North Jersey Dirt Epics

JimN

JimN

Captain Wildcat
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Here is a summary of my first and only ride in Stokes and High Point. I just stole this ride from some random dude's Strava and followed it. There could be some inaccuracies here because I'm not sure, but it looks right compared to the NY/NJ Trail Conference maps.

I started at the first parking lot on Sunrise Mountain Rd near 206. I went up the road to Coursen to Swensen to Tinsley and back onto Sunrise Mountain Rd. I took the right fork up the road to the Sunrise Mountain overlook. I took some trail I shouldn't have down and then was on unmarked woods roads in the Lusscroft Farms area. I saw some signs and singletrack in there but decided to save that for next time.

Somewhere in here there was a hike a bike straight up an old fall line road, but it wasn't too bad or long of a hike. This got me to Deckertown Rd, which I turned right onto and rode briefly over to Iris. I took Iris all the way to the end near 23, then took Mashipacong to some road and then across 23 to High Point.

I rode one of the XC trails in High Point for a bit, and then took the road up to the monument. I took the Monument trail which was killer, and then went down Steeny Kill. I then bushwhacked through a boulder field to connect back to a trail that got me back to some cabins that I recognized from skiing. The ski trail got me back to 23, where I took the road briefly back to the Mashipacong Trail. There was some nice singletrack in here paralleling the actual trail (I think). This took me to Ridge Rd which I took for a few miles to the Parker Trail.

Parker took me back across Deckertown Rd, and I made a left onto Howell before it ended. I took Crigger Rd to Swensen to the Spring Cabin, which was occupied by a family. I took the driveway/road for the Spring Cabin down to Tinsley to Skellenger Rd, which I took to the Blue Mountain trail. That brought me to Kittle Rd, and a bathroom/picnic/playground area. Then I just took Lackner to some unmarked stuff onto 206 and then took the road back to my car.

There was a lot of both easy and challenging double track, some old woods roads, some awesome singletrack, and a few miles of road to connect it all together. I had an awesome time and will definitely be back to do some more exploring. Other than Lusscroft Farms, what did I miss that's good?
 
hardtale70

hardtale70

She's Gone From Suck to Blow
Shop Keep
Congrats on doing the Lusscroft ascent AND Howell in that direction. That drop into Lusscroft is the only way through in that area( so close to the lodge, damn!)There's just better ways to make it flow easier on the body, during a long day. Out of Lusscroft, did you go left at the Y and hit Deckertown in no mans land or AT to the shelter? Also has the skiing helped you see forests as a whole and you just flow the topo or have you always had a knack for this? Even with using Strava as a research shortcut you have a gift for orienteering.
 
JimN

JimN

Captain Wildcat
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Coming out of Lusscroft, I took the blue blazed Explorer trail back to the AT. I rode the AT for a few hundred feet where it was shared with this old woods road, and then veered left on what the map shows as a red dashed line. I assume this what you mean by no man's land, but it wasn't that bad. The red dashed lines are pretty hit or miss, but this was mostly a hit. Then I made a right on Deckertown, passed the AT, and then turned left on Iris.

I feel like skiing helped because it makes me pay attention to my surroundings more. When breaking trail on skis, it's often hard to follow the trail, so you have to be more observant. I appreciate the props, but all I did was follow an orange line on my Garmin, and occasionally look at my trail conference map on my phone to get some idea of where I was :p
 
pinkshirtphotos

pinkshirtphotos

Active Member
https://www.strava.com/activities/528574469

Jungle Habitat and Wawayanda in one ride, redo due since I left late and didn't fill the the battery. Lots of road riding, there is trail to find and replace it. Lots of rail road too, I plan to turn into dirt roads. Hook into Mountain Creek trails on the return is the icing on the cake, cake with no icing today. Finding some more flow and ebb isn't such a horrid idea to take over. Looking at some hiking to prescreen some sections, and hooking up with local guides is going to leave me trail dusting. The sounds of springs' out there. Thanks everybody who got me where to go today.


Under the mighty bus I go, do not follow this trail as there is discrepancy of what was trail. Some 1000 feet was bush walking, one section of the Highlands trail was bike on the camelbak and two trespassing only one was by choice and I did it twice.
 
hardtale70

hardtale70

She's Gone From Suck to Blow
Shop Keep
I hiked that red dashed line from the Deckertown parking to the belly of Lusscroft , over to the top of Howell w chainsaws a couple years ago and it was a day from hell, so yeah, that's exactly the way through. Even though you are using technology as a shortcut, you're still starting to get places that see 0 to 5 bikes(hell, people for that matter) a year and that's what it's all about. The HAB horror stories in this thread also remind me of the good ol days as well.
 
