This is Hike #2 ("Monk's Mountain") in the book
Best Easy Day Hike: Northeast New Jersey. We did this loop twice before, but at those times the white-blazed trail was only partial, with one end
near the gate at Route 511 and the other end at a woods road which then led back to the long narrow parking area but at the point furthest from Rt. 511. Hence
it used to require quite a bit of unblazed woods road walking, as well as parking lot walking. Now the 2.7-mile loop is a complete loop, with lots of new
trail through the woods. It's a beautiful little hike affording a gorgeous view over Monksville Reservoir and the surrounding hills no matter what time of day.
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Western trail head |
Ice fisherman on frozen reservoir |
Laura on the reservoir |
Almost totally frozen |
Ice fisherman |
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Kahtoolahs are necessary ... |
... for these sheets of ice |
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Power line cut |
Climbing up Monk's Mountain |
Taking a breather |
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Steeper here |
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Beautiful moss |
Partial view NW |
View SW |
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Power line cut west |
View of reservoir from blue spur |
Monksville Reservoir |
Cactus at viewpoint |
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At the viewpoint |
Lean to |
Dan inside [photo by Laura] |
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On the blue spur trail |
More snow on the colder side |
Mine pit filled with water |
Woodpecker hotel |
Not much snow left here |
Stream crossing |
Monk/Winston Mine |
A deep cut |
Dan at the top [photo by Laura] |
Gas line cut looking east |
Power line cut looking east |
Tree hugger [photo by Laura] |
Shotgun casing |
Tiny critter tracks |
Snake warning |
Our new SUV! |
Photographs and content copyright © Dan Balogh Web design by Dan Balogh |