I was talking to Woodjin, Bear, Guy, and some others about Glory Days in the pines. I’d call that 1968 to 1978. I wanted to reminisce about them here on the open board in the hopes that others would share some of the memories. Excuse me if I repeat from earlier posts. I am an old guy. Give me a break.
There were more people in the pines back then, but the times were a mixture of both good and bad. In those days, some of the things happening:
--The train wreck by Chatsworth. Cars filled with sand lying on their side. It was something to do on a warm summer evening to drive out there and walk through them and think about the crash.
--Driving through the woods in some of the old cars really fast, so you would fishtail around corners. Jeeps were scarce in those days, so your first car had to do. Some that I remember were; a 69 toyota corona, a 67 Corvair monza (boy could that thing fishtail), a Plymouth valiant with pushbutton shifter, a 70 roadrunner (383 magnum, canary yellow, Hurst pistol grip shifter). 8 track tape player, Elton John, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Yes, the Dead, Led Zep, SteppenWolf.
--During the Bass River fire in 73(?), 6 of us took a 66 Chevy Caprice through the woods from Presidential Lakes to Eastern Ocean County to see it. We got stopped by the “State Police” (the “man” back then) right at the edge of the fire. When we rolled down the window the pot smoke bowled him over. He told us to get the hell home.
--Camping and recreational drug use at the clay pits by Woodmansie. The pagan and warlock motorcycle gangs partied back there too at that time. It was very risky going by their camp. They took the 70 Yamaha enduro from me and did doughnuts for 15 minutes. I understand in the late 70's it got too crazy with people and weird happenings, and it collapsed. You can't keep that kind of activity up.
--The teenagers hung out more at the beach at night in Presidential Lakes, sometimes 50 or more. In the mid-sixties, it was common to go home at 5 pm from the beach (barefoot, a half mile through sand roads) after doing cannonballs from the beach dock all afternoon. We’d then eat, shower, and quickly put on fresh, clean clothes and go sit on the fence by the beach, making them “night moves” to the sounds of the Beach Boys, Motown tunes, the Beatles, etc.
--There were more rope swings on the Wading and Mullica rivers, and more of them were active. It was nothing to see 30 people at a time at those sandy clearings at the edge of the river. It also really seemed more people canoed back then; virtual trains of people going down the river.
--Jeeps were just becoming popular in the early 70’s. I bought my 1975, CJ5 off the showroom floor in Burlington for $5000.
--Virtually every day in the summer, we’d swim in the McDonalds Branch under route 70 by diving off the highway bridge. One day some of the big guys took a few of the boards out of the dam under the bridge and we shoot through on our bellies. This was dangerous. Don’t try it. There would be one guy at the end who had the job of grabbing your hand to keep you from getting sucked back under the water fall.
--We used to fish at the dam at the end of the lake, and it was a gathering place for many of us at night, going for the little catfish with bacon on the hook. Why? Cause we could, and we were out of the house. Air conditioning was unknown to me then.
--One of the older guys was Jay, our hero. We found one of them nasty, mean water snakes at the edge of the swamp by the beach. Dutifully impressed by its aggressiveness, we told Jay about it. Next thing I know, 15 of us kids were roaming the swamp looking for them that night, calling out to Jay to come pick him up! Jay, here’s another!
--The jukebox and pinball machine were real popular back then. What else did we have?
--We would ice skate all day when conditions were right. We used to skate from one side of the lake, across route 70, to the back side of Lebanon Lakes. We’d go way back to weave in and out of the dead cedars. Very, very cool if you have never done it.
--We camped more back them, stealth and otherwise. I remember seeing more hikers on the batona trail back then too, or maybe it just seems that way. I walked the trail from Ongs Hat to Batsto in 1974 (I think it was). Very nice.
--I don’t remember any trash or vandalism back then. Again, perhaps its just my memory.
--Those who did not pick blueberries for profit caught a ride to the shore and worked as clam diggers, using their feet to feel for them.
--Do you know where the outdoor vehicle park is in Chatsworth? That was our local unsanctioned, unmaintained, unsupervised, downright dangerous motocross track. Yeehaa! People would race that track in any piece of crap, even those little Honda 70CC’s. Remember them? 30-50 people would stay all Saturday doing that.
