Hassenclever Iron/iroman Caches

[+briansnat]

For those of you who've attempted my Hasenclever Iron and The Ironman caches, the article below may be of interest to you.

 

Also, those of you NYNJTC members who would like to be a part of completing this trail, I believe the north Jersey trail crew is going out next Sunday (May 8th) to complete the trail. You can check the NYNJTC's websiteffor their schedule. I plan on joining them and hope to see you there. OK, I know it's mother's day, but I'm sure mom will understand. Just send her flowers and tell her you're heading out to make the world a better place.

 

 

By BARBARA WILLIAMS

STAFF WRITER, (Bergen) Record

 

RINGWOOD - It was a healthy trek through sun-dappled woods or snow-covered

hills, depending on the season. But the 5-mile road from the boss's house to his

place of business was still the most direct route.

 

On Saturday, the path once used during the 1700s by everyone and everything from

billing clerks to oxen laden with iron ore will be open for the first time to

walkers participating in a borough-sponsored Earth Day Hike. Although the entire

Hasenclever Iron Trail is still not open, a good portion of it will be used as

part of the 5-mile moderate hike.

 

"We still have some brush to clear and markers to put up," said John Mack, a

member of the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference. "But the rest of it will be

open very soon."

 

The trail, which winds over land owned by the borough, county, and two states,

is being blazed by the trail conference and the Friends of Long Pond Ironworks.

It is marked with red and yellow ribbons, and is the culmination of years of

work by historians and trail conference members.

 

Named after Peter Hasenclever, an ironmaster during Colonial times who built the

original road, the trail stretches from Ringwood Manor to Long Pond Ironworks.

Hasenclever lived in a house near where the present-day manor stands, and he and

his employees traveled on a regular basis from his home to the furnaces where

iron was made.

 

An independent village existed near the furnaces for the workers and their

families, and supplies as well as the iron ore and finished product were carried

back and forth on this well-used route. The trail saw continued use through the

next century until nearby roads were created.

 

"This trail was one of many used to bring iron ore from all the mines in the

area - there were about 50 - to the furnaces," said Rob Sparkes, president of

the Friends of Long Pond Ironworks. "We'd love to be able to open a lot of the

trails."

 

Martin Deeks, a local historian and one of the leaders of the group, discovered

the trail a few years before his death in 2003 when he and Sparkes studied old

maps and surveys. They took their idea to convert the old road into a hiking

trail to the trail conference.

 

That group creates between 20 and 50 miles of trails annually. The organization

also maintains 1,600 miles of trails. Mack said he has already put in 80 hours

clearing this route, and it needs about another 20 to be ready for the public,

but he said the work is worth it.

 

"This trail is great - not only does it have historical significance, but it's

an interesting hike," Mack said. "It also has good parking on either end -

Ringwood Manor or in the parking lot on Route 511 for the Sterling Ridge Trail

or the Highlands Trail."

 

Saturday's event begins at Long Pond Ironworks on Route 511 in West Milford at 1

p.m. The hike will go about an hour, when it will stop for a short presentation

by Ringwood Mayor Wenke Taule about Earth Day. Those unable to walk the entire

route will be led back out, while a tour guide will take the hikers the rest of

the way. A rain date has been set for Sunday.

Edited April 29, 2004 by briansnat

[+avroair]

I know it's mother's day, but I'm sure mom will understand.

 

Give her a rake and bring her along .

That's what my mum did to me for 30 years.

 

I hope to make it.

[+briansnat]

Here is the link with the phone number to call. They prefer you call ahead so they know how many people they will have and can let you know when and where to meet. According to the link, non TC members are allowed to work as a one time, "guest participant". I'm not sure whether that's still valid, or not. Edited May 1, 2004 by briansnat