Highland trail, NJ

[Jay H]

After working my house saturday and doing a shakedown ride on my commuter bike (in preperation for me to start biking to work again), I spent most of sunday on a very nice hike in the NJ Highlands, doing part of the Highland trail which runs from the NY/NJ border and Sterling Forest all the way to the border of NJ/PA. I've done pretty much most of it, but like the AT, never really intending to do all of it or whatever.

But today, I figured what the hell, was going to go do Norvin Green but decided to check out this section I've avoided due to lack of a good circular route. Anyway, I started near Lake Riconda which is this tiny little lake right next to Monksville Reservoir. And hike north on the stonetown circular route til the highlands trail branchs off that short part and goes north over Horse Den Mtn and west of the Monksville Reservoir (which is a very nice paddle!). Hiked past the Long Pond Ironworks (which was Abraham Hewitt's (xxxx-1903) iron furnace works. Hewitt used to live in the manor over in Ringwood S.P. (Norvin Green was Hewitt's cousin or somehow they are related).

Anyway, hiked to just south of the NY border and then back, sort of retracing my steps but doing slight detours just to hike a different part:

http://community.webshots.com/album/548268531dGyrdV

Jay

 

[Rick]

HI Jay,
I need to start getting over there to that part of the state and learning it.
I was up in Jim Thorpe, PA today. What a beautiful town.

How far do you bike commute? When I lived in MA, I was riding 11 miles each way 3X/week. Now that I am 45 miles fom work, I really miss the chance to commute. I have been thinking of getting off Rte 78 at Exit 26 Park & Ride and riding my bike the remaining 10 miles into work and then back out at the end of the day. I just haven't found somewhere to put my bike at the office yet (It would also mean driving 70 miles each day ith my bike on a roof rack)
Do you have any thoughts
Rick

 

[Jay H]

Hey, if you are a MTB'r there's some good MTB trails in Jim Thorpe, you can go to Blue Mtn Sports and they will shuttle you to the top..yeah yeah yeah, this was when I was a pure biker and had a Proflex Beast. Rode this "American Standard" trail which spits you out to the Lehigh Valley RailTrail which you ride back to BMS.

Anyway, I ride about 10.5 miles each way from my new house. Where I used to live in Bloomingdale, it was 9.5 miles are completely flat, I used to time trial and sprint to work each day. My ride now is 1 mile longer one way and I have one big hill between me and work so now it takes about 10 minutes longer. But I pretty much do it every day and during the winter so long as it's 3" of snow or less when I lived in Bloomingdale cause I could bike to work off road on a trail, now, I am stuck to 85% roads and I wouldn't be really able to do it in any snow but I make up for it that this commute is a better workout than my old one cause of the hill.

As far as your situation, I've tried to get folks who live far away who are cyclists to do that, I think that is a great idea and certainly at least more fun than driving 100% of the way. I put my bike in my cubicle so it's not a big deal to me, but then most of my managers and bosses are cool about that and I'm in software so we're all kind of laid back to begin with. And no, I don't have a shower at work, in the morning, I am never that hot and I always bring a change of clothes. Just don't change until you are cooled down a bit (in the summer) and you will know how fast/spirited you can ride without breaking a sweat. I'm also at work by 7am do even in the summer months, it's never too hot. After work, you can sweat like a pig and believe me, I do!!

Jay

 

[Rick]

Aaah, the nice thing is that we have a complete Gymansium in our complex, so I can shower and change when I get here. (I usually workout in the afternoon). The downside, is that our complex is so big, that I would probalby have to leave my bike in the parking garage. (My last company Marlborough was small enough that it was no problem leaving it in the stockroom).

I know Pete Hickey Bike commutes - I wonder how many other VFTTers also bike commute?

 

[Jay H]

I know Pete Hickey Bike commutes - I wonder how many other VFTTers also bike commute?

Probably not enough! MCorsar does on occasion,

In my company there is one other who commutes and he's a lot older than me and commutes more regularly, but then he only has a 2 mile commute and I tend to have to run errands occasionally or skip out early to head to the mountains and stuff. I got a friend of mine to sometimes commute but he is very occasional. I'm trying to get more of course...

Jay