Gone Hikin'

Sunday, March 5, 2017

Delaware Water Gap NRA, PA - Mount Minsi from Tott's Gap

There was a Mount Minsi sign in 2010 on a tree, apparently the tree fell down so that trunk section remained in 2016. In 2017, sign is nowhere to be found.

ABOUT THE PARK:
Delaware Water Gap NRA - National Park Service

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.95078, -75.16393

Parking on Tott's Gap Hill Road.

TRAIL MAP:
NY/NJ Trail Conference - Kittatinny Trails Map #120

HIKE DISTANCE: 5.6 miles

THE HIKE:
This was Shawnee's Sweet Sixteen Birthday Hike! She did this hike previously in 2010, 2011 and 2016 but from the opposite direction coming up the Appalachian Trail. That is now much too difficult (impossible, actually) for her so we came in the back way, through Tott's Gap.

From the parking lot at the end of Tott's Gap Hill Road ...

... a gravel service road leads up to the top.

At the intersection where the service road goes left, if you continue straight you run into the Appalachian Trail but this was too rocky for the wheelchair so we backtracked to the service road. We'd meet up with the AT farther along.

We had come up from the parking lot straight ahead, now turning right on the service road (left turn coming up).

WVPO-FM Stroudsburg radio tower along the service road.

Some winter views.

A right at the gas pipeline cut leads to ...

... where the AT crosses over at a view.

We backtracked to the service road to continue on where it becomes a nice grassy woods road along the ridge.

And that would be where I found my balloon for this hike. But sadly, this did not end well for my balloon collection. I decided to leave the balloon along side the woods road with a rock on it so it would not blow away and my annoying water bottle that kept falling out of my backpack (because the birthday cake was taking up too much space) with the intention of picking it all up on the way back. But upon our return, someone had placed my water bottle on a rock and had taken my balloon! I mean, nice that someone was picking up litter but that was not litter, that was my balloon! At least I have a picture of it.

A little farther along is a cairn where the AT comes in and joins the woods road for the rest of the way to the summit of Mount Minsi.

There are a couple of side trails to the right where there are views.

The AT continues on along the woods road. This is actually one of my favorite trails - smooth and easy, very peaceful and winter views.

The Delaware River eventually comes into view on the right.

And then a side trail ...

... to the overlook at the summit of Mount Minsi.

Let's get this pawty started!

The cake was a huge hit. It was made with ground chicken, carrots, broccoli, oats and oil with sweet potato and mozzarella frosting.

My son, the only human carnivore among us, tasted it and said it was gross. He actually gagged.

Then a group of college students came by and asked about our birthday party. When I told them it was Shawnee's 16th, they said that this was the highlight of their hike and nothing else was going to top it.

All of us on Mount Minsi.

Some historical shot taken at the exact same place.

I-80 along the Delaware River

It was only 1/4 mile to the Mount Tammany overlook so we stashed Shawnee's wheelchair and she went without it since this portion of trail was not wheelchair-friendly at all.