Trip report: Shiver Me Timbers and Blow Me Down
- Thread starter BEHR655
- Start date
Me and a buddy of mine crossed and recrossed the swamp 3 years ago.we started at the north end just south of the old bogs and headed south by south southwest and crossed some of the worst blowdown areas I have ever had the pleasure of crawling through and under and over.It took 2 hours to traverse .9 mi,the firt .6 mi were blowdowns one after another.All trees were pointing southeast so their must be a killer northwest wind occasionally in the area.the last . 3 tenths was a beautiful cedar swamp that was not hard to traverse at all.The difference in the terrain is quite noticeable on google maps but not as obvious on terraserver in black and white.we crossed the sleeper creek and into a beautiful meadow on the western fringe of the swamp and then turned and heaed due east and recrossed the swamp on a different angle back thru the nice area and into blowdown hell again.we popped out in another pretty wet meadow though much smaller and then out into the large open sandy area with a road running into it from constable bridge road.this road is not readily apparent from constable bridge road but once you find it it opens up back toward the swamp.
I was starting to think me and my buddy were the only ones to ever cross it.We caught one spotted turtle as we headed in and saw one buzzard circling us hoping we wouldnt make it and that was it for wildlife.The blowdown area seemed devoid of critters.no deer trails till we got to the western edge,no deer poop,nothing.
The history on the monster was awesome Guy.I figured it was there since the 40"s or 50"s.I tried to start it and drive it out.I was gonna make a swamp buggy out of it but my mechaninical skills are lacking.I think it has a dead battery,heck it may not of even had a battery or a key for that matter.I"m great for coming up with new ideas but have a hard time seeing them through.This was another instance of that
Al
I was starting to think me and my buddy were the only ones to ever cross it.We caught one spotted turtle as we headed in and saw one buzzard circling us hoping we wouldnt make it and that was it for wildlife.The blowdown area seemed devoid of critters.no deer trails till we got to the western edge,no deer poop,nothing.
The history on the monster was awesome Guy.I figured it was there since the 40"s or 50"s.I tried to start it and drive it out.I was gonna make a swamp buggy out of it but my mechaninical skills are lacking.I think it has a dead battery,heck it may not of even had a battery or a key for that matter.I"m great for coming up with new ideas but have a hard time seeing them through.This was another instance of that
Al
Sorry Sue, I just saw this.
I was thinking the person who wrote the article did not know the difference between a bulldozer and a crane, The monster itself has tracks just like a bulldozer and I suspect they felt it was.
In any event, I will try to check more into this and find out why they stopped for over a year. I was thinking it was because their main piece of equipment failed. The monster!
Some of the wood was reported to be rotting by the time they finally did get to them. They had a time limitation in the contact to get the wood out, and apparently they just made it.
And I believe someone was to plant new trees and I saw no evidence that occurred. It sound like there were problems with that complete operation that still effects the area today.
Guy
That's quite an accomplishment Al. The woods are thick back in there. We were about a quarter of the way in from the road on the northeast side last February and lost GPS. We got out following the sun.
Bob,
that was the only swamp i was ever afraid to cross myself.Something told me not to do it myself but to take someone with me so two of us went.I don't know if it's because I"m getting older and more cautious but just looking at that swamp from the edge the first time i saw it down by the swamp monster in the early 90"s made me nervous.I love cedar and it called to me.I beat through the clear cut to the edge of the swamp and ran into a stream that was partially frozen and uncrossable at that point unless i wanted to wade chest deep which at 15 degrees was out of the question.I was by myself and the swamp across the creek looked like a no nonsense mess.I didnt go back an do it till about 10 years later.I poked into the edge in several places but always ran into cedar blowdowns that said "I"ll eat you" in tree langauge.I"d rather tackle 10 ft tall briar thickets alone then the blowdowns i went through at the north end of the swamp.If theirs cougar and bear in the barrens they must live in this swamp.I love it in there but if your alone and break a leg in there outside of some darn good hound dogs your a goner.
Al
that was the only swamp i was ever afraid to cross myself.Something told me not to do it myself but to take someone with me so two of us went.I don't know if it's because I"m getting older and more cautious but just looking at that swamp from the edge the first time i saw it down by the swamp monster in the early 90"s made me nervous.I love cedar and it called to me.I beat through the clear cut to the edge of the swamp and ran into a stream that was partially frozen and uncrossable at that point unless i wanted to wade chest deep which at 15 degrees was out of the question.I was by myself and the swamp across the creek looked like a no nonsense mess.I didnt go back an do it till about 10 years later.I poked into the edge in several places but always ran into cedar blowdowns that said "I"ll eat you" in tree langauge.I"d rather tackle 10 ft tall briar thickets alone then the blowdowns i went through at the north end of the swamp.If theirs cougar and bear in the barrens they must live in this swamp.I love it in there but if your alone and break a leg in there outside of some darn good hound dogs your a goner.
Al
Shiver Me Timbers and Blow Me Down was one of my favorites and one of my toughest (until a couple of days ago ). I see all the links to my photos are bad so here they are.
Our track.
Scott as a young man (sans beard)
Stu?
Entering the pond off of Batsto Fire line road on the way back across.
By far my favorite photo of my Pine Barren brothers.
Back into the thick of it.
Taking a break halfway back.
Unfortunately can't find the photo of Jeff standing is the stream or the downed cedars highway we used.
I still have scars on my are that show up when I tan lol.
Bear
Our track.
Scott as a young man (sans beard)
Stu?
Entering the pond off of Batsto Fire line road on the way back across.
By far my favorite photo of my Pine Barren brothers.
Back into the thick of it.
Taking a break halfway back.
Unfortunately can't find the photo of Jeff standing is the stream or the downed cedars highway we used.
I still have scars on my are that show up when I tan lol.
Bear
Thanks Steve for adding the photos. Many of the photos from most members no longer work. Most of mine do only because I have them stored on this server. If not for that mine would all be gone.
I wish I had more but I lost many photos when an external drive I was using got reformatted. Fortunately I had these on a photo site.
I thought I was the only one to cross that swamp! I crossed it a bit north of where you guys did and also about where your southern cross is too but on two separate trips. To cross that swamp two times on the same trip Puts you folks in the In the Pine Barrens Swamp Stompers He Man Club! oh Thats right! This was PBX.Same thing!
Actually thinking back I did cross twice that day.We parked my vehicle on the east side of the swamp,the NE orner actually up near Westcoat Bogs and crossed in a SW direction to the big Savannah Visible upper left of your aerial.Then we went south down the savannah maybe a querter mile and crossed back in a easterly direction.The trip back was much easier only running into the blowdowns the last 100 yards or so. I remember the only sign of animal life we saw on the way across the first time was a spotted turtle in the moss and buzzards circling us over head.I think they were betting we wouldn't make it.Good for them we did.If they had of landed they would have never gotten airborne again.