Saturday, March 20th was another gift - clear, calm and seasonably warm around 70 degrees. Around 11am, I strapped on my regular hiking boots for the first time this year, and drove out to the Sourland Mountain Preserve, off of East Mountain Road, in Hillsborough, NJ.
My first memory of this hike is the constant noise - spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) sang merrily from the marshy area to the left of the parking area. Canada geese (Branta canadensis) murmured quietly as they swam among the reeds.
Sourland Mountain is described as a preserve or "undisturbed natural area" according to the park website. Several multi-use trails run through a forested area on the side of what is clearly a large hill, if not a genuine mountain. Like most New Jersey parks, you can reach the farthest point in approximately one hour of hiking. I recall previous hikes were relatively free of traffic noise as the nearest highway is some distance away. Other wooded areas and some farmlands also ring the preserve.
My first memory of this hike is the constant noise - spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) sang merrily from the marshy area to the left of the parking area. Canada geese (Branta canadensis) murmured quietly as they swam among the reeds.
Sourland Mountain is described as a preserve or "undisturbed natural area" according to the park website. Several multi-use trails run through a forested area on the side of what is clearly a large hill, if not a genuine mountain. Like most New Jersey parks, you can reach the farthest point in approximately one hour of hiking. I recall previous hikes were relatively free of traffic noise as the nearest highway is some distance away. Other wooded areas and some farmlands also ring the preserve.
Due to the flooding last weekend, I was anxious to see any damage the rushing waters had caused. The pond next to the parking area had clearly pushed up past its banks, resulting in a ring of extra muddy grass. The culvert which drains this pond into a nearby stream has been exposed down to the man made pipe.
However, the rest of the stream seemed to be intact.
On this particular hike I chose to amble past marker 13 on the park map to marker 11 and from there up to marker 5 and back, moving up an area keep open (unwooded) due to the gas pipeline that runs underneath the soil (yes, this is all undisturbed by New Jersey standards). This is fairly steep trail, covered in rocks of all sizes, so be sure wear adequate footwear and move at your own pace.
As you can see on the map, the contour lines are close together here, and one gains all the elevation the park has to offer while moving up the slope. On either side of the open trail, a cross section of the wooded areas of the park are visible, making it a fine walk to experience the main aspects of the area.
When there is enough water from rain or runoff, clear streams and still pools form along the slope.
However, the rest of the stream seemed to be intact.
On this particular hike I chose to amble past marker 13 on the park map to marker 11 and from there up to marker 5 and back, moving up an area keep open (unwooded) due to the gas pipeline that runs underneath the soil (yes, this is all undisturbed by New Jersey standards). This is fairly steep trail, covered in rocks of all sizes, so be sure wear adequate footwear and move at your own pace.
As you can see on the map, the contour lines are close together here, and one gains all the elevation the park has to offer while moving up the slope. On either side of the open trail, a cross section of the wooded areas of the park are visible, making it a fine walk to experience the main aspects of the area.
When there is enough water from rain or runoff, clear streams and still pools form along the slope.
Around 20 minutes of walking up the slope and I can view the March landscape from a fair amount of height.
On either side of the trail, the sun shines on the boulders and beautiful woodland the extends throughout the preserve.
At the top of the slope, the surrounding farmer's fields, green spaces and housing developments of Montgomery and Hillsborough spread out before you. Gazing down the trail, the view below faces due east.
At the apex of the upward slope, you will see a red painted concrete pipe used to keep one of the larger streams from washing down the trail. The water formed an audible roar as I approached, sparking in the sunlight.
Located near the top of the slope is a side trail which runs south of marker 5. I take a quick walk to explore a stream that was audible from the main trail despite the presence of the red culvert. The young trees and brown grasses which have graced the landscape all winter formed a picturesque scene against the clear water of the stream as I moved down the trail.
For those of you disinclined to meet up with reptiles and amphibians, I can assure you that Sourland Mountain is not crawling with these critters. On nine out of ten hikes foot traffic from the heavily used trails drives them away from close proximity to humans or their natural camouflage hides them from view.
As always, be sure to stay away from any reptile (or any type of wildlife) you cannot identify. New Jersey has few poisonous or dangerous species, but it better to be safe and give a wide berth. Also, as a rule I attempt to disturb wildlife the least amount possible while hiking or taking photographs on the trail. As you may notice throughout these blog posts, I am a bit of an environmentalist - one individual hoping that others will join me in respecting our natural areas.
Unfortunately, this weekend has brought back the 30 degree temperatures I was hoping we had seen the last of this year. Like marker 13 at Sourland Mountain below, each milepost is both an ending and a beginning - it all depends on where you are headed.
On either side of the trail, the sun shines on the boulders and beautiful woodland the extends throughout the preserve.
At the top of the slope, the surrounding farmer's fields, green spaces and housing developments of Montgomery and Hillsborough spread out before you. Gazing down the trail, the view below faces due east.
At the apex of the upward slope, you will see a red painted concrete pipe used to keep one of the larger streams from washing down the trail. The water formed an audible roar as I approached, sparking in the sunlight.
Located near the top of the slope is a side trail which runs south of marker 5. I take a quick walk to explore a stream that was audible from the main trail despite the presence of the red culvert. The young trees and brown grasses which have graced the landscape all winter formed a picturesque scene against the clear water of the stream as I moved down the trail.
Here some new bank has been cut thanks to recent flooding.
Noting our friend was approximately 4 inches from nose to end of spine, I took a crack at identification using my National Audubon Society field guide. I feel reasonably confident that this is a Bufo americanus (American Toad). Please correct me via comment if this is not the case! I appreciate your help.
On a bridge along this trail, I was inspired to capture the music of the stream pictured below.
To review, this 45 second video was taken to capture the movement of light on the water and the sound of the stream over the rocks. No animals make an appearance and Sasquatch is not in the background - it is simply the best capture of sound my Kodak ZC8612 camera could manage. I hope you enjoy it.
Before the weekend came to close I was able to visit the preserve one more time, at a slightly earlier hour. This time I meandered through primarily wooded trails. My companion and I were privileged to spot this highly social toad, who was kind enough to sit still while we photographed him (or her) from a few different angles.
Noting our friend was approximately 4 inches from nose to end of spine, I took a crack at identification using my National Audubon Society field guide. I feel reasonably confident that this is a Bufo americanus (American Toad). Please correct me via comment if this is not the case! I appreciate your help. 
Not far from our toad encounter, I was pleased to catch this photo of an Eastern Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis sauritus) as it glided by. Approximately 24 inches in length, it was moving at a fair pace amount the trees and I mainly caught the shot because I still had the camera fired up from photographing the toad.
For those of you disinclined to meet up with reptiles and amphibians, I can assure you that Sourland Mountain is not crawling with these critters. On nine out of ten hikes foot traffic from the heavily used trails drives them away from close proximity to humans or their natural camouflage hides them from view.
As always, be sure to stay away from any reptile (or any type of wildlife) you cannot identify. New Jersey has few poisonous or dangerous species, but it better to be safe and give a wide berth. Also, as a rule I attempt to disturb wildlife the least amount possible while hiking or taking photographs on the trail. As you may notice throughout these blog posts, I am a bit of an environmentalist - one individual hoping that others will join me in respecting our natural areas.
Unfortunately, this weekend has brought back the 30 degree temperatures I was hoping we had seen the last of this year. Like marker 13 at Sourland Mountain below, each milepost is both an ending and a beginning - it all depends on where you are headed.
