Atlantic White Cedars in Muskee Headwaters

[manumuskin]

I am thinking of doing a systematic sweep from a little below the junction where the muskee splits up into heads (nixon,middle,slab and an unnamed head) and going up each branch over the course of the winter and looking for big trees.Birds eye shows some potential monsters.The biggest ones seem to be by themselves or in very small groups.The bigger the patch the smaller the trees look and some appear to be regrowth from logging areas that show up plainly in the aerials. Me and Whip could do sweeps up each branch.Most of Nixon appears logged.the best bet there is between the logged area and the main branch.I have never been all the way around the bog on the east sied of nixon,that would be a good idea too.
Al

 

[dragoncjo]

Al, De Carlos is where you and I drove back that one time right, just off Hesstown?

 

[manumuskin]

I believe I went back there with you.I know we went back by the old holly farm that day.DeCarlos is a vast gridwork of roads that were going to be developed at one time.There were several houses put in that are ruins now and one man still lives back there in a trailer/house combo.The area is between estelle manor road and muskee creek south of route 49. This tree would be either south or southeast of that area. I am going to apparently have to enlist an army of lakers (lakers are a cross between Millbillies and Hillbillies) to help me sweep the swamp from below the junction of the headwaters up stream on each head individually,Middle fork first. If there is any doubt as to what a Laker is they are kind of the southern version of a Browns Millbilly. My biggest fear is that they may spit tobacco juice around the base of the tree and this may poison the roots. I was just out there and went to the southernmost reaches of decarlos to see if I could pick up Renee's trail from a couple days ago.I picked up many trails.Found tracks and broken twigs high up.In each case I wound up at a portable deer stand and found one game camera and about 100 ft from the camera a discarded or lost double A battery.I must be on the wrong departure point.Oh well,the laker sweep will git r dunn.
Al

 

[drb]

Al, if you would like I can email you coordinates tonight and some very helpful hints for the cedar I referenced.

 

[manumuskin]

Well that would be awesome! Thanks! I thought I was following your group yesterday but I ende3d up following hunters to three different portable stands and a game camera.I do like posing for those cameras,I always wonder if I pissed the hunters off or they get a good laugh and are grateful I didn't steal their camera?Tell ma has anyone done a sweep of the headwaters branches?If not I could make a winter project out of that.I have always liked that area and crossed and recrossed the swamp in several places looking for stones and yesterday to speak of it I found an angle iron stake in the ground that may have put me back on the track of 40 plus stones on a map Guy and I call the Black map because it is a negative and we searched all winter a couple winters ago and didn't come up with one stone.This stake when I passed it I thought let me take a coord since we may need it someday in the future if we ever get another map of this area and then later once home it hit me that that stake may have been along the southern boundary of the black map so i pulled out the map and yes it is in the right spot so we may now have a definite POB for the map.I have already plotted out the first stone but have yet to go out there and look for it.This has been the most exasperating map ever.I did eventually find a stone marked with paint and flags but it was in the wrong spot so I replotted everything off that spot thinking I was wrong and still found nothing so while I didn't find your trail in yesterday I perhaps got started on another stone adventure.By the way did you go in here?39° 19' 28.01" N 74° 55' 3.55" W an old decating junk pile there with bricks and block.good snake spot.
Al

 

[pinelandpaddler]

While paddling the West Branch of the Wading a few days ago, I noticed a stump of a large cedar tree that was obviously cut down. It would have been by far the biggest cedar along the river. I suspect it was poached. Pisses me off.

 

[oji]

Gabe, Do you think this was done recently?

 

[pinelandpaddler]

Yes, recently.

 

[manumuskin]

Recently as in you personally remember the tree (how long have you been a Mullicaite?) or before you were a Mullicaite but within say a time that whoever did it still may be living?

 

[pinelandpaddler]

Honestly, I'd have to take a closer look to be sure, but my impression was that it was probably cut in the past 10 years or so.

 

[manumuskin]

oh okay.I thought maybe you knew of the tree standing and then you noticed someone just took it and if it was on the right bank headed upstream I assume it to be on Wharton land? The stump will last forever,especially if rising water levels put it under water.Salvageable cedar timber was discovered under marsh mud when the Berrytown salt marshes were originally ditched and diked.geologists believed them to have been blown over in a windstorm several thousand years ago and subsequently covered in muck as the sea level rose.It was all supposedly carted off and made into shingles.

 

[pinelandpaddler]

Yep, it's on Wharton land. If I recall, it was not far from Evan's Bridge.

 

[manumuskin]

I am so confused here.I thought you were speaking of the lower mullica.I just seen your speaking of the wading.Evans bridge gave me geographical convulsions. Well then I don't think the stump has anything to fear for sometime as far as being put under the tides and I'd say both banks are on wharton land unless perchance it falls in the maxwell parcel that has a monument not ten feet off the river.In this case they didn't haul it out by boat but definitely by land.Must be a road leading into it from somehwere.

 

[strom]

Took a trip today with Gerry and a couple of friends to the headwaters of the Muskee. Weather was beautiful! Mission was to re-find two specific Atlantic white cedars. First one we found; second one we made it as far as the corduroy road then ran out of daylight, so we tabled that one for another trip.

The first cedar, near Middle Branch, was originally discovered by Steve Field of Vineland. Steve showed it to Gerry about 10 years ago and it measured in at 10'2" DBH then.

The second cedar, which we tabled, is a hop and skip away, in Nixon's Branch. Gerry found this cedar when he was leading a Philadelphia Botanical Club field trip in the 90s, and it measured 9'6" DBH at that time.

So here is today's re-find from a distance:
View attachment 1854
A panoramic sort of view with its full height:

View attachment 1855

Matt and Gerry measuring:
View attachment 1856


It's DBH at 10'4" - we think this is the largest Atlantic white cedar in the state:

View attachment 1857

And one more for relative reference:

View attachment 1858

Next time we hit the corduroy road to re-find the other cedar!

 

[strom]

Haven't paddled up there, only down there...nice pine barren-y paddle, then changes to bay, cool paddle...a lot of cedars in that area are a solid 7'6"+.

hi drb,
wow,first time i ever saw a girl in these forums.................and such a good looking one too.............well,your pics will certainly get more young guys on our hikes and such.........................and old pineys like me who just appreciate the sight of a lovely face in the woods...................press on,strom

 

[Boyd]

 

[PINEY MIKE]

hi drb,
wow,first time i ever saw a girl in these forums.................and such a good looking one too.............well,your pics will certainly get more young guys on our hikes and such.........................and old pineys like me who just appreciate the sight of a lovely face in the woods...................press on,strom

Well, I guess we wont be seeing her again. lol

 

[manumuskin]

I think a cold shower is in order here.

 

[dragoncjo]

Wow this thread got weird.

 

[LARGO]

Wow this thread got weird.

No doubt.
I'm hopefull intentions were well meant. I guess.
So how 'bout that tree?
Seriously, jumping on the thread at the butt end but... that is a kickin' Cedar.
I adore Cedars. Thanks for that Renee.

g.