Along the Mullica and on the Batsto.

[BEHR655]

Saturday I re-visited the marker that Guy, Jessica and I visited last week. The marker is at a very beautiful spot along the Mullica. From there I went up along Sleepy Creek Rd and took almost every turn in toward the river I could. I came to some vey nice spots as you can see in my album.
http://www.njpinebarrens.com/forums...ery&file=index&include=view_album.php
From there I went back to Atsion and Quaker Bridge Rd to Mullica River Rd(Lower Rd.?) and followed it first the the Lock's bridge and then to the "No Vehical" sign that is the enterance the the Mullica River camping area. There I turned and went over to Batsto River Rd and out to Batsto.
After I got home and was looking at the pictures I got the urge to kayak the Mullica so I called a friend and we agreed to meet at Bel Haven at 8:30 Sunday morning. It turns out the the mullica trip puts in at Atsion and out at Pleasant Mill and takes 7 to 9 hours. We chose the Batsto instead sinse it was only 3 to 4 hours.
The man who dropped us in said the water was low. If it was low I'd like to see it when it's high. We had smooth sailing all the way. If we wanted we could have just steered and not paddled. The weather and scenery was great and we had the river to ourselves except for a Great Blue Heron we flushed and a couple of turtles. I was not quick enough to get a shot of the heron as it flew about 3' above my friends head. Fortunately turtles are much slower.
http://www.njpinebarrens.com/forums...ery&file=index&include=view_album.php

Steve

 

[Teegate]

Steve,

Ed said that is the only river that flows even in dry times. Rob, Jessica, and I went during a rain storm and the water was really high. It was easy.

Nice photo's. Thanks for posting them.

Guy

 

[bobpbx]

Steve,

Ed said that is the only river that flows even in dry times. Rob, Jessica, and I went during a rain storm and the water was really high. It was easy.

Nice photo's. Thanks for posting them.

Guy

Lets correct that Ed. The Cedar flows even in dry times too.

Bear, I like your shots with the water reflecting the clouds.

 

[RednekF350]

Is the huge beaver-lodge-ominium still there a little upstream of Lock's?
That used to be one of the biggest around.
I fished the hell out of the Lock's area over the years trying to catch one of those deep woods chain pickerel but never managed a big one.
I got a 26" 4.5 lber mounted out of the Batsto River back in 1987 and that was in a backwoods stretch.
I know they are in there.
Nice pictures.
I have regular (non digital ) pictures of my kids swimming at Lock's in 1989 in Ninja Turtle life jackets.
Now one boy is in college and the other is a senior in high school.
Time flies.
Scott

 

[bobpbx]

Is the huge beaver-lodge-ominium still there a little upstream of Lock's?
That used to be one of the biggest around.
I fished the hell out of the Lock's area over the years trying to catch one of those deep woods chain pickerel but never managed a big one.
I got a 26" 4.5 lber mounted out of the Batsto River back in 1987 and that was in a backwoods stretch.
I know they are in there.
Nice pictures.
I have regular (non digital ) pictures of my kids swimming at Lock's in 1989 in Ninja Turtle life jackets.
Now one boy is in college and the other is a senior in high school.
Time flies.
Scott

I was thinking the same thing about the pickeral Scott. Looks like a likely spot. The biggest I ever caught were two 23" pickerals caught within 5 minutes of each other at the Presidential Lakes dam in 1967 (on bacon of all things).

My old friend Gibby Giberson used to say they had 'em in Bamber Lakes with mouths opening wider than the mouth of a Mason Jar. I believe he said one of 36" long was caught there. I think that may be an exaggeration.

 

[BEHR655]

Bear, I like your shots with the water reflecting the clouds.

Thanks. I like them too.

 

[BEHR655]

Is the huge beaver-lodge-ominium still there a little upstream of Lock's?
That used to be one of the biggest around.

I did not see it but will have to check it out.

Steve

 

[Boyd]

Yeah, those are some terrific photos! There was a great sky for picture-taking Saturday. I was out with my camera also and got some shots I liked at a beautiful secluded spot called "Lookout Lake" in Wawayanda State Park up north.

 

[RednekF350]

Bob
The still standing NJ record for pickerel is 9lbs. 3 oz. caught in Lower Aetna Lake in Medford in 1957.
Another scenic spot and a great pickerel area is the Wading River on the NW shore about opposite Chip's Folly. There are a couple bogs that discharge into the Wading along that shore and it cretaes a natural feeding area.
I have had some good days in there .
I usually run up from Chestnut Neck with a 20hp outboard and then switch to electric when I get up to the area.
Scott

 

[Teegate]

Scott,

What do you know about the history of Lock's bridge?

Guy

 

[RednekF350]

Not a whole lot unfortunately.
I did talk to an old hunting buddy of mine a long time ago and he said the both bridges were in and driveable as late as the 1960's.
Scott

 

[Teegate]

Not a whole lot unfortunately.
I did talk to an old hunting buddy of mine a long time ago and he said the both bridges were in and driveable as late as the 1960's.
Scott

They either washed out or were removed intentionally like the route to Lower Forge.

Guy

 

[Teegate]

Here is a 1942 quad that does not show Lock's bridge. Also, notice Rockwood.


http://mywebpages.comcast.net/teegate/post/1942.jpg


Guy

 

[Boyd]

That map is cool.... do you think one could actually take the train for a day at the beach at Atsion?

 

[Teegate]

That map is cool.... do you think one could actually take the train for a day at the beach at Atsion?

Sure. I am not sure when the passenger trains ended on the Jersey Central, but when they ran, I am sure people did just that.

Guy

 

[RednekF350]

Guy
Did you notice that the fan shaped bogs off Sleeper show up on that '42 map? They are cross hatched just like the Rockwood bogs.
I talked to my old buddy Nelson (79 years old) on Sunday at church and asked him what he remembered of Rockwood if anything.
He is the caretaker of the Chew cemetery on Chew road.He was there last week cutting the grass.
His father's family was from Dutchtown right next to Parkdale on 206 and his mothers family was from Chewtown on Chew road at Sandy causeway.
He said he can't remember anything about Rockwood from when he was younger.I was really hoping he did.
He did tell me his grandfathers house sat on the Northeasterly corner of the Parkdale bogs on the west side of 206 in Dutchtown and that it was only torn down about 20 years ago.
There is a black square there on the current Atsion Quad. I'll have to check that out when the chiggers die back a little.
Scott

 

[Teegate]

Is that the dot just below the "O" in the word Dutchtown on the Quad?

Yes, I did notice the bogs and was hoping something would be written next to it, but unfortunately there was not.

It would have been nice if that man could have remembered more, then again he might have been very young.

Thanks for asking him.


BTW, I have officially been awarded the Atsion Quad, and my Chatsworth data was accepted.

Guy

 

[RednekF350]

Yes the block below the "o" in Dutchtown is the house he was referring to.
If you need any help with the Atsion Quad let me know.
I am pretty familiar with a good chunk of it.