Things that shouldn't be done in the Pines.

[infinite sameness]

Well said gabe, but unfortunetly this is human nature (conquer and destroy) and i dont think most of them four wheelin litter bugs are going to change anytime soon. Its people like you and me that are going to be cleaning up after thier sorry asses for many years to come. sometimes i feel like this after talking about this issue for so many years to my friends and family

 

[Aaron]

Im always surprised by how uncaring some people are. I dont litter, i was raised to respect the earth and my family has been recycling for decades. On a few occasions ive actually caught people in the act of littering, usually i have my son with me ( he is almost 3 now) so all i can do is take a mental note and keep going. On a few occasions ive been alone and they are the best. Usually what i do is pick up what ever the person so casually threw to the ground catch up to them and tell them they must have dropped this and hand it back to them.

Most people just look at you like your crazy, ive only had one guy freak out about it. I really think the rangers and the state need to stiffen fines and penalties for litering and destruction of public lands. God i wish we had corpral punishment.:rofl:

 

[MarkBNJ]

I think you made the right call on those occasions when you had your son with you. Unfortunately confrontation is confrontation, regardless of how petty the offense that starts it off. In fact there might almost be an inverse relation between the pettiness of the offense and the reaction of the perpetrator when confronted. Most people are conflict-averse these days.

I was in a coffee shop in Manhattan a couple of years ago, when a disheveled guy came in, stood at the back of a long line (directly behind my colleague and I) and started shouting profanities. There were kids, all sorts of people in that line, and everyone ignored him. This went on for about twenty seconds, when I, for no other reason than that it was morning, I was tired, and I didn't want to hear it, turned around and told him to shut up. He did, looking like he'd never heard the words before. Even more priceless were the amazed looks I got from the rest of the customers. I suppose he might have had a gun or a knife, but if we expect the cops to do everything then we surrender.

 

[TrailOtter]

Amazes me the bottles, and I'm talking plastic, you find along the Batona Trail - found one the other day that was half full. OK, so that could have been dropped accidentally. But from skimming this - I'm with y'all - if you can carry it into the Pines, you sure as heck can carry it out. There is a reason for people to drop their empties, tho - I was informed at another park (out of state) that the reason why people drop their empties along the trails is because they get so heavy when they are empty ;-)

Perhaps if a person is caught littering in the Pines, instead of a fine, have them walk twenty or thirty miles in the Pines and pick up every piece of litter they find

 

[james ungehajer]

Amazes me the bottles, and I'm talking plastic, you find along the Batona Trail - found one the other day that was half full. OK, so that could have been dropped accidentally. But from skimming this - I'm with y'all - if you can carry it into the Pines, you sure as heck can carry it out. There is a reason for people to drop their empties, tho - I was informed at another park (out of state) that the reason why people drop their empties along the trails is because they get so heavy when they are empty ;-)

Perhaps if a person is caught littering in the Pines, instead of a fine, have them walk twenty or thirty miles in the Pines and pick up every piece of litter they find

Definitely for the litterers it's time to have a Pine Barrens chain gang.

Jim

 

[whitingrider]

Bulk Waste.

The worst offenders are the ones that dump truckloads of shingles, concrete, etc. I can't believe anyone would risk all the penalties, but I see more stuff out there all the time.

 

[TrailOtter]

The worst offenders are the ones that dump truckloads of shingles, concrete, etc. I can't believe anyone would risk all the penalties, but I see more stuff out there all the time.

Yeah, that stuff should be picked up and deposited on the lawn (or lawns) of the offender.......

 

[andy1015]

The trash is always a problem and its sucks that people just throw stuff all over. Like that empty can of pepsi is that heavy and big you can't carry it out. Also im all for people being able to get out and explore the pines, but seriously if you have a nissian 300zx thats lowered and has low profile tires please don't try and go through a 15 foot long puddle, you are probably not going to make it.

 

[Kevinhooa]

trash, trash, trash

I myself have seen a lot of trash in the pine barrens, and although I know I'm not going to go completly out of my way, I do pick up a couple of things and throw them in a wawa bag in the back of my truck. I know there's probably much more dumped every year than there is picked up, but I figure every little bit helps. It's a shame to see so much crap in such nice areas. It's nice to feel so desolate and alone sometimes when your in the middle of nowhere and it's hard to do that when you're surrounded by garbage.

Kevin

 

[Y-BUC-BILL]

Yep,we have a lot of slobs out in our beloved Forests.Back in the 40's we did not have that problem.Then again not many people used this great area.Don,t know what can be done with the slobs.You can only speak for yourself.If you pack it in,you can pack it out.

 

[imkms]

always be trash

I have been enjoying the pines for over 30 years, and from my travels the amount of litter in the form of bottles and cans is greater now than ever. I guess the popularity of SUVs has brought more people into the woods and their trash with them. I am in the woods nearly every weekend and pick up as much of this type of litter as possible (I hate to see bottles in the woods!!!).
Last Sunday I got 10 bags of mostly bottles and cans out of the woods, but know that I only made a small dent. Although many of the locations I cleaned previously still remain clean or the amount of litter is small so it does have a positive and somewhat lasting affect.
I'm not picking on deer hunters, because I believe that most of them do not litter and do care about the woods, but when i pick up in January, following deer season, there is far more to pick up (the number of coffee cups increases tremendously), and New Years also brings out hundreds of beer bottles from the younger crowds drinking (just drive down carranza road the first week of January).
Now if the state would impose a 10 cent deposit on bottles and cans much of this would end, and/or just might help me pay for the gas I use picking up others trash.

