The Mordecai Revisited

RednekF350

RednekF350

Piney
Feb 20, 2004
4,956
3,114
Pestletown, N.J.
Today I was fortunate enough to be able to retrace some of the recent steps of Ben, our website host, with him and a few other members of the site in the awesome Mordecai Swamp.

It was a beautiful day to be in the big woods and I learned quite a bit about an area that I have overlooked for many years.
Pinelandpaddler gave us some insight into the post-ice age geologic dune formations that are present in the upland areas and we also visited a sawmill foundation and apparent remnant ditching from cedar logging operations from many years ago.

The road bed from the 1808 road to Batsto was intriguing and as Ben said, it is interesting to imagine the early residents and workers of Batsto traveling this road to Crowleys and beyond.

Here are a few pics.

The historic roadbed:
http://gallery.njpinebarrens.com/showphoto.php/photo/8251

Ben and gabe checking for pilings in the Maple Creek crossing of the roadbed:
http://gallery.njpinebarrens.com/showphoto.php/photo/8249

The Maple Creekand a moss covered foot crossing board:
http://gallery.njpinebarrens.com/showphoto.php/photo/8250

Here is Jess crossing said foot baord with her Dad looking on. Notice the size of the twisted base of the cedar below Guy's feet.
http://gallery.njpinebarrens.com/showphoto.php?photo=8252&cat=281

Afterward, we indulged some micros, macros and my homemade crazy juice in a place far away.

Another great day on the planet.
Scott
 
Teegate

Teegate

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Sep 17, 2002
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Great report Scott. I enjoyed myself and want to thank Gabe and Ben for their input along the route. A very interesting day!

Here are a few more photo’s. This one shows Ben walking the road.


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Cedars along the edge of the road.


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Ben at one of the crossings. Notice Gabe’s dog behind him in the water.



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And a bolt for the saw mill that is mentioned in Jersey Genesis on page 284 in my book, or Chapter 24.


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A closer look that also shows the brick remains.


IMG_0741.JPG


Guy
 
Teegate

Teegate

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BEHR655 said:
I hate not being able to go on these trips!!! It took me a while to find the dog in that photo.

Steve
Click to expand...

Sorry Steve. I hope you can make some in the fall. We always talk about you on our PBX hikes. Wondering when you can join us.

Guy
 
Teegate

Teegate

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MarkBNJ said:
Guy, is that a fresh blowdown in the background of your second pic?
Click to expand...

There were quite a few fresh or semi fresh ones. Seems like we see them all the time. Cedar trees are impressive, but we find quite a few that mysteriously snap for no apparent reason.

Guy
 
RednekF350

RednekF350

Piney
Feb 20, 2004
4,956
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Pestletown, N.J.
BEHR655 said:
I hate not being able to go on these trips!!! It took me a while to find the dog in that photo.

Steve
Click to expand...

Steve,
You might have been able to handle this area.
The total hike was only 2.5 miles +/- and most of it was on the level road bed.
Water crossings were small and few and required only knee boots. You stepped in and stepped out.
If you want to give it a try, let me know and I could meet you down there.
Scott
 
Ben Ruset

Ben Ruset

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Oct 12, 2004
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The Mordecai is really pristine. The only trash we saw was a really old can of Schmidt's and a fairly old can of Pepsi. Not even any tree stands.

I'm getting a much better appreciation for the Mullica area.
 
pinelandpaddler

pinelandpaddler

Piney
Apr 6, 2004
3,613
556
Galloway
The 1808 Road 200 years later

Mordecai's Swamp, so named after Mordecai Andrews who, along with his brother, settled Tuckerton in the late 1600's. Mordecai purchased a large swamp bordering the Mullica River in the early 1700's in order to pillage the virgin cedars. From Mordecai's Landing on the Mullica, timber of the finest quality was shipped out to New York City and Philadelphia and ports betwixt the two.

In 1808, a road was built between Batsto and Wading River. RednekF350 suspects that the road may have been there prior to 1808, and he might be onto something there. I'm going to look into that. Much of route 542 traces this 200 year old road, though a lost stretch passes through Mordecai's Swamp. It was this section that we hiked yesterday, and a gorgeous day it was. Between Guy, his daughter Jessica, Ben, Scott, and the beast of the Batsto, the company was great.

Scattered throughout the swamp are relict dunes that formed during (not after!) the last ice age when strong winds prevailed and the land was mostly devoid of vegetation. One of these dunes is about a km long, a portion of which was utilized in constructing the 1808 road. Towards the end of the last ice age, the broad paleochannel which is now occupied by Maple Creek cut through the dune which today is about 3 m high. These ancient streams were much stronger than the misfit streams of today's Pine Barrens.

After the hike, Scott and Ben peer-pressured me into consuming too much alcohol in too short a period of time. Scott brought some quality IPA's and Ben made me drink some PBR. Scott's home-made vino was not to be resisted. After Scott bailed on us, Ben and I went back to my Nan's house on the Mullica where we consumed a few more cold ones. I took a tumble off the bulkhead but landed cleanly. Good times indeed.
 
RednekF350

RednekF350

Piney
Feb 20, 2004
4,956
3,114
Pestletown, N.J.
pinelandpaddler said:
After Scott bailed on us, Ben and I went back to my Nan's house on the Mullica where we consumed a few more cold ones. I took a tumble off the bulkhead but landed cleanly. Good times indeed.
Click to expand...

It is painfully obvious that you two are not to be left without adult supervision.
Next time I shall have to extend my chaperoning until you two are safely picked up by your parents.
:)
 
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