Where am I going?
Highlight Hiker Blog
May 16, 2021
Burnt Meadow to Highlands Trail to Stonetown Circular
I remember on this hike I had planned to make more miles in a larger loop but I had to cut it short because of the thunder and lightening.
When I was a kid, my Grandpa told me stories about how, when he was a boy, he had gone out into the woods near his home in the Appalachian foothills of Kentucky. He said he had been sitting under a tree, waiting out the storm because he didn’t have shoes and he didn’t want his Mama to get mad at him for coming home with muddy feet. While he was under the tree, lightening struck and he had felt a surge of electricity go through his body that was mighty powerful.
Whether or not Grandpa’s story was true, I won’t debate. He might have had a history of telling tall tales, but they were usually bred of some kind of fact.
In my twenties, I had read somewhere that people who are struck by lightening act like a lightening rod. Something about the energy of their body is some kind of conduit for the energy once it’s been in them. And I read that this could be passed down a generation.
Once again, no idea of this is a real fact and I’m not really going to debate it because, like me Grandpa, I also love to spin a tall tale or two. However, without any joking or exaggeration I can tell you that wherever my Dad went, lightening struck. It hit his office building when he was in it. It struck two different homes that he lived in while he was inside. Usually completely destroying the electricity of a few rooms, thankfully, and no fires or personal injury. But these kinds of things make me avoid being outdoors when thunder and lightening are present.
And today was no exception. Though by the time I got back to my vehicle, the storm had nearly passed. Still, I’m going to take any chances: would you?
The other thing I remember about this hike? TURKEYS! Turkeys everywhere gobbling and strutting and making a fuss all sides of me! They were far enough away that my movement didn’t scare them off so they just kept making a racket. A delightful and humorous kind of racket.
The other memorable piece to this loop was the climb. Ooofa! What a climb! I don’t have record of my elevation any longer, unfortunately. I wish I had because this one was a doozy!
With every nice hike, though, there is a downside and this loop had no exception. It is like a wasteland of garbage. People come to this area to dump stuff. Why? I dunno. Doesn’t the town pick up their garbage? And why would you pitch things here, in a peaceful place where animals call home and drink the very water your waste in contaminating? And then there is the creepy car, and the creepy chair, and the creepy powerlines that make your head buzz when you pass under them. Which happened to be the exact place I saw lightening flash.
The turkeys kept me grounded and feeling safer. I figured, if they were out, it must be okay…. right?
WELP! Enjoy the photos. I’m neither here nor there about this route. I won’t go back. Unless you also want to hike all of the marked trails on NY/NJ TC map #115, I wouldn’t tell you this is a “must do” hike. I mean, it’s nice but… creepy. So. Yeah.
NORVIN GREEN STATE FOREST
BURNT MEADOW TO HIGHLANDS TRAIL TO STONETOWN CIRCULAR
In the height of spring, the creeks are rushing to get to where they need to go.
A fun little rock hop across the creek
The climb up to the top of Horse Pond Mountain is pretty fun. Just a smidge of rock scrambling, with a few steep feet. It's fun without being serious.
Product placement! Love my gear! Oh, and you can get a Highlight Hiker sticker of your very own, too!
As you can see, the clouds were already starting to look a bit angry.
Nice view, for so much overgrowth. This wouldn't be my first choice place to hike at the height of nymph tick season, though. It's inevitable that you'll brush up against grasses and other places where ticks thrive on this corridor of the Highlands Trail.
Whose cone? PINE CONE!
Just a little drop in elevation ahead. Teeny. Tiny. Drop.
Deerberry
A nice little peekaboo view from between the branches.
Just because it looks flat, doesn't mean it is. Well, I mean... that it will continue to be. See how you can see the clouds through the trees? That's because the mountain drops significantly just beyond.
I'm pretty sure this is Chokeberry
While the trail is used, some sections of it you really can't tell. A few spots I had to look around to find the markers to make sure I hadn't turned off accidentally.
