Pine Plains Sun

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,666
4,846
Pines; Bamber area
I cannot resist soaking up the sun in the Pine Plains tomorrow. These kind of days in November are very rare. I plan to do a short bushwhack/explore out by the bombing range, and am giving my dog a workout too. If anyone wants to join me, that'd be fine. If not, BobPbx does it alone again. Say, from 10 to 2 maximum. I plan to eat out there as if I am some kind of High Plains Drifter too (hardtack and canteen water). See the route:

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10011/Plains_Sun.JPG
 

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,952
8,695
Bob,

You be careful there. Those planes will be buzzing your head.

Guy
 

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,666
4,846
Pines; Bamber area
Oh, my what a great day it was in the Plains! You guys missed it. Here is my track:

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10011/Plains_photo.JPG

Where I was the trees were only knee-high most of the day. I noticed that the pines branch as soon as they sprout, making them more like prostrate bushes. It was easy walking, and very quiet, with only the sighing of the wind. I would come upon a patch of white sand or white gravel, and just marvel how far I could see, and how clean it was out there. But, even so, in the plains you often find odd things. In a stream bed I found a mixture of parts that had washed in from a small dumping spot. There were mostly metal parts as if a car had one time sat there; more like a lawn mower now that I think about it. And I did find where something apparantly fell out of the sky; aluminum pieces and fittings with part numbers; most likely from the bombing range.

You can see I veered into the bombing range a tad. My mistake. I did not realize I named 2 waypoints "border". I got confused until I realized it. There is no border fence here. I was thinking about you today Jeff, and laughed out loud about the time you got lost and ended up on the runway in your motorcyle! I could pratically see you...cranking through the gears on the runway, dusk coming on fast, and wondering how you got there. It must have been partly thrilling too, to think you violated everything known out there, and that you were probably the only one to run down there on a motorcycle!

I followed one leg of the stream that empties into the pond all the way to the end, at the top of a ridge. I love doing that sort of thing. It was a stream, then the higher I went an intermittant stream, then damp moss, then damp sand, then the sand got drier, until I reached the point where I knew the water underground actually moved down toward the pond. That is the next waypoint north of Upfinal.

I ate my hoagie on tip-top. Very cool. I love it out there.
 

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,666
4,846
Pines; Bamber area
For the record, this area truly deserves the term "Pine Barren". When I was in the upland, there were primarily only 6 plants (not counting lichens). You would see occasional pyxie moss and crowberry, but it was infrequent.

1.) Pinus Rigida......................Pitch Pine
2.) Quercus marilandica...........Black-jack oak
3.) Quercus ilicifolia................Scrub Oak
4.) Gaylussacia baccata..........Black Huckleberry
5.) Hudsonia ericoides.............Pine Barren Heather
6.) Arctostaphylos uva-ursi......Bearberry
 

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,952
8,695
Maybe he can only go out on Sundays and you went today....

Guy
 

ecampbell

Piney
Jan 2, 2003
2,889
1,029
Wow Bob, was a great that trip. did you take your dog?

I found a practice arial bomb above Harrisville in the late 70's. I should have kept it and put it in the barn.
 

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,666
4,846
Pines; Bamber area
Wow Bob, was a great that trip. did you take your dog?

I found a practice arial bomb above Harrisville in the late 70's. I should have kept it and put it in the barn.

Yup, Buddy went too. Next time I'm gonna bring my chair and sit on top of the ridge by the border and comtemplate life.
 

woodjin

Piney
Nov 8, 2004
4,342
328
Near Mt. Misery
Great report Bob! I always wanted to follow the feeder stream to the pond there. That pond is one of the most unique bodies of water in the PB. I picture clear cold water running over bleached beacon hill gravel.

Yeah, riding the motorcycle down the runway was both frightening and thrilling! That happened pre 9/11 but still I was pretty worried. I think I was doing nearly 90 mph (I was on a 600).

Jeff
 

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,952
8,695
Speaking of bikes, this weekend was a big bike run in the pines, and we ran into a man who was directing traffic at an intersection in the woods and talked to him a little about the race. He told us that it takes 8 months of planning to get them approved by the state, the Pineland Commission, etc. There was a trail ride of horses also this weekend and they had to coordinate with them also.

We were at the little lake between Apple Pie Hill and Speedwell road that Steve visited with us a few weeks back, so when one of the bikes came by he flagged them down and asked how the road they had just traveled on was for my car to get down. We got the thumbs down and followed the bikes back the way we came.

We had a bike pass us and the rider just could not ride. Even Jessica who has very poor balance was laughing at him. He rode with his feet down more than up and almost went over a few times.

Guy
 

ebsi2001

Explorer
May 2, 2006
301
0
southern NJ
For the record, this area truly deserves the term "Pine Barren". When I was in the upland, there were primarily only 6 plants (not counting lichens). You would see occasional pyxie moss and crowberry, but it was infrequent.

1.) Pinus Rigida......................Pitch Pine
2.) Quercus marilandica...........Black-jack oak
3.) Quercus ilicifolia................Scrub Oak
4.) Gaylussacia baccata..........Black Huckleberry
5.) Hudsonia ericoides.............Pine Barren Heather
6.) Arctostaphylos uva-ursi......Bearberry

No Gaultheria procumbens?!

ebsi
 
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