Hiking Through New Jersey 200 Years Ago

If you are up for a weekend to hit the trails, maybe you will want to see New Jersey as it was 200 years ago. 

Okay, this is not a time travel story. The New Jersey stretch of the Appalachian Trail (AT) starts in the northern-most corner of the state at High Point State Park at Route 23 and extends down to the Delaware Water Gap. This is another one of those areas of NJ that will surprise even natives - you will forget that you are in NJ, or you will realize (as with our beaches) that we compete very well with other states that are more known for their outdoor recreation and scenery. 

Some sections of the AT look very much as they did 200 years ago. That was not colonial days, and NJ had become more industrialized and cities were growing, but this part of the state was still mostly undeveloped.

Most of us will never be the full AT. "Through-hikers" that do the 2000-mile Appalachian Trail across the tops of the Appalachian Mountains from Georgia to Maine are a unique breed of hiker. More people hike the trail in sections, and the 72 miles of it through New Jersey can be further divided into some great one-day hikes.

The NJ AT is intersected by country lanes or Park roads about every 5 to 10 miles, which makes it easier to do the trail in stages. The trail is well-maintained by volunteers.

Pochuck Boardwalk, AT in Glenwood

If you are doing a section of 6 or more miles, you should have decent hiking boots (thick soles and high enough to give ankle support) that allow for some heavy socks and swollen feet. Dress for the weather and the bugs of the season (bring some spray). A light pack (the kids' school backpack can do for a day), lunch, and some trail snacks (trail mix is not required!),  and a good supply of water. A fully charged cell phone is a must these days.

The New Jersey stretch of the Appalachian Trail is 74 miles long and begins at Abram S. Hewitt State Forest in the northernmost point, running west and south through Wawayanda State Park, High Point State Park, Stokes State Forest, and ending at Worthington State Forest.

Wawayanda Mountain to Warwick Turnpike (6 miles) is a good one-day hike. Wawayanda State Park extends across 13,000 acres of wild land. It is a remote plateau covered by rhododendron bogs where bears forage, craggy cliffs where coyote and bobcat make their dens, and hemlock ravines through which fast-moving streams surge and plummet. 

This mountain boasts some of the oldest bedrock along the entire AT. Go back 200 years? This area has a history of habitation that stretches back 12,000 years.

Sunrise Mountain and High Point at 17 miles is a more challenging one-day hike. (There are camping opportunities on sections of the trails.) The northern Kittatinny Ridge rises in an uninterrupted rampart, climbing to 1803 feet at High Point, the greatest elevation above sea level in New Jersey. This rugged AT ridge walk is punctuated by craggy ledges, far-reaching vistas. There are also manmade features, such as the Normanook Fire Tower, Sunrise Mountain Pavilion, and High Point Monument.

SOME SITES FOR INFORMATION & MAPS

http://www.AppalachianTrail.org

http://www.trails.com/activity.aspx?area=10129

http://www.njskylands.com/odhikeaptrl.htm

http://www.appalachiantrail.org and New Jersey focus from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy

https://www.greenbelly.co/pages/appalachian-trail-shelters

Walking The Path A Little At A Time

Crossposted from Weekends in Paradelle, where I had written about how "Less Is More" thinking had led me to rethink my Appalachian Trail hiking plans.

The "true" Appalachian Trail (AT) hikers are known as "thru-hikers." Those are people who hike the trail from end to end, all at once. That was my original plan and inspiration. You read the books about those experiences and see that they are life-changing experiences, and you feel inspired.

You also realize that it will cost thousands of dollars in supplies and take about five months (on average) away from family and work to accomplish. Of course, you don't just start walking. You need to be a seasoned hiker, in excellent condition, and with a wealth of outdoors knowledge.

Realizing that being a thru-hiker was not meant to be for me, I decided on a simpler path. There are several ways to do that.

Day hikers spend an afternoon covering about 2-6 miles. Weekend hikers have their backpacks with several days of provisions. Both approaches are a good way to train and to evaluate whether or not you're ready for a more challenging adventure.

Taking it up a few notches brings you to the section hikers. These hikers will take to the wilderness for weeks. They will take on a portion of the trail piece by piece. This occurs with not only the AT but many other long trails that are done in stages over many years.

It's still my hope to do section hikes, even if I never connect all of them into a completed AT hike.

Most books will tell you that the most important factor is your physical condition. So, I may have to have the long-postponed knee surgery before I get too ambitious. I have done 20-mile hikes, but experienced hikers always say that it's those 50+ mile hikes that will open your eyes to what it's all about mentally and physically.

