First Section Hike - NY/NJ

[dwpphoto]

Hey guys.

I'm new to the forums here and I also new to the AT. I've been hiking for a while and I'm very eager to try a hike through NY/NJ along the AT.


The plan is to go late September and take the Metro North from NYC to the AT train stop near Pawling, NY and finish at the Del. Water Gap.

I had been hoping to bring my dog along as well, but that is still up for debate. Would any one happen to have experience doing this, or have any advice on such a hike?

Thanks.

David.

[Rain Man]

David,

I did most of NJ last fall and then finished it and hiked NY up to the Hudson River in June. NJ was fairly easy hiking (it's all relative) and NY was fairly rugged hiking (lots of ups and downs and rock scrambling).

If you'd like a link to the photo albums I put online, let me know and I'll find the links to repost.

Rain Man

.

[Offshore]

David,

Welcome. Its a pretty area for a hike, but if you could delay the hike a week or so, you'll hit it at what is expected to be peak foliage season. Typical foliage season in NJ runs mid-late October, with the northern area being sooner than later in that range. The rule for dogs on MTA MetroNorth in a nutshell: "Small domestic pets are permitted provided they're carried in kennels or similar containers, or are securely controlled on leashes throughout the trip and do not annoy other customers." No real definition of what "small" means, so its worth a call to MTA MetroNorth. Its a great hike with generally pretty moderate terrain. Some of the terrain is steep and very rocky though, so if your dog isn't used to more technical hiking, this may not be the best place to start.

Other things to be aware of are that you will be in the heart of NJ black bear country and they'll be foraging to bulk up for the winter at the time of your planned hike. No need to be afraid, just be knowledgeable of their behavior and what to do if you meet one on the trail. Above all, use common sense with handling your food, etc. There are bear boxes for food storage at pretty much all of the shelters in NJ. Some good information about black bears and potential encounters are at http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/bearfacts.htm Ticks will also probably still be active at the time of your hike, so use standard precautions. If you want to take maps, I recommend the NY NJ Trail Conference series. They are also available on iOS and Android using the Avenza PDF Maps apps. Water should be OK unless we hit a really dry spell from now until then, so keep your eye on the weather and post a question to the forums as you get closer. Finally, bow hunting for deer starts as early as September 13. The AT runs through state parks and forests where hunting is permitted, so wearing some blaze orange (you and your dog) is probably a good idea. (I just make it a habit to use a blaze orange vest and pack cover from fall to winter when on any hike.)

Offshore

[dwpphoto]

Thanks for the thoughts. I certainly can wait an extra week or two to leave. I wasnt sure the best time to do this hike. I am a photographer, so one of my main reasons for hiking in general is the beauty.

I've taken my dog to Harriman State Park before using the LIRR and NJ Transit and it is definitely a major pain in the ass. She's only about 40lbs but it's just big enough to be a hassle.

I was also planning to bring the NY/NJ TC maps for each area in addition to the AT trail guide/maps. Thanks for the heads up about hunting. I'll definitely bring some orange.

Thanks for the thoughts. If yall have any others, I'd gladly hear them.

David

[dwpphoto]

PS. Can I assume that a Bear Canister is a worthy investment for this hike? Or is it unnecessary due to the bear boxes at shelters?

[Offshore]

Probably unnecessary. The shelters in NJ should have bear boxes, not sure about the NY shelters though. I'd bring a bear bag set-up so you can hang your food, your dog's food, toiletries and trash if there is no bear box present. In NJ, the AT runs though mostly state parks and forests and with the exception of one camping area south of Sunfish Pond, there is no camping allowed except at the AT shelters. You should have bear boxes available wherever you set up camp.

[illabelle]

I wouldn't bother with a bear canister. We did all of NJ in May of this year and saw no bears at all.

[wi11ow]

My husband and I had also done a lot of hiking but had our first experience with the AT this summer from Del. Water Gap to Unionville.
It was beautiful and easy as far as the climbing/ups and downs.. but we felt that there were lots of rocks in some sections (especially near Del. Water Gap and Sunfish Pond).
There are a lot of road crossings in this section and we easily could have gone into town any of the days if we had needed to. There was also plenty of water at the time(June).
We did stealth camp one night because every time we stopped at a shelter we ended up with ticks on us. Maybe it was a coincidence but another guy we met said he had six ticks on him after waking from a nap at one of the shelters so he moved on too. Most of the shelters have privies though!
We also saw a mamma bear and her cubs near one of the shelters. I think most if not all have bear boxes. We hung our food and had no problems.
If you have a chance, check out rain man's pictures. They helped me a lot in planning my next section hike from Unionville to the Bear Mountain area.
We met two other section hikers and their dogs seemed happy. Have fun!