JimN

JimN

Captain Wildcat
Team MTBNJ Halter's
soundz said:
the red dots officially means unmaintained
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's why they are hit or miss. Sometimes they aren't too bad and are totally rideable, and sometimes you can barely tell there was a trail there. The only reason I figured it would be ok is that the dude I stole the route from has done this exact route several times recently. When I have a hike a bike day from hell, I don't follow that route again.

hardtale70 said:
I hiked that red dashed line from the Deckertown parking to the belly of Lusscroft , over to the top of Howell w chainsaws a couple years ago and it was a day from hell, so yeah, that's exactly the way through. Even though you are using technology as a shortcut, you're still starting to get places that see 0 to 5 bikes(hell, people for that matter) a year and that's what it's all about. The HAB horror stories in this thread also remind me of the good ol days as well.
Click to expand...

Nice! It's still in pretty good shape. I've had 2-3 HAB horror days where I wanted to throw my bike in the woods and walk out at some point, but that's part of the game. You can't find new cool stuff exploring if you don't occasionally find shit. Strava/Garmin Connect makes it easier, but when you follow a random route, sometimes you end up in HAB land or private property.
 
JimN

JimN

Captain Wildcat
Team MTBNJ Halter's
pinkshirtphotos said:
Jungle Habitat and Wawayanda in one ride
Click to expand...

Awesome! Where was the bushwhacking and hike a bike? How was the route you took through Hamburg WMA? I need to look at your ride more when I have time, as I'm sure I'll have more questions.
 
JimN

JimN

Captain Wildcat
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Oooh @pinkshirtphotos how were the powerlines from Van Orden to Macopin? I've ridden past them several time but never checked them out. Good way to connect Hank's Pond to Jungle?
 
pinkshirtphotos

pinkshirtphotos

Active Member
South West of Silver Lake in the HWM was pretty messy. Van Orden to Macopin was liberating after getting lost in Pequannock Watershed. The trail map I have puts trail blaze direction over a critical mapping area. @JimN where is Hank's Pond? I am looking at possibly continuing the power lines into Norvin Green.
 
Mumonkan

Mumonkan

Well-Known Member
theres a sweet bat cave in norvin green and some geological nerdery to be had there too if thats your bag
 
JimN

JimN

Captain Wildcat
Team MTBNJ Halter's
pinkshirtphotos said:
where is Hank's Pond?
Click to expand...

soundz said:
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.0826236,-74.4404398,15.5z
Click to expand...

Yeah, Hank's pond is the small body of water on the east side of Clinton Reservoir. There are some really nice trails in the Watershed around there. I like to ride up to there from Splitrock, and have been thinking about how to connect to Jungle. I didn't realize you could get that close on the power lines, because the map makes it look like the trail just stops.

I haven't ridden that stuff west of Paradise Rd, but I assume that's where you got lost? And yeah, I see the trail blaze directions are kind of in the way on that section of NYNJTC map 116.
 
pinkshirtphotos

pinkshirtphotos

Active Member
Yeah the 116 map has the block, I'll get over it. I have the connector key to make Wawayanda to Jungle. Ill be out there soon to rattle some cages.
 
pinkshirtphotos

pinkshirtphotos

Active Member
The way involves land owner issues and permission from the land owners, thus making it "whom you know" riding. I wouldn't want to be causing ruckus in your garage if I didn't get invited.
 
JimN

JimN

Captain Wildcat
Team MTBNJ Halter's
It's looking like I'm gonna have all day Saturday to play, and I'll likely do some type of Wildcat/Mahlon/Waway ride. If anyone is free for the day and wants to do 10-12 hours of mostly dirt at a modest pace, hit me up!
 
rayder

rayder

Active Member
Jim since 3 hours on a bike is too much for my back at this point. I do have one question for you anyway. When you ride all day in these remote areas what are some of the coolest wildlife encounter stories you have? And anyone else who does the epic rides can chime in too. I'm just curious I have heard the mountain lions in New Jersey stories that intrigue me
 
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