Trail Maintenance 12/17/2024 - Rahway River Parkway White Trail

My son and I signed up to maintain the white-blazed trail through Rahway River Parkway for Union County Parks.  We had requested time off work to use our Betterment Days but had to reschedule three times due to the weather changing for the worst at the last minute.  The day prior to this third scheduled day one of the grandchildren was sent home from daycare due to illness so my son had to stay home.  I went solo instead of rescheduling yet again.

There is a nice map in the kiosk at the Bloodgood Pond parking lot.  It's a shame it is not available online.

LITTER REMOVAL: 

My strategy was to pick up litter as I went along while leaving recyclables along the trail to be picked up on the way back.  I planned on leaving the bag of trash at a parking pullout to be retrieved on the drive out when I was finished.

Staging recycling along the trail for pickup on the way back.

Groundhog residence before and after litter removal.

Leaving the bag of trash for pickup with the car later on.

Picking up recyclables on the way back.

Litter pickup would not be complete without finding one of those awful balloons.  This is the eighth one I have picked up while hiking this year.

Picked up the bag of garbage on the way out and put it in the trash can at Jackson Pond.

Recycling was taken home and put in my recycling bin.  Fortunately recycling pickup is the next day because the bin is full!

TRAIL CONDITION: 

Heading east from Bloodgood Pond.

Blazes could use refreshing.  Trail is well used and easy to follow throughout.

Some minor dead fall that is easy enough to step over.

The trail veers to the left before crossing over the water however ...

... it is not possible to cross at the blazes.

It can be crossed a little bit farther along.

This area has always been dicey.

It's overgrown and slants towards a steep drop off.

Looking back at that section.

Heading back to Bloodgood Pond.

Trimmed back the thorny growth on the left that was hanging over the trail.

Heading north from Bloodgood Pond.

The trail starts out well-defined with blazes easy to follow.

But then the blazes are scarce and the trail disappears just before the picnic pavilion.

The trail used to continue past the picnic pavilion but I can no longer see a trail or any blazes.

Heading back through the part that where the trail is hard to see.

Bloodgood Pond Parking

WILDLIFE: 

THE BIZARRE: 

Cleanly cut sections of very large bones scattered all around off an unmarked side trail.