Planning a Batona Trail Thru Hike

[Jersey Jeff]

Resurrecting this old thread...

My teenage son and I are scheduled to hike the Batona trail in mid-April.

We've done the trail in segments over the years as day hikes and car camp about twice a year.

We are thinking of hiking Batona over 4 days, from Bass River to Ong's Hat. What direction is superior? North-South or South-North? Any preferred campsites in the campgrounds along the way? Advice on what to pack that we wouldn't consider otherwise?

The only side hikes we plan to do are enjoy running water at Basto and lunch at Hot Diggedy Dog in downtown Chatsworth.

 

[ecampbell]

I prefer north to south. It gets more isolated after Rt 72 and I like walking into that. Also the sun is low right now, in your eyes , but maybe not so bad in mid-April.

 

[manumuskin]

If you do it south to north you'll have the sun at your back at least in the areas where it really is heading north but as Ed says you'll end up in a less remote and more heavily peopled area that is almost all oak and not that Piney at all.

 

[EasyAnt13]

Can anyone tell me if it is easier to navigate, or better marked going in either direction? I plan on going in early may, may also be bringing my dog with me any will there be any issues at the campsites if I bring her?

 

[ecampbell]

The Batona Trail is over marked. The issue is, has the marking been affected by the Penn Swamp fire last year, I don't know.
https://forums.njpinebarrens.com/threads/fire-in-wharton.12012/
Camping and pets.
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/pet_friendly_camping.html

 

[lj762]

Batona marking should be equally good (or bad) in both directions. Just pay attention and watch for blazes and you will be fine. People typically get lost when they miss a turn because they aren't paying attention to the blazes, and keep going. And going. And then finally realize they haven't seen a pink blaze in a while.

I'm not clear about pet camping. Primitive site is $3 per night, pet fee is $5 per night? How can that be - costs more for dog than the people?

 

[@Jermide]

Looking for a Batona thru-hike partner - early Spring 2018

 

[bobpbx]

Looking for a Batona thru-hike partner - early Spring 2018

Is the photo on your profile a bald-faced hornet? Pretty cool if so.

 

[@Jermide]

Yep, thanks! Had a nest in a maple tree in our front yard in 2012, before Sandy blew it down. We had an unusual freeze before that, so they had cleared out. Nest now hanging in our basement - significantly bigger than the photo - larger than a basketball.

They allowed me to cut the grass multiple times that summer and fall. First time, I was dressed in a Tyvek suit and my wife was nearby with 30' spray, just in case. That nest was only 8-9 feet off the ground. They were friendly.

 

[manumuskin]

Have you seen the youtube video where a nest of them attack a video camera after the camera man from a pickup truck reaches out with a pole and smacks the nest a few times.They were audibly bouncing off the camera from the pickup truck six feet or so away.He aggravated them and they were ready to kick some @$$ but He rolld up his window and went NANANUHNANUH! I"ll have to look for that video.

 

[@Jermide]

Have you seen the youtube video where a nest of them attack a video camera after the camera man from a pickup truck reaches out with a pole and smacks the nest a few times.They were audibly bouncing off the camera from the pickup truck six feet or so away.He aggravated them and they were ready to kick some @$$ but He rolld up his window and went NANANUHNANUH! I"ll have to look for that video.

That's awful. Shouldn't disturb them... He deserved to be attacked.

 

[manumuskin]

I can't find that particular video anymore.he was concerned because he had young boys and it was near his house and he was concerned that they wouldn't listen to him and do what young boys do.I think his purpose was to show how vicious they were and he said He would be removing them the next day.Well yes if you smack the crap out of their nest they are vicious.I have never been stung by baldies but i came close once.I was climbing a big pine to get a better view in thick scrub oak woods and almost jammed my head into an occupied nest.My head was about three feet below the nest when i heard them buzzing and looked up.I almost fell out of the tree trying to get down fast.I was in a place i wouldn't have been found for years. Now yellowjackets....I hate them.There is perpetual war between us.The dirty little bastards build their nests in the ground with no visual clues as to where their at,then when you step on their invisible nest they fly up your shorts legs and have fun.Every get stuck ikn the mud while running from them and fall on your face in the mud while the little beasts tattoo your back?
Death to all Yellowjackets! Yes and Fire Ants too!

 

[bobpbx]

Good story Al!

My son ran over a nest of yellow jackets in the yard with the lawnmower. They didn't like that much, and showed him their displeasure. I hate them too.

More than once in my life I've been to barbecues at piney houses, and there were hundreds of them everywhere, from the meat on the plates to the cobbed corn in peoples hands. Everyone was tolerating them!

 

[bobpbx]

This is a cool video, and the music is very appropriate. Shows how tough they are.

 

[Toothy Critter]

Many, many years ago I climbed the stairs of the lookout tower at Apple Pie Hill. Every inch of the frame was covered with wasps. They just coated the structure, at least the lower half. I did not know why. I thought, hmmm... maybe not such a good idea. But being the dope that I am I decided to climb it anyway, making certain I did not touch anything but the steps, which they were not on. Went up and down and not one even showed interest in me. But if they attacked I'm sure I would not be writing this today. But never understood 3 things. Why were they on the tower, why did they not bother with me, and, what the hell was I thinking.

 

[Boyd]

A couple years ago I noticed a similar, but smaller nest on a little pine tree out back. Watched them swarming around it every day on my walk. One morning a few months later, the nest was laying on the ground all ripped apart and empty. Always wondered what kind of animal would have done that.

 

[manumuskin]

Many animals like making a meal out of wasp larvae.Bear, Skunk,Possum.I"d think a bear would withstand the stings and a skunk might be able to gas em out? I don't know if a possum could take the attack with it's thin scraggly fur?

 

[Teegate]

Many, many years ago I climbed the stairs of the lookout tower at Apple Pie Hill. Every inch of the frame was covered with wasps. They just coated the structure, at least the lower half. I did not know why. I thought, hmmm... maybe not such a good idea. But being the dope that I am I decided to climb it anyway, making certain I did not touch anything but the steps, which they were not on. Went up and down and not one even showed interest in me. But if they attacked I'm sure I would not be writing this today. But never understood 3 things. Why were they on the tower, why did they not bother with me, and, what the hell was I thinking.

They must be attracted to them because the same thing occurred at the Lebanon Tower along 72 years ago when I was there.

 

[manumuskin]

A couple of theories.Could it be the orange paint the towers is painted with.Bees and wasps see color very well,perhaps they like orange? Could it have been an electrically charged day?Thunderstorms in the air? perhaps they were sensing a charge from the tower and they all clustered to it to die together? Or perhaps they were daring each other to climb to the top and the ones lower down were afraid of heights?

 

[imkms]

Or could it be that they are on the poles because the poles standing out in the open breeze may pick up pollen, etc that then clings to them attracking the hornets???