Spring Fever and Mud Season

March 15th, 2011

I am sure many of you like us have spring fever and are itching to hit the trails, especially if you aren’t a big fan of winter like me.  Remember there is another season out on the hiking trails called the “mud season” and with the above average snowfall this past winter, you can expect flooded trails as well as usual mud.

It may take sometime for the snow to melt on many of the area trails and even longer to dry out.  Just because the snow in your backyard has melted, you still can encounter several inches (if not feet) of snow on many of the hiking trails in the area.  When the snow does finally melt away, you’ll surely encounter mud on the trails.  Sometimes you’ll sink ankle, knee or even hip deep in mud!

Hiking on muddy trails can damage the tread of the trail, so its usually recommended to wait until the area has had numerous warm, sunny days to fully dry out your favorite hiking trail.  There are some good trails to check out while your waiting out the mud season.  Here is a few that I recommend exploring:

The Nelson Swamp section of the North Country Trail – Check out the bridge over Chittenango Bridge.  The swamp will probably be flooded, but the trail follows an old railroad grade that should be above the spring snow melt.

The Cazenovia Gorge section of the North Country Trail – You can check out the video below as we hiked the northern part of this section last year in mid March during the spring thaws.

The Canastota to Durham section of the North Country Trail – The NCT follows the Old Erie Canal Towpath which was recently paved.  The canal will probably be frozen, however the trail should be pleasant to walk on.

The State Bridge to Lock 21 section of the North Country Trail – Actually we usually do the trail up to Canal Road and don’t do the road walk.  This is a favorite of mine to get our hiking legs back after a long winter.  Odds are that you won’t see anyone else on the trail on a weekday.  The NCT follows the Old Erie Canal Towpath as the canal follows next to busy NY 46.

The Lock 21 to Erie Canal Village section of the North Country Trail – Another stretch of the NCT that follows the Old Erie Canal Towpath, however this stretch also follows the new Erie Canal briefly.  Another favorite of ours to get the hiking legs ready for more challenging hikes after a long winter.

Head to Green Lakes State Park to walk around Green Lake and Round Lake.  This is another great hike to get your hiking legs back after this long dreadful winter we’ve had.

Also check out Old Erie Canal Historic Park and the Old Erie Canal Trail for more great mud season hiking.  Get your hiking legs ready as many area trails dry out and then start heading out to the Adirondacks or the Catskills or on the Finger Lakes Trail or Morgan Hill State Forest.  Start planning your hiking adventures and be sure to check out our website to help plan your adventure!  http://www.cnyhiking.com/index.html

Spring officially arrives in Central New York on Sunday, March 20 at 7:20pm.  Are you ready for some hiking!

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Blue Ridge Trail -> Dreaming of a new National Trail (Part 1)

February 13th, 2011

Being unemployed for the last 19+ months has given me time to hike, reflect and think.  Although I am from Central New York and the CNY Hiking website features many trails, hikes in upstate New York; you may notice there are a few places outside of New York that I really like (and wish we lived closer).  Shenandoah National Park is one of those places.  The Appalachian Trail is another.  However, the one place that I could explore over and over again is the amazing Blue Ridge Parkway.

Did I mention I’ve been unemployed for over 19 months and have applied to countless jobs.  Sometimes I dream about finding a job closer to Blue Ridge Parkway.  One job I did apply to was the Director of Development for the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.  I applied nearly a month ago and as I have found so many times before, I have never heard anything back.  Its interesting how many companies do not take the time to respond, or even worse, fail to communicate after one or even two interviews.  Remember I took the time to come to your interview, at least send me a letter saying no thanks!

My cover letter for the Director of Development position at the BRPF included my vision for a new National Scenic Trail that would travel parallel to the main Blue Ridge Parkway.  This would open up a whole new visitor to the Parkway, the “thru hiker” as well as more hiking enthusiasts.  This would also create new opportunities for revenue with a trail guide and maps of the new trail.  I thought I’d share my vision with everyone.

Another National Trail?  Yes, however this National Trail will be under 500 miles.  This would allow more hikers the opportunity to enjoy a thru hike, especially those who can’t leave for six months of a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail.  This trail could be completed in six weeks or less (or more) by thru hikers.

