A Hike Through the Batona Trail in New Jersey's Pine Barrens

Seven miles there and seven miles back in two days. That was all I actually knew about the Batona Trail hike. Afterwards, I found out that the Batona Trail was located in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. Our hike would span across seven miles of the Lebanon State Forest portion of the trail. I later learned that it was mainly over flat land, the sugar sand would make the hike fairly challenging. I immediately assumed that this hike could never top the Sedge Island trip, an earlier expedition on an island located in Barnegat Bay. But now reflecting upon the experience, there were certainly some parts that were enlightening and inspiring. At Sedge Island, most of my Governor School classmates slept inside (away from the greenhead flies). But on this hiking expedition, we had to sleep in tents, cook our food on a campfire, and swim in the bog. Personally, I felt that the hike was representative of our class; the overnight stay truly brought many members of our class, including myself, "Back toNature," (Batona).

The hike began on Wednesday as we packed our bags. My knowledge acquisition experience started with the packing. I learned what kind of foods that were necessary to sustain us for the hike and which foods were not the most ideal. Furthermore, this was the time when numerous thoughts of dread and disinterest crept into my mind. Honestly, I was thinking of excuses not to go on the trip, but as I pondered the situation I realized it would be a challenging experience because I had never been backpacking. It dawned upon me that this was a once in a lifetime experience; I was only going to have one "backpacking experience." I figured taking on this trip would be a truly rewarding one if I exploited the opportunities that arose. Furthermore, my goal was to exploit and express myself whenever I can. I believe both beliefs motivated me to change my initial negative perception of the hike.

When I woke up Thursday morning, I was exhausted and lost much of my motivation to go on the trip. I am not quite sure what compelled me to take on the challenge, but I am certainly glad I did. When we first got on the trail, I thought to myself, "Hey, this isn't that bad." The first half of the hike was mainly over flat land, but the candy sand increased the difficulty of the hike. On the hike to Lower Forge, I felt such a positive atmosphere, everyone hid his or her tiredness and exhaustion so well. We were all fairly cheery and there were numerous conversations among us. Our topics of discussion were not limited to nature; instead they ranged from music preferences to types of friends.

I believe our positive attitude promoted more appreciation of the natural beauties around us, whether it was a praying mantis or a majestic stream flowing nearby. Our cheerfulness compelled us to look around and explore our surroundings. Though we took a much longer time to reach the campsite on the way there, we also took more breaks. During the breaks, we have multiple opportunities to examine our surroundings, pick off some ticks, and enjoy some huckleberries that grew alongside the trail. The huckleberries tasted so much better during our times of our mental and physical fatigue. This leads to the concept of contrast; a positive is only accentuated when it is compared to a negative.

When we arrived at the campsite, I believe it is accurate to say everyone in our party was proud of our accomplishment. Although each individual was proud that he or she made it, I am almost certain we were all glad that we made it as a team. Perhaps alone, we might have given up, but with our friends there supporting and encouraging us to go on, we achieved much success. This is one of those wonders of teamwork. It is intangible and it cannot be seen, but after seeing the end product it is self-evident if there was teamwork. The products that we can create with teamwork are remarkable. If you gave an individual more time than the group, it is highly unlikely that the individual would be able to produce a product superior to the group production.

The unpacking process was relieving and simply relaxing. After a long day hike, we were all exhausted and I just wanted to lie down somewhere. But we had to set the tents up first. I watched John set up the tents and picked up some tips on the most efficient way to set it up. When the tents were finished, we went for a wonderfully refreshing swim. The Basto River was right next to our camp site and we quickly jumped into the water. At first, we all had some apprehensions and uncertainties about going into the water because of leeches. But I got over that fear quickly enough and immersed my body in the surprisingly cool water. The contrast from a long day hike with sweat to a rejuvenating swim in the relaxing water was amazing. A swim after a normal day is relaxing and enjoyable, but a swim after sweating the whole day was almost heavenly. The feeling of water splashing across my body took away all my stresses and anxieties. There was nothing holding me back, there were no restrictions, no rules to follow. The experience was certainly very liberating.

I believe the swim also led to a strong bonding moment. We were all having a wonderful time in the water and sharing our personal feelings. No one had felt left out. Our human sculpture also showed our unity as a team or group. We were different people with different personalities united by the common interest in the environment, yet we bonded immensely. Our grass jewelry helped bring me back to nature and helped me recognize the beauty of nature. I braided three stalks of the thin grass into a bracelet and wore it around my wrist for the rest of the night. I was disappointed the next morning when the bracelet dried up and shriveled up. It kind of symbolized how we cannot remove an organism from its natural environment and that nothing lasts forever.

Afterwards, we had to set up the fire and prepare for dinner. Although setting up a campfire might not seem as special to other people, I was fascinated by it. Perhaps it is because that was my first campfire. It is remarkable that something so powerful can be generated from almost nothing. The beauty of the dancing embers was also enchanting. I loved to feel the heat of the fire slowly licking my skin. The intensity and heat of the flames multiplied with each inch that I got closer to it. Cooking my first hotdog over an open flame was also a wonderful and enriching experience. I love doing new things and I experiencing small things that might seem trivial and unimportant to other people.

Following the campfire and dinner, I explored a nearby tree. From forty feet away, it was an ordinary tree and there was nothing special about it. I took about twenty more steps towards the tree and I noticed a peculiar pattern. Each branch was at a nearly perfect ninety-degree angle with the trunk. Furthermore, the branches alternated one on each side, which reminded me of a ladder. It was the perfect tree to climb up and view the surrounding area from a different perspective. In addition, when I went down to the river alone to contemplate, I found my mind completely clear and void of worries. The stresses that I faced back at home (governor's school-campus) were gone, as if they got lost on the Batona Trail. The only fears and apprehensions that affected me were immediate ones about my surrounding. Because it was fairly dark by the time I went down to the river. I looked up and saw the vast, endless sky. I did not just see the trees and river; instead I saw a pristine environment that was the home to different organisms. I contemplated what would happen if their habitat was destroyed and what each organism would do. Where would they go? These questions flashed through my mind and I attempted to answer some of these questions, but I realized I did not know the answers to many of them. This brought about another revelation: the average person probably knows less about the environment than I do, personally, I feel as if I know very little about it. The hike truly brought me back to nature and really helped me bond with nature. It provided the essential link that I had been seeking for a while. Finally, I was just relieved and proud that we got back safely.