The Stone Living Room (1)
Norvin Green State Forest
Place by K & Q on 8/27/02
West Milford Township, Passaic County, New Jersey

Clues: Easy to moderate
Terrain: Moderate-strenuous , immediate steep ascent
Time: approximately 1 hours (longer if you linger to enjoy what you
will discover)

Note: For more information on the actual site of the Stone Living
Room, visit www.weirdnj.com or see issue #10 page 51.

DIRECTIONS

FROM INTERSTATE 287 NORTH OR SOUTH BOUND
Interstate 287 North Bound, Exit 53, 694/511/Bloomingdale/Pompton
Lakes. Proceed to traffic light at end of ramp. Turn LEFT onto
Hamburg Turnpike. After 1.7 miles bear RIGHT onto Glenwild Ave.
Approximately 3.5 miles up the road, park at the dirt lot on the
right with the brown wooden sign that says "Welcome to West Milford
Township".


FROM ROUTE 23 SOUTH BOUND
Just past Smoke Rise in West Milford, take the High Crest Rd/Hamburg
Turnpike exit, passing under Route 23. At approximately 2 miles (just
past the Municipal Building) bear slightly LEFT uphill onto Delazier
Place (Do not make the sharp left onto Star Lake Rd). At stop sign
turn LEFT onto Glenwild Ave. Approximately 3.4 miles up the road,
park at the dirt lot on the right with the brown wooden sign that
says "Welcome to West Milford Township".

The Stone Livingroom Letterbox
Walk back down the road for a very short distance. Look for trail
entrance on right (Park Boundary Sign on tree). Follow the blue
blazed Hewitt-Butler trail. Almost immediately the red blazed Torne
trail enters on the left. Stick with the blue trail (to the right),
which immediately ascends steeply. After 10-15 minutes of climbing
you will come to a small rock vista. Catch your breath while you
enjoy the view. Proceed on the trail. Very shortly you will come to a
very large flat rock. Where the blue trail bears right and down hill
you will need to leave the blue trail and instead take the small (5
foot) path that you see to you left which connects to another large
rock. At the edge of this rock peer through the woods and you should
see the beginnings of what you seek. Enter the Stone Livingroom and
be amazed at your awesome discovery.

Sit in the chair with the footstool. Where your right hand rests will
point you to the direction you need to know. Go 46 paces to a tall
knobby stump. Turn 140 degrees to the left. Go 33 paces to a large
whitish colored rock, leaning on a small flat rock. From this rock go
25 paces straight ahead to the rock with a split. Walk along (on top)
this rock, then circle around the rocks on the right. You will see a
5-foot stump (connected to another tree). From the stump, 8 paces at
160 degrees to the right, you will see a triangular nook with a brown
rock hiding what you seek. Use a stick just in case.

After stamping up and returning the letterbox to its secret location,
sit and enjoy the wonder of the Stone Livingroom. Its true makers are
unknown, but we thank them for their ingenious design. When ready,
return to the blue trail. You may go in either direction. To the
right and you will retrace your steps the way you came. The more
adventurous may choose to go left. The trail becomes less traveled
but still well marked and easy to follow. After approximately 10
minutes you will encounter a nice rocky vista from which the descent
can be rough (on your butt). At the bottom you will encounter a large
fallen tree. The trail goes left here and enters a gully. The red
Torne trail begins on the left in the gully, where the blue trail
begins a steep rocky climb to the right. After a short but steep
climb, the red trail is a lovely, fairly level walk of about 10
minutes to its end at the blue trail. Turn right on the blue trail,
once at the road go left to return to you car.