--Enduros were a big deal to us. We’d watch them at the mud holes.
--Many more deer drives back then.
That’s all for now. What did you do?
There were more people in the pines back then, but the times were a mixture of both good and bad. In those days, some of the things happening:
--The train wreck by Chatsworth. Cars filled with sand lying on their side. It was something to do on a warm summer evening to drive out there and walk through them and think about the crash.
--Driving through the woods in some of the old cars really fast, so you would fishtail around corners. Jeeps were scarce in those days, so your first car had to do. Some that I remember were; a 69 toyota corona, a 67 Corvair monza (boy could that thing fishtail), a Plymouth valiant with pushbutton shifter, a 70 roadrunner (383 magnum, canary yellow, Hurst pistol grip shifter). 8 track tape player, Elton John, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Yes, the Dead, Led Zep, SteppenWolf.
--During the Bass River fire in 73(?), 6 of us took a 66 Chevy Caprice through the woods from Presidential Lakes to Eastern Ocean County to see it. We got stopped by the “State Police” (the “man” back then) right at the edge of the fire. When we rolled down the window the pot smoke bowled him over. He told us to get the hell home.
--Camping and recreational drug use at the clay pits by Woodmansie. The pagan and warlock motorcycle gangs partied back there too at that time. It was very risky going by their camp. They took the 70 Yamaha enduro from me and did doughnuts for 15 minutes. I understand in the late 70's it got too crazy with people and weird happenings, and it collapsed. You can't keep that kind of activity up.
--The teenagers hung out more at the beach at night in Presidential Lakes, sometimes 50 or more. In the mid-sixties, it was common to go home at 5 pm from the beach (barefoot, a half mile through sand roads) after doing cannonballs from the beach dock all afternoon. We’d then eat, shower, and quickly put on fresh, clean clothes and go sit on the fence by the beach, making them “night moves” to the sounds of the Beach Boys, Motown tunes, the Beatles, etc.
--There were more rope swings on the Wading and Mullica rivers, and more of them were active. It was nothing to see 30 people at a time at those sandy clearings at the edge of the river. It also really seemed more people canoed back then; virtual trains of people going down the river.
--Jeeps were just becoming popular in the early 70’s. I bought my 1975, CJ5 off the showroom floor in Burlington for $5000.
--Virtually every day in the summer, we’d swim in the McDonalds Branch under route 70 by diving off the highway bridge. One day some of the big guys took a few of the boards out of the dam under the bridge and we shoot through on our bellies. This was dangerous. Don’t try it. There would be one guy at the end who had the job of grabbing your hand to keep you from getting sucked back under the water fall.
--We used to fish at the dam at the end of the lake, and it was a gathering place for many of us at night, going for the little catfish with bacon on the hook. Why? Cause we could, and we were out of the house. Air conditioning was unknown to me then.
--One of the older guys was Jay, our hero. We found one of them nasty, mean water snakes at the edge of the swamp by the beach. Dutifully impressed by its aggressiveness, we told Jay about it. Next thing I know, 15 of us kids were roaming the swamp looking for them that night, calling out to Jay to come pick him up! Jay, here’s another!
--The jukebox and pinball machine were real popular back then. What else did we have?
--We would ice skate all day when conditions were right. We used to skate from one side of the lake, across route 70, to the back side of Lebanon Lakes. We’d go way back to weave in and out of the dead cedars. Very, very cool if you have never done it.
--We camped more back them, stealth and otherwise. I remember seeing more hikers on the batona trail back then too, or maybe it just seems that way. I walked the trail from Ongs Hat to Batsto in 1974 (I think it was). Very nice.
--I don’t remember any trash or vandalism back then. Again, perhaps its just my memory.
--Those who did not pick blueberries for profit caught a ride to the shore and worked as clam diggers, using their feet to feel for them.
--Do you know where the outdoor vehicle park is in Chatsworth? That was our local unsanctioned, unmaintained, unsupervised, downright dangerous motocross track. Yeehaa! People would race that track in any piece of crap, even those little Honda 70CC’s. Remember them? 30-50 people would stay all Saturday doing that.
--Enduros were a big deal to us. We’d watch them at the mud holes.
--Many more deer drives back then.
That’s all for now. What did you do?
