First Hike of the Season

Welcome to Washington Valley Park, Gilbride Road trailhead in Bridgewater, NJ. Last Saturday dawned clear and mild, the perfect day for a much needed walk outdoors after being cooped up inside for (what seemed like) most of the winter.


I arrived around mid-morning and parked in the dirt lot which overlooks a road overpass. The stream flowing beneath the bridge was full and gurgling and the air seemed mild and filled with moisture. This increase in humidity, in contrast to the cooler, drier days of winter, always reminds me of spring. As soon as I exited my vehicle, two jays burst out of the trees above me. They caused a ruckus with their loud cries, filling the air with sound for a few moments, before quiet returned.



I began walking up the trail towards the Hawk Watch Area, to the south. I was thrilled to be out in the open air after so many days spent dreaming indoors. The beautiful clear light reflected off the ice still melting slowly in the shade. Shadows seemed very black and tangible beneath the feathery green evergreen branches.


The trail towards the Hawk Watch area borders the water, which turns into a falls (Buttermilk Falls on the park map) after the East Branch Reservoir. On the other side is a steep hill covered in stones and boulders, perfect for reptiles and amphibians to bask upon or hide under in warmer weather.


All along the trail, tiny signs of greenery indicate the proximity of the spring season.


As I neared the main reservoir, I passed by a trio of Mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos). While most ducks in New Jersey are accustomed to humans to the point that they swim over expecting a hand out, this group in particular must have been out-of-towners - they consistently resisted my attempts to photograph them. Instead, as I approached, they leaped into the air quaking wildly and flew downstream. Even when I attempted a sneak attack through the trees they immediately sensed my presence and fled.


Like zebras on the Serengeti, the best photo I could get of them was from behind, as they moved away from me.


At the far point of the trail that day, I reached the East Branch Reservoir. The creek widens and deepens here before going over the falls.



When the water flow is low enough, one can cross the reservoir on s series of flat stones and rocks that span its width. It is often a bit tricky to get across with dry feet -it depends upon how many of the rocks are above the water line. But I enjoy the challenge and I have allow it to lure me back to the area often.


On this occassion, I chose to skip the crossing and loop back to the parking area on the same side of the water. I admired the green color of the water and wondered exactly what process of ice melt, fermentation and water flow had produced the white foam on the surface.



Then it was time to loop back down the trail towards my vehicle. While the trees are all leafless now, I can imagine the change that will take place to this scene once the canopy has grown back for another season. Both views are equally beautiful to my eyes.


This particular trail has just one steep hill. This is the western side of the reservoir, and the trail is mostly flat. However if you would like to climb over logs and boulders you may wish to try the trail along the eastern shore.


As I neared the parking area, I paused to admire the view from the overpass. The view south is where the image on the far right of this blog was taken. Looking down on the northern side here I am, giving you a wave from the bridge.


One way I determine if it has been a good hike is by how dirty I get - the more dirt the more fun you are having. Here is one of my muddy boots after I rinsed as best I could in the stream. Looks like this was good one.


Despite the fair weather last weekend, the rain is storming down quite spectacularly this Saturday morning. I am hoping for more sun (and more fun with the extra hour of daylight) next week. See you on the trail (once it stops raining)!

New Jersey Weather Report

I see I’ve gone and broken my extra-photos-every-other-post rule already. Oh well - I can work through my photo archive on these next two posts.

First, a brief update on this February’s weather. After the snowy weekend we had on Feb. 6th, the biggest storm ever rolled over us on Wednesday the 10th. This storm was an honest to goodness all day snowfall, very like the all day drizzly rain we had over the summer. The weather report called it a Nor’easter and we lost power for one whole hour just at twilight.

Not far from my house, in Hillsborough, NJ, there is a paved trail through greenspace. It is part of bike trail, when not snow covered. During a lull in the storm, it was the perfect slog through the deep snow.


At this point (around 11am) we had about 12 to 18 inches fairly even across the ground. The wind hadn’t picked up yet, but it would later in the day, creating large drifts. Before retreating inside, I completed the obligatory heavy snowfall ritual of building a snowman. This guy turned out about 2 feet high because the snow began falling again, with some heavy wind thrown in, and I was ready for some hot chocolate.


Throughout my entire walk, I had seen tracks but no large wildlife. I was sure the dozens and dozens of deer that inhabit the backyards of Hillsborough were active somewhere the snow was still shallow, or bedded down someplace out of the wind. I did observe a plow crew trying to restart a broken down vehicle. These guys do a heck of a job, but this storm must have given them a ton of work to do.



The only wildlife I glimpsed in the flesh was the stray cat below. He or she seemed less excited about the snowfall than I was, hanging out under the overhang of a bay window.


I also had the pleasure of viewing a whole crowd of birds at the feeder during the storm. Here is a male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) with the snow falling around him.


When I ventured forth later in the week, I found my snowchild completely covered by the additional 24 inches of snow that fell on the 10th.


A high pressure system moved in immediately after the snow fall, preserving the heavy snow cover. Normally our snowfalls here in New Jersey do not reach 12 inches of accumulation and the snow melts away completely within a few days. This latest storm, however, amassed so much cover that it remains even today, over one week from the original snow fall. The view from the same greenspace trailhead below shows the beautiful blue sky of Sunday, Feb. 14th.


Despite several days of melting in the sun, the snow was still at 12 inches or more to stomp through along the trail. I trudged along, following the human footprints. It was easy to see the deer running wild throughout area by their numerous trails.



In many areas, I could now see that the snow had brought down many trees through sheer weight of accumulation. I noticed that almost all trees that suffered damage were evergreens. I wonder how this will effect the landscape next winter. This has not occurred in this part of New Jersey within anyone’s memory. We simply never see this much snow at one time.

