Originally for our First-Day Hike we were planning on attending a real-time tour of the Battle of Princeton, held by the
Princeton Battlefield Society,
in Princeton... but this started at 6:50 am and after no deliberation we decided to spend our first day of the New Year sleeping in and then hiking the Yellow blaze in
Garret Mountain Reservation!
We found this trail in the
New Jersey Walk Book, which is fast becoming invaluable in our home. I had never before heard of
Lambert Castle or this reservation, but now it has become one of my favorite places to hike (I know every trail is my favorite... but really, this one is amazing). It has everything: tons of birds, horses, deer, flat areas, relentless up-and-downs, steep inclines and declines, an observation tower, a pond (more like a lake), a warming station with bathrooms, ducks, views of The City...
There was a good inch of snow on the ground in most places, and in some areas about 3-4 inches. There was also a lot of ice, which made for a few hilarious moments consisting of me falling, sliding, slipping and cursing. Steve said I looked like a new baby fawn, legs splayed and no balance. We don't yet have Yak Trax or poles, but I'm thinking I definitely need to get some if we intend to hike throughout the winter (which we do, it's GREAT!). The trail we hiked was 3.1 miles and was moderately strenuous- we feel a big part of this was because of the snow and ice... without the snow and ice this hike would have been easy-moderate. With hiking, bird-watching, hanging out by the lake and stopping for a snack, we were back in our warm car in under 2.5 hours.
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| He can turn the world on with his smile. |
After parking by a portapotty in a lot across from Lambert Castle we made our way up the start of the trail, which consisted of some steps and then a long, winding ramp. The snow and ice made this a lot of fun. We trekked through some heavily wooded areas, trails that run alongside roads, past the
equestrian center, up and down iced rocky madness, through flat and vegetated landscapes, all very Skyrim.
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Every Dunmer knows that 3 of these equals 1 bag of flour.
(anyone? ... anyone?) |
Gear Note: We wore (of course) our Merrell Moab Ventilators. Steve wore WigWam Comfort Hiker socks and I wore insanely thick 100% wool socks, brand unknown. Steve's toes got a bit cold at one point after he got snow in his shoe, but my feet didn't get cold once. They stayed toasty warm and dry. I continue to be impressed with our footwear.
We saw tons of deer tracks and what I'm assuming was deer scat- tiny black pellets. It was everywhere at one point, I thought they might be wild blueberries.
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| not blueberries. |
A bit before the warming station by the lake,
we came upon a little "grove" where we saw:
- An adult male Red-bellied Woodpecker
- An adult male Northern Cardinal
- A Fresh Adult Black-capped Chickadee
- House Sparrows
- Juncos
- Ducks
- Possibly some sort of Wren
- other various birds
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| Cardinal |
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| Woodpecker |
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| Can you find the chickadee? |
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| or the sparrow? |
Once we were home we used my new
Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America. Birding is slowly becoming very, very cool. Once you start to learn about the different types and what's in your area, birds go from being just "always around" to "completely fascinating." Trying to get a good picture of them is a rewarding challenge... and if you succeed it's immensely personally satisfying! Maybe someday we'll enter the NJ Audubon's
World Series of Birding.
As our hike ended and the parking lot was in site, we saw a deer bound across the lot into a wooded area. We stayed very still and before we knew it, 3 more appeared. Seeing them so close was just... spectacular. Though I am still figuring out how to use my new camera (a Sony CyberShot G with 16x optical zoom, because my father has great taste in geekery gifts) we were able to get in a few nice shots (and some blurry, out of focus ones, too):
If you have the opportunity to hike the trail in the Garret Mountain Reservation, DO IT. It feels "different" from other trails in North Jersey, and there's lots to see. I can't wait to go back... perhaps next time with some ice spikes for my Moabs. If you're going to hike this trail in winter, definitely don't forget to bring your camera, poles and/or crampons, gloves/convertible mittens and a bird guide.
Hiking this trail from start to finish is not really doable with a stroller, but the area around the lake is flat enough for a rugged stroller. Lovely views for parents and kids alike, AND it's right by the bathrooms.
Happy hiking and Happy New Year ~ Who else took a First Day Hike?
