Batsto Africa, a PBX Hike

[bobpbx]

I have bites on tope of bites, areas of multiple bites, and one large welt 3" by 2". Despite all that, it was a great trip, and will set the standard for our picnic trip. Here are my pictures.

Mike’s turtle shot:

Mikes second turtle:

Frog

Morning shot of the crew. The morning light in that area is nice.

Iris

Iris2

Yes, many Iris’s

Carex stricta or crinita….I lean towards crinita…but?

Carex2

Mike contemplates building a home right about here (and life in general).

Iris3

Deep in the Wilds of the Pines

Jeff right at the entrance to Long Savanna, which is right around the corner.

The aptly named Long Savanna

Jess gives Guy instruction in Bog Ore Development

A cautious advance

A delicate Flower falls in.

Rescue Squad; Moe and Curly

Sundew and Bladderwort

A pretty Batso Iron Bed

Another shot of the Iron Bed

Homeward Bound. Who can tell me where this is?

The last mile home

 

[long-a-coming]

I came back from this trip "rusty". I've taken two showers since the trip and the stain of the iron is still visible in little splochy areas on my skin. My waders are a freakin' mess. Wet, mushy, unpredictable ground that opens up and sucks you down when you least expect it, then your footprint fills back in with the thick oily muck in a few minutes. Incredible area! I love a Cedar Swamp and we walked through a tremendous one with a few giants. The proximity of the river throughout the hike provided a refreshing cooldown whenever one was needed. Well designed trip Bob a tough 3 miler in some beautiful land. We had a couple of generations of explorers grinding it out along the Batsu: Guy and his daughter Jess, a tremendous team, and Scott and Mike who finish each others sentances when discussing the woods. I'm enjoying my sons while they are little dudes but I also look forward to sharing the Pinelands with them. Jeff you are an impressive presence in the woods I learn a lot hiking with you man. PBX guru Bob showed us that Rust Never Sleeps

 

[Ben Ruset]

Is that an ore bed that was mined for bog iron for Batsto?

 

[pinelandpaddler]

Is that an ore bed that was mined for bog iron for Batsto?

No doubt about it. I'd bet that all of those forgotten channels of the Batsto were mined at some point.

 

[Ben Ruset]

I've always been curious about the "ore raising" process. How far did they have to dig down to get at the ore? How did they break it apart? How did they get it back to the furnace?

 

[jburd641]

I've always been curious about the "ore raising" process. How far did they have to dig down to get at the ore? How did they break it apart? How did they get it back to the furnace?

Good questions. I think I know the answer to the last one.......barges.

 

[bobpbx]

I've always been curious about the "ore raising" process. How far did they have to dig down to get at the ore? How did they break it apart? How did they get it back to the furnace?

I'm going to surmise here based upon past readings. I think the ore developed close to the ground. As the iron in solution floated to the top of the water, it drifted over to the banks of streams and solidified into large cakes of ore. Being very near the surface, all the workers had to do was pry the chunks apart with long metal rods and lift it onto the barges. They probably just kept digging down to get the remainder. A real slice of iron millenium as it were.

 

[Y-BUC-BILL]

Scott.You and the rest of your crew did a great job with the story and pictures of your hike.Love to be with you,but I could become a drag.Best I just read about your adventures.Keep em'coming.

 

[Teegate]

Homeward Bound. Who can tell me where this is?

I say you went home through Chatsworth, down Savoy Blvd and crossed over 72 at the JCRR bridge. Then through Woodmansie to Bullock where you left the paved road and headed towards 539. Along the way on that road you stopped and took that photo closer to 539 than Bullock.

Guy

 

[bobpbx]

I say you went home through Chatsworth, down Savoy Blvd and crossed over 72 at the JCRR bridge. Then through Woodmansie to Bullock where you left the paved road and headed towards 539. Along the way on that road you stopped and took that photo closer to 539 than Bullock.

Guy

Bingo Guy! Good work. You are correct on the photo, but the not on the journey to it. I went on the Red Road, crossed 72, then up to the rye fields etc.

 

[Teegate]

I guessed on all but the location of the photo.

Guy

 

[RednekF350]

Scott.You and the rest of your crew did a great job with the story and pictures of your hike.Love to be with you,but I could become a drag.Best I just read about your adventures.Keep em'coming.

I love hearing your accounts of the pines Bill and the early enduro days.
You keep them coming as well!
Scott

 

[Furball1]

Love it all!

I especially LOVE that sunset shot with the crowned pine tree...simply beautiful.

 

[Furball1]

Yep!

I think there are a number of natural explanations for that sheen, and I've definitely seen iron do it as well. You can see this around the rusty hulls of ships, even when you know there is no oil on the water, and I always wondered what it was. Must be some characteristic of the iron oxide.

Yes Mark, I have seen that phenomenon as well. There is a definite conjugation of the iron electrolye mixing perhaps with a calcium deposit, perhaps leading to the leaching out you can see as an oxide as you mentioned. Now in saltwater you have sodium and chloride and a host of other salts. It makes for weird science, eh? I still like my methane hypothesis though!

 

[woodjin]

Al's right its a eastern mud.....find it on land Jeff?

I stand corrected. For years I have based my identification of stinkpots on the renderings from Howard Boyd"s field guide. A rendering is no substitute for a photograph though. I wonder if the labels on the renderings were switched. Anyway, I was wondering why all those stink pots weren't stinky.

He was found on a landbridge between two bogs.

Great photos Bob!! I recognized that road in greenwood west of 539 in the photo. A number of years ago I saw a mother and puppies (coyotes) along that same road as I was heading West. It was a brief sighting (4 seconds maybe). I know that tree also because you showed it to me. You took a slight side trip to it on your way home huh? Great Great shot!! have you ever hiked to the base of that tree?

Those were some nice words Tom. It is always a pleasure hiking with you. I look forward to our next meeting. Happy Birthday again BTW.


Jeff

 

[woodjin]

No ticks or chiggers for me. But I was pretty loaded up on permithren.

I got into the woods for about an hour today, however, and pulled about 12 ticks off of my still treated pants.

Jeff

 

[RednekF350]

Guy and his daughter Jess, a tremendous team, and Scott and Mike who finish each others sentances when discussing the woods. I'm enjoying my sons while they are little dudes but I also look forward to sharing the Pinelands with them.

They are never too young for the big woods.
I used to cart mine through the woods in my truck every time I could and I literally had them fishing out of their play pens at the water's edge on the Mullica more than a few times.
I have always had manual transmission trucks and I used let my two sons shift for me when they were big enough to move the lever as we rode through the woods. They still remember doing that.
All that seems like 5 years ago but it was actually over 20 years ago.
I still try to spend time with my sons in the woods as much as I can.
Each year gets a little tougher as they become busier with their lives and in some ways, I am not looking forward to the day move out on their own.

 

[piker56]

They are never too young for the big woods.
I used to cart mine through the woods in my truck every time I could and I literally had them fishing out of their play pens at the water's edge on the Mullica more than a few times.
I have always had manual transmission trucks and I used let my two sons shift for me when they were big enough to move the lever as we rode through the woods. They still remember doing that.
All that seems like 5 years ago but it was actually over 20 years ago.
I still try to spend time with my sons in the woods as much as I can.
Each year gets a little tougher as they become busier with their lives and in some ways, I am not looking forward to the day move out on their own.

When they were babies, I had a backpack to carry my kids on my hikes. Like you said, it seems like yesterday but was 20 years ago. Now it's an occasional canoe trip or hike as both kids (a son and daughter) are grown up and busy.