[lostinfflood]

I live near the trail and hiked the length of the NJ section, with my Border Collie puppy. It was a great bonding experience for me and the dog. First of all, as others have said, don't waste your time with a bear canister. We had to stealth camp one night and I just hoisted everything into a tree. We hike in northern NJ every day and see a bear about once a week. Most of the bears in NJ are wary of encounters of people especially people with dogs. However we have recently been seeing a sow with 4 cubs that is a bit aggressive. I don't blame her she seems to be having a tough time putting on any weight. You would be surprised how well camouflaged a bear becomes when it moves through the brush but your dog will pick up its scent quite easily. Ticks are part of hiking in NJ. I am more concerned with deer ticks then encountering a bear. Just be vigilant in checking yourself and your dog each evening. I have found ticks on my dog every month of the year in NJ. However, I would not let the threat of finding a tick on me stop a trip. I think the NJ section of the trail is very pretty. Also, it is all "downhill" from High Point to DWG.

28133

[Offshore]

I was up near Waywanda shelter a week or so ago and was reading in the shelter log reports going back to June of a sow with three cubs in the area of the shelter and slightly northbound near Parker Lake. In addition to extra care needed when encountering sows with cubs, I'm a little more wary of bears in areas where there is pretty easy access to residential areas as they may be more conditioned to humans. Using "bear sense" I've never had a problem, though. Walking with a dog will make enough noise so as not to surprise bears. When I do solos, I hit my poles together every now and then. The ticks are pretty crazy this year - I was finding them in very early spring. This was also the year I switched to Insect Shield clothing, and treated my shoes, socks and gear with permethrin prior to going out. Since I did that, I never had any problems. For as bad as the ticks seem to be, the flying insects don't seem to be bad at all. There seem to be more mosquitos on my deck than on the trail this year.

[Starchild]

The Bear Mtn Zoo does not allow dogs. There is a bypass (or roadwalk if you can't find it) and is a very short section (maybe 0.2 miles). IDK about taking dogs on the train or bus, but it seems like you have the experience on that already.

[dwpphoto]

Great info guys. Thanks.

Yeah, my ex and I tried to sneak my dog on to the trains to get her to LIRR when we realized that her parents took her car with out telling us. So we had to take her on to the LIRR and then NJ transit, and then on to a short line bus (which doesnt allow dogs at all) for the return trip. It was a nightmare and I spent the next 3 days searching for the perfect bag to carry her in for future trips. Since then, getting her on the train has been super easy.

It sounds like this section would be good for her to do. She's actually incredibly agile and can do scrambles in Harriman faster than I can. I think my biggest concern is the distance for her. She hasn't been on too many multi day hikes yet, but I'm trying to fix that.

I guess my last question is the return trip from the water gap. There don't appear to be any nearby trains out there. Any thoughts on this aspect?

Thanks.
David

[Offshore]

The nearest I see is NJ Transit in Hackettstown, but that's still a 30 mile trip from Delaware Water Gap. A couple of options come to mind:

Have your dog classified as a service animal (NY Times recently had an article about the proliferation of "non-traditional" service animals) and she can go on the bus. Granted, it's shady but I figure I'd put it out there.
Look into car services from DWG to Hackettstown and grab NJ Transit (with your dog in a carrier) at the end of the hike.
If you have a friend in the city with a car or a Zipcar type of membership, ask them to meet you at the end of the hike.
Get a ride out to the DWG and start there and head northbound into NY.
Do an out and back if you have the time.

[dwpphoto]

It looks to me like Dunnfield might be a good place to have someone come pick me up at the end of the trail. Is there anything in that last mile past Dunnfield that I would hate myself for not seeing?

[Offshore]

If you're being met at the Dunnfield Creek parking area, you'll be at Route 80 and the Delaware River - pretty much at the PA/NJ border. You could continue along the AT past the parking area and cross a very busy bridge. Not all that pleasant but it may actually be good for photography. Its not a tough walk from the parking area across the bridge - even if not a hiker-type your ride could join you on the last little bit, "summit" the bridge and set foot across the state line (thus officially finishing the state) with you. If you look at the topo lines on the NYNJ Trail Conference map, the trail pretty much follows along the contours, rather than crossing them on that last bit - so not a lot of elevation change.

If your ride is coming in on I-80, the AT trailhead at Dunnfield Creek is the second parking area (the last one before the bridge into PA). Its a circular lot as opposed to the first lot which is a rectangle. You can reach the AT from the first lot, but its easier just to pull into the second one.