NJ>Pine Barrens>Lower Forge>5/5/18 Me and Joey

**SilvrSurfr** · 05-07-2018, 12:30

Originally Posted by Tyroler Holzhacker

Thanks for the trip update. The Pine Barrens seem to be fairly flat. How would you rate the difficulty of your trail? Very brave of you to trust your young beagle off lead. My dog is unfixed so I definitely can’t trust him off lead, and would probably only take him on a car camping trip. He has longish hair and I’d be worried about the ticks and burrs and whatnot getting all caught up in his fur. Hope to see you in the Barrens at a later hang.

Pine Barrens are flat as a board. Other than the sugar sand, there's nothing difficult about hiking in the Pine Barrens.

I don't trust Joey off his leash - just somehow forgot. Joey's not fixed either. Luckily, he is a short-haired dog, so he doesn't get any burrs (I don't think there are any burrs in the Pine Barrens anyway). I doubt seriously you would have to worry about burrs in the Pine Barrens.

As for ticks, I always use Frontline on Joey. Keeps him tick-free. I did notice quite a few mosquitoes lounging on Joey, but they're not really interested in him as a snack (and I didn't get bit once, though I saw quite a few mosquitoes. They're not very aggressive in the Pine Barrens, except at dusk and dawn.)

I'm a mosquito magnet, but my clothes were totally treated in permethrin, as was my hammock. I've been using permethrin on my clothes for seven or eight years, and it definitely keeps the ticks away, but also mosquitoes. The main irritant for me in the Pine Barrens are gnats and horseflies - they don't seem to care much about permethrin. The gnats were out in full force, but thankfully, the horseflies haven't come out yet. I've had horseflies hike ten to 12 miles with me, just to bug the crap out of me. Nothing worse than a horsefly up your nostril!

JmBoh was not adequately equipped for Pine Barrens hiking - he said he had treated his clothes with permethrin last fall (which ain't cutting it - gotta do it about every three months in my book.) He was using only picaridin, which apparently had no effect on the ticks, since he pulled several off him. I had no issues with ticks since I was fully treated in permethrin.

**SilvrSurfr** · 05-07-2018, 12:36

Originally Posted by georgecarr

I was wondering how that bbq place was. I'll have to try it.

I've been eating there for seven or eight years. Definitely like the pulled pork - not much of a beef brisket fan. The potato salad is really good.

First time I went in there, I gave the owner a quiz. I generally feel that only Southerners know how to cook barbecue, so I wanted to make sure he had Southern blood. While he's from Jersey, his mom and dad and plenty of relatives are from South Carolina. They do know their barbecue.

The only problem I have with the place is that they're only open from 12 to 6 pm, and it's a bummer when I hike out of the Pine Barrens and get back to my car at 11 am. I'm not hanging out an hour for the barbecue place to open!

**Ratdog** · 05-07-2018, 14:30

Originally Posted by GreatBigDave

So... Hay Road is the "correct" back way? Is there a wet crossing at the stream between Mannis Duck pond and the Batsto river?

The google maps “Hay Rd” is the most direct route to the trestle, shortest distance back to Atsion. This is different than the Hay Rd on the Wharton MAP map.

I actually hike a trail and only deviate to cross a stream if needed.

**GreatBigDave** · 05-07-2018, 15:12

Originally Posted by Ratdog

The google maps “Hay Rd” is the most direct route to the trestle, shortest distance back to Atsion. This is different than the Hay Rd on the Wharton MAP map.

I actually hike a trail and only deviate to cross a stream if needed.

Hrmm. I don't see Hay Rd. on Google maps at all, I'm looking at AllTrails and AllTrails TOPO maps. Is there an online version of the Wharton MAP map?

**SilvrSurfr** · 05-07-2018, 15:25

Originally Posted by GreatBigDave

Hrmm. I don't see Hay Rd. on Google maps at all, I'm looking at AllTrails and AllTrails TOPO maps. Is there an online version of the Wharton MAP map?

Sometimes Bing.com/maps is the better option.

https://binged.it/2KItuix

**SilvrSurfr** · 05-07-2018, 15:45

One of the problems I had with Joey was: every time I gathered wood for the Emberlit EL Mini Stove, he thought I was gathering wood for him to chew into bits. At both dinner and breakfast, he kept chewing up all the wood I gathered, until I finally had to leash him away from the wood I had gathered.

This morning Joey took a crap that was 80% wood! That probably didn't feel too good coming out.

**GreatBigDave** · 05-07-2018, 15:55

Originally Posted by SilvrSurfr

Sometimes Bing.com/maps is the better option.

https://binged.it/2KItuix

That is (sort of) the Hay Rd. from TOPO.

**JmBoh** · 05-07-2018, 20:53

Yep Mines Sprung is the road we were on. I think that led us to Tuckerton where, sure enough, there were RR tracks!! I had a few doubts along the way, but in the end ol' one good eye SilvrSurfr knew exactly where he was going! I had a fantastic trip!! "You get lost enough times you eventually know where you're going". I'd definitely hike with you again buddy! Good stories and lots of laughs! I gambled and decided to pack my Loco Libre Operator Series 50 degree quilts and it paid off. It was exactly 55 degrees over night and I slept like a rock!! Joey is a great dog! He stopped to investigate something every once in a while, but that's to be expected from a pup on an adventure. He stayed on trail and close to SiverSurfr the whole way. He's a good one for sure! Thanks SilvrSurfr and Pete! It was a great weekend! I'm looking forward to the Blue Berry hang! I know where the good stuff is now!

**SilvrSurfr** · 05-07-2018, 21:02

Don't start promoting the blueberry hangs in July, Jmboh. People might actually show up!

That stretch of trails between Lower Forge and the railroad tracks is absolutely the best blueberry picking I've ever seen.

**Kaptastic4wd** · 05-07-2018, 21:30

Sound like a good time. I'll have to get down there one weekend you are going out, I'm OK with getting a little lost LOL. Will for sure get the permethrin on my gear, I haven't camped in the barrens, but played airsoft/paintball and the ticks can be insane. Of course I don't anticipate diving into a bush for cover if I'm backpacking lol. If you guys want to do any of the AT here in jersey this summer I can plan something, a lot of the sites are crowded on the weekend though

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Glad you had a good trip, and made it out. Sometimes knowing the right people is better than knowing where you are going!!!