Sterling Forest Trail Conditions

jmanic

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
Staff member
JORBA.ORG
Team MTBNJ Halter's
With the rain, how are things looking for tomorrow afternoon?
Any local intel appreciated.
 

oobaa47

Well-Known Member
With the rain, how are things looking for tomorrow afternoon?
Any local intel appreciated.
I was going to go there tomorrow morning, but I think I'm going to pass. It's been raining pretty steadily all day, and it looks like it's not going to stop until early morning. Sterling typically does not drain that well, but I'll defer to those that know it better than me.....
 

jmanic

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
Staff member
JORBA.ORG
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I was going to go there tomorrow morning, but I think I'm going to pass. It's been raining pretty steadily all day, and it looks like it's not going to stop until early morning. Sterling typically does not drain that well, but I'll defer to those that know it better than me.....
Thanks for the intel, thought as much
 

MuniMan

Well-Known Member
I also think you’ll be all right by later in the afternoon. It might have rained for several hours but it came down slow. The ground is so dry that it can soak up quite a bit of water. We also did a lot of work building bridges and on drainage this past spring and summer.
 

MuniMan

Well-Known Member
There is now one less mud bowl on the trail. We put some proper paving slabs and crush into the trail on the ramp on Munsee-Eagle, at about 1:30. on the loop if the northern powerline crossing is 12:00.

I only walked the trail from caretaker lot to that point but judging from the lack of mud on people’s bike the water/mud fixes that we have done in the past year are working quite well.

6A8847B6-CB44-4D3C-94C5-0C4CD91C3A9A.jpeg


Front wheel of that bike would have
been 4” deep in a mud puddle 2 hours earlier.
 

Zaskar

Well-Known Member
Rode the loop CW for the first time which gave a different perspective. Like what's the deal with old ship hull? Never noticed it going CCW.
 

MuniMan

Well-Known Member
Rode the loop CW for the first time which gave a different perspective. Like what's the deal with old ship hull? Never noticed it going CCW.

The ore that came out of the Red Back mine(s) was high in sulphur. The ore had to be cooked to reduce the sulfer content before getting sent to the smelter. The prow of the ship is a oven of some sort that was used to burn off the sulphur.

The trench/gully/'canal' that the trail runs parallel to above the 'boat' is a surface mine. There is also a collapsed and flooded shaft that runs several hundred feet into the hill, presumably somewhat under the trail. I'm not sure exactly where it starts and I'm not going to find it.

https://books.google.com/books?id=p...oECBQQAQ#v=onepage&q=sterling redback&f=false

The Red Back ore formation (what the mine was named after) runs for about 4000', pretty much under the Red Back trail up to the top of the hill and little way down the Hutchinson trail. There is another much smaller mine called Alice on the side of Hutch about 1/4 mile form the Redback interesction. There are some pits and other minor diggings that can be seen on the west side of the trail. The biggest one looks like a deep cellar hole.

If you have never been to the visitor center I suggest you stop in. Besides telling the Rangers and Park Manager how much you like the trail, there are some dioramas/displays and other interesting historical things to see there.
 
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