Where am I going?
Highlight Hiker Blog
June 2, 2021
Sterling State Forest, Lake-to-Lake Trail
Sterling State Forest, Sterling Lake Boat Launch
Every map is a little different - kinda’ like people. So when you start getting to know a new map, it takes a little bit of time to get comfortable with it. After awhile I was able to glance at a map and know, with reliable accuracy, how long a trail would take me. But each map is a little bit different, right? So there’s a grace period until you find that groove.
And that is how it was with NY/NJ Trail Conference MAP #100: the Sterling Forest map. I had only two hikes left on map #115, and one hike left on map #116 at the time and I was trying to figure out where to go next. I’m trying to make a choice between this and Map #125, The Jersey Highlands: Central North Region.
Unlike maps #115 & #116, Map #100 has trail section length added to it: .85 miles, 1.79 miles, etc. I’m not accustomed to that. I thought it would help me plan, but clearly it didn’t because I under planned my hike. I probably could have hiked the entire length of the Lake-to-Lake-trail out and back, instead I played it safe and just hiked half. I knew the intersection I was aiming for… I had already hiked to it on May 2, 2021 via the Highlands Trail through Long Pond Ironworks. I had been thinking about hiking this section for months and my curiosity simply got the best of me.
OFF I WENT! I had been to the visitor center at Sterling State Forest on a recon mission, but I didn’t hike then. Other than the AT, these would be my first steps toward completing a new map, in a new park.
The trail was seriously overgrown. I don’t think it had been groomed all year, which makes me eternally grateful for the work that trail maintainers do in other parks. Some areas were fine, but mostly the foliage was growing into the trail. Unfortunately for me, it was NYMPH TICK SEASON. So walking on the trail also meant picking up a lot of strays looking for a host. They are tiny, my friends. The deer ticks. The dog ticks are large, but the deer ticks, which carry Lyme Disease, are itsy bitsy and easy to miss so make sure you check yourself frequently when you get into overgrown areas like this throughout the entire spring and summer.
Anwyay - I saw a lot of little things.. salamanders and frogs and bug (and ticks) but this was the day that I realized… I haven’t seen many squirrels or chipmunks. And I thought that was curious. Normally I’m disrupting squirrels everywhere I step and I get the angry chatter. This year, there was notable less of that skittering and chattering. Not sure why.
Overall, the Lake-to-Lake is a nice trail but the eastern side needs attention. It was quick and had few ups and downs. There was one short but steep up that sticks in my memory - and it was wet. It was a bit of a water slide, actually, getting up. But easily managed.
Not sure I would recommend this hike especially, though I did enjoy the beaver habitat immensely. But for me, the Lyme Disease risk was not worth the effort of the hike.
On my way home, I stopped to do a better tick check on myself and pulled over at the Blue Lake Boat Launch. I don’t know much about boat launches… is this a good one? Who knows. It was littered and gross to me. Maybe that means it’s popular…? But there are pics of it in the gallery for you because, well, I took them, so why not???
Sterling State Forest
Lake-to-Lake Trail
The parking lot, which I didn't photograph because I was creeped out by the guy sitting in his car holds about 6 cars, if memory serves me correctly and all of the drivers park appropriately. It was also overgrown. Much like the start of the trail. Right out of the gate it's nearly bushwhack time!
This is not the actual trail. Normally I say, "Yep! That's the trail" but it isn't. This was just off of the trail. I liked the mossy rocks.
Now THAT is the trail. See what I mean about the overgrowth?
This is some kind of Viburnum. If anyone knows the name, as always, please let me know!
No idea what this one is. PlantNet comes back calling it "nipplewort". ???
Yes, that is the trail. Or... as I like to call it... Tick Metropolis.
Eventually the trail does open up. But I was still getting creepy vibes. I found strange litter, like a t-shirt and a half dozen brand new masks clustered together, like they fell out of a backpack in a pile and no one noticed. And old litter that I couldn't pack out like a tire and a lot of rusting pipes and things.
The whole trail here gives off a weird vibe...
I was hoping the trail would open up more...
... and then suddenly, it did!
The trail converges with what appears to be a still active woods road, but it very much dead ends at the gate to the wildlife sanctuary.
There are several marshy areas along the middle section of the trail. The first one I cam across had this adorable waterfall tucked into the rocks.
This waterfall feeds into the marsh, which will eventually feed into Blue Lake.
You can see the watery marsh through the trees as you walk by, there were no true scenic views.
The woods road has a closure sign, which I found confusing. It veers off to the right, but it is gated and closed. But it appears to be quite active up to that point so... ??
As you can see, the road dead ends into the woods. The wildlife habitat entrance, which is on the right in this photo, halts all traffic both pedestrian as well as vehicular.
This is looking over the gate at the wildlife habitat entrance.
This is the actual gate
The trail lies ahead
Looking again at the wildlife habitat entrance
And that's the continuation of the trail, which goes back to being mildly unkempt but better than the first section. No bushwhacking needed here!
No longer a wide woods road, from this point there are a few more ups and downs but they are fairly insignificant.
This is a very active Beaver pond. You can't see the lodge in the pond in this photo, but it is there...
... along with many signs of recent beaver activity along the trail
Like this downed tree which was interesting to navigate around.
The beaver lodge is hidden by the tall reeds.
Lots of very small signs of life in the forest: this is a flat-backed millipede, I believe.
In these marshy, swampy areas, you should plan for mud. Thick mud. Wet mud. Mud mud mud.
There are places where little friends, like the Eastern Newt, tend to thrive
This little hill was easy to get up, though all of the rocks beneath the feet wanted to move
This was my favorite little section of the trail. It was so beautiful. Simple, beautiful and easy on the feet!
The trail itself changes from single track, to woods road, to single track, to wide track, to dbl wide track to woods road.... it's a varied couple of miles!
As you get closer to the Highlands Trail/Sterling Ridge Trail, the Lake-to-Lake gets wider and wider.
There's my intersection!
Where the Lake-to-Lake Trail crosses the Highlands Trail/Sterling Ridge Trail
Hey! This sign looks familiar!!
The trail was just as muddy on the way out as it was on the way in! Funny how that happens!
More of our littlest forest creatures! Hello, little Toad!
And hello, little Frog!
And hello signs of beavers!
I made really good time on the way out, and I really wanted to get back and do my tick check. I had already pulled a few dog ticks off, which meant I needed to do a very thorough check for the itsy bitsy deer ticks.
Almost out of the forest... this is the last "clear" section of trail before the single track gets overgrown
Sterling Forest State Park
Blue Lake Boat Launch
Blue Lake Boat Launch kiosk
Blue Lake Boat Launch
Blue Lake Boat Launch
Blue Lake Boat Launch
Blue Lake Boat Launch
Blue Lake Boat Launch Litter Bugs
Blue Lake Boat Launch parking lot