I tried to get out early and ended up locking myself out of the hotel. A handyman eventually let me back in. I pedaled River Road down the Jersey side to Old Mine Road. It wasn’t too busy early on a Tuesday. Old Mine Road was an unmarked beat up road at the intersection to the Milford Toll Bridge. I stopped to check out an old homestead, walked around a bit, exploring the slowly-decaying buildings and tried to see if there was access to the Delaware River. I couldn’t find a path and it was pretty steep. When I returned to the bike, my front tire was flat. I set up a work area behind the house on a concrete pad. I tried to patch the tube, which was installed 2 days ago. But I had no luck patching it. So, I installed a new tube I had bought in Port Jervis. But I pinched it while putting the tire on the rim.

Before I started working on the tire a ranger drove up and discovered me behind the house. I told him what was going on. After the second flat of the day, I made some lunch. The ranger returned to check up on me. I explained my predicament. He couldn’t help me out;  it was against the rules to give me a lift. I asked Cory the Ranger about all the dilapidated homes. He said the Parks Department demanded market rate rents for the homes and many of them were old so people chose other homes to live in so these older homes fell into disrepair. As you ride around, you see a lot of them in the National Recreation Area.

I figured I was pushing my bike the next 5  miles to Milford. I then recalled the first tube I replaced on Sunday. I dug that out and patched it. By some miracle, it held and I installed the wheel. I continued down Old Mine Road and rode past a farm on some downhill gravel.

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After the sweet gravel, I ran into a hill right past the turnoff for the Dingman Ferry Bridge.

Old Mine Road continued to be a mix of patched asphalt and dirt with the occasional glimpse of the Delaware River. It was a pretty pleasant ride until I crossed over the Flat Brook Bridge.The hill seemed massive and steep with full panniers. About halfway up the hill was a turnoff for a group camp site. I rode in to check it out. It was a big field with some outhouses and no water. A public campsite without any water. The access to the Delaware was dangerously steep. If you use the campsite, get your water in the Flat Brook and filter it, before you climb the hill. For a National Recreation Area, you get the impression that the powers that be don’t really want you to recreate.

I continued up the hill on my over-laden bicycle, occasionally pushing it. A talisman was left for me in a parking area on what I thought was the summit.

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I went up and over the hill, taking a detour on the Hamilton Ridge Trail. This ride was a screamer, downhill through the woods and tall grass. I had to shed some speed, due to the occasional log and limited visibility.

At the bottom of the hill, I should have checked the trail map (NYNJ Trail Conference DWNRA) because there were some designated riverside campsites nearby. As I headed back toward Old Mine Road, I was thinking of trying to get to Worthington State Forest Campground. The intersection of Old Mine Road and the Hamilton Ridge Trail was a bridge and a creek. I decided to filter some water and have a snack. After the break, I lost my mojo and started looking for a place to stealth camp. That turned out to be a mistake.