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Sanity Saving Switchbacks Run/Hike Meet-Ups

Sanity Saving Switchbacks Run/Hike Meet-Ups

November, December, January, February

The Sanity-Saving Switchbacks are back! These hill/mountain routes are a great way to get outside through the winter for some elevation training and know there will be other people there. Go at your own pace. Stay out there for as long as you want. Come and join us solo or bring your friends! Stick around for some food afterward, too! This year we will be adding in some new locations!

TRAIL PARTY DETAILS

Sanity Saving Switchbacks

Do you have a hard time getting out in the fall/winter when it gets cold and there’s less daylight? Got a spring event you’re training for? Want to use those trekking poles you bought but you’ve been too anxious to use them? Seasonal depression gets you down and you know you need to be around people but won’t do it unless there’s something on your calendar? We present to you… “Sassquad Sanity-Saving Switchbacks”!

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This is a go-your-own-pace run/hike! You can do as many repeats as you'd like - no pressure to complete a certain amount. You can easily share some miles with other folks or go solo. We will provide a trail conditions report before each meet-up (if conditions are too unfavorable at Bear Mountain or Mount Tammany for either of those first two dates, we will meet at the South Mountain Switchbacks)

DATES  (all meet-ups are at 9am)

Saturday November 16 - Mount Tammany (Knowlton Township, NJ)

Sunday December 8 - Bear Mountain (Tomkins Cove, NY)

Saturday January 4 - South Mountain Switchbacks (Millburn, NJ)

Sunday February 23 - South Mountain Switchbacks (Millburn, NJ)

THE ROUTES

November 16 - Mount Tammany in Knowlton Township, NJ - Mount Tammany is the most iconic climb in New Jersey! Towering over 1,500 feet, Mount Tammany is the southernmost peak of the Kittatinny Mountains and forms the eastern side of the Delaware Water Gap. The 3.5 mile loop that we will follow climbs over 1,200 feet on the Red Dot Trail and then descends back down to the trailhead on the Blue trail. You'll be rewarded with epic views of the Delaware Water Gap throughout the climb followed by a gorgeous finish along the cascading waterfalls of Dunnfield Creek. The entire the loop is very technical and very steep with many rocks and roots. Out of the three locations, Mount Tammany is definitely the most technical, the steepest, and the most challenging. We recommend grippy trail shoes and poles could be helpful if you like using them. You'll want to do the loop counterclockwise as described (up Red Dot, down Blue). You can download the gpx file HERE.​

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December 8 - Bear Mountain in Tomkins Cove, NY - Stairs, stairs, and more stairs! Did you know that there are 1,298 granite steps at Bear Mountain? Let's climb up and down all of them! We will be doing out and backs (O&B) on the Appalachian Trail which makes route-finding super simple. This O&B course has a total elevation gain of  over 1,200 ft and is a total of 3 miles roundtrip. The trail itself is not technical - there are just a gazllion stairs! We recommend trail shoes and poles could be helpful if you like using them. You can download the gpx file HERE.

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January 4 & February 23 - South Mountain Switchbacks in Millburn, NJ -  We use a 1.2 mi loop for this route. The first 1/2 mi climbs 300 ft up the yellow-blazed Lenape Trail. When you get to the top, you'll turn left on the pavement and follow that for about 0.20 mi to the flagpole and then descend 300 ft down the switchbacks to return to the picnic groves. We do not recommend leaving gear at the picnic grove as this is a high traffic area with hikers. You can easily access your car in-between loops if needed. The 1.2 mi loop has a total of 300 ft of elevation gain. With the exception of the 0.2 mi pavement stretch, the rest of the loop is technical with rocks and roots. We recommend grippy trail shoes and poles could be helpful if you like using them. You can do the loop in either direction! Download the gpx file HERE.

getting there

November 16 - Mount Tammany in Knowlton Township, NJ - Since we are going in December, there should be plenty of parking in the two main parking lots for the trailhead. Youll be pulling off of Rt 80W so be sure to start slowing down as you get closer to the turnoff; it's right off of the highway so it is easy to miss if you do not slow down. Though unlikely, that lot can fill up - there is additional parking at the Kittatiny Point Visitor's Center on the other side of Rt. 80. You can walk to the Mount Tammany Trailhead from there. There are portajohns in the trailhead parking lot.

 

December 8 - Bear Mountain in Tomkins Cove, NY - The closest parking is in front of the Bear Mountain Inn. After you park, follow the paved path next to the Inn, towards the mountain (the Inn and lake are on your right). The out-and-back route on the Appalachian Trail is straight ahead, marked with white blazes. If you need to use the restroom before starting, drive around to the Carousel to find restrooms that are located next to the vending machines. Please note: there is a $10 fee in all of the Bear Mountain parking lots after 8am so if you'd like to save a few bucks, you can start early before 8am!

 

January 4 and February 23 - South Mountain Switchbacks in Millburn, NJ - The Locust Grove Trailhead is directly across the street from the Millburn Public Library and the Millburn Train Station. If you cannot get a parking spot in the trailhead lot, you can park across the street and walk over. Walk uphill to the back of the parking lot and turn right to find the start of the 1 mile loop. There are portajohns in the trailhead parking lot. 

BYO-EVERYTHING

Bring whatever you'll need to self-support your run/hike! You'll want to have a pair of trail running shoes (or hiking boots if you prefer), a water bottle or hydration pack and food/snacks. We will let you know how the trail conditions are before each meet-up (though it's always a good idea to keep traction in your pack like Exospikes!). Each of the locations that we are using have portajohns or restrooms available in the parking lot.

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