2011-05-21 40 -74

Location

D & R Canal path, in Princeton Township. The tow path on the east side of the canal is the dividing line between Princeton and West Windsor Township [1], so the margin for error overlaps the border.

Participants

Jevanyn will try to make it at 4PM, time is somewhat flexible, and I may be bringing Evan and/or other dragalongs.

Plans

Jevanyn: I've been in the area a hundred times, as 206 is my regular route to Cape May. I can't make it in the morning, but I'm going to make an effort to be there if there is a meetup.

Expedition

Feh. Google Maps lied; there was no trail on the east side of the canal. Starting from Alexander Rd., a short gravely path leads to a fenced off power station just before the train line. Beyond the train tracks is a grassy way, but it was flooded in places. I made the closest approach possible on the opposite side of the canal. If I'd come earlier, and if there had been more people (ahem) I could have rented a canoe and gotten closer, but I was (briefly) within the margin of error for my GPS.

Not knowing the lay of the land (GPS malfunctioning until after I got to the trailhead) I ended up parked about a mile from the canal. It started to rain just as I headed back. -- Jevanyn 03:31, 22 May 2011 (EDT)

Stuff that sucks

The weather. Rained six days in a row.
The GPS on my phone, without which I parked over a mile from the canal.
Google Maps, which said there was a path or something on the east side of the canal, when there wasn't.
Walking uphill for a mile in the rain.
Not getting a canoe when the geohash is spitting distance from a canal. Duh!

Photos

Shockingly, this map was useful.
Students: no left turn
After a mile hike downhill....
Pedestrian-activated warning lights at crossing, 3 to 5 times more effective than wildly waving your arms
Princeton welcomes you! Please wipe your feet
Do you see a trail here? I see flooding and a natural gas pipeline.
It's not a drawbridge, but the rail crossing has some sort of works underneath.
The geohash
A geohasher
Either 10 miles or half a mile from something more interesting
Based on which way the numbers face, it's 15 miles to Trenton, and 28 miles to New Brunswick YMMV.