Where would this trail be constructed?  On National Park Service Lands near the main Blue Ridge Parkway.  In fact, a trail is already being created that is traveling close to the Parkway in North Carolina.  The Mountains To Sea Trail is connecting Parkway trails and traveling near the Parkway.  Much of this can be utilized by the future blue blazed Blue Ridge Trail.  The Appalachian Trail travels along the Parkway for a stretch in Virginia, which the Blue Ridge Trail can follow.  This would give thru hikers of the Blue Ridge Trail the chance to hike along the famous AT.

Here is how I see the Blue Ridge Trail meandering along the BRP:

The northern terminus should be at the Humpback Rocks Visitor Center.  The trail, heading south would leave the VC and take hikers through the Mountain Farm, then crossing the Parkway at Humpback Gap.  The BRT (Blue Ridge Trail) would then follow the already created Humpback Rocks Trail up to the AT on Humpback Mountain.

The BRT would leave the AT and follow an already created connector trail through the Humpback Picnic Area.  From there a decision will be needed if the BRT should go to the Catoctin View, then on to the Greenstone Overlook, or bypass the Catoctin View.  From Greenstone Overlook, trail will need to be built to connect with the AT at Dripping Rock Parking Area.

The BRT would follow the AT up to Reeds Gap, where it would leave the famous AT along newly built trail in the future for the BRT.  The trail would follow near the Parkway, crossing many of the overlooks.  At MP 18.5 of the Parkway, at White Rock Gap, the BRT would follow the White Rocks Falls Trail.  New trail will be needed after the trail reaches the Slacks Overlook.  The BRT would again follow close to the Parkway, leaving the BRP briefly to take hikers on the Big Spy Trail.

More new trail near the BRP until the BRT takes hikers on a journey to Wigwam Falls along an old railroad bed.  More new trail would be built until the BRT reaches the Otter Creek Trail at the Otter Creek Campground, following the trail to the James River.  A pedestrian bridge takes hikers over the James River onto historic locks of the old James River Canal.

This is just a small section of this exciting trail.  I’ll add more of my vision of this exciting trail in a future blog post.  Happy Hiking!

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AT in New Jersey – NJ 284 to CR 565 featuring Pochuck Mountain, Wallkill River NWR

January 24th, 2011

This section of the Appalachian Trail features the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge and Pochuck Mountain.  The AT briefly enters New York State to cross the Wallkill River along Oil City Road.  There are nice views from Pochuck Mountain as well as the NWR.  There is one shelter available for thru hikers during this section.

A popular loop hike located on the Wallkill River NWR is the 2.5-mile Liberty Loop Trail.  The trail was created on a former sod farm, which before it was manipulated for agricultural use had been a forested wetland. The trail coincides with the Appalachian Trail for one mile. The trail loops around a wetland and grassland areas, providing an excellent opportunity to observe waterfowl and grassland birds. The trail is flat and provides easy walking. The trail parking area is located on the south side of Oil City Road in Pine Island (Warwick), New York.  For more information go to the Wallkill River NWR website.

We suggest buying a copy of the Appalachian Trail Guide to New York-New Jersey for anyone planning a hike on this section of the AT.  We have some info and a map of this section of trail below.

This section of trail begins as the AT crosses NJ 284, heads across a bridge over a brook and follows puncheons through a swampy area.  There is parking available for about eight cars at the trail crossing at NJ 284.  The GPS coordinates are N41 17.301 W74 33.105 for those who have a GPS devise in their vehicle.

View from field along AT near Oil City Road

At 0.5 miles the trail crosses paved Oil City Road.  The trail steadily climbs to a field and follows the edge of the field with some nice views.  The trail descends and enters New York State at 0.9 miles.  The trail continues toward Carnegie Road, reaching road at 1.0 miles.  Turn left and follow road.  At 1.2 miles turn right on State Line Road.