There are many books on all this, including guides to individual states and areas like the Appalachian Trail Guide to New York - New Jersey

I bought a number of the guides, but I would also recommend some of these titles for "armchair hikers" who want to experience the thru-hike via someone else's experiences.

• Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers' Companion-2010 (Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association)
• AWOL on the Appalachian Trail
• Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike Planner
• The Appalachian Trail : How to Prepare for & Hike It
• Walking the Appalachian Trail
• The Best of the Appalachian Trail Day Hikes
• Appalachian Trail Hiker: Trail-proven Advice for Hikes of Any Length
• A Guide to Car-Hiking The Appalachian Trail
• Solemates: Lessons On Life, Love & Marriage From The Appalachian Trail
• On the Beaten Path: An Appalachian Pilgrimage
• Long-Distance Hiking: Lessons from the Appalachian Trail

More Online
http://www.bucktrack.com/Thru-hiking_the_Appalachian_Trail.html
http://www.whiteblaze.net

Appalachian National Scenic Trail and New Jersey

Most people who are not hikers probably don't think of New Jersey when they hear talk about the Appalachian Trail.

The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the A.T., is a marked hiking trail in the Eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. The trail is about 2,200 miles (3,500 km) long. A beautiful 162-mile segment of the Appalachian Trail passes through the New York-New Jersey region.

final section of the AT through NJ

Probably equally surprising to even people living in New Jersey is that there are 10 National Parks in New Jersey.

1. Appalachian National Scenic Trail
2. Delaware Water Gap National Rec Area
3. Edison NHS
4. Gateway National Rec Area
5. Great Egg Harbor Scenic and Rec River
6. Middle Delaware National Scenic River
7. Morristown NHP
8. New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route
9. New Jersey Pinelands
10. Paterson-Great Falls

Since 1916, the National Park Service has been entrusted with the care of our national parks, which they do with the help of volunteers and partners.

New Jersey is home to 72.2 miles (116.2 km) of the trail. The trail enters New Jersey from the south on a pedestrian walkway along the Interstate 80 bridge over the Delaware River.

It ascends from the Delaware Water Gap to the top of Kittatinny Mountain in Worthington State Forest, passes Sunfish Pond, continues north through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and Stokes State Forest and eventually reaches High Point State Park,where it turns in a southeastern direction along the New York border for about 30 miles (48 km), passing over long sections of boardwalk bridges over marshy land, then entering Wawayanda State Park and then the Abram S. Hewitt State Forest just before entering New York near Greenwood Lake.

In New Jersey the New York - New Jersey Trail Conference maintains and updates the Appalachian Trail.

If you want to explore our Jersey section of the A.T., here are some resources to get you started.

• https://www.nps.gov/hfc/carto/PDF/APPAmap1.pdf   map of AT  
• https://www.nps.gov/appa/ 
• https://www.nynjtc.org/park/appalachian-national-scenic-trail 
• planning your visit  https://www.nps.gov/appa/planyourvisit/
• doing section hikes is one way to cover the trail in NJ-NY or even the entire 2000 miles. For example, Crater Lake Trail to Buttermilk Falls Trail and the NJ Park Boundary at Blue Mountain is 4.5 miles of mostly moderate hiking difficulty.  https://www.nps.gov/dewa/planyourvisit/appalachian-nst.htm 
• https://www.nynjtc.org/view/hike
• Jersey-centric view of the A.T. http://www.princetonmagazine.com/hiking-the-appalachian-trail-national-scenic-trail-in-new-jersey/

The New Jersey Highlands and Watersheds

The New Jersey Highlands are part of the Appalachian Mountains that run along the East Coast from Maine to Georgia, as does the Appalachian Trail.

This region of New Jersey is almost 860,000 acres of forested ridges, farmlands, and a variety of recreation, wildlife and historic gems.

It is also a very important watershed that is continually being threatened and defended to be preserved from pollution and development. It provides more than half of New Jersey's population with clean drinking water. It also supplies industry with water.

The Highlands stretch about 60 miles across our state from Phillipsburg in the southwest to Oakland in the northeast. Of course, it extends, as the map shows, beyond New Jersey.

It covers portions of seven northwest New Jersey counties — Bergen, Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, and Warren — and more than 88 municipalities.

One of the main objectives of the Highlands Act was to protect the watershed.

I continue to believe that water will be the oil of the future - an investment that will grow in the very near future.

