Michael Huber Prairie Warbler Preserve, NJ

ABOUT THE PARK:
Michael Huber Prairie Warbler Preserve - New Jersey Conservation Foundation

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates  39.864200, -74.611515

Parking for 4-5 cars at the trailhead.

TRAIL MAP:
Michael Huber Prairie Warbler Preserve Trail Map - New Jersey Conservation Foundation

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HIKE DISTANCE:  10.3  miles

THE HIKE:

Trailhead on Sooy Place Road.

The white trail leads into the preserve.

At the first intersection, right on blue.

Because of the fog, these spiderwebs were visible everywhere.

Where blue turns left with white, we continued straight on white.

South Branch Burr Mill Stream

Left on yellow.

This happened a few times on different trails where there would be a random marker of a different color making me think I missed a turn but the correct color would pick up again.

At the fork, turning left on green.

After rain all day the previous day and thick fog early in the morning as we started hiking, some of the pine trees had visible steam coming off of their trunks:

Green gets a little dicey after that fork.  There are several blow downs and the trail is sometimes hard to see.

I found the trail again when I noticed this footbridge.

Gum Spring

You have to climb over and under a bit but the  markers are there and it's only a short distance before things open back up.

Brodie had been hiking behind me most of the time (had no clue what was up with that, he was excited to go then just hung back) but when we happened upon a duck fight, he was all ears.  Three ducks flew away that were in a disagreement about something.

The ducks were long gone but Brodie was still worried he might miss something.

Green clears out at the next fork where we turned right.  We'd be returning from the left later.

A random yellow marker on green.

There were so many birds around but even though I could hear them, I never saw most of them.  This Downy Woodpecker sat still long enough for a shot.

When green came out on white, I heard running water so I turned right a few steps to investigate.  The swamp water was rushing over the white trail.  There was a board to cross but we weren't going that way.

Back a few steps on white to continue on green to the right.

Still bringing up the rear.

We turned right on red.

Red markers are sometimes orange - I have found that to be the case at other preserves also.

You won't be seeing this.  I packed it out.

The much unloved brown-headed cowbird was very cooperative for picture taking.

White joins in with red for a bit.

There are no markers here - when white veers right, red continues straight.

Something was off with him, still tagging along from behind.

An Eastern Towhee singing back and forth with another one.

Watch for a red trail to the left which goes for .3 mile to a spung.

At the end of the red trail, a high bench overlooking the spung.

Break at the spung.  Brodie did not take his cookie with much gusto and dropped it, then drooled.  Oh no.  But then he ate it.  And miraculously, he seemed to perk up after that and a bit of a break.

The spung.  Not what I was expecting based on the description:  "One the preserve’s most interesting features is a spung located on the red trail. A spung is a hydrologically isolated wetland that relies entirely on rain and snowfall to maintain its water level. In this case, the spung at the Michael Huber Preserve is located on top of a layer of dense clay that prevents exchange with the groundwater. Because of this isolation, the spungs conditions are very dependent on varying precipitation throughout the year."

Brodie resting while I was up on the bench.

Back on the main red trail, an old preserve sign, presumably this was called "4 Mile Spring Reserve" at one time.

See, all better all of a sudden and retaking the lead.

I saw a flash of color out of the corner of my eye and sure enough, balloons #21 and #22.  The odd thing is, the balloon on the left was all faded out and much more ripped and dirty than the much newer balloon on the right.  Yet they both landed in the same place?

Coming up on white/green/red, we left red turning right on green.

Not a good picture so hard to tell what it is.  Maybe a blue-gray gnatcatcher? 

At this 3-way intersection things get confusing because there are no markers.  I turned right because ...

... there was a marker on the ground along the trail to the right and that is where the map showed the trail to be.  But that just looped around in a circle returning on the center trail.

I was just about ready to give up and retrace when two other hikers came along who knew the way and we followed them.  It's the trail to the far left at that intersection.

Back on track on green.

The fork where we came out from before, now right through that swampy area.

I noticed something to the right which looked oddly familiar.

Turns out it is an old bridge that Shawnee and I had crossed in February 2010 to a very swampy trail on the other side which no longer exists.  I found the old map from back then which is different than it is today.  We had to cross slimy logs (which can still be seen in the picture below) to even get to the bridge, which wasn't half under water back then..  Shawnee had fallen into the icy water having slipped on those logs.  We finally made it across only be ankle deep in icy slush through the swamp on the other side.  No wonder that part no longer exists.

RIP old bridge and slimy logs.

Crossing on the less fancy but more functional and sturdy footbridge a short distance up Gum Spring.

Left on yellow.

Right on white retracing where we were at the beginning of the hike.

After crossing the bridge and going through the red gate, a short path to the left down to South Branch Burr Mill Stream.

Across white to blue/white.

Right on blue ...

... then left on white back to the car.

We started running into more people the closer we got to the trail head but it was never crowded.

Many more cars than at 7:30 AM but all spaced apart and everyone keeping their distance.