At 1.5 miles cross bridge over the Wallkill River.  Road is now called Oil City Road.  At 1.8 miles the trail turns right into a driveway that once lead to an old sod farm.  The AT continues to follow dirt road and at 2.5 miles the road veers left.  At 2.6 miles the road jogs right and then left.

View from the Appalachian Trail in Wallkill River NWR

At 2.9 miles turn left to follow old railroad bed.  This was the former route of the Lehigh and New England Railroad, built in 1888 and abandoned in 1961.  At 3.2 miles the AT turn right and follows puncheons for nearly 0.4 miles across a wet area.

At 3.7 miles reach a water pump and then reach the paved Wallkill Road aka Liberty Corners Road.  The water pump is the only source for water for the upcoming Pochuck Mountain Shelter.  Turn right and follow road for 100 feet, then turn left following posts uphill in overgrown field.

Pochuck Mountain Shelter

At 3.8 miles cross stone wall and across field, then reenter woods.  Begin to ascend Pochuck Mountain on switchbacks.  At 4.1 miles a blue blazed trail in the left leads 0.1 miles to the Pochuck Mountain Shelter.  The Pochuck Mountain Shelter was built in 1989 and sleeps six with a privy nearby.  The word “Pochuck” is Lenape for “out of the way place”.

The main AT still ascends and the trail will gain over 500 feet in elevation on this climb of the western ridge of Pochuck Mountain. At 4.3 miles reach the 987 foot western ridge of Pochuck Mountain and then descend.  At 4.6 miles begin a steep ascent along a rocky trail.

Looking back toward High Point from Pochuck Mountain

At 4.8 miles reach the 1135 foot middle ridge of Pochuck Mountain.  At 4.9 miles reach an overlook with spectacular views to the west spanning all the way toward High Point.  Begin a gradual descent.  At 5.4 miles turn left on old woods road.  Soon bear right as old road veers left.

At 5.6 miles reach the main summit of Pochuck Mountain.  A side trail on the left leads 40 feet to a view.  Descend.  Cross Lovemma Lane at 6.0 miles.  There is parking for two cars at this trail crossing.  The GPS coordinates are N41 15.285 W74 30.008 for those who have a GPS devise in their vehicle.

At 6.7 miles reach County Route 565 and the end of this section of the AT.  There is parking for two cars and the GPS coordinates are N41 14.895 W74 29.845 for those who have a GPS devise in their vehicle.

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AT in New Jersey – NJ 23 to NJ 284 including High Point State Park

January 24th, 2011

This section of the Appalachian Trail features High Point State Park, the home to the highest point in the state of New Jersey.  High Point, at an elevation of 1803 feet, is the highest point along the long Kittatinny Mountains.  At the peak is the High Point Monument, a 220 foot tower, built in 1930 to commemorate war dead. Three different states can be seen from the top, including New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

The Appalachian Trail turns prior to reaching High Point, however the highest point of the AT in New Jersey is located in the state park at 1689 feet, beating out Sunrise Mountain by less than 40 feet. A side trail off the AT leads to High Point for those who want to visit. There are numerous park trails in High Point State Park you can explore.  Check out the NJ State Parks website for more information.

View from wooden observation platform along the AT

We suggest buying a copy of the Appalachian Trail Guide to New York-New Jersey for anyone planning a hike on this section of the AT.  We have some info and maps of this section of trail below.  We’ve also included two videos below.  The first is from the AT wooden observation platform and the second is from the view point on High Point.

This section of the AT begins as the trail crosses busy NJ 23.  You are in High Point State Park.  At 0.8 miles is a view of High Point Monument.  At 1.0 miles reach a wooden observation platform with spectacular 360 degree views.  A side trail leads to the park road.  The AT continues straight ahead with more views of the monument.

View of High Point Monument from the Appalachian Trail

At 1.2 miles reach the junction with the red and green blazed Monument Trail.  Straight heads to the High Point Monument and to the left the trail leads to Lake Marcia.  The Appalachian Trail turns right and begins to descend off the ridge.

At 1.7 miles reach the junction of a blue blazed side trail that leads 0.1 mile to the High Point Shelter.  This stone shelter was built by the CCC in 1936 and sleeps eight.  A privy is located nearby and water can be found in the streams near the trail (when not dry).

