All,
Today was the annual PBX super hike and cookout, postponed from last weekend because of the weather. It was last night around 7PM that the decision was made to continue with it. Lets back up a little.
I designed a hike in an area along the Nescochague that I have always wanted to travel, and we extended that hike a little more to fill the day completely for our big hike. So after Bob and I ironed out the details a few months back, Bob sent the invitation to all PBX members on 3/22/09. Here is a slightly edited version of it.
My fellow Pine Barren Brothers, get your rubber boots on! Lets meet at 7:30 AM sharp at the Church at Pleasant Mills on Saturday, May 2nd for our Big Trip 2009.
Way, way back in the southwest corner of our beloved Pine Barrens lies the Great Swamp Branch. A feeder for Nescochague Creek. That is where our Big Trip 2009 journey begins. Guy started the planning for this trip and I contributed some waypoints to round it out. It has some interesting and challenging terrain. We'll go all the way from route 206 to route 542 through the big piney woods.
Fitting of course that it ends at the Church in Pleasant Mills. After all, that is where all the great iron furnace barons ended up. We’ll end up there too…though hopefully not six feet under. At least not yet.
Actually, our final destination after the Church is Wading Pines Campground, where once again we’ll take a hot shower, kick up our feet, pop open a cold one (or two), share the bread, and relive the day's events. We’ll reminisce about how hard this 9 mile trip was. We’ll think about how to get out of a similar fate next year too. But of course we’ll be back. The Pines and the wild places that are still left draw us in like honey to the bees.
Are you game? Can you do this? Are your legs up to the task? How about your heart? Enough questions!
My friends, let me know if your wife will let you out of the house for this one as soon as you can. Tell her you won't return till after dark, and you won't be lying.
Happy Trails………….bob
So one week late at 8AM we were all at the Pleasant Mills Church. On this hike was Hewey (Chris), bobpbx, me, Jessica, RedneckF350 (Scott) and his son , long-a-coming (Tom), Woodjin (Jeff), and Paul who is not a member of this site. We all then boarded the Redneck F350 and headed off to 206 where we entered the woods on our big journey. In the next four hours because of briers and flooding, we had only traveled 1/4 of the way. Alterations of the route was required forcing us to pass by many of the places we wanted to visit. However, we did hit some of them, and here are the photo’s.
First, while waiting for the other to arrive, Jessica and I checked out the Pleasant Mills Graveyard. It is not a pretty sight! I wonder what the people who are buried there would think of this?
Arrival at the beginning in the Rednek F350. If only we knew what we were in for!
Phragmites choking out one of the streams from humans use of fertilizers in the area upstream. The acidity in the soil is lowering allowing this plant to grow. Quite disappointing to bobpbx
A very nice place that Bob calls “Plowboy.”
Then to “IndiaSink” where even with the flooding you can see where the ATV’s have been running through this special place.
Jeff picked this turtle right out of the water.
If you want to see a turtle up-close, click on the photo when it loads to enlarge it. Check out it’s nose
http://teegate.njpinebarrens.com/05092009/IMG_1649.jpg
Throughout the day we had been finding Pink Lady Slippers. Many were just starting to grow and in some instances Bob had to warn us that we were steping on them. Some were about to bloom but we had not viewed any ready to photograph. While in a very remote area trying to navigate our way through, Jessica noticed this one right next to me. Fully in bloom, but somewhat tilted, I did my best to get a few quick shots before having to catch up to the rest ahead of me. This was not a great specimen to photograph, however, I will have some more in the coming weeks.
Our failed attempt to cross this area because of flooding and severe briars. Jeff and Bob making a noble attempt with Tom looking on.
Bob and Jeff resting their feet in the Nescochague.
And I did get a chance to visit the Nescochague Azimuth Mark on our travels today.
After 8 hours and 11.8 miles of hiking, the PBX crew ended the day where we started it, at the Pleasant Mills Church. The walk from 206 was over. Jessica was the first to arrive making the trip seem like a piece of cake; however, Chris and Tom can prove to you otherwise, and this photo of Chris’s arm show’s just that. Him and Tom can take a sticking for sure.
And while we rested for a few to recover from the beating, we were treated to a small wedding at the church. Lets hope their road is less rocky than ours was today.
Scott’s wife met us at the church, and we headed to the wading Pines Campground for our usual end of the year cookout. I want to thank eveyone who was there today for a great day, and I can guarantee we will finish it later this year. The big woods are calling and I for one will be answering.