While the walks through the snow were fun, I can’t help but look forward to the coming warm weather. I will strive to make good use of the coming cold, cloudy weeks to complete my examination of environmental philosophy and aesthetics. But I’d rather be outdoors, out on the trail.

Natural Philosophy

Good Morning! It’s a lovely, snowy Saturday morning here in New Jersey.

Not long ago, I was training to become an ecologist. My classmates and I studied the interaction of life in all its forms with the abiotic aspects of the planet. It was good time in my life, and I recall being more content and happy than I had ever been before, or have been since.

I was drawn to the field of ecology because of my beliefs about the natural world. I believe in a divine spirit that exists not far away, but right here with us on earth. It is said that the body of the Great Spirit is the earth and all that is upon it. We are a part of it. Plants, animals, water and rock are a part of it. We are all part and parcel of the same whole. All that we do effects it just as we in turn are affected by the consequences of our actions. Such things cannot be proven – I just have a feeling that it is so.

Learning about ecology helped me to gain knowledge of the connection between living things, between life and the non-living parts of their environment and what forces influences the abiotic environment. I also spent time thinking about the different ways one can think of and about the environment. I would love to give an overview of all such philosophies, but for this week’s post I will stick to my own view. I think that the majority of my beliefs can be said to fall into the category of a non- anthropocentric utilitarian view of nature. Utilitarian philosophy focuses on the benefit of whatever item you are thinking of. Anthropocentric means human-centered. When I write “non-anthropocentric utilitarian” I mean a place, a part of the natural environment or even the planet as a whole can have worth whether there are direct benefits to humans or not. This is in contrast to a utilitarian or “wise-use” view of nature, which places a priority on human use of resources.

I believe every environment is beneficial to something - from the desert to the bottom of the sea. Living things deserve a voice - they deserve consideration in deliberations which will affect their lives and the places they live. At the same time we need to find food, shelter, and sustainable sources of the myriad resources required to sustain the human population of the planet. This is where the environmental movement comes in. Whales cannot argue for a reduction in whale harvesting, so we have the “Save the Whales” campaign. Our children cannot attend the political gatherings that can influence whether or not a reliable supply of oil or natural gas will be available to them when they reach adulthood, so we have campaigns for sustainable energy.

Like any social or political trend, the environmental movement contains a wide variety of extremes. Some groups will argue for no equivocations, while others will embrace them. All share a desire to make the world a better place according to their particular views. I would also like to save the world in some big (or small) way. For the moment, I have shared my ideas on the subject. I hope you’ll join me again next week for some further thought on different environmental philosophies. Utilizing a few excerpts from a wonderful book entitled “This is not a book – Philosophical Games and Thought Experiments to Give Your Mind a Workout” by Michael Picard, I think I can work through them in my next post.

Stay warm!

Hiking in New Jersey in Winter

Location: Washington Valley Park, Newmans Lane Trailhead, Bridgewater, New Jersey, USA.

Here are my thoughts on a few hikes I took around the holidays this year.

You would think no one goes hiking in winter. It is mostly a summer activity, where droves of folks hit the trails while the sun shines. I don’t know that a great many people brave the great outdoors at all after the temperature drops below 40 degrees. And even then, there is probably some great natural wonder rewarding their endurance. Yet when I hit the trail in the rain a few weeks ago, the ice had frozen over a fair number foot prints, as if a crowd (including dogs, deer and a few other animals) had walked in front of me minutes before.

On this particular Saturday, I was bundled up in many layers, with my trusty Under Armor and waterproof hiking boots on. The temperature was between 30 and 40 degrees and the rain had been sheeting down since before dawn. There was a cold dampness in the air - the cold felt like water, like I was swimming through it as it surrounded me. I remember I even had to carry an umbrella to keep from getting soaked, and that I had to watch the trail to avoid slipping on the water covered ice. Every tiny creek I passed was unnaturally swollen – we’ve had several floods and heavy rains all this year (2009).

It amazed me that so much water could fall from sky without melting the ice and snow from earlier in the week, but the cold that the ground collected each night must allow the landscape I have below.

I walked down the trail along the water, adding my footprints to the deer tracks that seem to cover the whole woods. I tried to capture with my camera the precise grey of the lake reflecting the rain-filled sky.

The downpour showed no signs of abating as I walked. I noticed that the rain, with no leaves to patter off of, was running straight down the tree trunks in interesting, vertical rivers.


I must admit that I cut short my hike on this particular weekend. After getting thoroughly soaked and chilled while attempting to take pictures with my umbrella closed, I called it a day and returned to my vehicle. However, I was lucky enough to return one week minus a day later – weather conditions had not changed much, but the rain had stopped.

A sizable snow fall had visited us on Dec. 31st. Temperature on this weekend was closer to freezing, but without wind and rain falling, it seemed much warmer than my last visit. The lack of flooded streams to cross allowed me to proceed farther down the trail.

In the fresh powder, the trails were still a bit slippery, but I always feel the snow cover makes the landscape especially beautiful.

As I commented to Aengus, my fearless companion and boyfriend of several years, it was pleasantly quiet in the woods that day. The snow makes everything seem soft and subdued under the grey roof of the sky.

I was fascinated by the shapes the ice had formed on the reservoir's surface.

This looks like an alien, right? I am a big fan of that movie.

The highpoint of every hike for me is viewing wildlife. On this trip, some ducks enjoy their own beach of ice.

I look forward to my next excursion in fair winter weather. I hope this posting made you feel like you were right out there in the cold with me. It has been very cold and/or rainy since New Year's Day. In liu of a sudden warm spell, I may work up some posts on hikes I took in warmer weather, just to pass the time this winter. That’s all for now – see you on the trail!