Neversink River Unique Area, NY - Denton and Mullet Falls

ABOUT THE PARK:
Neversink River Unique Area - New York Department of Environmental Conservation

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.58287, -74.62164

Katrina Falls Parking Area

TRAIL MAPS:
Neversink River Unique Area - New York Department of Conservation
Neversink Gorge Trails - NYNJTC free map

HIKE DISTANCE:  5.6 miles

THE HIKE:

The blue-blazed trail starts at the gate where Katrina Falls Road ends.

It starts out as a rocky woods road.

After signing in at the trail register...

... the trail smooths out and becomes more scenic.

Several yellow-blazed side trails lead to the river.  This is the first one on the right.

There were lots of rhododendron tunnels on this hike but I must have missed full bloom by a week or two.

There were still a few blooms hanging on.

Neversink River at the end of the yellow trail.

More rhododendron blooms along the water.

Old stonework at a creek feeding into Neversink River.

Heading back to continue on blue.

A bridge over that same creek on blue.

At the fork the red-blazed Mullet Loop Trail is on the left, blue continues right.

The blue trail ascends and gets closer to the river down below.

The second yellow side trail on the right at 1.9 miles.

This trail also leads down to Neversink River.

Shawnee can only go in the water on a leash now because she tends to slip and fall and it's the only way I can help her without going in to get her.

See, down she goes.

But all is well.

Retracing and continuing on blue at 2.45 miles.

Crossing Mullet Brook on a wavy bridge.

I almost did not take this third yellow side trail to the river thinking it would be the same as the last two but I am glad I did decide to because it was the best, if not the most challenging of the three.

On the way down (very steeply at times) I saw movement to the left.  When I turned to look all l I saw was black bear butt taking off into the woods.  Since the bear was heading well away from our direction, all was good and we continued on.  It was the first bear I have ever seen in New York.

As we neared the river, a trail of litter :(

Those are two of the many plastic water bottles straight ahead on the rock slab.

Neversink River

In for another dip.

Before I could even enjoy this gorgeous spot, I had to clean up the mess left by others who, quite frankly, have no business being there if they are not capable of packing their garbage out.

Trash all compacted and packed up and I am capable of packing it out.  Shame on them.

Denton Falls

Heading back to blue again.

A short distance farther on blue then left on the other end of the red-blazed Mullet Loop Trail.

At the fork where red veers right, veer left on the yellow trail to Mullet Falls.

Coming up on the falls.

It felt like air conditioning coming off of those falls on this hot day.

Heading back on yellow.

Retracing on blue at 3.8 miles

Don't forget to sign out at the register.

Hot and tired but almost done.

Nassau Trail, NJ

ABOUT THE PARK:
Nassau Trail - High Bridge Borough, NJ

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.66309, -74.88150

TRAIL MAPS:
Nassau Trail - High Bridge Borough, NJ (not very accurate or useful)

HIKE DISTANCE:  5.8 miles

THE HIKE:

An overnight storm had just moved out, it was 100% humidity, and the sun beams put on quite a show.

Trails branch off from the Nassau Trail but I stayed with the Nassau Trail intending to take one of the other trails back.

The Nassau Trail is blazed in yellow.  No other trails are blazed.

Coming up on Nassau Road ...

... at a second parking lot.

The yellow-blazed Nassau Trail actually turns left and follows Nassau Road to who knows where (nothing on maps) but a trail continues on the other side of Nassau Road.

This is call the Connector Trail.

Last night's raindrops coming down in buckets with every wind gust.

The Connector Trail starts to switch back on itself as mountain bike trails tend to do.  You get in a lot of mileage in a little bit of space.

A contemporary cairn.

Shawnee modeling a battery, a pool slide and an old barn all in one picture.

We left the Connector Trail on the Rich Woods Trail which is not on the map.

The Rich Woods Trail is all squiggly switchbacks.

Finally, a straight stretch...

... to boxes where trail maintenance equipment is most likely store, just beyond which...

... is a trail to a field.  The map shows a perimeter trail.  I did not see this, only tire marks straight across the field but looked like houses on the other side.

A bench at the field.

And way, way over across the field, a cat.

I did not know it until I uploaded my track but I should have taken the Springside Loop because that is actually the trail with the least squiggles but I did not know it at the time.  So we squiggled and switchbacked on.

Heading back on that straight stretch.

There were so many birds to be heard but not seen.  Even the robins were elusive but I managed to get one.

This is where we came out of the Rich Woods Trail on the left so keeping right for the return route,

Turkey Vulture

That brought us right back to the Connector Trail which we retraced on.

Crossing back over Nassau Road.

We turned left on the Flat Lands Trail where the Nassau Trail went straight.

Eastern Towhee

Coming off of the Flat Lands Trail which again was a squiggly, switchbacking trail.

Back on the Nassau Trail.  The Nassau Trail is the only trail we were on that does not squiggle in on itself.

Tomorrow, July 11, 2016, is Shawnee's Gotcha Day.  Fifteen years ago on July 11, 2001 I sprung her from the Newark, NJ animal shelter.