we ran into someone who pointed us in the right direction. We also "saw" Philadelphia!  Or that could have been a water tower on the horizon, but let's stick with Philly and pat each other on the back for great eyesight. The group clocked in 8 miles in about 4 hours including a 15 minute break for "lunch" so we collectively made the best time so far this year.  Nice job everyone! Here are some photos and please send along any goo...

Hopefully everyone enjoyed their summers and are ready to get back into hiking.  Our first adventure after the hiatus is our initial foray into central NJ.  We'll head to Mercer County and tackle Baldpate Mountain in the area known as Ted Stiles Preserve. Neither Karen, Jeff, or I have hiked this area in the past, but by all accounts this is a lovely hike that includes farmland, woodland areas, and views of the Delaware River. This hike has trails rated as easy to moderate with no sections of difficult, so for those that have hiked with us at Mt Tammany or Buttermilk Falls expect something easier.  The hike is over 8 miles in length however, so rest up the night before! Please contact Jeff Carlson (jc1372)by September 10th if you are interested in joining us. Moderate - Some interesting hills, but mainly moderate for the length. Length - 8.3 miles Elevation Gain - ~1,150 feet Expected Duration - 4-6 hours Park Trail Map Our Route - Posted on September 10t...

Not sure why I never did this previously, but there are now links to individual hike photo albums on the right hand side of the blog.  These are a compilation of all photo's submitted to me after each hike date.  I removed the obvious duplicates. I did not have a simple way to credit the photographer.  If you would like me to remove any photo just let me know.

Buttermilk falls proved to be a great hike, and worthy of it's billing as a top NJ trail.  There were, of course, the falls themselves which pictures cannot do justice too, and we also enjoyed one of the few remaining northeast Hemlock groves, a majestic Blue Heron, and some lovely sections of the AT.  Crater Lake was arguably better than the falls and was one of the most peaceful places in the area. Overall we logged about 7.8 miles, a little more length than predicted due to a few side trail excursions and *cough* a few misreads on trail direction; the elevation gain was 1770 feet - nice job everyone! The highlight though, was catching up with Hani who was late arriving for the start, but braved the trail by his lonesome for several hours until he ran into our  main group in the Hemlock Pond area.  He joined the rest of the excursion with us, great stuff. Also a special thanks to Mike who scouted ahead and located a few snakes for the group. Our route and s...

Looks like we are on the northern fringe of a minor system coming through the area this morning.  Looks like some shower activity that will clear the area by 9 or 10 with clearing skies and sun soon afterward. See you soon!

At 9:00 AM on June 3rd we'll head to the Kittatiny's to tackle Buttermilk Falls, Crater Lake, and Hemlock Pond.  At 200 feet, the Falls are the tallest in New Jersey and the two lake's are nestled in along each side of a ridge line that is home to a section of the Appalachian trail. Please note a small portion of this trail is rated difficult, solely for the elevation gain and not the terrain.  The climb to the Appalachian Trail is over 1,100 feet over the course of 1.4 miles. Please contact Jeff Carlson (jc1372) by May 29th if you are interested in joining us. Difficulty - Challenging at the onset, Moderate for the balance Length - 7.5 miles Elevation Gain - ~ 1,500 feet Expected Duration - 4-6 hours Park Trail Map Our Route Parking Location - Mountain Road, Layton, NJ (41.137023, -74.889123).  See note below. Restrooms - via NJHiking.com :   None at the Falls parking. If you approach from Rt. 206, there are outhouses at the two Tillman Ravine pa...

Hike #2 proved to be more challenging than expected, but hopefully it was more rewarding as well.  We beat the forecasters and ended up with fairly nice weather as the rain held out until later in the afternoon, after we were finished.  In all, 5 of us made the hike which was anywhere between 7.2 and 9.2 miles long, depending upon the tracking software we utilized.  Either way, it was longer than I predicted and we'll double and triple check distances going forward. Some quick highlights and lessons learned: The route was definitely slick and three of us, including yours truly, took a spill.  Always check your footing! Beware of scraggly looking raccoons that are out during the day and not afraid of people. Enjoy the small things - colorful centipede's, orange newt's, and spring wildflowers. And the big - Wyanokie High Point, Carris Hill, Chikahoki Falls, and rock hopping along a stream bed and the surrounding wetlands. But bring bug spray, especially in ...

At 9:00 AM on May 6th we'll head to Norvin Green State Forest in Ringwood, NJ.  This is one of the top hikes in New Jersey and features great 360 degree views of the area, some good up and downs, and if lucky, and distant view of the New York City skyline.  There are waterfalls, boulder fields, and some rock climbing for the adventurous. Comparing this hike to our Tammany hike is difficult.  Here there is nothing as steep as the Red Dot trail, but it is almost twice the length and offers it's own challenge in duration. Please contact Jeff Carlson (JC1372) by April 30th to be added to the attendee list. Difficulty - Moderate to Challenging Length - 6.0 Miles Elevation Gain - Several up and downs for ~1,600 ft total Expected Duration - 4-6 Hours Park Trail Map Our Route Parking Location - 140 Snake Den Road, Ringwood, NJ (41.069837, -74.321617) What to Expect The first thing to realize about Norvin Green State Forest is that it's a 5,400 acre park with a...

Thank you to all who joined us!  Our first ever meet-up was a  success and we working on a follow up.  The weather was almost perfect - it worked for the climb (1250 ft) but was a tad uncomfortable with the wind at the summit.  The trail was in moderate condition as there was plenty of water and mud to work our way around, especially in the second half on the blue trail.  We lucked out a bit too - Dunnfield Creek was flowing swiftly and made for a scenic rest spot. Special thanks to Darlene who realized a large group of our members was at a different parking lot! Rick brought some technology into play, here is a nifty video of our route based upon his GPS software which ties our coordinates against a three dimensional elevation profile of our hike: And here is our gallery.  Click any image and it will pop out for larger view, and allow you to scroll through each more easily.  Thank You Jeff and Rick for sharing. Our Route via Rick's GP...

Our first hike! If interested in participating please contact Jeff Carlson (JC1372) by April 1st.   Please provide him with your mobile # and the best email address to communicate with. If inclement weather is expected we'll decide to postpone by Wednesday, April 5th. ***** At 9:00 AM on April 8th, we'll head out to the Delaware Water Gap and hike up Mt. Tammany.  This is a short hike in mileage, but does put some strain on the body with sharp elevation gain.  The payoff is well worth it though. Difficulty - Challenging (due to grade)  Length - 3.7 Miles Elevation Gain - 1250 ft Expected Duration - 2-4 Hours Park Trail Map Our Route Parking Location - Dunnfield Parking off Route 80, just before River Road and 8/10 of a mile before the bridge.  Great diagram from njhiking.com.  See Note Below*. What to Expect This is a relatively short hike but very challenging from the first step as you climb to the main vista point.  It's...