barren nights

[whippoorbill]

Still sorting through last Tuesday's lot. (I'm really sorry.) This will no doubt keep happening until next Tuesday's trip, when the process will start all over again. This is all BubbaMax's fault. His inspired work has me on a roll.

Okay, this is where our trip started last week. Al claims that the above hole (on Rockwood Rd.) is the "worst hole in the pine barrens, possibly in the entire world."

When I pull up and size 'er up, I rev the engine, "vroom, putter-putter, vroom" ...

"Alfie! I can do it!"

"No! Don't!" my pal insists. "Remember last week?!?!"

"VROOM! VROOM!" roars my Silverado.

"I'm doing it! Hold me back!" screams me.

Al yanks on the emergency brake, stopping the truck ... and I lose my nerve. Next week, maybe.

(the top photo, Bubba'd)

Thanks for looking,
Bill

 

[Teegate]

Next week, maybe.

I would suggest you listen to Al. If you have viewed those holes in the summer when they are somewhat dry, you would see that if you catch the ruts right you better hold your breath. You can swim????


Guy

 

[manumuskin]

i actually know where theirs one worse hole and it's not on that road but it is in that part of wharton.the hole i speak of was belly button deep on the hump.i walked it and i was on the hump.no idea how deep the ruts were.that was in summer.how deep is it spring????.the hole you show in the pic is actually not too bad along the right side.i walked through it on the way back but first i tried the middle and when it started lapping at the top of my one dry wader i backed up and it was getting real soft.I already got stuck in the one hole and flooded my right wader when you pushed me in Billy,i wanted to keep the one dry leg for the ride home.
Alfie

 

[whippoorbill]

tuesday afternoon

 

[bobpbx]

That last one is a winner Bill. How do you attain that effect? It looks like a painting.

 

[whippoorbill]

That last one is a winner Bill. How do you attain that effect? It looks like a painting.

Thanks, Bob. Sometimes I'll sit here and work with a photograph for an hour to get what I want. The picture above is also on the previous page of this thread, so you can compare the differences if you'd like. I have a software program that came with my Canon and there are any variety of enhancements I might attempt. The above photo has been given a touch of painting-like enhancement, some color enhancement, and I love what a dark marker does to the trees ... you can see this in the branches of the pines. I often can't enable my camera to capture what my eye does in the wild. For example, when I recently went to Parkdale to shoot the golden colors (which are a result of the recent fire), I couldn't make the camera do it. With other photos, if I can create a subtle edge that makes the photo more of a representation of what I saw, then add a dream-like quality -- something that I also experience in the field -- by golly, I'm gonna do it.

Below is another from last Tuesday, the day of maybe my nicest barrens hike ever.

That Al is one handsome dude, isn't he?

Bill

 

[whippoorbill]

You can swim????

Not a lick.

Which is why I've decided to get scientific about attacking this hole on Tuesday. Scientific, based on intuition, that is. This, and a 12-minute study of the hole's photograph and my expert photo analysis abilities, has revealed the hole's weak spot.

Piece of cake.

Bill

 

[Teegate]

Piece of cake.

Bill

You a member of AAA?

Guy

 

[whippoorbill]

border straddling

Al's mission of the day was to locate eleven county border markers, most on the Burlington/Atlantic line, one on the line of three (adding Camden to the previous two), and a few on the Camden/Burlington line. I tagged along. Al gets real serious about this stuff. Every once in a while, I have to point myself out and say, "Hey! Remember me?!" But I had a really good time, doing my searching-out-for-pretty-things thing. Al found all eleven of his markers ... I obliged him and took photos of a few. I took a gazillion others and will post them below. If you have a slow connection, they're not worth the wait.

We started at the Mullica River, a few miles east of 206, working our way toward California.

Further west, we discovered that one of the markers would require a long, wet Sherman-like march. Here are some of the sights along the way, including a marker shot (or two), plus another marker nearer to 206.

We then crossed 206 and entered the Dead Zone.

"Alfie. Can we get out of here. These charred woods are giving me the creeps!"

"Never mind. Get me back in the woods."

In search of the final marker of the day ...

why ... there it is ...

That's all, Folks.

 

[Teegate]

I suspect nobody but the two of you have ever visited that many in one day. The nice thing about them is the views are so nice and varied. My favorite is the dessert like area near the Mullica. If looks like Al had you working hard today.

Thanks for the photo's Bill.

Guy

 

[maxwellandson]

As always, Great shot's Bill. I relly admire your work and so does Bubba. hes been a little busy latley with cub scouts and all but he wants to take some this weekend.

