Jersey Pinelands Kayakross
Stage 2: Bridge Road (Lumberton) to Oliphant Dam (Medford)
by Mike Stavola
Stage 2 was completed on June 2nd and was not easy for the expedition. It took 4 hours to paddle the section from Bridge Road to Kirby's Mill (4.0 miles). We had more than 10 and possibly closer to 20 carries and liftovers as well as squeezes. We lost track after awhile. Lower water levels since our first reconnaissance trip in late April made passage more difficult than expected. We also needed to saw out two more blockages and clear some additional logs. We had to stop and help each boat navigate each obstacle. Although one kayak was too long (16 feet) for the Bridge Rd/Kirby's Mill section, we managed to get it through. A 16 foot kayak will not be feasible on the lakes stage due the narrow connecting streams. One note of interest. Upon exiting at the mill, we encountered a trade show with live Irish music. It wasn’t long before we had a half dozen kayakers doing the ‘kayaker’s jig’. We had some dropouts and some newbies and are now up to 17 kayakers (12 have completed the 1st two stages) along with Brandy the Superdog.
The second half of Stage 2 was easier as expected until we reached the Medford Ponds. From there to the dam got more difficult again.. It took us around 2 hours (3.9 miles). It covered the Medford Canoe Trail section of the Rancocas leading us up Haynes Creek to the base of Oliphant Dam. Miles paddled to date: 25 with 70 to go. Hours paddled to date: 11 with 36 to go.
To create a water connection from the Delaware to the Atlantic we had to saw out 6 miles of the Rancocas Creek & Haynes Creek to make it navigable. Another 4 miles on the downstream side of our adventure will involve ‘trimming out some branches’ on the Mullica in July as we navigate and lead kayakers down the upper reaches of that river (stream actually) to open up the entire cross state connection.
By the time you read this article, we will already have completed Stage 3 (in two days) sometime between June 16th and June 24th. This stage will have involved crossing Oliphant Lake, Lake Pine, Taunton Lake and Centennial Lake (utilizing Haynes Creek to pass upstream from one lake to the next). This stage is between 13 and 15 miles long and will have taken about 9 hours. It will have required a number of short carries between the lakes utilizing connecting streams all the way to the headwaters of Centennial Lake. More about the secret and spectacular natural sections of the second half of Stage 3 will follow in the August Newsletter.
Stage 4 will start on July 14th where Jackson Road crosses the Mullica River at the boundary of Shamong and Waterford, NJ. Rental kayaks including pickup and delivery will be made available for $30/pp for all who wish to join us for the last 4 stages. This stage will take about 5 hours. Stage 5 will follow on the next day. It will start at Atsion Lake and end in the Batsto, NJ area after about 7 hours of lazy floating through the pristine Pinelands. The Jersey Pinelands Kayakross Expedition welcomes all FLSC members to join us for either of our July stages. Come be part of history – just email me for more info. See you on the river.
Mike
PS – Check out the Fall Line website for a progress report as well as some pictures, maps, and our itinerary.