Deep Purple's space t****in' on my ipod works for me...bears hate that.
Deep Purple's space t****in' on my ipod works for me...bears hate that.
Once, I had a hiker in front of me with a bear bell. She walked through an area (about 1/8 - 1/4 mile ahead of me) jingling as she went... I walked through - right behind her - singing to my music, and I scared the bear that was right next to the trail out of the bushes. It took off running!
Moral of the story: Bear bells do not scare bears. My singing does!
Got some good tips here. I'm doing this hike next week. Hoping to catch fall colors. Any suggestions are awesome.
I prefer to stealth camp at overlooks and such, usually hauling my water and hammocking. Will I be able to pull this off at all? And only fires in designated sites... What is their availability and which ones are good.
Looks like water will be fine lol
Thanks DHT
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Finished the section from DWG to NJ 517 in late September. No bears, plenty of other wildlife including coyotes. Beautiful and relatively easy state.
No fires allowed at all in New Jersey when I hiked it in 2011 and 2014. That was all the ridge runner was concerned about, making sure no one had a fire.
The AT through NJ is a great hike for its diversity of terrain, scenery, far ranging overlooks, ease of resupply, multiple TH access points some served by public transportation connections, cleanliness, abundance of black bears/whitetail deer/birds/ reptiles,....
As one born in NJ and a previous 25 yr NJ resident who spent much time on the NJ segment of the AT backpacking, thru-hiking , doing trail construction and maintenance my favorite time is with fall color and cooler temps. The NJ AT segment is vastly underestimated, has negative misconceptions associated with it, and is not fully appreciated by AT thru-hikers who tend to zoom through the state as fast as possible in that typical gotta go gotta go gotta be somewhere else mindset.
Don't miss taking in DWG from the NJ side possibly taking the blue or red dot trails that junction with the AT to an awesome overlook at Mt Tammany, soaking in the rays at Sunfish Pond, enjoying the very good Kittatinny(kit - a - tin - ee) Ridge, the awesome view from Culver Gap Fire Tower, the awesome sunrise or sunset view from the stone Sunrise Mountain Pavillion, the three state view from the High Point Monument, NJ's state high point), and the enjoyable nature walk by bird spotting along the Pochuck Boardwalk.
It amazes me how many AT thru-hikers ignore or miss these valuable experiences in their go go go gotta be somewhere else gotta be doing something else in some other place thru-hiker mindsets.
One should appreciate through knowledge the abundant NJ black bear population not fear it through ignorance. Protect food by hanging it appropriately or in some other manner, make noise as one moves through heavy brush, and a backpacking hiker should avoid most bear human issues. NJ has a bear hunting season.
One could combine a paddling trip say on the Delaware River with a thru-hike of the NJ AT segment.
For all you fishing and hiking persons who seek a variety of fish to catch the Delaware River has a diverse species list. In one 20 mile stretch of the river one can fish for BOTH Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, Hybrid striped and Striped bass, Rock Bass, walleye, pickerel, yellow perch, crappie, tiger muskies(I caught a 24 lber), Northern Pike, Musky, eels, suckers, shad in season, at least three types of trout(rainbow, brook brown), at least three types of catfish including large size channel cats, some monster carp, etc. I've seen 4+ ft long sturgeon swimming past me. IMO, it's one of the best fisheries for variety and ease of catching something while on a hike of the entire AT. And, when has anyone ever read about an AT hiker fishing the Delaware River?
Thanks for all of the info. Great stuff. We leave Sunday so I'm very excited.
I read that you could have fires in existing fireplaces (ie: shelters and campsites) . I can't have any at all through the entire section?
Any suggestion on which way to hike it? I was thinking NOBO but I didn't really want to leave a car in DWG. Also chance my shuttle might fall through. Any suggestions? Does George Lightfoot still drive?
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Just to give you a heads up - NJ Bear Hunt is open from October 10-15, for archery and muzzle loading guns. I think you'll be out afterwards, but you might have to deal with either traumatized bears, or traumatized protesters, or both.
Yep - no campfires allowed in NJ except for designated campsites - translation: Shelters. I don't know how stringently it's enforced, but speaking as someone who lives in NJ, let me assure you that any "wrongdoing" that you are caught perpetrating results in large fines - state needs the revenue.
If you are not married to the idea of sticking to White Blazes only, I highly recommend hiking the Dunnfield Creek Trail instead of/in addition to the AT. It runs from the Dunnfield Creek parking lot to Sunfish Pond, and it's just lovely, hugging the creek the entire time - lots of creek crossings, and lots of waterfalls. It's also a stocked stream, if you are into fishing.
I hope that you enjoy your hike - it's a really beautiful section of the AT, and you're in for a treat. I'm jealous!