ABOUT THE PARK:
Jenny Jump State Forest - New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates to Lake Just-It Parking 40.86669, -74.96914
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| Lake Just-It Parking Lot |
TRAIL MAPS:
Jenny Jump State Forest Trail Map - New York New Jersey Trail Conference
Jenny Jump State Forest - New Jersey DEP (Note that the Mountain Lake trail is now dark blue, no longer yellow as shown on this map although there are a few remaining yellow blazes.)
HIKE DISTANCE: 8 miles
THE HIKE:
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| The blue-blazed Jenny Jump Trail cuts through the parking lot on the woods road to the left. The path to the right leads to... |
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| Lake Just-It |
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| North on the Jenny Jump Trail. |
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| It was pretty horrifying to see many decomposing deer carcasses thrown off the side of the trail in the power cut. No pictures of that - can't get that image out of my mind as it is. |
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| The Jenny Jump Trail leaves the woods road as a much more enjoyable foot path. |
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| Climbing up. |
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| Some winter views at the top. |
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| Those volunteers work so hard building stone steps ... |
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| ... and she bypasses every one that she can. She never has been fond of steps. |
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| In order to make this hike a loop (or figure 8, rather), there needs to be some road walking. Coming up on Hissim Road. |
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| The trail continues on the other side of the road but here is where we turn left on the road. |
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| Pullout parking as another parking option. I was going to start here but where to park was not clear driving by and I decided this was too high up anyway which would have involved climbing at the end of the hike so I continued on to the next parking area. |
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| Road walking. |
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| Delaware Water Gap views from Hissim Road. |
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| At the stop sign, left on Lake Just-It Road. |
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| Crossing that same power cut as before. |
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| After the power cut watch for the end of the guardrail because the blazes are not visible going in this direction. |
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| Make a hard right to switchback down from the road. The trail continues as a road walk on Lake Just-It Road but we'll be back for that after this loop. |
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| A very pretty mossy area with a swamp to the right. And what is that over there off to the left a little bit ahead? |
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| Could it be? |
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| Yes indeed, I scored yet another balloon for my collection. I would think someone is planting them for me to find but even I did not know I was doing this hike until the evening before. |
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| At this intersection we continued right on light blue. Dark blue (yellow on the park map) leaves to the left and that will be our return route. |
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| Climbing up to some more winter views. |
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| Mountain Lake barely visible down below to the left. |
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| Descending to the lake. |
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| The trail ends at Mountain Lake Road, turn left then keep left at the fork at the Mountain Lake sign. |
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| Road walk towards the lake. |
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| Mountain Lake |
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| Just past this spring house (?)... |
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| The formerly yellow, now dark blue Mountain Lake Trail leaves the road to the left just before ... |
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| ... a parking area up head at the bend. |
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| The Mountain Lake Trail follows along Jenny Jump Brook. |
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| At the end, keep right on the light blue trail to retrace back to ... |
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| ... Lake Just-It Road. |
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| Turn left at this road ... |
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| ... then left at the fork ... |
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| Ducks in Just-It Lake |
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| ... back to the parking lot. |
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| Relaxing after a hard day of hiking. |
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| Out cold after a hard day of hiking. (Would have put a clean muddy paw towel down had I known she would use it as a pillow!) |
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| I should post a balloon update on occasion so you can better appreciate just how many helium balloons are in the woods. I started the collection on November 15, 2015. Since then, 10 hikes, 8 balloons. |
One of our biggest fears when hiking isn’t bears. At this time of year it’s coming upon a killing field such as you sadly did. Times enough when when we’ve chanced it and hiked during the week and, unfortunately, crossed paths with animal murdere….uh…’hunters’ headed out to kill. Thankfully, we’ve never seen any returning w/their trophies, but still dread that happening. BTW: I thought the typical hunters’ defensive rhetoric is that they ‘kill for food’ or at least to supply a nearby food bank w/their government-sanctioned “culling of the herd”? Your sad and tragic discovery would make those statements…what? A lie? That, too, But more like typical hunters’ BS.
ReplyDeleteLinda
Same here, Linda. I know it happens, I don't like it and I go to great lengths to avoid it so it is very upsetting to happen upon such senseless mass slaughter. It was even too much for the vultures to consume.
DeleteI suppose it would be a waste of time to bring it to the attention of the Park Ranger/Police, whatever. Matter of fact, it wouldn't at all surprise me if that senseless behavior was sanctioned by them.
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