Sept 11, 2016
* — Yes, the old song was either “15 Years” or “15 Miles” on the Erie Canal. But I decided to go with it. :)
A diary covering a walk along the tow paths of two canals — The Delaware Canal on the west bank of the Delaware River, and the Delaware and Raritan Canal on the east bank. Both were built in the 1830s as a way to move freight such as coal to Philadelphia. Both are now currently state parks in the respective states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
The walk on this day was from the town of Stockton, NJ, up the New Jersey side to the bridge in the title picture, across the bridge, and then down the Pennsylvania side to the bridge located at Stockton. However, due to losing my Fitbit we turned around and re-traced our steps instead of crossing the bridge to complete about an 7-mile loop. Covered about thirteen miles altogether, which was a record hiking distance for me in the past few years. (The Fitbit was successfully recovered!)
The day was fairly warm (78F at 7:30am) and quickly warmed into the mid-80s. A breeze did kick up and it stayed somewhat overcast, so things did not get too warm. The trail on the New Jersey side also tended to be more shady, but had less air movement.
The Delaware Canal State Park extends for the full 60-mile length of the canal from Easton to Bristol.
THE DAILY BUCKET IS A REGULAR FEATURE OF THE BACKYARD SCIENCE GROUP. IT IS A PLACE TO NOTE ANY OBSERVATIONS YOU HAVE MADE OF THE WORLD AROUND YOU. INSECTS, WEATHER, METEORITES, CLIMATE, BIRDS AND/OR FLOWERS. ALL ARE WORTHY ADDITIONS TO THE BUCKET. PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND YOU IN A COMMENT. INCLUDE, AS CLOSE AS IS COMFORTABLE FOR YOU, WHERE YOU ARE LOCATED. EACH NOTE IS A RECORD THAT WE CAN REFER TO IN THE FUTURE AS WE TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE PATTERNS THAT ARE QUIETLY UNWINDING AROUND US. |
On the New Jersey side there were a few spots where there were dams allowing overflow to get from the canal to the river.
On the Pennsylvania side of the river there is a very narrow floodplain. Not much room beyond that for the old canal ditch, towpath, and a modern 2-lane road. Therefore this area is prone to flood damage on a periodic basis — which includes residences and businesses that are located right along the river and the road.
The river was fairly busy with small boats carrying fisherman, people on jet skis, and even an airboat going by (loudly). The trail had joggers and bicyclists using the trails on both sides and got busier as the morning wore on. (The trails are partially popular since the different bridges allow for trail loops of varying lengths and provide multiple locations at which to park.)
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"SPOTLIGHT ON GREEN NEWS & VIEWS" WILL BE POSTED EVERY SATURDAY AT NOON PACIFIC TIME AND EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 3:30 PACIFIC TIME ON THE DAILY KOS FRONT PAGE. BE SURE TO RECOMMEND AND COMMENT IN THE DIARY.
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Now It's Your Turn
What have you noted happening in your area or travels? As usual post your observations as well as their general location in the comments.
Thank you for coming along on the walk.