High Point Shelter

After descending on switchbacks reach and cross County Route 519 at 3.0 miles.  There is parking available for about four cars.  The GPS coordinates are N41 19.759 W74 38.591 for those who have a GPS devise in their vehicle.  The trail travels through several fields before heading back into the woods at 3.1 miles.

At 3.7 miles reach and cross gravel Courtwright Road.  Follow white blazes closely as the trail follows and crosses several stone walls.  At 4.1 miles cross stone wall and reach farm field, following edge of field.  At 4.2 miles cross stile over barbed wire fence and descend along right side of pasture.  At 4.3 miles cross stile, pass pond on left and continue along right side of field.

At 4.9 miles cross stile and reach Ferguson Road.  Turn right and follow road for 100 feet, then turn left back into woods.  The AT is following close to the NY/NJ border.  At 5.4 miles reach paved Gemmer Road and turn right, following road for a couple of hundred feet, then turn left into overgrown field.

At 6.3 miles reach and cross Goodrich Road, then ascend steeply up small hill.  Now descend and pass pond on right.  Trail ascends to the crest of a field at 6.5 miles with a nice view of Pochuck Mountain in the distance.  At 6.7 miles cross gravel Goldsmith Road.  Soon cross bridge over stream then puncheon over swampy area.

At 6.8 miles follow puncheons across what is known as Vernie Swamp.  At 7.1 miles cross dirt Goldsmith Lane.  There is parking available for about ten cars.  The GPS coordinates are N41 18.267 W74 34.889 for those who have a GPS devise in their vehicle.  The trail travels through an overgrown apple orchard and then overgrown fields.

At 7.5 miles reach paved Unionville Road.  Parking for about three cars is available here.  The GPS coordinates are N41 18.141 W74 34.539 for those who have a GPS devise in their vehicle.  At 7.7 miles the trail crosses paved Quarry Road and ascends steeply up a hill.  There is parking for about four cars at Quarry Road.  The GPS coordinates are N41 18.018 W74 34.296 for those who have a GPS devise in their vehicle.

After cresting hill, follow blazes and trail carefully as the trail crosses several old quarry roads.  At 8.3 miles reach Lott Road.  To the left along the road you’ll reach Unionville, NY in 0.4 miles. There is parking for about two cars here.  Turn right, following road for 150 feet, then turn left after bridge over stream and enter woods.

At 8.5 miles turn right onto old railroad grade.  At 9.0 miles turn left off old railroad grade and descend toward overgrown field, following the edge of the field.  At 9.3 miles reach NJ 284 and the end of this section.  There is parking available for about eight cars.  The GPS coordinates are N41 17.301 W74 33.105 for those who have a GPS devise in their vehicle.

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AT in New Jersey – US 206 to Sunrise Mountain

January 23rd, 2011

The main features of this section of the Appalachian Trail are the spectacular views from Sunrise Mountain and the Culver Fire Tower.  The fire tower was built in in 1934 by the CCC and replaced an earlier tower.  The Sunrise Mountain Picnic Shelter on Sunrise Mountain was built in the 1930s by the CCC.  There is no camping allowed at the shelter.

Hikers will find one shelter available for camping.  The Gren Anderson Shelter was built in 1958 by the Green Mountain Club.  The shelter sleeps eight and water is located from a spring to the left of the shelter.  Sunrise Mountain is a day-use area and a large parking lot is located at the end of this section.  The GPS coordinates are N41 13.171 W74 43.042 for those who have a GPS devise in their vehicle.

Gren Anderson Shelter along the Appalachian Trail

We suggest buying a copy of the Appalachian Trail Guide to New York-New Jersey for anyone planning a hike on this section of the AT.  We have some info and a map of this section of trail below.

This section of the Appalachian Trail begins as the trail briefly follows busy US 206 in Culvers Gap before turning right into the woods soon after the intersection of County Route 638.  At 0.4 miles the trail reaches a side trail on the right that leads to a good size parking area known as the Culver Gap Parking Area.  The parking area is located off Sunrise Mountain Road and the GPS coordinates are N41 10.806 W74 47.247 for those who have a GPS devise for their vehicle.

