Let me start by saying that “athletic” is not the word I’d use to describe myself….who am I kidding “fit” isn’t even the word I’d use to describe myself, and so if I can take up hiking as a hobby, then there’s nothing standing in your way. And maybe “hiking” is a strong word for what I actually did but for any avid/professional hikers that might be reading this, please humor me because I have zero plans of changing this post title, so that’s that.
Please note that I do recommend assessing the intensity of a hike before going because it’s tough to back out in front of company and the random people that might see you on the trail. Maybe for you that’s fine but I’m not a quitter – well if people are watching, otherwise let’s be real, I’d dance my way on out of there without batting an eye.
So yeah, let me give you the 411 on trails if you happen to be in the New Jersey area. First of all, nj Hiking is your best friend, I ended up getting most of my recommendations from there, and they did not fail to deliver. But please check the difficulty rating! A mile and a half sounds easy peasy till you realize it’s straight up and over rocks, making it feel more like ten than one, but again it’s not like I’m an expert or anything.
Jumping right into it, things started out innocently. I wanted to get outside, get some fresh air, and also start this new photography hobby, so parks were first on the list, but there’s only so much you can do at a park and once it started getting chilly, sitting outside was not the move. So I thought why not trails, simple enough, right?
Well, first of all, not everything is for everybody, but taking a walk through new, interesting, and mostly safe terrain after being inside for months felt like the remedy to all my woes. I got to go outside, I got to take pictures, and I got to look like I was actually doing something on social media because, to be honest, my life isn’t half as interesting as I make it look. I understand the whole social media front so much more now that I make visually appealing content. And don’t get me wrong, sometimes the look and feel of a place isn’t even adequately captured in the photos, but one event can provide days of content that look like a lifestyle of adventure. But I digress!
Like most things, the journey started pretty easy. My first stop wasn’t even a trail. It was Sayen House and Gardens in Hamilton township, a big deal because it was the first time I had done something by myself in a long time (a long time being when I first moved to Colorado). It’s a very peculiar feeling to get in your car, for those of us not use to it, drive somewhere where people are walking around in groups or pairs and strut around with a camera no less. Just me, my thoughts, and the uncomfortable, nagging feeling that the camera made me look suspicious. Eventually, such feelings were dispelled when I got caught up in trying to take photos of running water, and a pleasant calm washed over me for the remainder of the trip.
I was just a girl wandering the grounds by herself with a camera, nothing weird about that, right?
The second location was Mill Pond Way or Lenape Trail, which is about two miles long and does not loop back to the start making it a four mile trip. To this day, I have yet to get more than halfway through the trail. I find myself always going after work, and walking through the woods in the dark is not on my bucket list or any list for that matter:
My camera anxiety was also behind me for the most part, given that it was a somewhat narrow trail that at times felt like I was the only one there. Plus, ever so often, my path would cross with a lone jogger or runner, making my solitude a minor detail of no particular note.
Next in the series of doing things by myself was Grounds for Sculpture. I found the grounds to be pretty extensive for a casual walk around, and the sculptures were so lifelike that I caught myself almost saying ” pardon me” to inanimate objects. There was lots to see but even if you’re not into modern art, the statues and gardens are quite enthralling.
Eventually, I decided to take things up a notch and tackle Stairway to Heaven in Vernon, NJ. As I said, nj Hiking is your friend, and according to them, the Stairway hike was only 2.6 miles round trip, but since my friend and I were making a day out of it, I thought why not add the Pochuck Boardwalk – Appalachian Trail segment which was only two miles and rated easy. Which was quite true, I might add, the short scenic one-mile addition before the Stairway took no time at all and was quite pleasant.
But that is essentially where all leisure comes to an end, and the intensity skyrockets. Again I was out of shape and wearing the wrong shoes, so my perspective is wildly skewed.
Let me just say that for this trail, they really used the term “stairs” loosely. It’s more like a rock climb to heaven with the occasional uneven dirt path, if you ask me. To top it all off, we were lied to several times about how far away from the top we were! About 30 minutes in, some women told us we had about 30 mins to go. About an hour later, someone else told us it was more like 40 mins. And another hour after that, several people were like, “you’re almost there, like 5 mins away!” And honestly, this is why I have trust issues. 20 mins later and there was no end in sight, 5 mins had gone by like four times, and I was honestly too exhausted to question it. The lies kept me momentarily optimistic, but there was only so much I could take. Eventually, after a very steep and somewhat treacherous climb, we were told that we were, in fact, almost there but that “Heaven was a little crowded,” and honestly, is that not the goal!
The view from the top was stunning! And it only took us about three hours to get there. I am not kidding when I say my legs were sore and for that entire week, I had to noddle leg it all over my apartment when I got back. On the bright side, it took us like 20 mins on the way back down, so I think the lies made sense from that perspective. It didn’t need to be that long of a trek up, but I worked with what I had okay! And it was a miracle I didn’t leave with a twisted ankle because those rocks were no joke! All in all, 10 out 10 for exercise and experience, but I think for this trail, hiking shoes are preferred, and maybe don’t do this as your first trail if you’re not an outdoor person, to begin with.
Next on the list was Hacklebarney State Park, which has several trail options. Generally, I prefer the milder weather of fall for these activities (walking in the blazing heat is not my cup of tea), but our trail had a particularly soggy stretch given the creek and shaded path with little to no sun. The park was most definitely a place I’d revisit in the summer because I’d like to think the water nearby keeps things cooler and the groups of families having outdoor BBQs made it all the more enticing. This particular locale was also great for pictures due to the diversity of the terrain. Instead of the terrain, I will attempt to wow you with my single subject images against a blurred background.
We encountered stairs, a creek, a waterfall, several hills, and even a rocky slope. Seeing that we didn’t try all the trails, I’d say there was a lot more we could have seen, but the customizable intensity was a huge plus, given that I was breaking in my new hiking boots.
Getting there also provided a very scenic fall drive, which is another argument for going out when the leaves start turning. And if that weren’t enough, Hacklebarney Farms Cider Mill is only a stone’s throw from the park.
The next trail was much closer to home at Billie Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve in Princeton. And the intensity was dialed all the way down with this one as we embarked on a more leisurely stroll that allowed us to enjoy being outside and in nature for the simple joy of being outside and in nature. Like Hacklebarney State Park, this location had several trail options, and we ended up switching to a less mud-laden path after getting boot deep in a mucky mess (probably don’t go walking the day after rain).
As another solo exploration tour, I visited the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Trail. It was mainly to practice my outdoor photography, which had significantly improved (I was now working in manual mode!) So it’s only fair I let you see all the shots along what was a very scenic albeit high traffic trail:
I believe the season’s final trail was South Mountain Reservation – Hemlock Falls, which I did with a larger group. The reservation had several trails and we did, in fact, get lost. Well, not really or rather not in any profound way. We simply went way off the path for a good 20 minutes before things just didn’t make sense. Thankfully there were other walkers and hikers there to redirect us, and we got to walk alongside a very energetic french bulldog. I thought it was cute, which is surprising seeing that I find American bulldogs…how you say…not visually appealing. The trail itself wasn’t too tricky, and the waterfall at the end made for a lovely stop. Also notable was the little “fairy houses” that littered the early part of the trail. I’m sure most people either find them cute or creepy but interesting nonetheless. And that was it! By then, it was late October, and things didn’t look as appealing (or borderline scary), or it was simply too cold to be gallivanting outside.