In 2004, Governor McGreevey signed the Highlands Act into law to establish an independent Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council. they were charged with creating a regional master plan.  That plan was meant to guide development into appropriate areas and protect water resources, forests, critical wildlife habitat, farmland, historic sites, recreation and scenic beauty.

To learn more about the Highlands and what is being done to protect it, go to state.nj.us/njhighlands. and www.njhighlandscoalition.org

Short Hikes on the Appalachian Trail in New Jersey

The Appalachian Trail (AT) is America's first National Scenic Trail. It stretches from Mount Katahdin in Maine south to Springer Mountain in Georgia.

Originally conceived as a greenway between these states in the 1920s, it has become the most popular trail in the Appalachian Mountains.

Though "thru-hikers" will take on its 2,160 miles, many more day, weekend and section hikers will use it.

In New Jersey, here are 72 miles of the AT. The sections range in difficulty from 2-5 on a scale where 10 is the most difficult. I have hiked 6 of the 8 popular sections in NJ and all of them were great experiences.

There is a lot of information available free online about the trail (see below) and many excellent books on the AT, including the NJ section.

Our part of the Appalachian Trail runs from High Point State Park at Route 23 in the very northern-most corner of the state down to the Delaware Water Gap where it enters Pennsylvania. The ridges of the Kittatinny Mountains run parallel to the Delaware River to the west.


Even a good road map of New Jersey will probably show show the trail, and a stop at the ranger offices at High Point on Route 23 in Sussex County, Stokes Forest on Route 206 in Sussex County, and the National Park Service on Route 80 at the Water Gap in Warren County, all have maps showing the trail. Still, I would invest in a detailed trail map or book if I planned to walk the length of the NJ AT.

One good shorter hike on the AT in NJ is near Sunfish Pond. Atop the Kittatinny Ridge, Sunfish Pond was created by a glacier long ago and today is along the Appalachian Trail in Worthington State Park near the Delaware Water Gap.

The Appalachian Trail runs around the pond. Don't be surprised to find any number of rock cairns that have been created by passing hikers. A cairn (carn in Irish, carnedd in Welsh, càrn in Scots Gaelic) is a manmade pile of stones, often in a conical form left as a marker. The rocky shores of Sunfish Pond offer a beautiful contrast to the crystal clear lake water.

The suggested hike here is a good day's adventure. Weekdays and winter are good times to go and have the trail pretty much to yourself and some wildlife (which is more likely to be seen too).

You can drop by the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Information Center at Kittatinny Point and talk to a ranger and get books on local flora, fauna, history, and geology for the hike.

The visitor center offers a great view of the Water Gap. The river flows by Pennsylvania's Mt. Minsi and New Jersey's Mount Tammany which form the Gap at about 1200 feet above and show us millions of years of geological history.

Features long the way includes Dunnfield Hollow hemlock ravine, Sunfish Pond (actually a glacial lake) and beautiful views from Mt. Mohican.

Sunfish Pond

The hike as listed on most trail maps run 8.8 total miles. Though the elevation gain is considered minimal (from 350 to 1500 feet), this point-to-point (rather than circular) hike is considered "strenuous." It should take a prepared hiker about 6 hours. Of course, n one says you have to do the entire length n one day if you're not prepared. New hikers shuld be cautioned that even a short hike like this is not like walking through he park or equal to the 8 miles you do on a track or treadmill.

Take a look at one online topographical map of the area.

Hiking this trail in NJ can give you a sense of what New Jersey was 200 years ago. In some sections, it is a time machine that will take you out of the present.

Coming back to 2010, there is still much of it that is undeveloped, with a few towns visible in the valleys that might be considered country villages.

The AT through NJ is intersected by country lanes or Park roads about every 5 to 10 miles. This makes it useful for teaming up with a partner and leaving one car at your starting place and one at the end.
You won't need much equipment for a day hike, but don't just throw a sandwich in a backpack and put on your basketball sneakers. Decent hiking boots or trail shoes (most have thick Vibram soles and are high enough to give ankle support) should feet well with your heavier hiking socks and some swollen feet. Don't attempt a hike more than two miles with new boots or shoes - break them in first.

Dress for the weather and have layers so that you can add and subtract as the day changes and your own body reacts. A hat is good. So is bug spray - especially in the spring.

There are lots of hiking equipment lists online but a light pack and water with lunch and some snacks is essential. The pack gets lighter along the way, but pack out all of your trash and any that you find and can carry along.  Leave the trail cleaner than when you entered.

