Lol. Sure, I can bring my Cherokee to show her the dark path I was heading down before I got the piney mobile. We can have Guy come too to show how bad it can get.
PBX guys, I need a way into the bog
- Thread starter Jon Holcombe
- Start date
I think cutting down trees crosses the line. What if everyone did this whenever they wanted to? And why do you need to carry a chainsaw? I agree with the others, find some downed trees if you need to build a bridge, or find another way to get there.
Boyd, I already said that I wouldn't cut down any trees. I used the hand chain to remove a branch that was in the way of a shot. I was basing my comment in part on pictures of bridges that I thought were cut branches or small trees., As I said, I'm devising my strategy on the fly. But now that you mention it, where is the line? I've seen a lot of references to bushwhacking through brush. Any trip through dense undergrowth will probably result in broken branches and trampled brush. It's hard to drive down Carranza road, and the smaller roads, from the thousand snow broken branches and small tress all over the roads out there right now.
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I believe if your caught cutting trees on state property the fine is several hundred bucks a tree ,on the other hand hunters do it all the time to create bridges and clear field of fire.Surveyors do it to get a better GPS reading. Beavers do it just because their beavers.
MM, being warned against it I wouldn't. I also see the state is going to thin 750 acres and harvest 10,000 cords of wood on Washington Pike.
If he's going to use already downed tree's, best make sure they are not rotted out pine as they tend to do or he could be going for a chilly swim with 30lbs of camera gear.
Might want to lighten that load by 20lbs.
As manumuskin mentioned surveyors are big offenders of that especially those who use GPS. They cut the trees for better reception. They have a job to do. I really don't disagree with it but I would never do it. I just cut briers and get quite a bit of satisfaction out of it. Just sayin....
Manumuskin, since I couldn't drive my car on your road to the bogs (AWD and piney pin striping), I hiked down the road, almost from Carranza, in order to get some late afternoon photos. Once I got there the beaver activity had flooded the dike (not sure if that is the correct term) and my 18" boots barely held off the water. But I got in, and made it halfway down the west edge, (and across the bog on one section). This is a beautiful area, and I am going back this afternoon to explore further. The trail was decent, took some pushing through brush and getting whipped in the face, and my hat pulled off, etc., but it was worth the trip. Some shots from yesterday.
If you look on Google earth in that area with the Panaramio feature on you'll see a few HDR shots I took of that area last time I was out there.
Looks like that first shot is showing a beaver trail from the dike to the water.
Looks like that first shot is showing a beaver trail from the dike to the water.
Is that what that is? Just about every dike has one in the middle, I assumed it was some sort of irrigation channel left over from when the bogs were active. Cool shots on Google Earth. Reminds me of a trip I took in 1972, listening to music with my friends, under a black light. Wasn't a pine tree in sight.
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It may ell have been a manmade channel especially if they are perfectly straight and parallel to each other but beaver also make runways like this so they can travel through the brush in safety.To them being in the water is sfety so they will make runs from the ponds edge into the forest to access the trees.They also hide in holes in the dikes your walking down and will often have runs to those holes or runs to the dike so they can run over it and get into the swamp on the other side.These runs are their death knell when it comes to trappers.They look for where the beaver are entering or exiting these runs and place traps there or will make a fake scent post to attract the beaver to the intruders mark and will place a trap there. I assumed that was a beaver run in the photo because it's the only one I see.If they are repeated at intervals it would be a ditch as you say.
Lol. I use Google Earth/Panoramio a lot and I've seen those pictures. (I knew they must have been manumuskin's because the user name is the same). I didn't even have to look to know which ones you were referring to, I knew just based on this description.
Ecampbell, I followed your map/pin in from Carranza and realized that I had been in that area previously. Since the temperature on Sunday, Feb. 14, was around 20 degrees, I was able to walk onto the frozen ice of the bog. Before, I was limited to the edge. My exploration of this fascinating area continues. Thanks for your help!
This shot is the north bog, above Carranza.
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I built a bridge today, as described by Bobpbx and Teegate. It was a badly constructed bridge. Per the good advice from this thread I used only broken, downed trees, that still had to be sawed and trimmed and dragged into place. Took me about an hour and I managed to get across it uneventfully once, and gained access to the bog. Explored a bit, took a couple of shots, and on the way back over the bridge, my boot caught on an untrimmed stub and I ended up butt deep in ice water. A brisk walk back to the car with numb feet, and I stripped down to my skivvies and drove home half neked. Not exactly Jack London's "To Build a Fire" but it gave me a small appreciation for real explorers. Guys did this stuff 200 years ago without a Highlander waiting 1/4 mile away on the main road. Ironically, I saw a 12' board bridge 1000 yards farther along the dike, so the bridge was unnecessary. The sunrise shot is my favorite beaver dam also shot today.
http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.74829740078969&lng=-74.59032732646943&z=16&type=nj2012&gpx=
Thanks MM, I feel like I'm improving. These bogs provide a lot of inspiration.
Nice pics. There is no shortage of downed trees right now. Was out driving and hiking this past weekend and they were everywhere.
On Sunday, Feb. 21, my son and I walked down the west edge and along the southern edge, finally halted at the first big moat. With my photo gear I cannot risk a full immersion, or even up to my waist. The southern edge was a virtual beaver city. I am looking for a pair of leather gloves to avoid getting torn up by briars. Even wearing flannel lined jeans we got pierced multiple times. Thinking about a pair of chainsaw chaps but I don't know if that's even practical. I agree with Teegate, briars are the enemy. I do not know how you guys walk through swamps, it seems very hard just to walk an overgrown trail.
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The secret to swampin is to take your time and always have a back up plan if you go down.The worst injury I"ve had so far swampin is a couple real nasty eye jabs.Might want to wear a pair of safety glasses if you plan on traveling through thick brush..Many folks use trekking poles/walking sticks and I admit these can be real handy where balance is needed such as in stream/bridge crossings but i find they mostly get in the way in thick brush.I need both hands to fend off the brush and maintain balance by using trees. A good bet is to take someone with you or at least let someone know exactly where your going. I don't always follow my own advice but as I get older I notice I"m being more cautious.Not as invincible as I used to be.