Turkey Mountain

This past Monday I hiked Turkey Mountain which is part of the Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area. I was already a little familiar with area from hiking Pyramid Mountain and already had the trail map so I wasted no time getting to the start of the trail. I began my journey on the Yellow Trail which started off relatively easy but was loaded with mosquito's from a nearby swamp. After being on the trail for sometime I passed by the ruins of what looked like on old shed. After inspecting the ruins I continued on the Yellow Trail toward the Limestone Quarry. The trail started to get a little difficult at this point with a pretty steep climb. I wasn't 100% sure if I saw the Limestone Quarry but if i did it was nothing special. Next I came across Botts Pond which I got to by going off the trail down a hill.

Botts Pond was a nice spot to rest and grab a drink but beware of all the mosquito's and other insects that are lingering around this wet area. While I didn't see any fish in the water I did see plenty of tadpoles darting around. After my rest I climbed back up the hill and continued back on the Yellow Trail. This part of the hike was rather boring with not much to see and for a good portion your are hiking next to a road and even have to cross over the road. As I approached the Scenic Overlook I spotted some interesting wildlife. I saw what I believe is an eastern garter snake and a toad.

The Toad was very tolerant and let me get several photos from different angles. Once the toad went on his way I did the same and continued on the Red Trail to see the Stone Ruins. After hiking on the Red Trail I turned left on the Green Trail and saw the Stone Ruins. There are two sites with ruins in this area, with one being much easier to find than the other.

This location also offered a scenic overlook which was nice but was obscured by power lines. Although it was hard to see there is a view of the NYC skyline.

From the Green Trail I hiked towards the 100 steps on the Blue Trail which leads back to the visitors center. This part was the least interesting and you are hiking underneath power lines. The 100 steps weren't bad going down but I could imagine they would be much worse going up. Although Turkey Mountain is a less traveled hike than Pyramid Mountain there is a reason why and that reason is that it is rather boring. However if you don't want to be around many people this is a good hike.

Pyramid Mountain

A few weeks ago I went to Pyramid Mountain in Boonton New Jersey. Upon entering the visitors center parking area I picked up a trail map and planned out my hike. I started on the Blue trail which started off with a walk over a nice footbridge and a small stream. After a small uphill climb I picked up the White trail and walked on boardwalks over a wet marshy area. Once I was out of the open wet area I passed by the Ruins of the Morgan Place which wasn't that exciting and was also crawling with bugs due to Bear Swamp. Luckily Bear Rock was only a short ways down the trail which I was looking forward to seeing.

Bear Rock is a glacial erratic which is a rock that is different from the size and type of rocks native to where it rests. According to the trail map Bear Rock is one of New Jersey's largest glacial erratic and was deposited there by the Wisconsin Glacier over 18,000 years ago. Bear Rock really is enormous and deserves to be admired, it is easily one of if not the biggest rocks i have ever seen. After studying the rock and imagining what the Lenape might have used it for hundreds of years ago I exited the swamp and began the first difficult climb of the hike. The climb up the trail was fairly short but exhausting and required the use of both hands to scramble over some rocks. At the top of the climb I headed left toward Tripod Rock which Pyramid Mountain is most known for.

Tripod Rock is also a glacial erratic and as the name implies it is a huge boulder resting on three much smaller boulders. Tripod Rock really makes this hike special, as it truly is a wonder of nature and is very fascinating.When I was finished with Tripod Rock I continued on the White trail to the first scenic overlook and to pick up the Orange trail. The scenic overlook gave a view of the Taylortown Reservoir and was a very relaxing welcomed sight.

Next I continued on the Orange trail which followed alongside the reservoir which offered many great sights along the way. This part of the hike was one of my favorites due to being so close to the reservoir which I really enjoyed. After finish the Orange trail i picked up the yellow trail which took me back the Blue Trail where I started at the visitors center. Even though Pyramid Mountain is a very interesting hike with lots to see I would warn you not to go on the weekend because I could imagine it being very crowded with other hikers hanging around certain spots.

Worthington State Forest- Mt. Tammany

This Monday we took a trip to the Worthington State Forest near the Delaware Water Gap to explore Mount Tammany. Worthington State Forest has several trails of various lengths and difficulties but Mt. Tammany was the one we had our eye on. Even though the Mt. Tammany Trail is only 1.3 miles long it rises to an elevation of 1527 feet within those 1.3 miles, so the trail is no joke. Upon arriving at the Delaware Water gap we encountered some minor confusion to where the start of the trail was. Seeing as Worthington State Forest is vast and offers many trails we went a little out of the way but quickly figured out where to go. If you are coming from New Jersey on Interstate 80 west right before the toll take the exit for Dunnfield Creek and continue straight on that road and the parking lot will be on your right, with the start of the Mt. Tammany near the road.

