Today was the Parker Preserve hike by the Pine Barren Explorers(PBX) founded by our own BobM. We met at the Chatsworth Fire House at 10AM and placed a vehicle at the end of our route 2 miles south of Chatsworth where the West Branch of the Wading River meets 563.
We then returned to the fire house and drove to our starting point just west of the Apple Pie Hill entrance on 532. We headed into the woods and soon crossed Ringler road heading toward the JCRR and Big Bertha which is the canal that feeds the bogs from Chatsworth Lake. Many of you would be surprised to know that just a short distance from the brick pillars at the entrance to APH there is an abundance of savannas.
We then traveled along the JCRR and entered the DeMarco bogs. There we set up our camera's and took a group shot. I was proud to be with these people.
Some of the area around the bogs are filled with water.
We traveled along the roads around the bogs, and in some instances we travel through the bogs. Toward the end of the bogs we came to a pump house like this which was open.
Inside we found the massive pump that would extract the water from the ground for the bogs. The cement block in the foreground is what the diesel engines were bolted to. We made sure the building was locked when we left.
The water was pumped out through a pipe which rested in the cutout area in this view.
A nice view near there.
We then stumbled onto a deer stand unlike any I have ever viewed. It was quite high in the air with no easy way up.
So I decided to climb up the tree and try to take some photo's inside. When I reached the front of it I had to release two latches to get the door open. Here is the inside.
The view looking down.
The most photographed tree of the day.
And the river not far from 563.
We traveled 7.4 miles and really had a great time. We all rated it in the end to be on an average a 9.3 out of 10. You can't get much better than that.
Guy
We then returned to the fire house and drove to our starting point just west of the Apple Pie Hill entrance on 532. We headed into the woods and soon crossed Ringler road heading toward the JCRR and Big Bertha which is the canal that feeds the bogs from Chatsworth Lake. Many of you would be surprised to know that just a short distance from the brick pillars at the entrance to APH there is an abundance of savannas.
We then traveled along the JCRR and entered the DeMarco bogs. There we set up our camera's and took a group shot. I was proud to be with these people.
Some of the area around the bogs are filled with water.
We traveled along the roads around the bogs, and in some instances we travel through the bogs. Toward the end of the bogs we came to a pump house like this which was open.
Inside we found the massive pump that would extract the water from the ground for the bogs. The cement block in the foreground is what the diesel engines were bolted to. We made sure the building was locked when we left.
The water was pumped out through a pipe which rested in the cutout area in this view.
A nice view near there.
We then stumbled onto a deer stand unlike any I have ever viewed. It was quite high in the air with no easy way up.
So I decided to climb up the tree and try to take some photo's inside. When I reached the front of it I had to release two latches to get the door open. Here is the inside.
The view looking down.
The most photographed tree of the day.
And the river not far from 563.
We traveled 7.4 miles and really had a great time. We all rated it in the end to be on an average a 9.3 out of 10. You can't get much better than that.
Guy
