Batona Trail 12/20-21/08

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ChrisM

New Member
Nov 27, 2008
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So for anyone that's interested, I am going to be back home in NJ over christmas break and thought I would try to hike the Batona trail in two days. Approx 25 mi each day, Saturday and Sunday - this would involve a little bit of night hiking and shuttling a car. I will likely camp out Friday night and get up real early Saturday. Should anyone want to join me on this crazy attempt, let me know.

Chris
 
kayak karl

kayak karl

Explorer
Sep 18, 2008
495
79
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Swedesboro, NJ
ChrisM said:
So for anyone that's interested, I am going to be back home in NJ over christmas break and thought I would try to hike the Batona trail in two days. Approx 25 mi each day, Saturday and Sunday - this would involve a little bit of night hiking and shuttling a car. I will likely camp out Friday night and get up real early Saturday. Should anyone want to join me on this crazy attempt, let me know.

Chris
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I'll go :) starting at bass river?
 
C

ChrisM

New Member
Nov 27, 2008
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I think thats the plan. If I remember reading correctly there is a campsite at about mi. 25, so the plan is 25 mi a day. I guess there will be enough water, so depending on the number of people that are in, we would need to either meet at the northern point and drive one car to bass river or something along these lines. This would happen Friday night, then I would camp at bass river and get moving 6:30 Saturday morning. Hiking 2.5-3 mi/hr with 1 hours break time puts us at mi 25 around dusk. The same for Sunday. As there will only be about half a moon, I think decent headlamps are a must.

Are you aware of any good maps for Batona? I can't seem to find anything good.

Chris
 
C

ChrisM

New Member
Nov 27, 2008
7
0
Absolutely! I don't know where Jersey people look - since I am in Indiana right now, I do most of my hiking there.
 
Old Crazy

Old Crazy

Explorer
Oct 13, 2007
481
94
Stinking Creek, NJ
I'd love to join you guys but I don't think my work schedule is going to permit it.

If you leave coal road by 7am Friday and head north, you might make it to Lower Forge campground by dusk. Even if you don't make Lower Forge by dark, the trail is very well marked the few miles before Lower Forge.

If you have more than two vehicles, it might be safer to park at Brendan Byrne State Park rather than Ong's Hat. Then one person can pick up their car at Brendan Byrne and drive to Ong's Hat and backtrack to finish. The Ong's Hat parking lot is only a few hundred yards off of a busy highway and your vehicle is much more likely to be discovered there in the middle of the night by somebody with ill intent than at Brendan Byrne. If you stretch a Batona Trail map across your dashboard, that signals Park Rangers and local law enforcement that you're overnight hiking on the Batona and not an overdue or lost day hiker.
 
C

ChrisM

New Member
Nov 27, 2008
7
0
So I think we would need to meet at Ong's Hat, park one car there, and then drive down to Bass river. Do you know where the Ong's Hat parking is? I can't seem to find it on the map.
 
C

ChrisM

New Member
Nov 27, 2008
7
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So it sounds like we'll be getting some decent rain on Friday (and possibly Sunday as well.) I was thinking about getting down there after dark, but if its a downpour Friday night, this might be a bit interesting. I am not sure what the camping situation is like at bass river - looks like the official sites are $20 bucks a night. So I wonder if it might be better to hike a mile or so down the trail and stealth camp. I also don't know what the permit situation is like and if they write tickets, and what time the Bass River office is open until friday.

This seems to be the problem with this trail - not a whole lot written about it, or so it seems.
 
Old Crazy

Old Crazy

Explorer
Oct 13, 2007
481
94
Stinking Creek, NJ
I was out hiking for a few hours the Friday they were supposed to leave. It was windy with torrential rain and temperatures hovering just above the freezing mark. Not a good day to hike and REALLY not a good night to sleep out in the woods after you've been walking in cold rain for 10 hours and can't even build a fire to warm up and dry off.
 
kayak karl

kayak karl

Explorer
Sep 18, 2008
495
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Swedesboro, NJ
JerseyJim said:
The weather can make things rather miserable.
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just noticed the post. we didn't go. work threw me a going away party friday nite 12/19 for my thru hike:guinness:. couldn't leave Fri and no condition SAT. im leaving on AT NOBO 12/31 approach trail and will leave Springer 1/1/09. The Pine Barrens have been my gear testing spot for years. my Uncle owns/ed ground on Butterworth-Bogs Rd. (Riverside Rifle and Pistol). As kids we camped there all the time with my Dad.

Yous take care,
Karl
Journal
E-mail krothenbach@hotmail.com
 
Teegate

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
26,628
9,641
Karl,

I saved the link to your journal, and even left a message in your guestbook. I will check in often and see how you made out. If you can try to pass some photo's along :)

Guy
 
Old Crazy

Old Crazy

Explorer
Oct 13, 2007
481
94
Stinking Creek, NJ
Good luck, Karl. It's a rare breed that attempts to thu-hike the AT in the winter. I tried it 5 years ago in the spring but was knocked off the trail by Lyme Disease.
 
kayak karl

kayak karl

Explorer
Sep 18, 2008
495
79
70
Swedesboro, NJ
nobo

thanks for your support. at 65 miles, all uphill i think :) i will never complain about that walk up Apple Pie hill again. again, thanks for the comments in the guest book. they are a big help
 
Teegate

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
26,628
9,641
Nice to see all is well. It looks like you have had quite a bit of rain there. I have been following your progress and it appears you have made a few good friends. Keep going and good luck.

Guy
 
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