Someone went fishing in the Passaic River and got his/her lure tangled in a tree!
March 13, 2012
Trailway, summer and winter
When I came upon this walkway in the Passaic River Park this past August, I actually gave up and turned back around. The walkway was overgrown to the point where the path was slightly wider than a balance beam, and there was nothing but indiscernible vegetation waiting for me at the other end.
It is, however, near some power lines, and apparently they did some power-line-related vegetation clearing this past fall or winter, as you can see from the top photo.
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February 20, 2012
Rivulet
February 19, 2012
Hanging out under bridges
This is probably a good fishing spot in the summer. I stumbled into some fishers last year right here (but I didn’t have the guts to ask for or take a portrait), and there are signs posted all over the area about trout fishing regulations. So. Apparently you can fish the Passaic River for trout, when the season is right.
Like this:
February 18, 2012
This vine is out to get me.
There is some kind of a thick bright red hairy thorny vine that keeps impeding my explorations.
I have no idea what it is. It’s like a malicious rose. It snags my hat and sleeves when I walk by.
This is what it looks like, anyway.
Like this:
February 16, 2012
Treasure hunting!
When I first explored the area near the Chatham-Summit railroad bridge, I thought it was weird that I kept stepping over a million clam and oyster shells. I hadn’t thought the woods of north Jersey were a natural habitat for shellfish.
And of course there was broken glass littered around, as there always is.
But as I continued exploring and looked a little closer, I realized that some (not all) of the broken glass was antique! (Long story short, as my family can attest, I went through an antique bottle/glass collecting phase, and I can recognize it.) And there was a lot!
So THAT’S why there were a bunch of clam and oyster shells, and broken pottery, and glass shards: this place must have been a trash area in the early-to-mid-1900s. In theory, this stuff might have been sitting at the bottom of the Passaic River until it washed ashore during Hurricane Irene’s flooding, but the glass doesn’t show any signs of water erosion (“sea glass”).
There was a well-worn trail leading to this area, and if people have been coming through here for the past 100 years, they’ve taken or broken all of the good stuff. There are some fragments hanging from the trees (signs of recent human activity) and no intact pieces left.
…Well. To be totally accurate, there are no intact pieces left now that I’VE been through there. 
Here are the treasures I found after an hour of very careful hunting:
A rectangular glass dish thing, a teeny tiny bottle, a little vial (which may or may not be modern), and (my prize find!) a jar that seems to have been used for dressing.
The bottom of the jar is stamped (on the outside, in reverse, so you can read it when you peer into the jar):
It reads:
No. 65.
Pat.in.U.S.
Dec.22.1903
July.17.1908
I’m pretty excited!
(P.S. Thinking of checking it out for yourself? If you, my dear local archaeologist, are looking for old glass shards, or you’re dedicated enough to do a really thorough excavation, it might be worth your while, but if you’re just a casual enthusiast like me, don’t bother.)
—–
After I wrote the stuff above, I found ANOTHER spot by the Passaic River with MORE discarded old glass!
As far as I can tell, the clear bottle is probably from the mid-1920s; the Pond’s jar is pretty common (I’ve actually already got one from a college glass-hunting excursion), but this one is in really nice condition. Again, all of this stuff is pretty worthless. But nifty!
Like this:
February 15, 2012
Luscious grass
There are a few spots by the Summit Transfer Station where the grass is lush and green and verdant… in February. Everywhere else, the flora is brown and dry and dead.
I don’t know if there’s some weird underground heating pipe, or if this is some mutant grass that thrives on cold weather, or if we just haven’t had weather cold enough to kill grass, or what.
It’s also worth noting that the grass is deceptively concealing a swamp. If you actually try to walk on this grass, your shoe will sink and be completely submerged in watery mud. (Surprise!)
Like this:
February 11, 2012
Briefly, there was some winter.
We got snow this morning! It pretty much entirely melted between the time I took this shot and the time I finished my walk half an hour later, though.
As context for those of you not in New Jersey, I should mention that these past few months have been unseasonably warm. I don’t even think the weather has stayed below freezing for 48 hours straight. This insignificant dusting was one of mayyybe three snowfalls we’ve had since November.
…Being the crotchety old geezer I am, I’m totally okay with this situation.
Like this:
February 5, 2012
Over the river and through the woods
I am not 100% sure how old this railroad bridge over the Passaic River is, but I’d guess late 1830s, since this branch of the Morris & Essex railroad was completed in 1838.
Because of all the trees, it’s hard to get a clear shot of the bridge nowadays, but the “enduring town landmark” (Cunningham 1997, 34) has long been a popular subject for local photographers:
c. 1900
c. 1916
Date unknown, probably c.1950-1990
References:
Cunningham, J.T. (1997). Images of America: Chatham. Arcadia Publishing: Dover, NH. ISBN 0738545619.
Treese, L. (2006). Railroads of New Jersey: Fragments of the Past in the Garden State Landscape. Stackpole Books: Mechanicsburg, PA. ISBN 0811732606.
(Submitted to Sunday Bridges.)
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January 22, 2012
