Hike 4 - September 16th - Baldpate Mountain

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 10th
  • Parking Location - 28 Fiddlers Creek Road, Titusville, NJ 08560 (40.317418, -74.889516)
  • Restrooms - None at the parking lot, but our route will take us past the visitor center about a mile into the journey.
What to Expect
This should not be your typical northern NJ hike we're accustomed to - no relentless up and downs, no grueling climbs, and frankly, no epic views from mountain tops.  However, Central Jersey has a lot to offer, and Ted Stiles Preserves is arguably the best hike in all of central NJ.  I am particularly looking forward to farmland hiking and some old farm ruins that can be spied along certain open sections of the trail.

We'll be combining multiple trails in the park so please be sure to print out your own maps. The most difficult sections according to the topography maps are ascending Cherry Hill from the initial trail head (300 ft in .75 miles) and similar elevation gains heading up Baldpate Mountain around the 6 mile mark.

Note:  Since we're using several trails, there are several opportunities to shorten the hike if you would rather not hike the full 8.3 miles.

Blazes and Mileage
  • North from parking lot via Summit Trail - Blue Blaze (1.0 miles)
  • Left (west) onto Ridge Trail - White Blaze (0.5 miles)
  • Right (north) onto Northwest Loop  - Red Blaze (1.2 miles)
  • Left (east) onto Ridge Trail - White Blaze (1.1 miles)
  • Right (south) onto Copper Mine Trail - Orange Blaze (.65 miles)
  • Right (southeast) onto Kuser Spur - (0.15 miles)
  • Right (south) on Kuser Trail - Green Blaze (0.63 miles)
  • Right (north) onto unmarked trail - (0.35 miles)
  • Left (west) onto Kuser Spur - (0.15 miles)
  • Left (west) onto Ridge Trail -  White Blaze (1.5 miles)
  • Left (east) onto Summit Trail - Blue Blaze (0.8 miles)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hike # 17: Terrace Pond Loop in Wawayanda State Park

Image
Hike Date:  Saturday, July 10 Postponed Our last route was intentionally on the easy side to help get everyone back into the swing of hiking.  This time we up the difficulty a full notch with an 8 mile route through Bearfort Ridge and into Wawayanda State Park.  The loop is called Terrace Pond north has some rock scrambling, a few nice viewpoints, and a scenic (though sometimes crowded) pond. Neither Lou, Jeff, or Karen have hiked this one so let's discover together! Start Time - 9:00 AM Length - Appx 8.0 miles Elevation Gain - ~1,100 feet Difficulty - Moderate with Difficult, rocky sections Expected Duration - 4-5 hours Park Trail Map - Trail Map Parking Location – Side of the road on Warwick Turnpike, West Milford, NJ:   41.15744782812143, -74.36746903484052 Restrooms – None at the trailhead, best option is one of the Gas Stations on Route 511 Our Route:
Read more

Mount Minsi Recap

Image
Great first hike of 2020 - good trail, great weather, superb people.  Thanks everyone for joining us! The good news - I clocked 5.2 miles with 1,130 feet of elevation gain.  The bad news - my net calories by the afternoon was a gain of 200 after that lunch at the Sycamore Grille. Also of note this the first hike that came in with few miles than expected, we're getting better at this. The photo album is linked to the right and please contribute if you can.  Or if easier you can send me  directly as well. Obligatory Relive Video (Viewing in Full Screen is Much Better Photo Highlights Our first automated selfie A selfie that wasn't outsourced to google or siri As fire roads go, this was not to shabby View of Mt Tammany The AT The Delaware Water Gap The most dangerous stream crossing of the day Table Rock
Read more

A Successful Return to the Trail!

Image
Thank you hikers for an enjoyable morning!  I clocked 6.1 miles with 879 feet of elevation gain, with a total moving time of 2 hours and 46 minutes.   We battled some cold rain and wind, and then enough sun that I did get a little burn by the time we made it back to the trailhead. Our photo album is here and linked to the right, please continue to add any pictures you want to share. Below are some of the photo highlights and the Relive video. (Click to enlarge for better viewing)
Read more