Lusscroft Farms

Lusscroft Farm (7/3/2010)

Since the fifth edition of the NYNJTC Kittatinny Trails map set was issued in 2009, I've been intrigued by the maze of trails labeled "Lusscroft Farm Trails" on Trail Map #123. The web site for the farm also provides a map but it's a bit difficult to read because of the colors used. The area we hiked today included a good part, though not all, of the trails in the complex. They're quite overgrown in some areas so you might want to wear long pants even in summer, especially on the western-most trails north of Neilson Road.

The most enchanting part of today's hike was the fact that during the first half of it, we were accompanied by the resident stray cat. This is the first hike we have ever done with a cat! She simply followed us from the barn up the trail to the Outlook Lodge, and then continued following as we climbed a steep stretch of the blue trail all the way to Spanish Overlook (which, incidentally, doesn't have a view anymore unless you bushwhack for it).

After she followed us for a mile on foot, we feared the kitty would get too tired to continue, so Laura began carrying her for short stretches to give her a break. We didn't want her to become too exhausted, unable to continue following us, only to get lost in the woods. The kitty agreed to this wholeheartedly, nearly taking a nap in Laura's arms at one point. But by the time we got back to Neilson Road (where orange crosses and becomes brown), the kitty had enough, and headed northeast back to her barn. We were fine with this, since we were concerned with her following us for miles. And cats aren't the best hikers, so a good part of the time was spent waiting for her to catch up as she yowled after us. After she broke off and headed back to her barn, we continued south of Neilson Road, hiking at our normal pace.

Total distance hiked today was 4.6 miles in about 3 hours.

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