Exploring The Mines Spung Fire Area

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
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All,

This morning I was at the Mines Spung Fire at 6:45AM meeting up with Dragon to check on a few things. On the way there I noticed that the FFS had bulldozed the gate on the first road off of Tuckerton from Carranza. The state in record time has replaced it with plastic whips to keep all of us from using our road.

All that is left of the gate.

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The new plastic whips.

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We roamed around a while and then went to check on the pine snake I found shedding recently mentioned in another post. It appears this is not the same pine snake but it perished in the fire. This one I have been told is a gravid female and the blue eyes tells us it was shedding. We found it in a hole with flies congregating.

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We eventually made it to the Mines Spung Branch and upon arriving I noticed this stone where the slope meets the upland. This is really remote and not at any known location that I have even viewed. The area does not have stones like this or for that matter any stones at all. It most likely is a long ago property corner lost to time. It is quite large. I will return and dig more around it.

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The one wet area on the Mines Spung.

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The rest of the Mines Spung is completely dry.

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Unfortuanly, this snake maybe tried to make it to the Mines Spung but found nothing when arriving during the fire.

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The area is still burning and this is one of the many views of it.

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Teegate

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Sep 17, 2002
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Also, we checked on a morning glory location that the state is trying to protect by using whips. This plant is usually starting to grow around now and the area it was at was crispy burnt. It should be interesting to see how it does this year.
 

Jim

New Member
Jun 14, 2025
11
3
Medford
Since rain will affect regrowth, the DEP rain gages are back up and running and the 4 around the Mine Spring Fire perimeter all report about 1/3 inch of rain over the last 24 hours. Perhaps, with the duff layer that isn't significant enough to disperse the NJ FFS guys that are mopping up, but that should do something.

I did walk out near Apple Pie Hill the night before the fire and the sand was moist just under the surface, so soil moisture really isn't lacking, or wasn't.
 
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