A Blue Heron
How seeing one started my affinity for hiking
Since I can remember I have been going on hikes. The first one I can remember was when I was around six years old. My dad and I had gotten up early on the weekend to spend some time together. My younger sister was just born and I was still adapting to no longer being the baby of the family. I don’t remember a lot of the details about the hike, but one this I will never forget was seeing a Blue Heron. A Blue Heron is a large bird with a wingspan that stretched longer than my dad’s height. My dad had been an avid bird watcher all of his life and documented many of the birds he has seen over the years in the back of his Audubon bird book. Since I was the first one to spot the bird my dad let me document it in the back of his book despite my sloppy handwriting. Since that day I have taken hundreds of hikes, by myself with friends and family and most recently with my black lab puppy Walter.
Hiking in the Dirty Jerz
New Jersey isn’t one giant landfill
I live in New Jersey in a beautiful natural preserve known as the Sourland Mountains. I usually like to hike early Saturday mornings. If I get to the parking lot by 7:00 am I don’t have to worry about keeping Walter on a leash. There is a park ranger walking around some days. She will give you a lecture about keeping your dog on a leash if you are spotted, but this can usually be avoided by arriving early in the morning. I start off by letting Walter run through the small pound at the end of the trail. He is a lab and is naturally drawn to water. It’s a bit murky in the early spring, but after a few April showers the water clears up and he really has a great time. We then begin our five-mile hike.
The Sourlands
Hiking one of New Jersey’s treasured natural preserves
The trails are well marked with different symbols for the different trails. There are a total of three trails: one mile, three miles and five miles. The hike is a lot of up-hill walking so you will want to wear proper shoes to avoid slipping on your way down. Along the trail you will notice some small bridges built and maintained by a local Boy Scout troop. Before beginning your hike there is a small shed where you can pick up a map of the mountains as well as information about the history of the mountain. The park is well maintained and protected by the Sourland Planning Council. Below you will find a link to their website giving you more information about what they do to protect the Sourlands and a bit of local history. Hope you enjoy the area as much as Walter and I do.
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