At 0.5 miles reach Sunrise Mountain Road and turn left to follow road for about 100 feet.  The trail turns right and enters the woods, rising gradually at first.  At 0.8 miles the trail turns right and climbs more steeply.  At 1.0 miles reach a view of Kittatinny Lake, the trail turns left and in a few hundred feet, turns left again.

View from inside the Culver Fire Tower and the Kittatinny Ridge

At 1.5 miles cross a grassy clearing.  At 1.9 miles, a unmarked trail leads 75 feet to an excellent view.  At 2.0 miles reach a clearing and the Culvert Fire Tower.  At 2.1 miles another view with the green blazed Tower Trail descends to the left toward Sunrise Mountain Road.  A trail register is here.

At 2.9 miles cross Stony Brook and in another few hundred feet reach junction of the brown blazed Stony Brook Trail.  This trail leads to a blue blazed trail that travels to the Gren Anderson Shelter.  Soon cross a swampy area on puncheons.  At 3.6 miles ascend briefly, then some views from ridge.

CCC shelter on Sunrise Mountain

At 4.2 miles reach a nice view, then a short steep descent and reach the yellow blazed Tinsley Trail at 4.3 miles.  The Tinsley Trail crosses Sunrise Mountain Road and descends.  At 4.9 miles begin the ascent of Sunrise Mountain.  After climbing reach the open area of the 1653 foot summit of Sunrise Mountain at 5.4 miles.  There are spectacular views to the east and the west.  Pass by the shelter built by the CCC.  Check out the You Tube video below of the summit.  There is no camping allowed here.

Appalachian Trail near Sunrise Mountain parking area

From here, take the stone steps to descend and reach the large parking area with rest rooms at 5.6 miles, which marks the end of this section.  This is a popular section of the AT.

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Trail Magic in Highland Forest Country Park along the North Country Trail

January 23rd, 2011

From the journal of Sam Gardner, who is on his “initiative”  to hike 12,500 miles continuous on four long distance trails in the USA.  He started on 1/1/11 at Crown Point, NY on the North Country National Scenic Trail.  As of Saturday 1/22 he made it to Highland Forest County Park near Fabius with his hiking companion Jake.  Here is their story from 1/22:

Sam’s notes-
Where do I start writing tonight? Thats always the question. So far i have just written down whatever comes into my mind at this time of the day. No particular order to it but then i figure the shotgun effect of information is better then that of a pellet gun. I sure dont want to leave you guys out of the loop on this adventure. However, I suspect it’s sort of rough to read sometimes, so sorry for that. Writing a journal on a cellphone isn’t the easiest thing to do.

Anyhow, today has been another incredible day full of surprises and beautiful snowy trail. I reckon I’ll start at the beginning. I have a feeling this is going to be a long one so you might want to take a seat..

Woke up a little after seven. The wind had finally died down. Last night it was blowing hard. It was -15 last night with way the wind was rippin. However we didn’t get the snow we had heard we were going to get. Instead, we ended up with about three inches of new snow. It was sort of hard this morning to get to get out of our comfy bags into the cold. Wasnt to bad though once we made the decision. 15 minutes later we were snowshoeing back the couple hundred yards to the last marker. And got back on the right track. It’s a heck of lot easier in the day light.

Finished the climb over “mystic mountain” and then over a few more ridges. Breaking trail every step. We took turns on lead. At about 11:00am we got to a little flowing creek. We topped off a couple of our bottles that were empty from the night before. We use a chlorine based product called Aquamira to purify the water. Built a little fire to warm up and to make a hot lunch. Nothing like a fire and hot food on a winter trip like this to make you feel good. Didn’t spend to much time though but it was worth it because our breakfast was light this morning.

After the three or so scenic ridges in the morning we came to the over look of a big valley with a reservoir in the middle. We snowshoed down then across and then back up the other side. The fresh powder made for a good workout to say the least. Took us a couple hours to climb up the west side of the reservoir. We try to go slow and steady to minimize sweating to much. It’s no fun once you stop at night if your baselayers are damp with moisture. We pay careful attention to that and it’s worked well for us so far.

