There Will Be Blood - Paddling Overnighter on the Batsto River 3/29/14

[SilvrSurfr]

What an epic though ill-advised paddling trip and hang! Despite weather reports of 2 to 4 inches of rain, eight hardy souls ventured out in the weather to paddle the Batsto River from Hampton Furnace to Batsto Village.

njredneck, his friend John (still needs a trail name), and Hollow Leg Joe
P47-Chowhound
Pretbek
Ratdog
SilentOrpheus
SilvrSurfr



Though hypothermia was suffered by most, if not all, it will be hard to top this latest gathering of the Garden State Hammock and Dinner Association.

I had read that the upper Batsto River was one of the least travelled sections of river in the Pine Barrens, and I can certainly see why. Apparently, nobody is keeping the river clear of blown-down trees, so we resorted to going over, under, and around these obstacles with seriously comical results. It seemed like around every bend of the river was another "you gotta be freaking kidding me" obstacle. Add to that, the river is very narrow and intimate encounters with low-hanging limbs and brush are inevitable. With the constant rain, a simple scratch would bleed for most of the day without coagulating, resulting in a lot of bloodshed. I thought I was gonna need a transfusion by the time we reached Lower Forge. I was navigating and didn't get much video of the Upper Batsto, but P47-Chowhound has some GoPro footage he will hopefully post.

I have some footage from the lower Batsto River that I'll post soon. Honestly, this was the best group hang I've ever been on. The combination of river fun, excellent food, great company, amazing scenery, and hypothermia made for a memorable trip that won't soon be topped. By the time Pretbek and I got to Batsto Village, we were both feeling as if we had had several days of adventure (though it was only an overnighter), and we didn't want it to end.

[Mumbles]

Sounds adventurous and exciting. Can't wait to see footage.

[Zilla]

I had done that stretch a few years back and even in good weather its a work out - are you freaking kidding me? - sounds about right will make for great memories, cant wait to see the vids, i bet the hot shower you guys took when you got home lasted until the hot ran out!

[SilvrSurfr]

It was miserable weather and we all knew that going in. Ratdog called his sherpas and bailed out at Lower Forge, and so did SilentOrpheus and P47-Chowhound (due to prior obligations).

In the morning, njredneck, Stinkfinger John, and Hollow-Leg Joe got an hour head start on us paddling back to Batsto Village. Pretbek and I somehow ended up on Springer Brook and found a navigable path from Lower Forge to Old Lower Forge Road and Unbridge - definitely better than the upstream path we took to our gear cache the previous night - no portage involved.

The Lower Forge->Batsto Village section of the Batsto River is incredible scenery, much better than the upper Batsto.

And the river depth was incredible with all the rain. When we started the trip, the river depth meter at http://river-depth.com/graphs/01409400?period=1 was 105 ft. It's now at 320 ft., so basically, the water volume tripled during our trip.

And this website gives some historical perspective that we paddled in a significant flooding event.

http://waterwatch.usgs.gov/index.php?r=nj&id=ww_current

At the start of the trip, the water level was at 71% of the average mean (for this date) over the last 25 years of data. By the end of the trip, the water level was at 240% above average. That's a lot of darn water in a 24-hour period!

We only encountered one serious blowdown on the Lower Forge->Batsto Village section. At Quaker Bridge, we performed community service and sawed a path through a cedar tree with my Bahco Swedish Folding Saw. It seemed like the right thing to do. The Bahco cut through that cedar like butter.

I was complaining that the paddle wasn't much of a workout. P47-Chowhound pointed out that his abs were absolutely killing him from laying back to pass under all the blowdowns. After passing under a particularly difficult tree, we would contemplate waiting for Ratdog & SilentOrpheus (20 minutes behind us), to film them and how they navigated the obstacle. Wish I had film of Ratdog (a rather large man) sliding under some of those fallen trees!

[Ratdog]

What has been said is soooo true.
Epic paddle.
Incredible scenery in the cedar forests of the Upper Batsto. Truly wonderful and worth the trip, even under adverse conditions.

Logistically intense with gathering spots, watercraft drop offs, shuttle runs for permits and vehicle drops, multiple runs back to the put in all added to serious time eaten prior to the first canoe hitting water. Starting later than most had planned would lead to a later arrival at camp. Thankfully mother nature spared us to a great extent and saved the heaviest rainfall for later in the day.

The gathering and "game day" planning.


