Please visit NJHIKING.COM - Connect is no longer updated

NjHiking.com's Blog (187)

Cheesequake State Park 11/27/09

This busy weekend we headed to our favorite go-to park when we don't have a lot of time to drive to something longer: Cheesequake State Park. Did a quick 4.3 miler that combined the YELLOW, BLUE and GREEN trails. It was a nice day, but you could certainly tell that winter is coming - was glad I grabbed my fleece at the last moment.

A lot of the park is marshy with boardwalks.…

Continue

Added by njHiking.com on November 29, 2009 at 8:46pm — No Comments

Maurice River Bluffs and Parvins State Park - 11/15/09

Hiked two small and easy parks in south, south Jersey. Both parks have rock-free trails that are characteristic of south Jersey so you cover ground a lot quicker. Lots of pine trees, and some cedar at the Bluffs.

Maurice River Bluffs - 2.6 miles in about an hour. Pleasant trails through pine and cedar, with views of the Maurice River. A few minor rolling hills.

Parvins State Park - 3.3… Continue

Added by njHiking.com on November 17, 2009 at 6:10pm — No Comments

Four Birds Trail - 11/8/09

Headed to the Farny Highlands to do a northern section of the Four Birds Trail that we hadn't done before. (Four Birds is 19 miles in length, one-way) This part of the trail is part of the Pequannock Watershed and requires a permit (altho the other 4 cars there didn't seem to have a parking sticker so not sure how much that is enforced).

There was significant leaf drop which totally obscured the trail. It was well-blazed but still hard to follow due to the leaves. A gentle uphill of… Continue

Added by njHiking.com on November 9, 2009 at 12:10pm — No Comments

Has anyone tried a "Buff" as winter headwear?

The have a Polartec one for winter, and it seems much more versatile than a regular knit cap. I was curious if anyone has ever tried one, and if they liked it. You can see what a Buff is on their site, and a quick video really explains it best here.

They even have them for… Continue

Added by njHiking.com on November 5, 2009 at 12:30pm — No Comments

Halloween Hike at Harriman 10/31/09

Headed to Harriman because it was Saturday during hunting season. (No hunting at Harriman at all). Parked at the visitor center and was surprised to see it packed since it was raining out.

Trail conditions were really slippery so we chose a mostly level trail and did a 7.2 mile loop around Pine Meadow Lake. This is a really pretty (and popular) area, as the trail follows a lovely brook to the lake and back. The leaves were past peak, but nearer the water there were still vibrant… Continue

Added by njHiking.com on November 2, 2009 at 11:39am — No Comments

Hiking Essentials - don't forget to pack your pumpkin.

Water... check. Snacks... check. Compass...check. Jack-o-lantern... check.

We hiked Mt. Minsi in 2004 on Halloween only to discover someone had hiked to the top and left a jack-o-lantern. Got a good laugh trying to picture that in someone's backpack all the way up.

Added by njHiking.com on October 30, 2009 at 3:00pm — No Comments

"Mind the Gap" - Mt Tammany and Mt Minsi

Headed up to the Delaware Water Gap on Sunday for 2 classic fall hikes. First, climbed up Mt Tammany for a view of the Delaware River and the "gap" from the NJ side. About 3.5 miles roundtrip, and quite steep, up Red Dot then down Blue. It had poured the day before, so the water cascades on Dunfield Creek were quite nice.

After Mt Tam, we drove… Continue

Added by njHiking.com on October 26, 2009 at 3:00pm — 1 Comment