We reached the top after Jake got jumped by a partridge (which was pretty funny). At the top of the all the switch backs, the trail went into Highland Forest Park which has about 20 miles of cross country ski trails and 15 miles of snow trails. However we didn’t know this at the time. All we new was that all of a sudden there was snowshow tracks everywhere and the trail we were on practically became a concrete side walk. We were excited for the change of pace and treated it like a reward for the days hard work of busting trail. It sounds simple but it’s the little things like that make all the difference at the end of the day.

So there we were cruising through pretty conifer stands and joking about taking off the snowshoes because the trail was so well packed. Then we came up to a large building that turned out to be the ski lodge and headquarters for the park. We were able to get in right as they were closing up for the day. We filled our bottles again and headed back out on to the trail. It was beginning to get dark and we had to get far enough down the trail and out of the park to find a place to camp. Shortly after leaving the lodge, we crossed a parking lot. As we were, a man called over and asked what we were up to (the park was closed). We explained we were just hiking through on our way to north dakota. Turns out he is the parks head ski patroller and a backpacker himself as well as a very kind guy. He invited us to come on into the office to warm up for a few. He even made us some coffee. His name is Gary, one heck of a good guy. He knows how much trail magic can brighten a hikers day. He said he remembers well the he times he has received kindness from strangers while on the trail.

We talked for a few and exchanged stories. Turns out he worked for a spell in the area Jake and I are from. What a small world! Usually, no one knows where the U.P. is located. After a few minutes he said he had to go do some things but we could stay a while longer to warm up a bit more. We gladly accepted and were just super appreciative to have a warm place to eat dinner before setting up camp. Then not 10 minutes later, he drove back up to the building and we guessed we had to pack up and move on. Then he came in and said he had talked to the boss (Lucy) about us. Turns out, we were invited to stay the night inside and have dinner up at the lodge. We could hardly believe we our ears. Of course we were all smiles to say the least.

Gary then gave us a ride up to the lodge to meet Lucy and to eat some excellent food. At the lodge we all sat down and ate a big plate of food each plus coffee cake and cups of cappuccino. Honestly felt like we died and went to heaven. Turned out Lucy is great friends with Mary Coffin who we met a few days ago. Mary had actually called Lucy and told her that we’d be coming this way soon. Thank you Mary for looking out for us!

We had a pleasant and upbeat conversation with Lucy and Gary during dinner. While we ate they even put our boots on the boot drier! After dinner we took a group photo and then they gave use more coffee cake and snacks for breakfast. Gary then dropped us back off at the building where we are to sleep tonight.

We both want to thank Lucy, Gary and Mary again for the kindness. Made our night. It’s experiences like tonight that make me wonder the reason for their occurrences. I have never been a religious man but it’s the random acts
of kindness like tonight that make me think twice. Well now it’s time to enjoy this warm building and sleep!! Good night.

Jake’s notes:
Slept good last night despite the cold and was happy to find the wind died down when we woke up. As we were packing up I noticed I was feeling as slow as molasses. Sam led out of camp and it was all I could do to keep up even though I had it easy following him. Not sure what the deal was but as we mad our way I was sweating under my jacket and still had cold toes and fingers. Gotta figure out my clothing and layers for this cold. Legs felt like logs so I ate a snickers bar. My turn to break trail.. Well at least I’m warm all over now. Unzipping pit zips and zippers, take off hood, stop for a minute to get a drink of water and next thing you know your cold again. Haha. Just can’t win!

We traded leads breaking trail over some really nice hills. Lots of snow. We hated the uphills and loved the downslope and at the end you look back and think, all in all it was a good day.. Except for that partridge that about gave me a heart attack!

Well as Sam said the end of the day was one I won’t forget. Watch out for those random acts of kindness! I don’t think I’ll ever pass some one on the road or trail without thinking about the all times we have been helped by complete strangers. I hope someday I can return the favor and make someones day!

Just want to say a sincere thank you to Gary and Lucy here at Highland Forrest as well as Mary Coffin for looking out for us! And I can’t forget the guys at Greyrock Farm for taking us in as well. Sure brings a smile to a tired hikers face.

