Introduction

[Badfish740]

Hello everyone, my name is Matthew and I just found this website a few days ago. This is the best place I've seen for finding info about the Pinelands on the net in a long time. Anyway, I just thought I'd intoduce myself. I'm a 23 year old student at Caldwell College (about 15 min northwest of Newark), but I'm originally from Hamilton Township (the one in Mercer county). I can honestly say I hate the part of the state I live in now, too many people, too many cars, and not enough trees! I actually learned to drive in the Pinelands when I was about 14 or 15. When my dad and I would go hunting he would let me drive his truck on some of the sand roads deep in the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area. When I was 17 I bought a '77 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ-40 and drove it all over Colliers Mills and Wharton State Forest. But, I ended up moving to north Jersey for school and leaving the truck in the backyard at my parents' house (One dead cylinder and lots of rust finally killed it). However, I'll be moving back down to Hamilton soon so hopefully I'll get do more exploration of the part of New Jersey I miss so much. It's good to find a group of people that are psyched about this great part of the state.

Later,

Matthew

 

[Teegate]

Thanks for the nice post, and welcome. As the former owner of two FJ40's I can feel your pain with the rust.


Guy

 

[woodjin]

Welcome to the forum!

Jeff

 

[Badfish740]

Thanks guys, I'm really looking forward to being on this site quite a bit. Right now I'm tractionally impaired (A Volvo is my daily driver), but hopefully I'll have another 4x4 by the summer. One day the Land Cruiser will be back in action but thats going to require a LOT of work. They are great trucks though-the drivetrains are tough as nails. I can't think of anything better for squeezing through the tiny ingrown trails of the Pines. TeeGate did you ever wheel with any other Cruiser owners? When I was about 17 or 18 I went with a bunch of guys I had met through an internet mailing list devoted to Land Cruisers. We met up at the firehouse in Chatsworth and traveled mostly along a railroad bed through Wharton and at one point passed through Batsto village. I know that most of them were members of a Jersey chapter of the Toyota Land Cruiser Association, but it's been a long time. I remember one of the guys who actually helped me fix my truck on a few occasions-Todd Oldenburg, does that name ring a bell? I've found that with the internet the great thing about Land Cruisers is everyone seems to know everyone since they're so few and far between anymore. One day I hope to turn it into a dedicated Pinelands hunting/wheeling rig, but until then I'll settle for anything with 4wd so I can go further than the hardpack sand roads.

Later,

Matthew

 

[Teegate]

I bought my 1973 Land Cruiser in 1975 and used that until I bought a new 1978 in October of that year. I sold it in the late 80's to a girl. My friend had a 1972 and for a while I had another friend with a 1974. Other than that I basically only met up with a few people in the woods for a short time, but never was a member of any group. More of a loner.

You don't see many anymore. Did you know they were coming out with a new FJ series? Ben sent me this link the other day.

http://www.autoweek.com/files/specials/2005_chicago/fjcruiser/pages/1.htm

This link was not working this morning, but it is the proper link.


Guy

 

[NewSchoolPiney]

Matthew,

Welcome to the board. I feel your pain with being away from the Pinelands while in college. I went to TCNJ and lived in Trenton for 4 years and now I'm finally back down in South Jersey.

If you're looking for another 4x4, can't go wrong with another Toyota truck. Find one with minimal rust and the 22re engine and you're set. I have an '85 4Runner which is perfect for exploring the pines.

Peace,

Justin

 

[Badfish740]

Justin-funny how we New Jerseyans see things...I'm from Hamilton which is about 20-30 min south of TCNJ and I consider that to be somewhat rural, at least the part where I'm from. At least there's still some working farms and plenty of undeveloped hardwood forests. To you it's probably considered quite suburban but to people up here in Essex county I might as well be from Appalachia...

Later,

Matthew

 

[Ben Ruset]

I always hated the name change to TCNJ. One of my friends went there and graduated the year they changed the name - 1996 I believe. The students were (righly) so upset about the name change that they got two diplomas - one with TCNJ and one with Trenton State College.

 

[Teegate]

I always hated the name change to TCNJ. One of my friends went there and graduated the year they changed the name - 1996 I believe. The students were (righly) so upset about the name change that they got two diplomas - one with TCNJ and one with Trenton State College.

They did the same with Rowan. My wife's relative had a choice which diploma she wanted, Glassboro or Rowan.

Guy

 

[kingofthepines]

Matt and TeeGate will appreciate this. One of my crew has a 76? FJ40
http://www.the-jersey-devil.com/photopost/data/500/130DSC00595-med.JPG

 

[Teegate]

Matt and TeeGate will appreciate this. One of my crew has a 76? FJ40
http://www.the-jersey-devil.com/photopost/data/500/130DSC00595-med.JPG

Very nice! I see the rust has attacked his also. If it was not for that I might still have my 78.

Guy

 

[Ben Ruset]

Matt and TeeGate will appreciate this. One of my crew has a 76? FJ40
http://www.the-jersey-devil.com/photopost/data/500/130DSC00595-med.JPG

I was just checking out the "stucks" section of your forums. I remember when I was more gung-ho about off-roading. I used to go through all sorts of crazy stuff.

