The Delaware Water Gap is located in north-eastern New Jersey and spans the state boundary between New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In contrast to the county parks I have covered on this blog so far, the DWG is a national park administered at the federal level by the National Park System. That is, it is a lot bigger.
When I first woke up last Saturday, I had Sunfish Pond in mind as my goal. Sunfish Pond is a small pond along one of the many trails that run through the DWG. I have never visited before, but it sounds like a pretty spot to visit. Unfortunately, I had a terrible allergy attack as soon as I hopped out of bed.
A sea of green now graces the slopes of the mountainous region around the gap. Whatever pollen it is that irritates my eyes and sinuses flew through the air around my home in Somerset County. I has a classic sinus headache and my eyes and nose watered freely. It was so bad my whole body felt weak and I hadn't recovered by around 11am.
While I try not to allow any outside circumstances to interrupt my weekly hikes, that Saturday I was sorely tempted. Luckily my faithful chauffeur (my boyfriend who loves road trips) agreed to make the 1.5 hour or so drive out the DWR for a hike in the length of my choice. What a guy!
Stuffing my pockets with tissues and sipping some iced herbal tea, we made it to the park and kicked around for a few hours. Trail heads like the one pictured above abound throughout the DWG. On this trip, we stuck to the three overlooks along the southern most tip of the park and the Kittatiny Point Visitor's Center.
While I didn't make it to Sunfish Pond (8 miles round trip and 1000 feet increase in elevation was too much in the 80 degree heat), we had a lot of fun and I gradually recovered throughout the day. I hope to try for the pond on another trip.
While I didn't make it to Sunfish Pond (8 miles round trip and 1000 feet increase in elevation was too much in the 80 degree heat), we had a lot of fun and I gradually recovered throughout the day. I hope to try for the pond on another trip.
On a side note, this was my first trip to the DWG since the Kittatiny Point Visitor's Center was rebuilt. The park website has a nifty picture here. A log cabin style building rests on stilts set back from the river's edge. The previous site is now a paved picnic area. I approved of the new interpretive exhibits - they were quite impressive for the limited space available. I especially recommend stopping in to see the "Please Touch" table where kids (and adults) can handle turtle shells, deer skulls, various other bones, a few fossils and assorted other objects collected in the park.
Today (May 8th) has dawned cool (around 60 degrees) and rainy. My sinuses drained out around last Monday morning and I am feeling much better. Summer-like thunderstorms have been rolling through our area all week and today is no exception. I am primed to head out to the Washington Valley Reservoir to see if I can catch some birds or reptiles out enjoying the rain.