 

[whippoorbill]

Thanks, Chuck. This batch probably isn't my best, for a couple of reasons. We covered a lot of ground this day (as Guy mentions) and one can do better if he can focus on one area instead of eight million. Also, we lost the sun after the morning and that dulled everything. I tried to bring up some color in some of the photos, which the sun would have done for me, and it shows.

I suspect nobody but the two of you have ever visited that many in one day. The nice thing about them is the views are so nice and varied. My favorite is the dessert like area near the Mullica. If looks like Al had you working hard today.

Thanks for the photo's Bill.

Guy

It was a great day, Guy. I paid for the territory covered, too -- my back stiffened up by the time I'd rode home and I'm still walking around like a board. Yet it's good to sometimes push it and mix in a day-full of diversity, as you mention. I'll go back to that Mullica area soon and chill there for the day. The Mullica itself, the small stream that runs into it from the southwest (Al calls it Heavy Metal Creek, with it's obvious iron content and ironish color -- does it have an actual name, I wonder?), and the desert area between make for some magical exploring terrritory.

Bill

 

[whippoorbill]

a dedication

I herewith dedicate this post containing preposterously manipulated photos to my dear friend Alfie, whom, whilst leading me to marker upon marker earlier this week, stomping through mile after mile of unpenetrable lands, has ruined my back. I also hereby invite other members of the forum to enjoy these photos as well. Please note that the two photos below contain "he whom ruins backs" but, note again, finding the culprit in the lower photo is a bit of a challenge. In conclusion, he or she who first finds and reports to me the location of Alfie in this photo will be invited to Alfie's and Whip's next journey (Tuesday next), which will no doubt include several quests to reach several impossible-to-reach locations. The winner must agree to support me and my aching back during the slogs to and fro and sign a contract stating such.

Bill

 

[woodjin]

Great shots Bill. I haven't visited this thread in while. I always love your photography and now we got trip reports...great. The great swamp is amazing isn't it!!! A shame about the deer.

Jeff

 

[manumuskin]

Billy,
I have thought long and hard as to why your back and not mine is the one that gave out.As obvious from the pictures I am much more unbalanced and carry a much heavier load then you do but yet it was your back that gave out.I think it has something to do with our birthdates.Yours being in the ancient mists of time in what today we call the 50's while mine was comparitvely recent in what is actually recorded in written history as the 60's.My birthday was heralded in the newspapers put out by printing presses whereas yours was sent by smoke signals and recorded in cave paintings in France and elsewhere.This condition therefore is due to the extremely advanced age of your body.While you are half a century old I am still basking in the limelight of my early 40's so though I am quite larger I take it when it comes to back pain it is truly age before belly that hurts a person.

Alfie

 

[whippoorbill]

Billy,
I have thought long and hard as to why your back and not mine is the one that gave out.As obvious from the pictures I am much more unbalanced and carry a much heavier load then you do but yet it was your back that gave out.I think it has something to do with our birthdates.Yours being in the ancient mists of time in what today we call the 50's while mine was comparitvely recent in what is actually recorded in written history as the 60's.My birthday was heralded in the newspapers put out by printing presses whereas yours was sent by smoke signals and recorded in cave paintings in France and elsewhere.This condition therefore is due to the extremely advanced age of your body.While you are half a century old I am still basking in the limelight of my early 40's so though I am quite larger I take it when it comes to back pain it is truly age before belly that hurts a person.

Alfie

That must be it, you Whippersnapper!

 

[whippoorbill]

Tuesday afternoon

I'm just beginning to see, now I'm on my way
It doesn't matter to me, chasing the clouds away.
Something, calls to me,
The trees are drawing me near, I've got to find out why.
Those gentle voices I hear, explain it all with a sigh.

 

[oji]

Feeling a little Moody Bill?

 

[whippoorbill]

Feeling a little Moody Bill?

You bet, Tom. It became and will remain my hummed theme for recent and forthcoming Tuesday barren-jaunts. Join us on one; we'll sing a duet for Alfie. If I understand his recent post correctly, Mr. Whippersnapper there is certainly too young to have heard it.

Bill

 

[manumuskin]

it's supposed to rain/snow that day.Are you sure your old bones are up to it Billy?Sandy islands with Bonsai pines,spongy strip medders burnt black and foreboding.All pretty somber stuff in good weather let alone bad.Can you pull beauty out of such terrain?What if we get lost with no sun to guide us?
whippersnapper