Jump!!

Since the whole family was together, we decided a hike was exactly what the doctor ordered. The choice hike was Terrace Pond, a little gem in northern New Jersey. Left by an ice age glacier, Terrace Pond is an alkaline wonder with crystal clear water, and it is surrounded by granite boulders. Not good enough for climbing, some of the rock does make for a great 20’ cliff jump into the pond. To top off the picturesque view, the pond is surrounded by blueberry bushes.

As we got ready to jump in and swim over to the cliff, I noticed something giant chilling in the water next to the put-in. A snapping turtle with a shell a foot in diameter looked me in the eye, and for a second I thought that if I went in the water I would have ended up lunch. Trying not to think to much about the snapping turtle, we snuck past and made our way to the cliff. After a few jumps, the turtle lost interest, and we were able to make it back to shore with all of our fingers attached. I would say that it was a nice adventurous interlude.