Well we are all set to get some sleep and hit the trail in the morning. Hoping to get some miles behind us!

Keep track of this amazing hike at http://www.theinitiativesite.com/

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AT in New Jersey – Delaware Water Gap to Camp Road

January 23rd, 2011

This section of the Appalachian Trail in New Jersey is the first part of the AT in the state for north bound thru hikers.  This section begins as the trail follows the I-80 bridge over the Delaware River, then ascending to the ridge of Kittatinny Mountain.  This section ends at Camp Road, east of the scenic Sunfish Pond.

There are no shelters located along this section of the Appalachian Trail.  There are numerous rules for camping in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area as well as Worthington State Forest.  The only camping allowed in the state forest is at the Backpacker Campsite located about four miles north from I-80.  We suggest buying a copy of the Appalachian Trail Guide to New York-New Jersey for anyone planning a hike on this section of the AT.  We have some info and maps of this section of trail below.

Crossing the Delaware River

This section of the AT begins as you cross the Delaware River along the pedestrian walkway on the I-80 bridge.  Technically you are still in Pennsylvania until 0.4 miles, just prior to crossing the river.  After crossing the River the AT follows River Road.  There is an Information Center with restrooms and payphone that the trail travels close by at 1.0 miles.

Looking back at the pedestrian walkway to the I-80 bridge.

At 1.3 miles the trail turns left and goes under I-80, turns left and then right into a large parking area.  The AT heads into the woods at 1.4 miles.  This large parking area is known as the Dunnfield Creek Parking Area.  There is room for about 44 cars in this parking area.  The GPS coordintaes are N40 58.299 W75 07.513 for those who have a GPS devise in their vehicle.  Parking is also available in the large parking area along River Road parallel with I-80.

Dunnfield Creek

The trail now begins a climb of over 1000 feet in elevation at the AT first follows the scenic Dunnfield Creek.  The trail will eventually leave the creek and continue it’s climb on Kittatinny Mountain.  At 3.9 miles reach the backpacker campsite.  The trail levels off some at 4.1 miles.  Reach Sunfish Pond at 5.2 miles.

Sunfish Pond along the Appalachian Trail

Sunfish Pond is the southernmost glacial pond found along the Appalachian Trail.  The scenic pond is one of several protected natural areas in New Jersey.  There is no camping or swimming allowed at the pond.  The rest of this section is a pleasant, almost level walk until a slight descent to Camp Road and the end of this section.  You’ll pass the Herbert Hiller Plaque along the trail on the way.  This long time trail booster was the 23rd AT 2000 miler.

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Gilbert Lake State Park

December 12th, 2010

We’ve updated our web page featuring Gilbert Lake State Park, adding a new trail map as well as information on the hiking trails at the park.  We also included videos of two of our hikes at the park.

Check out the updates at http://www.cnyhiking.com/NYSP-GilbertLake.htm

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Nearly time to change the state park signs…

December 10th, 2010

With a new governor set to take office on January 1st, it will also signal the start of the changing of the many signs located at state parks.  What signs?  We’re talking about the signs that let us all know who the governor of New York is and on many of the park signs, who the Parks Commissioner is.  We like to refer the signs as the “ego signs”.

Ego Sign at Buckhorn Island State Park

It’s our opinion that it is time that the state just black out the governor/parks commissioner on all the signs.  I have no need to be reminded who the governor or parks commissioner is.  As we continue to hear how desperate the state is with money and their budget, we hope that the budget item line that has all the new signs with the name of our newest governor of NY has been blacked out and eliminated with the money saved going back into the parks.

We hope that future administrations, starting with our soon to be governor, will refrain from needing their name on state park signs.  Most of us “regular folks” know who the governor of the state is and we truly do not need to be reminded.  If the state spends the money to change the name on all the park signs, or purchases new signs then all the citizens of New York should wonder what the real agenda is for NY State Government.  Especially if these signs go up and state parks continue to be threatened with closure.

Leave the governor/park commissioner names OFF the State Park Signs!