 The trail begins with a series of steps which quickly leads to the steep rocky trail that Mt. Tammany is known for. There is also countless warnings posted for active wildlife in the park such as Black Bears, Timber Rattlesnakes, and Copperheads. Within minutes of being on this part of the trail the sweat started to pour and our bodies were put to the test. The first uphill section felt like it lasted forever, but offered us with our first overlook facing Mt. Minsi and also a good place to rest.

After admiring the view, the trail continued on less difficult terrain, but we were soon put up against a steep uphill climb. Most of the trail from this point to the top is difficult and requires both hands to climb over some large rocks and steep inclines. Once at the top there is a beautiful overlook which made the intense and exhausting climb up worth it.

 Rather then turning back and climbing down Mt. Tammany we decided to pick up the Blue Trail and take that back to the parking lot. Right before entering the trail we stopped for some food and drink at a small vista. This location was my favorite of the day as it was very peaceful, offered a nice view and there were no other hikers around. After our short rest we picked up and continued our journey back. The Blue Trail was fairly rocky and steep which became quite annoying very quickly.

Sometimes it is easier going uphill on very rocky terrain than going downhill on less rocky terrain. The Blue Trail was pretty steady downhill for most of the way with little to see. After being on this trail for sometime we encountered a large group of young adults who were quite loud and rowdy which ruined our hiking experience for a brief moment. Once the group was out of range the trail continued with more rocky downhill, but we began to hear the sounds of running water in the distance which helped us push on. Finally we reached the creek and were in awe of its beauty.

                                    
 The creek was a very interesting and exciting place to explore. The way water ran through the rocks and the forest was very impressive. The water was also crystal clear and looked as though it would be a perfect swimming spot on hot summer day. The remainder of the hike was relatively flat and the creek ran along side the trail which provided some great sights. After completing the trail we decided to go visit the banks of the Delaware River to relax for a little.

Overall Mt.Tammany was a very demanding hike and offered some very interesting sights and possible views of wildlife. It is also satisfying to complete this hike seeing as it is one of the tougher hikes in New Jersey with a very high elevation.

Hawk Mountain

Last Monday we visited the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary In Pennsylvania (http://www.hawkmountain.org). After driving over 2 hours from New Jersey we finally reached the visitors center and were greeted with several signs warning visitors of car thefts and to secure their valuables. Although these signs were not very welcoming we locked the vehicle and proceeded to the visitors center to pick up a trail map and pay the trail fee of $5.00. After getting acquainted with the trails on the map we began our hike up Hawk Mountain. 

Relatively soon after we began our hike we came upon our first overlook which offered a great view of the surrounding mountains. While hiking on the lookout trail which has several overlooks relatively close together we hoped to get a glimpse of one of the many raptors that Hawk Mountain is known for. 

After painstakingly stopping at every overlook on the lookout trail we only spotted what looked like turkey vultures. Next instead of continuing on the Lookout Trail we took the Escarpment Trail and were faced with some difficult terrain.The Escarpment Trail involved lots of rock scrambling and climbing up large boulders and piles of rocks. Finally after completing the difficult and exhausting Escarpment trail we were rewarded with the view of the North Lookout. 

The North Look had the best view out of all the other overlooks at Hawk Mountain and was a great spot to rest and grab something to eat and drink. Once we refueled we made the decision to take the Skyline Trail which is the Most Difficult Trail at Hawk Mountain. 

The start of the Skyline Trail was very difficult and demanded the use of both hands to climb down some very large rock piles. For a good portion of our hike on the Skyline trail we were climbing over rocks and tackling very difficult terrain. I would say the time we spent on the  Skyline Trail was the most difficult and exhausting part of our hike. Instead of continuing on the Skyline Trail to The East Rocks overlook we turned down The Golden Eagle Trail to get a taste of all the trails at Hawk Mountain. We welcomed the relatively flat and not so rocky Golden Eagle Trail and saw some different terrain including some swampy areas and the river of rocks which was worth the journey down the Golden Eagle Trail.

Once we finished Exploring the Golden Eagle Trail we picked up the River of Rocks Trail which was going to lead us back to the Lookout trail to the visitor center. Up until this point we had little trouble navigating the trails but after hiking on the River of Rocks Trail we were confronted with some problems. Towards the end of the trail we lost our direction which was most likely caused by our exhaustion and driving hunger. So we ended up trekking through the bush to the road and walking up the road to the visitors center. Even though we ran into some trouble towards the end of the hike it was overall a very great hike with lots to see and trails of various difficulties for all levels of hikers to enjoy. Although we encountered very few other hikers on this trail I imagine that these trails may get very busy on certain days ,so if you want to enjoy Hawk Mountain by yourself try going on an off day.