Funny thing is that I used to go through with things like an old Grand Wagoneer, a 94 Grand Cherokee Limited, etc. Now that I have a Rubicon (and the associated $400/mo payment) I am way overcautious about what I go through. I test out most puddles, and if things look too bad I don't go through them.

Of course I mostly explore by myself, so that could have something to do with it.

You should get more people from over there to check this place out. I took some off-roading friends I had from way back and showed them a lot of ruins and stuff - they had no idea that anything like that existed in the Pines.

 

[kingofthepines]

I was just checking out the "stucks" section of your forums. I remember when I was more gung-ho about off-roading. I used to go through all sorts of crazy stuff.

Funny thing is that I used to go through with things like an old Grand Wagoneer, a 94 Grand Cherokee Limited, etc. Now that I have a Rubicon (and the associated $400/mo payment) I am way overcautious about what I go through. I test out most puddles, and if things look too bad I don't go through them.

Of course I mostly explore by myself, so that could have something to do with it.

You should get more people from over there to check this place out. I took some off-roading friends I had from way back and showed them a lot of ruins and stuff - they had no idea that anything like that existed in the Pines.

Being a tour guide is another hat I wear in addition to being an administrator. Much of the history of the pines I have learned from this site. I was out yesterday planning a stocker ride for the spring and came across this on Hampton gate road about here. Don't know what happened to it but I was wondering if anyone has seen it before and could tell me what it most likely said. I know its a benchmark.

 

[Ben Ruset]

Maybe we should plan a "History Tour" for stock 4x4's?

 

[kingofthepines]

Maybe we should plan a "History Tour" for stock 4x4's?

I'm really having a tough time with the stocker ride for a number of reasons. I've spent the better part of twenty years exploring the pines and stringing together some of the most hostile and unforgiving trails out there. You build your rig to the point where the obstacles no longer matter because you will get through one way or the other. Now I have to attempt to do exactly the opposite. String together an interesting ride by remaining on boring wide dry flat trails that won't result in stucks or scratches. I'm not complaining mind you, after all it was my idea, but I never anticipated how difficult it would be. Having said that, yes a historical tour of the sites of yesteryear is in the planning for late March. I've been doing dry runs in my nearly stock grand cherokee for a few months now trying to lay out the route I intend to take. This won't be a jeep only event (probably near 75% though). The only real requirement is that the vehicles be stock. Puts everyone on a near level playing field. Plus most of the people going allready have high dollar trail rigs and would like to cruise in comfort for a change.

 

[Teegate]

Being a tour guide is another hat I wear in addition to being an administrator. Much of the history of the pines I have learned from this site. I was out yesterday planning a stocker ride for the spring and came across this on Hampton gate road about here. Don't know what happened to it but I was wondering if anyone has seen it before and could tell me what it most likely said. I know its a benchmark.

In November of 2003 Steve informed me of that marker, and I vised it on 11/30/03. It actually is completely damaged to the point it is broken off at the base. I dug the hole and put it in the ground where I found it. Who knows exactly where it came from. It is not a National Geodetic Survey markers so I don't have the info on where it was originally monumented at. Here are three photo's of it. Notice the bottom of it.

It is an elevation marker because it tells the feet above sea level. You can't read the height.


http://www.njpinebarrens.com/teegate/main.php/download/131-1/DamagedBenchmark.jpg

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/teegate/main.php/download/134-1/IMG_2877.jpg

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/teegate/main.php/download/137-1/IMG_2878.jpg


I hope my interest in this subject has rubbed off on you and others. It is always interesting to find something like this. At least I think so.


Thanks for posting the photo. Nice job.

Guy

 

[Ben Ruset]

I'm really having a tough time with the stocker ride for a number of reasons. I've spent the better part of twenty years exploring the pines and stringing together some of the most hostile and unforgiving trails out there. You build your rig to the point where the obstacles no longer matter because you will get through one way or the other. Now I have to attempt to do exactly the opposite. String together an interesting ride by remaining on boring wide dry flat trails that won't result in stucks or scratches. I'm not complaining mind you, after all it was my idea, but I never anticipated how difficult it would be. Having said that, yes a historical tour of the sites of yesteryear is in the planning for late March. I've been doing dry runs in my nearly stock grand cherokee for a few months now trying to lay out the route I intend to take. This won't be a jeep only event (probably near 75% though). The only real requirement is that the vehicles be stock. Puts everyone on a near level playing field. Plus most of the people going allready have high dollar trail rigs and would like to cruise in comfort for a change.

IMHO you're limiting yourself a lot by eliminating the scratches. Just be up front with the participants and let them know that there's a good chance that they might get scratched up. Other than that, there's plenty of places to go that should be relativly dry.

What sort of route were you planning on taking?

 

[kingofthepines]

Most people were very familiar with the usual pinstriping that goes on out there and were adamant against tearing up their dd's. Losing mirrors and antennaes on a trail rig is one thing but not on their wifes '04 WJ or whatnot. As far as a route goes I'll pm that. We don't divulge strategy on an open forum on my board either.