Mountainside Park, Pequannock Township, NJ (1/22/2012) We followed the Hike of the Week for 1/4/2012, which uses the blue trail north to the viewpoint, and then returns on the yellow south back to the car. There is a fair amount of climbing along the way, and the snow made it even more strenuous. But we didn't see another soul (in fact the parking area wasn't yet plowed, so we parked on the street) and yet we were surrounded by life. We saw fresh animals tracks everywhere: birds, deer, rabbits, coyotes and/or fox, but no bears (they're probably hibernating). We were the first to hike in this park since the snow. The only prints besides ours were those of the critters, hundreds of critters. Total distance hiked today was 3.2 miles in approximately 2.5 hours with lots of climbing and lots of snow!
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On the dead end road |
View from SUV east to Rt 287 |
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The parking area was not plowed |
There are steps under that snow |
Heading north on Blue |
Animal tracks |
Loads of bird tracks |
Climbing |
Rabbit tracks |
[Photo by Laura] |
View east to Pequannock Township |
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Jets ... |
... criss-crossing |
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Continuing north |
That's the peak we'll be climbing |
Animals follow blazed trails! |
Stream crossing |
Paralleling Rt. 287 |
Boy scout camp |
Sturdy bridge |
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Blue and Orange co-mingle here |
[Photo by Laura] |
Camp shelter |
View from inside |
Hammer on dining structure |
Fire ring under snow |
Makeshift lean-to |
Start of long, steep climb |
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View east from end of woods road |
View west from same spot |
Heading back to Blue |
More climbing |
Taking a breather |
Awesome ... |
... views open ... |
... to the ... |
... east |
Snowy roofed houses east |
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Tiny tree on snowy tree |
View east from the vista |
Incongruous bench at top |
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[Photo by Laura] |
View to ... |
... Lincoln Park airport |
Zoom to runway |
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Yellow trail |
Kiosk at top |
Second incongruous bench |
View west |
Cedar Crest Village |
View south |
View to shopping mall |
Peaks south |
Snowy woods road south |
View west |
View south |
View east |
Distant mansion west |
Now on Yellow |
Cedar Crest Village |
Tank behind Cedar Crest Village |
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Steep descent ... |
... on Yellow |
Yellow blaze |
Building on park boundary |
Another sturdy scout bridge |
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Late winter color |
That's the peak with the view |
Water break at scout bench |
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Coyote or fox tracks |
Crossing with Red |
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Snowy kiosk |
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