The west side of Tulpehocken at Friendship

[ecampbell]

Yesterday I met Onehand at

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=18&n=4398358&e=533697&s=50&size=l&u=5&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25

to explore a swamp locked piece of land.

The high ground in the center of this picture is bounded to the east by the Tulpehocken River and Friendship Bogs, virtually impenetrable, and to the west by an unamed, slow moving, eventually to become tributary of the Tulpehocken.

http://maps.google.com/?t=k&ll=39.733891,-74.597039&spn=0.013366,0.031242&t=k

We launched the kayaks and made out way up an old flooded roadbed, breaking through the ice as we went.

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=384&pos=12

After quite a stretch we reached dry ground

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=384&pos=10

As we proceeded down the road we noticed a cedar tree stand

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=384&pos=6

From the satelite image I thought the road would make traveling easy but almost all of it was ankle to knee deep

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=384&pos=9

It was often easier to travel off the road, but we followed it north to see where it went. It eventually ended noneventfully at the Tulpehocken River. Here we went stump jumping along the river for awhile and then decided to go cross country back to the point on the road where we had previously headed north, this time to take the road south. After much swamp stomping through a beautiful savanah, and some bushwacking, we reached the road. It was flooded all the way to the end, at that sandy crook in the image. At the end we went to see the river. Here we found an aluminum boat with a rake

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=384&pos=3

The view upstream

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=384&pos=0

and downstream, where we could hear the rush of water over a beaver dam

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=384&pos=1

We then headed north along the river where the going was easy. It was a desert like landscape, contrasting sharply with what we had just walked through.

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=384&pos=8

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=384&pos=7

We were remarking at the lack of cans or trash when we came upon......
can you guess?

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=384&pos=2

a balloon

At one point when we were standing quietly, 3 fat deer almost ran right up to us. They looked supprised and confused.

We also saw K9 prints about the size of a labs.

From there we headed back to the kayaks where Onehand explored upstream and I went over the beaver dam downstream.

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=384&pos=4

There is very little flow on this tributary, and there are many dams. I turned around at the next dam

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=384&pos=5

and passed a lodge with a stash of food

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=384&pos=11

I am convinced that that tributary can be paddeled to the Tulpehoching and on to Hawkin bridge. I'll be back.

Of course we finished our day in a civilized manner with lunch at the PIC.

ED

 

[woodjin]

Great report. Very interesting.

Jeff

 

[onehand]

i too was surprised by the lack of "junk" in the area a very interesting place....but wet except for about maybe 30 acres ? or so hard to say

the clear area to the side of the underwater road to me was the result of a very hot fire at one time which left very interesting terrain and growth

the "boat" and "rake" are a bit of a ?

in looking at the overall area...hummm....from here to friendship ??

this was the first time i used my kayak as an ice breaker and paddled a "road" LOL.

a very good day to play in the woods, then for a

 

[BEHR655]

You were in the same area that we went through on first PBX hike I designed, "Tip Toe Through the Tulpihocken". We had come in from Sandy Ridge Rd near Hawkin's Bridge and followed the Tulp most of the way. What a great area. I've been back a couple of times and want to get back again.

Steve

 

[pinelandpaddler]

Ed, great photos. I suppose the Tulpe is so wide because of the many dams on the stream?

Looking at the picture of the flooded road, I am left wondering if was even a road at all.

 

[BEHR655]

Ed, great photos. I suppose the Tulpe is so wide because of the many dams on the stream?

Looking at the picture of the flooded road, I am left wondering if was even a road at all.

There are areas where it is not so wide and some places where it is just a trickle. Some areas are wide swamps where it looks easy to get lost if kayaking.
That is a road or was one anyway but a beaver dam has changed all that.

Steve

 

[Teegate]

Yes it is a road and Jessica and I have visited there a few times since our Tip Toe hike with the PBX as Steve mentioned. It is a great place to be when you want to be away from the world.

Here is Jessica walking a portion of it.

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/teegate/main.php/download/1306-1/IMG_3401.JPG

Nice report Ed. I have been in that desert three times and did not want to come home. Your photo's have me planning another visit.

Guy

 

[bobpbx]

Great report Ed. Well done. Wild and free area.

 

[onehand]

in thinking about the "boat and the Rake"

i think they belong to a "beaver trapper" so sad

 

[MokoTu]

Great Report..w/pic's reminds me of the Beaver Colony on the Great EggH River I saw Monday, a new couple was making a lodge not far from the main lodge. I counted about six older lodges but none as big as the main one.
Mahalo again, very enjoyable !

 

[ecampbell]

That thought is upsetting.

in thinking about the "boat and the Rake"

i think they belong to a "beaver trapper" so sad

I was able to use my Garmin track file to calculate the area of the high ground that we pretty much circled. The area of our track encompassed 32.1 acres. Stu, your guess of 30 was really close.