Warren Grove Bombing Range Tour

[Teegate]

All,

Jessica and I took the Warren Grove Bombing Range Tour and spent the day with a few individuals from the site and with other people we know. They were all great company making the day quite interesting and enjoyable. The PPA sponsored it, and the students and a teacher from Drexel ran the event. They all were excellent. Thank you Bob for the ride!



We were told as recent as 50 years ago a hermit lived in this cabin on the base.

Bob sneaking past a tank before we got shot at

Bob as usual on the wrong side of the road ...I mean runway.

The highlights of Jessica's day.

I climbed a tree to take this one. One of the students explaining the bug traps they are using

Guy

 

[PINEY WARDEN]

Guy,
The Gunnery Range is an amazing Place for sure!!! A whole lot more goes on out there for the good of the Pine Barrens then most folks realize!!!! They are all amazing folks out there from each agency that participates!!!! I have been blessed through many years to participate in some of the activities that take place out there!!! Dr. Walt Bien is an amazing down to earth individual!!! Thank you for sharing those wonderful photos!!!!

 

[Teegate]

Thanks Piney Warden!

Spung-man..Walt Bien mentioned you today. Something about dunes being overrated ..... just kidding. He was explaining why the road in the back is so sandy with lowlands on either side and then your name was mentioned.

Guy

 

[Spung-Man]

Yes, full-blown dunes are uncommon in the Pine Barrens. This is a sand-starved system, eolian landforms are subtle. You'll mostly find relict dunes along the eastern and southern banks of rivers. Most of the eolian bed forms are protodunes and thin sand sheets that have been further modified by runoff. Many confuse old gravel bars for dunes. These are places where gravels were dropped by ancient rivers. When the rivers moved the gravel bar surfaces were harder than the riverbanks, which made them more resistant to erosion. After millions of years the river bottoms became hilltops. It is called invert topography. Walt often talked about big dunes on the base, but suspect what he noticed turned out to be invert topography.

 

[manumuskin]

Pine snake,black rat and corn snake.Where did you get a hold of those? Was that an exceptionally good days herping?
That is awfully bright for a Jersey Corn.

 

[turtle]

Pine snake,black rat and corn snake.Where did you get a hold of those? Was that an exceptionally good days herping?
That is awfully bright for a Jersey Corn.

....brought in so folks could see and handle snakes that are found in the pines, although no corn snakes are currently recorded as residing on base. Two of the talks given by the grad students were on different life stages of the pine snake and the studies they are conducting on them. Our botany class has been following the work of two other grad students at the range for a couple of years. They are a fun and interesting bunch of folks up there with Walt as the leader.

 

[1Jerseydevil]

[quote="Spung-Man, post: 113659, member: 750Many confuse old gravel bars for dunes. These are places where gravels were dropped by ancient rivers. When the rivers moved the gravel bar surfaces were harder than the riverbanks, which made them more resistant to erosion. After millions of years the river bottoms became hilltops. It is called invert topography. Walt often talked about big dunes on the base, but suspect what he noticed turned out to be invert topography.[/quote]

Interesting. Is this the reason for some some of the hills or hilly terrain in the pines? An example, the hilly terrain along rt 539 in the Greenwood track by the big rock? There are other areas of course, some do have a swamp lowland near the base, others not. I have noticed areas in the Pines that are gravel and stone that are generally higher but not necessarily a hill. Also different color gravel and stone. Most yellow but areas that are white.

Guy
Are there any other tours scheduled?

 

[Teegate]

Guy
Are there any other tours scheduled?

I doubt it. The last time I believe the PPA had one was 2007 or so. However, don't take this as fact.

Guy

 

[oji]

Yes, it was 2007 the last time PPA had a trip. I also went last year with the Phila. Botanical Club and we saw 2 Rattlesnakes.

 

[Ben Ruset]

Wow. If I had known about this I would have gone.

 

[NJBill]

Ditto.
Bummer that something so rare an opportunity wasn't shared in advance.
Being a paid tour, could have made a few extra bucks for the PPA too.

 

[Teegate]

It was on the PPA website and on their mailing list. In the end there was a limited number of individuals allowed. I know this because I called the number to check if the possible rain had canceled or postponed it, and the message mentioned the limit had been reached.