Instead of spending money on new signs, put the money back into the parks!  Especially the parks that the current “lame duck” governor wants so desperately to close!

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Close Knox Farm State Park?

December 5th, 2010

A few weeks ago I read that our lame duck governor announced he was closing Knox Farm State Park as of December 31, 2010, which also coincides with his last day in office. This administration has done nothing to solve problems over the past few years. I believe this governor has created more problems in the way he has handled issues, especially with the way he has dealt with New York State Parks.

The land and buildings at Knox Farm was donated to the state to become a state park, as has many of our great state parks. Will future donors be wary of giving their land to the state to become a state park if they feel the state will just close the park and let the property go to waste? Are the days of donating land to create a state park over? Has our lame duck governor ruined this for future generations?

We decided to visit Knox Farm State Park this past Monday after reading about it’s pending doom. We wanted to explore the park before it closed. We did a pleasant 2.8 mile loop hike and enjoyed our time at the park. On a late Monday morning, as we hiked we passed many other folks enjoying the park. Go to http://www.cnyhiking.com/NYSP-KnoxFarm.htm for more information on this state park.

I am thankful that this regime is quickly counting down their last days and pray that new regime will have the initiative to come up with the bright new ideas to not only keep state parks open, but to spend money to fix the parks as many parks have infrastructure that is in need of repair. I am sure many will agree that the state must create more revenue from the parks to help sustain them. This does not mean raising taxes, or increasing park entrance fees. There are other ways to generate revenue from parks.

After our visit to Knox Park, here’s a few ideas to better generate income from the park instead of closing the park. After all, wouldn’t it cost more to repair the abandoned buildings in the future, if you close the park?

Enjoying the snow covered trails at Knox Farm State Park

Our ideas for Knox Farm State Park

#1 – Signs. I saw no signs as we drove to Knox Farm State Park, until we arrived at the entrance. What about some signs on and off NY 400 as well as along NY 16/78 and US 20A? Before you can start increasing revenue, you’ll first need to lead visitors to the park. How many New Yorkers, outside of western NY, know of Knox Farm State Park?

#2 – There is a beautiful mansion in the park, that I believe the state is charging fees for wedding receptions. What about making the mansion into a bed & breakfast? How about creating meeting rooms in some of the bottom floor rooms and rent out to businesses for seminars and other business engagements. What a unique place where you can meet, then walk along the paths for outside discussions.

#3 – I saw numerous buildings where the old farm was. What about getting a few cows to create a living farm that visitors can explore, creating another unique aspect to the park. Many people never get a chance to see a working farm and at Knox Farm State Park, they would get that chance. I believe this would become a popular school field trip in our opinion. The park can create its own milk and cheese products that can be sold at the park gift shop or at local stores, creating revenue.

#4 – The area where the old farm buildings are also looked like it would be a real nice place for a weekend craft/open market during the spring/summer/fall. Bring in 20-25 unique local merchants to sell their crafts as well as other items. With a bit of advertising and the right vendors, this could be quite successful. Throw in items from the “Knox Farm” and its perfect!

#5 – I believe that the East Aurora gets a fair share of lake effect snow. I know when we explored the park on November 29th there were a few inches on the ground already and we saw on the news that the area had as much as four feet of snow in some locations. Many folks can’t afford to purchase snow shoes or would rather try it before purchasing. Why not rent snow shoes at the park? The trails are perfect for snow shoes. Could even think about renting x-c skis.

#6 – Advertisers and business partners. Allow local business to advertise at the park. Look for businesses that may want to be involved in the park operation and maintenance. Tax credits could go a long ways.

This would make Knox Farm a year round destination and the added activities should increase revenues to help make the park more sustainable, especially with the help of advertisers/local businesses. Anyone or any group can say the state must increase funding to its parks. If we want to make a difference, then we need to think outside the box. Better than closing the park and certainly better than just saying add more funds for the park. Better than having the local government take care of the park.

I also believe this will create a few new jobs in the area.  I’ve been unemployed for over 17 months now, but who’s counting.

A healthy state park = increased jobs = added income to the local economy. Just our opinion. Happy Hiking!

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