I always add weight with a camera and cell phone. The camera is optional but the phone is a good safety idea.


Along those ridges of the Kittatinny Mountains, hawks and eagles can be seen along with common trail companions like the little Towhee.

The Trail is marked with white painted blazes on trees and rocks along the way. Two blazes, one above the other, indicate a change in direction of the trail.


Is their danger on the trail? Probably the greatest danger is in you attempting more hiking than you can handle or a trip, fall or twisted ankle. Snakes are rare and the only poisonous one you would encounter is the copperhead who would rather not encounter you.

There are certainly black bears in the area, but they also will do their best to avoid you. (Campers with food supplies are more likely to attract the nterest of bears, raccoons and other creatures.)

There are some trail shelters along the way, but if there's a chance of rain, bring some protection.

Do you have a favorite short hike in New Jersey? Post a comment and let us know and maybe we can feature it on the site.


http://www.njskylands.com/odhikeaptrl.htm
http://www.trails.com/activity.aspx?area=10129
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/
Appalachian Trail Guide to New York - New Jersey (Appalachian Trail Guides)
Hikes in the Mid-Atlantic States: MD PA NJ NY the Appalachian Trail
Nature Walks in New Jersey, AMC Guide to the Best Trails from the Highlands to Cape May

Backpacking

Backpacking is a great autumn and early winter recreational activity in NJ and our region.

For newbies, ultralight backpacking may be a good approach. Although that "advanced" style of backpacking emphasizes carrying the lightest weight safely possible for a given hike for the purposes of long distance hikes, it also is a good approach for the more casual day hikers and weekend backpackers.

To hardcore backpackers who set out on those long trips, I might be misusing the term backpacker here, but I'll take that risk.

Light and ultralight packs generally refer to base pack weights below 20 pounds and below 10 pounds respectively. (Traditional backpacking often results in base pack weights of 30-60+ pounds.)

Ultralight backpacking was popularized in a book by Ray Jardine (see below). He claimed his first Pacific Coast Trail thru-hike was with a base pack weight of 25 pounds and on his third PCT thru-hike, he was down to less than 9 pounds.

By carrying lighter and less equipment, backpackers usually cover longer distances per day with less wear and tear on the body.

What do you leave home? Camping luxuries such as camp chairs, coffee makers, electronic gadgets, camera equipment, multiple items of clothing, etc. all vanish.

Backpacker will also use or make lighter versions of items - remove the handle from a toothbrush, transfer boxed & canned food items to plastic bags etc. They substitute light nylon & other fabrics for packs, tents and covers for older & heavier materials.

And they use things that serve multi-purposes - the rain poncho that also is a tarp shelter or dressing more warmly s that a lightweight sleeping bag is sufficient.

Having partners on your hike - a good idea for any type of outdoor adventuring - also means that some equipment can be carried by one person for the group. How many compasses, maps or GPS nits do you need?

Okay, so you have considered how to keep that pack light. Now, where to go...

Since 1876, the Appalachian Mountain Club has been promoting the protection, enjoyment, and stewardship of the mountains, forests, waters, and trails of the Appalachian region. AMC is the nation’s oldest outdoor recreation and conservation organization.

The New York-North Jersey Chapter (originally the New York Chapter) has more than 13,000 members from New York City, southeastern New York, and northeastern New Jersey and would be a good place to begin your research.

Try their Trip Search. I checked our region and found three backpacking trips still open for this year:

11/21/09 - 11/22/09 NY Catskills Five Peaks Loop Backpack
11/28/09 - 11/29/09 Big Savage Mountain Backpack (MD)
12/05/09 - 12/06/09 Appalachian Trail in PA-Wind Gap to Delaware Water Gap

They offer local chapter activities and major excursions worldwide at all ability levels. It's not limited to hiking and climbing. There are also paddling, snowshoeing and skiing trips.

Want to go a distance and not carry that tent? They have AMC Lodges, Huts, Full-Service Camps, Cabins, Shelters and Campgrounds.

They also offer programs in the skills to be safe outdoors and care for the natural world around us, through for children, teens and adults.

Sunrise Mountain view via Flickr

More Information

http://www.thebackpacker.com offers trip information, like this Appalachian Trail hike from Culvers Gap to NJ Rt. 23. About 13 miles, along Kittatinny Ridge to the crest of Sunrise Mountain with great panoramas of the NJ Highlands and the Poconos before dropping down to High Point State Park.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backpacking_(wilderness)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultralight_backpacking