After a second morning spent rescuing and relocating carp (Read Part 1 and and Part 2!), Steve and I traveled to Watchungs Region's South Mountain Reservation in East Orange. This reservation is 2,099 acres- the largest park in the Essex County Park System. There is still a gas shortage and all counties North of Monmouth are on an Odd/Even schedule, so South Mountain was pretty much chosen on account of its location...
...and is now one of my new favorite places!
After parking in the 2nd lot, we walked past a beautiful dog park and met a 12-week old Lakeland Terrier named Cedric- probably the cutest puppy I've ever seen. We made our way to Bear Trail and our plan was to then pick up the Lenape Trail, head SW and, check out the Maple Falls Cascades and then head back.
The hike didn't go as planned as we took a few wrong turns and somehow wound up on Pingry Trail and went off course. Still, it was wonderful. We hiked almost continuously for 3 hours and most of the time in moderate conditions, though the wet leaves and downed trees made certain spots a bit tougher.
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| Many trees were down across the paths, which we thoroughly enjoyed climbing over/navigating around |
We came across Hemlock Falls, a 25 foot waterfall as well as a few mini-falls.
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| Photo from somocon.org |
There were families with small children, lots of dogs from different families playing together and it was just the perfect day for a hike. There was a light, misting rain at one point which was so refreshing.
About 75 minutes in, I as usual became famished. I snacked on dried cranberries, pistachios and water as we rested on large rocks by a quick-moving stream:
There's a lot to see and experience at South Mountain... we are hoping next time to visit Washington Rock, a revolutionary War historic site.
I'm considering becoming a member of the South Mountain Conservancy to support their efforts in putting the reservation back together again and keeping the park and trails clean, safe and sound as well as (selfishly, I'll admit) to take advantage of the approximate 36 group hikes they offer to members between March and December every year. (wow)
I haven't been this enamored with a park in a long time. The trails are well marked but you also have to pay attention. They are so well naturally maintained that you don't feel like you're walking on a trail; you really get the feeling that you are in the middle of the woods, a thousand miles from everywhere else. The weather was perfect (cool but not cold, insects were a non-issue, still some gorgeous snow in places), which really made the entire trek extra pleasant.
Here are some more photos from our South Mountain hike:
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