A PBX Hike, The Warren Grove Wildfire 6 Months Later

Teegate

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All,

As you know from bobpbx’s invitation, the PBX hiking group set out this morning to hike from the bombing range on 539, all the way to 72 by the Barnegat Estates. As the crow flies this is 4.5 miles, and when all was said and done we traveled 6.5. Other than reaching 72 our goal was to see what the fire area looked like 6 months after the fire. And since Jessica accompanied us today, her goal was to just get her 92 pound body there!

After leaving two vehicles along 72 at 8:30 this morning, we all met at Lucille's in Warren Grove before our final drive to the bombing range. After getting all out gear on we lined up for a group photo. Attending from this site was bobpbx, woodjin, pinelandpaddler, teegate (me), onehand, and as mentioned, Jessica.


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The first portion of the hike was intense, since the fire had not thinned the woods out. But eventually we reached the burned area, and the hiking became easier. Here is one of the many small savannahs and spung's we had planned on seeing along the way.


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A cluster of Pine Barren Gentian.


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We found this wooden trough that we surmise was used to hold corn off the ground so it would not get wet.


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On the Stafford and Little Egg Harbor border.


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Indicative of the magic from fire in the pines.


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Most everywhere we were at was dry, especially the spungs. However, this one apparently is spring fed from underground and it was filled with water. Bob checking out the flowers.


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Included with this spung was several Nymphoides Cordata, commonly known as a Floating Heart. Notice the leaves look like hearts.


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After lunch nearby, we came upon this which most likely was dug by a hunter. The fire took care of it.


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Next was the snake skin.


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Then the snake. Here is Jessica holding a green snake.


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Looking a little dirty.

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Next we encountered the Mill Creek. This wonderful creek was sparkling clean and clear. Cold also since it is spring fed obviously. This creek is a real gem that we all enjoyed. Here is Jeff washing up.


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And while he washed up I took this along the banks.


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And shortly after the day was over. Jessica looking tired and dirty, and maybe using Bob’s vehicle as a crutch :)


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And this final photo shows our planned route. Starting at the bottom left at the first open area on the road to the range, we traveled completely across an area that until the fire would have almost been impossible. Even today just six months after the fire, the going was not easy. Within a year or so attempting it again will be unwise.


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Guy
 
Jan 3, 2007
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Cherry Hill
sounds like you guys had a great trip! Im sorry I missed it. when you gotta work you gotta work. I hope I can make it on the next one. I may even call out to do so ::big cheese eating grin::
 

whippoorbill

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Jul 29, 2003
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Gosh, I needed sunglasses to look at these photos. :)

Great shots, Guy. Especially like the line-up; I've been wanting to get back up to the big fire area again -- only one trip there so far (and it was soon after). This photo is strikingly nice.

Bill
 

bobpbx

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Oct 25, 2002
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Several very nice photo's in there Guy, especially of the aster and gentian. Because I really love the plains, I gave this trip a 9.5 where most gave it an 8 or 8.5. It was a really nice day spent in a unique area.

Guy and Jess in a field of emerging Ilex glabra (Inkberry Holly). This was flourishing in some places instead of the usual staggerbush and blueberry. Many places on this trip had this nice, vibrant contrast of green / black that was easy on the eyes.

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A lonely, not often used road by 539 at the start. There was several rusty, burned out vehicle and appliance parts on either side. Dumped at least 30 years ago.

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This shows very clearly and definitively what happens to serotinous pine cones when exposed to the fire cycle in the pine plains (every 6-8 years). In the foreground is the cone, and as you can see beyond the cone (at 2 to 4 feet), the seedlings that are now growing as a result of the cone opening due to the heat. The fire melts the resin that holds the scales in tight to each other. This fire was so hot that it may have opened this cone just before it hit the ground.

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How hot it was--look at these pygmy pines, you can almost hear the crackling heat. It must have been a hot firestorm running through there, creating its own rush of hot blasting wind.

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Stu and Gabe-It's hard to tell, but we are moving uphill at this point.

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In between a couple of the spung/savannas, there was an idyllic spot that is evidently damp enough to allow some larger trees to flourish. Check out the sassafras next to Stu on his left.

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This is another view in the same spot. This is a nice little hideaway if you are running from the law. Even with an airplane looking for you, you'll be okay if you don't wear bright colors!

