'Hawkin Swamp, a PBX Hike.

Hewey

Piney
Mar 10, 2005
1,042
110
Pinewald, NJ
All,

At the beginning of March Bob sent an email to all of the members of PBX to let them know that him and I were working on a hike in a maritime forest of NJ. Our plan was to tackle the 'Hawkin Swamp from the north and hike to the southern end. The date was set for March 27th.

PBX members at the start of this hike were, Scott (RednekF350), Jeff (Woodjin), Mike (DRZ-Mike), Mickey, and I (Hewey). We met at the end point, dropped a couple of bailout vehicles on the way north to the start point. We started the north end of the hike on my friend's property.

The first waypoint "Duck Camp". I think the location was used for a duck hunting camp back years ago.
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A Persimmon Tree we found in the area of "Duck Camp"
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Most of the hike was deciduous swamp. Dominated by large maple, tulip, and gum trees.
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The Gunning River.
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A hunter's shooting shack we found along the way.
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A long forgotten road.
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PBX Crew making their way through the swamp.
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At waypoint "Better days".
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The Daffodil have out lasted the home.
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Jeff with a massive Sassarfas we found.
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Mickey estimating the size, or just an excuse for him to hug a tree? Mickey estimated the tree to have about a 11' circumference.
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The highlight of the hike. A long forgotten Grist Mill stone we found.
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About half way through the hike we found BobPBX in treestand waiting for us at waypoint "Ditch"! He was feeling under the weather in the moring. Feeling better he decided to meet up with us for the last half of the hike.
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In the 30's and 40's large scale cedar cutting was going on in the area we hiked. Jeff making his way down one of the old corduroy roads.
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BobPBX playing on a large blowdown from Hurricane Sandy.
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We ended up with a little over 6 miles on the GPS at the end of the hike. We ended the day with some craft beer and snacks back on my friend's land. We rated the hike a 9.6, a true PBX classic.

Chris
 
Apr 6, 2004
3,620
564
Galloway
Great shot of the house ruins! And a grist mill stone?? Color me jealous! Did you guys find the actual mill site, too? Sorry I missed the hike. Was a gorgeous day for it. Hopefully I'll be in good health for the next hike.
 

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,693
4,864
Pines; Bamber area
Good report Chris. I wish I were in on the beginning. That millstone is certainly something to see. Did you estimate it's size? Judging by the photo, I'd say 5 feet in diameter, though it looks broken at one side.

When I went through the waypoint "cedar", I found the last truck in, and it never came out.
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There were huge giants in this swamp.
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These create of course huge blowdowns.
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The day's crew.
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One for Oji.
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Hewey

Piney
Mar 10, 2005
1,042
110
Pinewald, NJ
Did you guys find the actual mill site, too?

No sign of the Mill. We think the wheel may have been dumped there at one point in time. I checked the location when I got home. It's about .30 miles from the nearst road of any kind. It was in a location you would not think anybody would put a Mill. No power source.

Did you estimate it's size?

No, we didn't. I would say about 5'. Yes it was broken on the one side.
 

RednekF350

Piney
Feb 20, 2004
5,064
3,341
Pestletown, N.J.
Well,well,well.
It scored nearly a perfect ten from the participants and if I could have given it an eleven I would have.

This woods is very different than what I am used to and the species mix and maturity of some of those species is just amazing. My thoughts on these woods, as we walked through aother section of flooded timber, were that they appeared almost artificial. It was if we were waliking through a movie set or a Disney attraction in some way. The photos I took did not completely capture that feel but I tried my best. The bent hollys and clumps of irridescent sphagnum gave it that aura.

One thing that also was reinforced throughout the afternoon leg of the trip is how sensitive white cedar reproduction is and how it never fully revcovers from a clear cut on its own. We walked through more than a mile of what is now a hardwood swamp that was nearly 100% white cedar prior to harvesting. Today, you could count the number of cedars on two hands in that same mile stretch.

This hike is in my top three of PBX excursiuons and it will be tough one to beat.
Thanks Bob and Chris for putting together a classic.

Scott

Some pictures:
The mystical woods.
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An artesian well running strong.
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Another artesian well with a fan of iron through the vegetation.
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Few people know that Hasbro produced a "Bob" doll in the 1960's. We were lucky enough to find one amidst some rubble.
It should go for a handsome sum on Ebay.
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Chris on a mini-corduroy road in the cedar clearcut.
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Chris on a monster white oak blow-down.
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Bob and Chris talking amidst the hardwood sentinels.
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GermanG

Piney
Apr 2, 2005
1,147
491
Little Egg Harbor
Looks like a great trip. By coincidence, I had some time to kill yesterday morning in Manahawkin and wound up in some of those same woods. I didn't find anything as exciting as that millstone but did find two pretty old looking cellar holes with remnants of their sandstone foundations. Scattered red cedars in the forest with just the tops still sporting foliage indicated the area was cleared at one time. Aerials from the 30s indicate a possible farm site. Did you guys find any Loblolly Pine? They are not uncommon in those woods.
 

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,693
4,864
Pines; Bamber area
Yes Oji...that is a nice ring, right? They are likely all connected by rhizome. Saw them more than once. PS: They were at my feet in the last photo Scott posted as I was talking to Chris.

German, that species was discussed, but none of us knew for sure. We all just settled on white pine.
 

GermanG

Piney
Apr 2, 2005
1,147
491
Little Egg Harbor
Yes Oji...that is a nice ring, right? They are likely all connected by rhizome. Saw them more than once. PS: They were at my feet in the last photo Scott posted as I was talking to Chris.

German, that species was discussed, but none of us knew for sure. We all just settled on white pine.

Most features of loblolly resemble those of pitch pine more than they do white, including the needle count. Unless it's a large specimen that catches my eye, I imagine I normally walk right by many of them, dismissing them as a pitch pines. The needles are are much longer on the loblolly however, and the cone is longer than pitch pine cones too, but has a somewhat traingular shape, unlike the long cigar-shaped white pine cone. You can usually find enough needles and cones on the ground to ID them in the case of big trees. There is an overgrown trail that connects Stafford Ave. with Hillard Blvd. that has several very large specimens along it. I've always assumed there were some north of that location as well but never noted them in my few ramblings there.
 

woodjin

Piney
Nov 8, 2004
4,358
340
Near Mt. Misery
As a PBX member for nine years, this is the first 10 I gave a hike (although, I probably should have rated some others higher). Amazing maritime forest and history galore. And to find a mill wheel in the middle of a swamp was rare beyond any expectation.

houses built in swamps.
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testing the bottom
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one of many massive blow downs
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a "pond" created in a small tributary from blow downs
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the mother of gum swamps
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looking through to the bay and trying to ignore a tire
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looking to the bay from a pristine location
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Jeff
 
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