The birds are singing, the bees are buzzing. Trees and flowers are blooming, just like the ones in this photo. Spring time in NJ’s forests is so magical that it makes my skin tingle all over!
Category: Photos
Common Blue Violet
The common blue violet is the state flower of New Jersey. This photo was taken at Allamuchy Forest.
Allamuchy
This is Allamuchy Mountain in Warren/Sussex County NJ. Photo was taken from the Lake Tranquility Area.
The ground where I stood to take the photo is about 600 feet above sea level. The peak of Allamuchy is over 1200. So there’s 600 feet of elevation gain, which is about the height of a 60 story residential building. The trail to the peak is about 5 to 7 miles (depending on what switchbacks you choose). So riding to the peak is like riding a bicycle up a 60 story building, not going straight up, but going around and around and around, stretching it over 5 or 7 miles. It’s kinda like walking up the stairs in a building. Stairs don’t go straight up like a ladder does. Stairs have a more gradual angle of incline than ladders. Depending on what shape you are in and what skills you have it could take 1 to 4 hours. It’s a cardio workout pretty much the entire way. I love it!
Here is what some of terrain looks like on the way up to the peak.
Woodpeckers are really having a blast with what’s left of this tree!
Yellow Snow
The best advice that I can give you for winter riding is, “Watch out where the huskies go, and don’t you eat that yellow snow.” Frank Zappa.
Get out there and ride, friends!
Allamuchy Pond / Deer Park
Allamuchy Pond / Deer Park
KittaLoo
Rode KittaLoo today. Kittatinny Valley as a warmup. Then went down the street and rode at the park that’s near Waterloo Village (Stephens)
Gangsta Vultures
It’s bad enough that it’s whooping cold out on my morning bike ride, but then a flock of vultures were taunting me. I know what they were thinking. They were waiting for me to die from hypothermia. They’re gangsta. Nothing but gangsta. Sheesh.
Balaclava Baklava
It wasn’t quite cold enough to wear a balaclava, but after riding I warmed up and ate some baklava.
MoochBucks
I was enticed to ride Allamuchy under the promise that when we got to the top of the mountain, there would be a food court where could pick up quick snacks and chill out under the canopy of umbrella’s for a bit, in order that we could recharge. Gullible as I am, I thought that sounded great and went along with the ruse. As I endured several miles of relentless bone shaking and traversing through trails disturbingly named after facets of human suffering (Cardiac Ditch), I kept a firm vision in my mind of what this food pavilion would look like. It’s wonderful smells flashed through my imagination and sparked my motivation to press forward. However, there were no restaurants, no umbrellas, no relaxing music, no place to put our feet up and unwind. The ride felt like a descent through all of Dante’s concentric circles of torment. Instead of MoochBucks, we got a giant, unrelenting pile of rocks. Keep pressing forward folks and together we will find the great food court on the trails.
I SEE A LINE!!!
I SEE A LINE!!!
Actually, I see two lines!!!
Ringwood Forest, New Jersey