Field Pussytoes
There are a lot of little ups and downs on this trail. This, I thought, was one of the prettiest downs.
I am a big fan of the Highlands Trail because it's full of these kinds of shaded, green sections.
I really really like the Burnt Meadow Trail. I was glad to start my climb up from here.
A very mellow section of trail along the Highlands
A quick rock hop across another creek.
Thanks to the trail maintainers for making this crossing so easy!
This little valley marks the beginning of a significant climb on the Highlands.
More product placement! But really, it's just a mark of the calm before the storm... both the climb as well as the weather!
Photos can never capture the actual gradient of a climb. It was steep and will only get steeper!
It looks flat-ish, but that is all an illusion. There is no point in this climb where you aren't climbing!
So. Steep. Still. Sucking. Air.
Maybe this will give you some perspective? That rock wall is about 6' high, and it just mountain just drops beneath it. That's what you're climbing.
There are no false summits on this climb, though. You just keep going.
And going.
Near the top, you get real perspective at the grade. It's steep. I mean, the State Line trail is steep, but this climb...? Felt worse.
And never ending.
And the shame of it is, when you reach the place where the Highlands and the Stone town merge.... you STILL have to climb more!
Showy azalea
Yep. Still gotta get to the summit on the Stonetown Circular.
You spent all that time and effort getting up... now you have to immediately start the steep descent.
Here's where this trail got creepy. And where the turkeys were loudest.
You get to a junction with an unmarked trail and there sits and empty, disintegrating chair and a eroded car.
NOPE. NOTHING CREEPY ABOUT THIS!
There was turkey 2 of about 5 or 6 that were all gossiping like old hens in this area.
These clouds started to light up as I passed underneath them. I did not feel safe in this little section, even with the tukeys!
I darted across as quickly as I could and did not bother to take photos from the view in the middle of the clear cut.
I got a little turned around just ahead in this section. There is one marked trail. But there are a few other unmarked trails that splinter off in different directions here. I took a guess and my guess was, fortunately, correct. About 1/4 mile further, I saw a trail marker.
Goodbye creepy car. Goodbye creep chair. Goodbye creepy lightening and thunder.
Off I go back into the woods.
That's the storm ahead at the only viewpoint which is off trail.
I didn't think the view was really worth the side trail to it.
So I went back to the Stonetown and picked up the pace, hoping not to get caught in torrents of rain.
When all of a sudden....!
ANOTHER CREEPY ERODED CAR!
Why does the Stonetown Circular have no many eroded vehicles???
At this point, I was really of the mindset "Get me outta here!" and really picked up my pace. And took few pictures. I was tired of feeling creeped out.
There are a few homes to the east of this section of the trail. That creeped me out, too. I mean, maybe it shouldn't have. But I was already creeped out, so what's one more??
Oh look! Animals left their calling card in the mud!
Finally back to the road. I didn't care if it was a mile of walking. I was just glad to be off the Stonetown Circular.
There is a short climb out but it isn't that bad.
Looking back at the Stonetown, saying a happy fare thee well!
Burnt Meadow Brook
It looks nice, right? But a look a little further...
I saw hoses, a mini fridge, empty and broken laundry baskets, fencing, more tires than you can shake a fist at, empty paint cans and all kinds of other large trash items.
It's really pretty sad. If I could afford to, I would get a truck and clean as much of this out as I could.
The puddles on the road mean business. There is a reason why this part of the road is supposed to be closed to cars. This is it. And yet, it's become a dumping ground, so....
This is the parking area closest to the Stonetown Circular. From here there is signage that no vehicles are allowed: ATV'S, cars, motorcycles.... but you see tire tracks everywhere. It's rather unfortunate.
See? Signage. Everywhere. You literally can't miss it.
I managed to get back to my car as the droplets from the thunderstorm started to fall. My timing was impeccable - as I drove away the clouds unloaded rain to the earth!