 

[mudboy dave]

I have been enjoying the pines for over 30 years, and from my travels the amount of litter in the form of bottles and cans is greater now than ever. I guess the popularity of SUVs has brought more people into the woods and their trash with them. I am in the woods nearly every weekend and pick up as much of this type of litter as possible (I hate to see bottles in the woods!!!).
Last Sunday I got 10 bags of mostly bottles and cans out of the woods, but know that I only made a small dent. Although many of the locations I cleaned previously still remain clean or the amount of litter is small so it does have a positive and somewhat lasting affect.
I'm not picking on deer hunters, because I believe that most of them do not litter and do care about the woods, but when i pick up in January, following deer season, there is far more to pick up (the number of coffee cups increases tremendously), and New Years also brings out hundreds of beer bottles from the younger crowds drinking (just drive down carranza road the first week of January).
Now if the state would impose a 10 cent deposit on bottles and cans much of this would end, and/or just might help me pay for the gas I use picking up others trash.

I'll help clean up anytime, send me a pm when you could use my help. that goes for anyone too. if you know a spot that you want to clean up just let me know

 

[imkms]

I'll help clean up anytime, send me a pm when you could use my help. that goes for anyone too. if you know a spot that you want to clean up just let me know

Will do!!
Having been to numerous other remote areas in the East and seeing how much cleaner those places are compared to NJ, I would like to leave the impression to first time visitors to the pines that the folks here in NJ are not all slobs.

 

[lowerbankman]

I'm new to the site, I'm one of Gabe's buddies. I get offended when people carelessly dump trash in the woods, as an eagle scout I take in upon myself to be as neat as possible, living by the outdoor code and such. When I had my truck I made it a point to go collect trash, not only was I making the woods cleaner, but at the same time I was collecting scrap metal which I found to be very profitable and even paid for my weekend treks into the woods.

 

[pinelandpaddler]

I'm new to the site, I'm one of Gabe's buddies.

Uh-oh, here's trouble.

 

[bigoldford]

Do they do like races or controlled rides out there? I have seen markers (small stake with orange arrows) before all around the Hawkins Bridge/Washington area.

yes they do run a whole bunch of rides for the horses out there and in many other places....


hey i am new here! but what bugs me the most is people who think just cause there vehicle has 4 wheel drive means they can drive through any mud hole out there. I have pulled a countless amount of vehicles out of the mud who should have not been there. my two favorites are, once i pulled a mustang out of some ruts the kid driving had just gotten his license and am am sure dad was happy when he brought it home with a busted bumper and covered in mud.... my next favorite is when i was driving down some road and some guy in a Nissan exterra was flying coming toward me so i pulled over next to this watery mud hole, well this guy thought i was letting him go first through it and blew through it an pretty much instantly getting stuck. I new it was going to happen and was laughing hysterically!!! he was high centered so bad none of his tires were toughing the ground

also as everyone else said the trash is a huge problem! especially the stuff that people dump like old cement, furniture, carpets, appliances, vehicles, ect... and if you guy are ever going to do a clean up count me in, we can fill the back of my truck with trash

 

[Teegate]

yes they do run a whole bunch of rides for the horses out there and in many other places....


hey i am new here! but what bugs me the most is people who think just cause there vehicle has 4 wheel drive means they can drive through any mud hole out there. I have pulled a countless amount of vehicles out of the mud who should have not been there. my two favorites are, once i pulled a mustang out of some ruts the kid driving had just gotten his license and am am sure dad was happy when he brought it home with a busted bumper and covered in mud.... my next favorite is when i was driving down some road and some guy in a Nissan exterra was flying coming toward me so i pulled over next to this watery mud hole, well this guy thought i was letting him go first through it and blew through it an pretty much instantly getting stuck. I new it was going to happen and was laughing hysterically!!! he was high centered so bad none of his tires were toughing the ground

also as everyone else said the trash is a huge problem! especially the stuff that people dump like old cement, furniture, carpets, appliances, vehicles, ect... and if you guy are ever going to do a clean up count me in, we can fill the back of my truck with trash

Welcome to the site.

There is a cleaup at Atsion and in the Forked River Mountain area every year. Search the posts for "Wharton Cleanup" and "Forked River Mountains Cleanup" and you should find them. They always could use your help and would appreciate it. Plus, there is food and drink after the Atsion cleanup at the Pic, and food after the Forked River Mountains cleanup.


As for the vehicles who should not be out there, I would have to disagree with you on that in some instances. I have owned two 4x4's and now use a car, and I can go almost anywhere I want to go. If I can't I park as close as I can and walk. So you may see me fly by because I have been known to do that

Guy

 

[manumuskin]

The only positive thing I can say about the trash piles is that while unsightly they are excellent places to look for snakes,oh by the way a face fulla yellowjackets to if your not careful.
Alfie

 

[grendel]

The only positive thing I can say about the trash piles is that while unsightly they are excellent places to look for snakes,oh by the way a face fulla yellowjackets to if your not careful.
Alfie

I remember flipping over an old bumper one day and finding the biggest wasp nest ever. Got stung about five times.