Larger Version
I arrived at the parking lot of the Weis Ecology Center at 10:25 a.m., and expected to meet a small group of people between 10:30 and 10:45. When that group didn't show by 10:50, I instead accepted an invitation to hike with a trio that I met in the parking lot.
10:51 a.m.: I began by following the green trail southwest, which ran past picnic benches and fields of the Weis Ecology Center and then up a long hill. The trail was not well-blazed, and in fact at the top of the hill I saw white blazes that were not shown on the map, but I followed them and they eventually turned into green blazes.
11:31 a.m.: After crossing a stream, the
trail resumed its ascent. After about 0.4 miles, the green trail
intersected the blue trail. We turned onto the blue trail, also
traveling roughly southwest. This led us to the first of a number of
scenic views.
11:44 a.m.: Another scenic view.
11:46 a.m.: I pose in front of a boulder. The blue trail turned east around this point.
11:47 a.m.: Another boulder.
11:58 a.m.: After about 0.6 miles, the blue trail intersected the red trail, and we diverged from the blue trail briefly so as to ascend to Wyanokie High Point, which afforded very nice views of the Wanaque Reservoir, with the Manhattan skyline viewable in the hazy distance.
I bid farewell to the trio with whom I had began the hike, and
continued on my own. (They wanted to do a shorter, slower hike than I
had in mind.) I returned to the blue trail, which now turned south.
12:37 p.m.: After 0.6 miles, I reached
Carris Hill. At this point, I turned off the blue trail and onto the
yellow trail, which ran southeast.
1:01 p.m.: Another scenic view.
1:05 p.m.: And another scenic view.
1:11 p.m.: Another view of the Wannaque Reservoir.
1:19 p.m.: Another scenic view.
1:52 p.m.: After 0.8 miles, the yellow trail ended. I turned west onto a white trail that ran along Posts Brook.
2:06 p.m.: The trail ran beside Chikahoki
Falls. [This photo was actually taken the following week. The blue
trail runs on the north side of the brook and doesn't provide a
very good view of the waterfall. When I returned to Norvin Green a week
later, I was able to cross the brook and take this photo across from
the falls.]
2:24 p.m.: After 0.5 miles, the
white trail ended and I rejoined the blue trail, now running west. The
temperature was in the 80s on this day, and I was feeling hot and tired
at this point, which was only about halfway into my hike.
2:56 p.m.: After another 0.9 miles, the
blue trail reached the Otter Hole, where the brook falls over two short
waterfalls in quick succession.
3:25 p.m.: The blue trail ended at the
Otter Hole, so I rejoined the green trail, now running north back
towards the Weis Ecology Center. Unlike the set of trails running south
and west, the green trail running north was mostly level or downhill,
so it was easier. As well, the temperature was moderating somewhat.
This was a scenic view along the way.
3:56 p.m.: Another view from the green trail.
4:05 p.m.: This was the only stone wall
that I saw at Norvin Green.
After 2.7 miles on the green trail, I returned to the Weis
Ecology Center and my car. So this was about a 6.7 mile hike.
