Pines; From Bottom to Top

[bobpbx]

I drove my daughter and her friends up to 4H camp Monday. It is in the very northwest corner of the state, above the Delaware Water Gap in Stokes State Forest. After dropping her off my wife and I drove up to High Point since I had not been there since I was a kid. On the way up through Stokes, the trees were mostly some sort of spruce and white oaks, with little ground cover.

When we got to the top I was surprised to see the ridge dominated by lowbush blueberry, chestnut oak, and a stunted pine they call "ridge pine". In fact, it is a Natual Heritage priority site for these plants. It felt like I was home in the pines only on top of the world. The view was gorgeous, you can see 360 degrees around you into New York and Pennsylvania, with a glimpse of the Delaware River as it winds through Port Jervis. I was really impressed, it was a lot better than I remember as a kid. They have interpretive signs, and one explained how the valley in front of us looking into New Jersey was once a vast glacial lake, and the receeding waters deposited rich organic dirt where there are now huge onion farms.

This was worth the ride.........bob

 

[Teegate]

Sounds nice. I may be heading up to a fire tower near there in the fall and will keep High Point in mind.

Guy

 

[Ben Ruset]

What does the 4H do? They always have exhibits and animals at the Monmouth County fair.

 

[bobpbx]

4H clubs are organized for kids to help them experience life in a hundred different ways. They have events, shows, camps, meetings etc. Kara owns and rides a horse in show events. This says it better than I can:

http://www.oc4h.org/LHH/about_4h.htm

 

[njvike]

Welcome to my part of the state. I live in Sparta; which is also in Sussex County and visit HP State Park often.

Ironic that I was in the Pines yesterday and you were in High Point ;-)

 

[bobpbx]

Sparta, yes I went through there. I also went through Ogdensburg and got 2 traffic tickets for my trouble for a total of $200. All I did was pass someone on the right (slowly) who was making a left turn. He got me for that and forgetting to inspect my truck. Is that town notorious for ripping people off?

 

[Teegate]

He got me for that and forgetting to inspect my truck.

Forgetting to inspect your truck? :wink:

 

[BarryC]

Bob,
That sounds very cool. I grew up in western Morris County, off I-80, probably 30 or 35 miles from the Gap. Sussex, Warren and Hunterdon Counties were all within a 20 minute drive of our house. I've read about there being Spruce/Tamarack swamps in the far northern part of the state, as well as boreal bogs and other interesting things.
You reminded me of a place I read about in the Shawangunk Mountains (somewhere near the Catskills) where there is a pygmie pines area on a ridgetop, very similar to ours, and to the pygmie pines area in the Long Island Pine Barrens.

I drove my daughter and her friends up to 4H camp Monday. It is in the very northwest corner of the state, above the Delaware Water Gap in Stokes State Forest. After dropping her off my wife and I drove up to High Point since I had not been there since I was a kid. On the way up through Stokes, the trees were mostly some sort of spruce and white oaks, with little ground cover.

When we got to the top I was surprised to see the ridge dominated by lowbush blueberry, chestnut oak, and a stunted pine they call "ridge pine". In fact, it is a Natual Heritage priority site for these plants. It felt like I was home in the pines only on top of the world. The view was gorgeous, you can see 360 degrees around you into New York and Pennsylvania, with a glimpse of the Delaware River as it winds through Port Jervis. I was really impressed, it was a lot better than I remember as a kid. They have interpretive signs, and one explained how the valley in front of us looking into New Jersey was once a vast glacial lake, and the receeding waters deposited rich organic dirt where there are now huge onion farms.

This was worth the ride.........bob