Essex County Highpoint Trip Report
Date: November 4, 2006
Author: Don Desrosiers
The worst part of this county was the traffic on Bloomfield Avenue.
It is rumored to be very bad on Saturdays before Christmas. Previous trip reports
will get you in to the vicinity.
The area off of Claridge Avenue was a simple access, although climbing over the
fence provided us with the closest we came to breaking a sweat all day.
The area off of Fellswood was rather a pain to get to. Large piles of leaves
and parked cars made for a narrow street approach. The area was more overgrown
than Mike Schwartz remembered but otherwise not a difficult access.
The two areas at the County Sanatorium may present access issues in the future.
The recreation area parking lot is being expanded (good so far) but fresh
surveyors tape and construction equipment may spell the end of easy access to
this point (the other shoe drops). Talking with several other folks in the park,
it is believed that the county has sold this property and it seriously
looks like it will be developed. The high ground near the Sanatorium was
obvious in the mowed field. Since the area had been developed, where the real
point is remains open to interpretation.
To get to the water tower area north of the county penitentiary, walk on the
dirt road that runs generally along the ridge. This road will take you right
where you want to go after about 800 yards. From there it is pretty much a
straight shot northwest through the open woods back to the car.