Trip report: Pilgrim Lake Campground and Bass River SF exploring

[johnnyb]

That describes to a "T" Stokes Road from Quaker Bridge to Lower Forge. Pinestriping indeed.

 

[1Jerseydevil]

Those whoop-de-dos are natural believe it or not....well, i guess the process was started by the wear from dirt bikes and jeeps but water and weather did the rest. They go on for many miles on some trails. they aren't done intentionally.
Jeff

Unfortunately I'm ashamed to say no, not natural. Exactly like a washboard road traveled by cars, the whoops are formed by the long travel suspension of legal enduro bikes during an enduro event attended by upward of 300 riders. Because of wetlands and other sensitive areas, regulations requiring the route to use roads combined with the sandy soil these whoops are formed, thus you are correct in that that they are man made, but NOT intentionally. Unfortunately the enduro clubs were not required to drag the roads after the event when they were soft, now they're hard and permanent.

I'm fairly familiar with the area and believe the others have figured out your route. At the military gate after turning around, a couple hundred feet you turned onto Burnt Cabin rd, then onto Shamong rd then onto Oswego rd, past Cutts cranberry bogs where the pipe gates are. Oh yeah the old turkey farm that is now a protected snake den area where that cable gate is on Oswego rd. You then made your way out to Harrisville Lake? Nice area to explore, be cautious with some of the water hazards, you have the right truck, expect to have a quality Piney pinstripe at the end of the day. Many of the roads are to overgrown for your truck. The area is still very active but not by trucks as was in the 60's and 70's, reason why many roads are overgrown.

As for why the Forest service "destroyed" Allen rd. Many have been asking that very question with no definite answer.
I have a theory, the intent is to limit the public by making the road miserable and allow the road to revert back to nature. There are many other sand roads to get to the same place, but not quite as convenient.

 

[Badfish740]

Nice area to explore, be cautious with some of the water hazards, you have the right truck, expect to have a quality Piney pinstripe at the end of the day. Many of the roads are to overgrown for your truck. The area is still very active but not by trucks as was in the 60's and 70's, reason why many roads are overgrown.

Thanks for the info. You touched on what I was getting cranky about in my other thread-I don't get down to the pines nearly as much as I used to (I grew up near the pines but live north of Route 78 now) and it burns me that when I am able to get down there now and then, it's usually by myself, which means that I have to avoid all but the most innocuous looking puddles for fear of getting swallowed whole. I suppose I could get a winch but what good is that if I'm up to the base of the windshield in water?

As for why the Forest service "destroyed" Allen rd. Many have been asking that very question with no definite answer. I have a theory, the intent is to limit the public by making the road miserable and allow the road to revert back to nature. There are many other sand roads to get to the same place, but not quite as convenient.

It seems to be working-that was one of the most pristine areas of the pines I've seen a long time.

 

[woodjin]

Unfortunately I'm ashamed to say no, not natural. Exactly like a washboard road traveled by cars, the whoops are formed by the long travel suspension of legal enduro bikes during an enduro event attended by upward of 300 riders. Because of wetlands and other sensitive areas, regulations requiring the route to use roads combined with the sandy soil these whoops are formed, thus you are correct in that that they are man made, but NOT intentionally. Unfortunately the enduro clubs were not required to drag the roads after the event when they were soft, now they're hard and permanent.
.

I think we are pretty much in agreement here, but what I was saying was that weather created the whoops in the state that we often encounter them. Post-enduro event, the whoops are never as dramatic/deep or nearly as uniform. Also, they tend to occur in naturally soft sand more than solid soil and they remain pretty soft. I encounter them as often, if not more often on un-maintained roads as I do on single track enduro trails, so I suspect that vehlicular use in general causes them and not just motorcycles. but i could be mistaken on that last point.

from a logistical angle...I would question the feasibility of grating the trails after the event.

I think that whoop-de-doos, good or bad, are a defining characteristic of the pine barrens.

Jeff

 

[Badfish740]

from a logistical angle...I would question the feasibility of grating the trails after the event.

The trails that I was on could only be dragged by truck as small as mine, or a quad