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I loved this big old spung. The sedges and grasses gave it a beautiful golden color with reddish tints. The wind waving the grass was nice too.

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Here is a splash of blue Pine Barren Gentian (Gentiana autumnalis) in a sea of green.

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I have never seen so many gentian. Here are 8 in all. Look closely and you'll see 4 of them twirled up in bud.

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The PBX crew inline. This road is actually little used anymore. That's why I really like it, its a great little road in the pygmy pines.

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This is a shot by "xeric", a waypoint I named for the most upper part of Westecunk Creek. This is the creek that flows into the Stafford Forge area. Where these guys are standing is the start of the creek (but only as shown on the topo maps). This area apparently had a remarkable blast of fire through one 80 yard wide area that was long and narrow. The trees on either side had a bit less fire damage that this "fire tunneled" area.

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As we got very close to route 72, the trees were taller and more oak was mixed in.

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ps: the ice-cold beer and cigar at the end with the guys was excellant. A great day!
 

Teegate

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Sep 17, 2002
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Nice Bob! We need to get to the Mill Creek soon. We can walk down the middle. It is about 4.5 miles or so.

Guy
 

Boyd

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Jul 31, 2004
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Heh, I doubt that they had these definitions in mind :) http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Spung

Maybe they meant this movie? http://mymovies.imdb.com/title/tt0310525/

More likely this was the intended meaning! :dance:

From Pine Barrens Ecosystem and Landscape, page 231
Leatherleaf or, less commonly, highbush blueberry grows in the channels of intermittent streams, on the margins of ponds, and over the central sections of many of the nearly circular depressions that are scattered through the region. These thickets are known locally as spungs, but the term is also applied to broadleaf swamp forests.
 

Teegate

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Sue,

Basically they are usually small round depressions that seem out of place for the surrounding area. They acquire their water from underground streams, and depending on the amount of water available will determine if they dry out when rain is at a minimum. As Gabe (pinelandpaddler)mentioned yesterday, Indians would travel from spung to spung, or blue hole to blue hole to have an adequate water supply when traveling. For this reason artifacts sometimes can be found on the banks of them if properly excavated by a professional.

bobpbx can be more specific.


Guy
 

Sue Gremlin

Piney
Sep 13, 2005
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See, this is the sort of thing that keeps me coming back to this forum. That's great information, Guy, thanks very much.
I'll have to incorporate that into a research paper this semester. It's just the thing to write about. :)
 

bobpbx

Piney
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Oct 25, 2002
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Thank you all for your kind words about the photos.

Sue, spungs are very interesting to Mark Demitroff, Geological field researcher, who gave a presentation about them at the Pine Barren workshop this year. His passion for Pine Barren geology is infectious. He is a very neat guy too, easy to talk to. Yes, he does live in NJ and drives to work from here. He does respond to email too.

Basically, his theory is that during parts of the ice age, when the Wisconsin Ice Sheet was close by, strong winds rolling over our area (tundra-like at the time), scoured out depressions in the land (due to a weakness in the soil possibly). These filled up with water eventually, and as Guy says, its seasonal or hit and miss.

I am finding that they usually are hotspots for botanizing.

http://copland.udel.edu/~mdemitrf/

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/89011416/ABSTRACT?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
 

Teegate

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Sep 17, 2002
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Bob,

The second link is bad.

And I am embarrassed to say that Bob's post caused me to realize I did not thank you all for the kind words. I think he gave me the hint recently that I have been neglecting that quite often.

So I want to thank you all for taking the time to read my posts, and for your input on them. Much appreciated!


Guy
 

Teegate

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http://mywebpages.comcast.net/teegate/cookie.jpg


All I can say is that since I am accepting cookies, and you have to in order to stay logged in on this site, that you either have to be logged in there, or it will not work with Safari. I suspect you are logged in and that is why it works for you. I may be wrong.

Guy
 

bobpbx

Piney
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Oct 25, 2002
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http://mywebpages.comcast.net/teegate/cookie.jpg


All I can say is that since I am accepting cookies, and you have to in order to stay logged in on this site, that you either have to be logged in there, or it will not work with Safari. I suspect you are logged in and that is why it works for you. I may be wrong.

Guy

Thats true, you have to be logged in to open it up. I guess you use the board more from your email. I am always logged in.
 
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