Guy
Today was the annual PBX super hike and cookout, postponed from last weekend because of the weather. It was last night around 7PM that the decision was made to continue with it. Lets back up a little.
I designed a hike in an area along the Nescochague that I have always wanted to travel, and we extended that hike a little more to fill the day completely for our big hike. So after Bob and I ironed out the details a few months back, Bob sent the invitation to all PBX members on 3/22/09. Here is a slightly edited version of it.
My fellow Pine Barren Brothers, get your rubber boots on! Lets meet at 7:30 AM sharp at the Church at Pleasant Mills on Saturday, May 2nd for our Big Trip 2009.
Way, way back in the southwest corner of our beloved Pine Barrens lies the Great Swamp Branch. A feeder for Nescochague Creek. That is where our Big Trip 2009 journey begins. Guy started the planning for this trip and I contributed some waypoints to round it out. It has some interesting and challenging terrain. We'll go all the way from route 206 to route 542 through the big piney woods.
Fitting of course that it ends at the Church in Pleasant Mills. After all, that is where all the great iron furnace barons ended up. We’ll end up there too…though hopefully not six feet under. At least not yet.
Actually, our final destination after the Church is Wading Pines Campground, where once again we’ll take a hot shower, kick up our feet, pop open a cold one (or two), share the bread, and relive the day's events. We’ll reminisce about how hard this 9 mile trip was. We’ll think about how to get out of a similar fate next year too. But of course we’ll be back. The Pines and the wild places that are still left draw us in like honey to the bees.
Are you game? Can you do this? Are your legs up to the task? How about your heart? Enough questions!
My friends, let me know if your wife will let you out of the house for this one as soon as you can. Tell her you won't return till after dark, and you won't be lying.
Happy Trails………….bob
So one week late at 8AM we were all at the Pleasant Mills Church. On this hike was Hewey (Chris), bobpbx, me, Jessica, RedneckF350 (Scott) and his son , long-a-coming (Tom), Woodjin (Jeff), and Paul who is not a member of this site. We all then boarded the Redneck F350 and headed off to 206 where we entered the woods on our big journey. In the next four hours because of briers and flooding, we had only traveled 1/4 of the way. Alterations of the route was required forcing us to pass by many of the places we wanted to visit. However, we did hit some of them, and here are the photo’s.
First, while waiting for the other to arrive, Jessica and I checked out the Pleasant Mills Graveyard. It is not a pretty sight! I wonder what the people who are buried there would think of this?
Arrival at the beginning in the Rednek F350. If only we knew what we were in for!
Phragmites choking out one of the streams from humans use of fertilizers in the area upstream. The acidity in the soil is lowering allowing this plant to grow. Quite disappointing to bobpbx
A very nice place that Bob calls “Plowboy.”
Then to “IndiaSink” where even with the flooding you can see where the ATV’s have been running through this special place.
Jeff picked this turtle right out of the water.
If you want to see a turtle up-close, click on the photo when it loads to enlarge it. Check out it’s nose
http://teegate.njpinebarrens.com/05092009/IMG_1649.jpg
Throughout the day we had been finding Pink Lady Slippers. Many were just starting to grow and in some instances Bob had to warn us that we were steping on them. Some were about to bloom but we had not viewed any ready to photograph. While in a very remote area trying to navigate our way through, Jessica noticed this one right next to me. Fully in bloom, but somewhat tilted, I did my best to get a few quick shots before having to catch up to the rest ahead of me. This was not a great specimen to photograph, however, I will have some more in the coming weeks.
Our failed attempt to cross this area because of flooding and severe briars. Jeff and Bob making a noble attempt with Tom looking on.
Bob and Jeff resting their feet in the Nescochague.
And I did get a chance to visit the Nescochague Azimuth Mark on our travels today.
After 8 hours and 11.8 miles of hiking, the PBX crew ended the day where we started it, at the Pleasant Mills Church. The walk from 206 was over. Jessica was the first to arrive making the trip seem like a piece of cake; however, Chris and Tom can prove to you otherwise, and this photo of Chris’s arm show’s just that. Him and Tom can take a sticking for sure.
And while we rested for a few to recover from the beating, we were treated to a small wedding at the church. Lets hope their road is less rocky than ours was today.
Scott’s wife met us at the church, and we headed to the wading Pines Campground for our usual end of the year cookout. I want to thank eveyone who was there today for a great day, and I can guarantee we will finish it later this year. The big woods are calling and I for one will be answering.
Guy
