Day Hike: South Mountain Reservation, Lenape/Pingry Trails

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.

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.

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:

Anything Can Be

Casually checking out NJhiking.com to research where to go trekking this weekend turned into a 4 hour, deep-into-the-night project (I'm sure the coffee with lunch did not help). I learned of the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference (now a member!) and of the many various NJ hiking clubs available. While not entirely sure if hiking in a pack of people will interfere with the joyful solitude of the trek, there is strength in numbers and I am quite afraid of bears.

Except if their last name is Berenstain.

I'll assuredly be curled up with my laptop in between hikes reading up on how to best handle a bear sighting and what to do in case of emergency. 2 years ago when we first became really interested in hiking, I brought along pesto pasta in my pack... possibly the worst, smelliest thing one can bring into the woods! I obviously need more Bear Ed.

The Club I'm most interested in is the Union County Hiking Club. They have hikes 6 days a week (some weather/ice permitting), locations are not too far away (need to stay close while on call) and hikes vary in difficulty and length. From their website I see that it's $10 per year to join, and you can tag along on 3 hikes for free until you'd need to join. They also have canoeing events which is really exciting because I have big plans for my kayak this Spring and Summer. I've had it for over 10 years and can count on two hands how many times its been used. No more!

I've also come across a fascinating group called the New Jersey 1K Club, which is made of a bunch of individuals dedicated to climbing all of NJ's mountains. There are way more peaks here than I originally realized. Challenge accepted, New Jersey.

Hiking, like most hobbies, can be expensive. There is a lot of gear involved, even for the more casual day-hiker. Good shoes are, of course, top priority. I've been using Merrell Moab Ventilators (hiking sneakers), which were fantastic this past Spring and Summer. They're my every day sneaker and are not only incredibly comfortable (and didn't break the bank), but offer great ankle and arch support. I chose to not get the waterproof version as I want my feet to be able to breathe. Now that the weather is colder and it's been very wet outside, I'm looking into a more appropriate winter-weather shoe as well as a traction attachment (such as crampons) for safety.

After reading NJHiking's Tips and Tricks, I know I have to make an "On Call" bag for quick trips to the outdoors. Much like my birth bag, it will be filled with essentials and set right by the door. Especially in the cooler weather it's easier to let laziness take over and stay inside in the warmth of the home then seek adventure in the cold- I'm hoping a ready-made hiking bag will diminish this. Now of course I'll need to make some purchases to keep the bag filled, but it will contain a lot of the same things we were going to get anyway... Hurricane Sandy's wrath has made us realize that it's just irresponsible for us to not have an emergency bag ready at all times, as well as an emergency tote with a generator and larger emergency items. 

Of course, after all this, I still haven't decided where to hike this weekend... the possibilities are endless!

Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be. (Shel Silverstein)

Get Thee Outdoors!

Inspiration in Animal Kingdom

A dear friend and doula once told me "You birth how you live." Deep reflection of this has me realizing that I am not living in a way that I want to birth... I have not made time for all of the things that are important to me besides birth. Birth has become all-consuming and that's not a bad thing because I LOVE IT... but I need to be outdoors, with animals, with trees, farming, hiking, kayaking, planting. I've got to return to my primal roots of simplicity, joy and awe of nature, wonderment. I need to explore! I need to become more self-sufficient and lead a more sustainable lifestyle. I need to find a bit of rural sanctuary and bring my dream of life on a hobby farm into this very urban atmosphere. I need to blend birth into my life in a balanced way, and I need to make being on the trails and mountains, in the rivers, a focus and priority as I have wanted to do for years. It's time.

I'm excited to have this page as motivation to seek out opportunities, challenges, adventures and warmth, as well as to share my experiences with pregnancy and birth. I'm glad you stopped by and hope you'll share interesting people, places and things with me- I'm always seeking new adventures!