Sunday, November 15, 2015

Schick Reserve, NJ


ABOUT THE PARK:
Schick Reserve - Hunterdon County Parks

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.5998, -75.07085
Huge parking lot on Little York-Mt. Pleasant Road to accommodate horse trailers.

TRAIL MAP:
Schick Reserve Trail Map - Hunterdon County Parks


HIKE DISTANCE:  5.9 miles

THE HIKE:
There really aren't any trails or defined paths in the field area.
You just continue along the perimeter of the fields.
It's kind of tough going this time of year with cut off stalks sticking up everywhere, even along the sides.  That is frost on the field.  It was 30 degrees at 7 AM.
Sometimes there is a softer grassy area.
Crossing Schiff Road.
Turn left and follow the edge of the field parallel to the road.
This little downy woodpecker landed right above my head and sat there nicely while I took pictures.
Frozen Fields
In order to make a loop and not keep going in endless circles around fields, we cut through the hedgerows as others apparently had before us.
Hawks everywhere on this hike.
Shawnee has been more stiff lately and tiring faster so she started acupuncture.  It seems to agree with her.  She was feeling particularly good on this hike.
The first creek crossing.  Don't trust the rocks that look like stepping stones.  They are not stable at all and thank goodness I wore my waterproof hiking shoes.
When the trail (yes, it is sort of a trail) goes into the woods, a marker.  Just one marker.
After that, especially with the heavy leaf drop, follow the old ribbons.
Coming out on to the next field.
Crossing Schick Road to the second parking lot.
A short grassy woods road from the barn to the next field.
Entering the woods at the second trail marker.
This trail through the woods is easier to follow since it is a woods road.
Second creek crossing.
Entering the fields from the woods road.
A horse farm straight ahead.
There was a path into a field shown on the map without a trail line so we took that...
... to Schick Road and turned left for a short road walk.
Schick Farms
From Shick Road a left back to the fields.  This is more along the lines of what I had been expecting for a trail along the fields.
Happy not to be stepping on those cut off stalks.
The parking lot across the field.
A short walk parallel to the road back to the car just in front of that red building.
Just across the road from the parking lot, fresh eggs!  I don't eat them but Shawnee does and I am always looking for people with chickens selling eggs like this since I won't buy factory farmed eggs in the store.