The Brown Mile (Pine Barrens)

The Pine Barrens, or Pinees as we New Jerseyites called them, is a flat area of land that spans more than seven counties in southern New Jersey. It is sometimes referred to as the Pinelands. 

Friends of ours were winter camping at Brendan T. Byrne State Forest campground. It was mid-February and while the Fat Man is known to enjoy sleeping on the snow, I do not camp outdoors until Memorial Day. Even then it is often chilly enough at night to don a wool cap, gloves, and want to stay put in your 20-degree sleeping bag.

It took us about 90 minutes to drive there and we had some trouble finding the campground (look for Mile Marker 1 Highway Route 72 East). Brendan T. Byrne State Forest boasts more than 25 miles of marked trails.

When we arrived, our friends were still finishing their breakfast. It was very damp and bitterly cold, despite a blazing campfire. Thank goodness for my North Face down jacket, which the Fat Man delighted me with one Christmas several years ago.

Right before we headed out, it started to rain, which is a bit of a bummer when you are hiking. Fortunately, it cleared up within the hour.

We started off by walking around a lovely, little pond that looked like a Monet painting with the early morning mist. From that point forward, however, the hike was reminiscent of our Green Tunnel adventure in New Hampshire (except this time the road was brown). Most of the time, we were totally encompassed by pine trees. The path was uneven at times, due to mounds of sand. It reminded me of the beaches of Cape Cod (for about 10 seconds), which holds lovely memories for the Fat Man and I because we honeymooned there nearly 16 years ago.

Pine Barren Pond

Heart of the Pine Barrens

Despite the complete lack of elevation, by the time we got back to the campsite several hours later, several of us were exhausted (mostly me). While it was a good conditioning workout, I quickly grew bored by the monotony of the landscape. Perhaps if the sun had been shining, the birds had been chirping, and it was 50 degrees warmer, I might have felt differently. It was even colder and damper later that day and I was never so happy to hop into Horace the Honda and turn on the heat.

Picnic area

On the ride back, we stopped at the Collingswood auction and flea market (on State Highway number 33 and State Highway), which we will definitely go back to when the weather gets warmer. It is on 25 acres of land and offers more than 500 outdoor merchants (only 30 or so braved the outdoors in February) and a 60,000 square foot building which houses 100 indoor tables and booths. It also includes an awesome product stand for fresh fruits and vegetables. 

Heidi’s rating: ★ for the hike and ★ ★ ★ ★ for the flea market.

The Fat Man’s rating: 3 pine cones.