The start was frustrating with all the overhanging bramble patches and bushes that had grown over top of the river.
Blowdowns and piles of debris made, as has been mentioned, a challenging section all the more difficult.

A wonderful service project would be to get out there and clear the river properly as previous efforts were substandard for any self respecting crik folk. Spring floods will no doubt add to the conditions but I would be up for, on a warmer, dryer day, getting out and clearing some of the larger stuff.

Limbo was the word of the day, laying flat back on the canoe and having to remove a hat just to barely clear an overhang. Submerged obstacles, a little river walking, treading the sandy bottom of the Batsto in large, normally meadow like section now submerged by the deluge. Channel selection as you would come to the area of a dozen streams fingering into a swamp. 4 hours into what was thought to be a 2 hour paddle and you're beginning to think it was possible to miss the camp entirely, scouting for a reasonable landing spot in order to verify location by GPS. And all this in a cold wet rain. The stuff of which lasting memories are formed.

A huge thank you to those who ferried all the gear from the drop off point. Quite the effort, especially hauling my home away from home.

The feast, unrivaled in decadence, quality, quantity and satisfaction as it came in the midst of such an adventure. Such were the happenings of this event.

And say what you will of Guide Gear traps but SilvrSurfr's tarp earned newfound respect as the roof of the smoke hut allowing 8 people to gather, cook, duck out of the elements and enjoy a meal. And oh what a meal.

John studying SilvrSurfrs shrimp prep method as he would soon be drafted to craft the bacon wrapped scallops on a skewer under the watchful eye of the master. P47 Chowhund looking intently at the feast to be, Pretbek working the grilled veggies (delicious) and SilentOrpheus prepping the Lobster (yeah, I said Lobster) all while NJRedneck and HollowLegJoe look on from the perfectly suited repurposed beach shade shelter turned rain cover and heat reflector. I think the glint in HollowLegJoe's eyes had something to do with the London Broil and Brats not measuring up to his love of slow roasted ribs.






The rain and the wind grew heavier into the night, clearing of the tarps as water pooled every few minutes, discussions of bail outs and finally retiring to the comfort of our dry, elevated, warm hammocks.

Morning some earlier than others, visiting with a fellow camper, child and dog, ground dweller though they were. An intrepid trio for sure.

Coffee, bacon, eggs and tortillas. Renewed energy levels, decreased precip levels and the decision was taken for most to paddle on, taking in the full Batsto in all her beauty.

Calls and messages to sherpas, extraction plans initiated. And those that needed to evac did so though not in the timely fashion as hoped.

Me and mine hauled gear to the Lower Forge "parking lot", canoe and all and then off to Batsto for the transfer.




Text messages to confirm status reports and safe arrivals.

The only casualty, a single paddle of fine vintage mysteriously swallowed by the Pine Barrens, not the first, not the last but missed all the same.

[Ratdog]

Here are 2 maps of the paddle. The first one doesn't do justice to all the twists and turns.

You could literally be doing a switchback turn every length of the canoe 2 or 3 time in a row.

One canoe length in front of you and it was still difficult to tell if the river went left or right and though you might see around one turn, the next was a complete mystery. A real thrill at higher water levels with all the overhangs.

http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=141166

http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=141278

[nothermark]

I used to do that trip in the fall when the water was up from draining the cranberry bogs. I love the trip but would not do it in a tandem boat. ;-)

[silentorpheus]

The only casualty, a single paddle of fine vintage mysteriously swallowed by the Pine Barrens, not the first, not the last but missed all the same.

Never found the paddle?

Might call for a kayak recon - if it somehow washed out from the boat while it was beached, it likely floated down a ways and got lodged somewhere. Might be able to find it ...

[Ratdog]

Yeah was thinking the same thing. 2 canoes never saw it. Might wait for water level to drop and put in at Quaker Bridge, paddle upstream.

I have to replace it this week.

[silentorpheus]

Yeah was thinking the same thing. 2 canoes never saw it. Might wait for water level to drop and put in at Quaker Bridge, paddle upstream.

I have to replace it this week.

Bummer.

I know we had it when we got out, after arrival to camp.

Your canoe never got used to portage gear from unbridge, so it should have remained with the boat. Unless the boat tipped with the water rising and it floated out, or it was left on the shore (I apologize, I was cold enough when we got there that I didn't really pay attention, and just ran up the hill) and was carried away by the rising flood.