Whispering Pines

You must be a paid member of the Outdoor Club of South Jersey to participate. Go to ocsj.org to join.

We will meander about 5 miles in Wharton State Forest at an easy to moderate pace, leaning toward the slower side to accommodate my bad ankle. We will take our time, stopping whenever we see something interesting, or if we just feel like it. We will go around the trails clockwise, starting on the White Trail through a beautiful cedar swamp, then the Blue Trail, then the White again, and, finally, the sand road back to the parking lot. Actually, we will take one shortcut that reduces the hike length from the usual 5.5 miles. The trail has frequent deadfalls across it, and may have puddles to go around.

Parking is at the intersection of County Route 532 and Patty Bowker Rd.
Parking is limited, and so the hike is capped at 12 attendees. If you are car pooling with someone else, let me know and I will allow someone in from the wait list. Because of the limited number of people, please drop immediately if you know you are not going to attend to allow others on the wait list to join us.

We will start the hike at 10:00 sharp.
· Bring water
· There are no restrooms or port-a-potties available. The woods is our outhouse. Bring toilet paper, if you need it. Tell the leader or the sweep if you need to stop.
· Please wear bright colored clothing – preferably blaze orange. There could be hunters around.
· Ending time is approximate, depending upon how often we stop. I tend to err on the long side on my time estimates so people do not make appointments and need to cut out ahead of everyone else. An early cutout might not even be possible, because we typically park blocking each other in due to the limited parking. This is a relatively slow hike – a happy meander through the woods. Our pace varies between slow and moderate, depending on terrain and how we are feeling. But, if you want us to slow down, do not hesitate to ask. We’ll be happy to oblige. Please do not ask us to speed up. If this isn't what you want, try a different hike.
· Because I go relatively slow, some people tend to walk ahead of me. Please do not do this. Stay between me and the sweep.
· No pets allowed.
· Rain, snow, or high winds probably cancels. Check comments for weather cancellation before you leave home.

Leader:
David Hecker 609-304-9627