Now this was a good time! After years of suggestion, we finally decided that we'd take everybody up on the idea that we should visit the Blue Hole, the supposed "bathtub" of the Jersey Devil. We did a little bit of homework, and found our directions to the site. We did this hunt in a series of shifts. Bel and I drove down from North Jersey to meet up with Charley and Kevin Brown in the area of the Blue Hole. Upon our arrival, Charley suggested that we take his jeep off roading to the location, just so that we wouldn't waste as much time getting in. I thought that was a fantastic idea!

Our plan for this hunt was two-fold: first, the four of us would scout out the area and get to know the trails. We'd be there during some daylight hours. We'd know the general idea and we'd be able to get the rest of the group up to speed without taking too much time. Then, the second group of hunters would join us and we'd head back down the trail to do some research on the area.

So the four of us hopped into Charley's jeep and were on our way. We found the trail that supposedly leads to the Blue Hole, and Charley plowed through the sand. It was awesome. We had a blast on the ride alone. Charley fit through tight corners, splashed through giant mudpuddles like they were nothing, and got us back to the area in no time. When we got closer, we had to ditch the car and continue on foot because the trail got too thin. The four of us began the trek.

When we approached the Blue Hole, I felt a sense of awe. After all this time, we were finally there! The place had a strange sense of calm surrounding it. We attempted to photograph the area, but much to my surprise my camera was unable to get a good picture. It was just about dusk at that point, and the shadows were too dark. So, unfortunately, only one picture that somewhat resembles the Blue Hole came from my camera. Hopefully Kevin will be able to get some better images when he develops his film.

After searching the area, we figured it was time to head back to our meeting place to pick up the rest of the crew. Mary, Kevin Hart, Liz, Tim, and Kristin D'Angelo had all made the drive for round two of the hunt. When they arrived, we packed up the equipment and headed back in.

This time, we decided to walk the path due to the fact that all of us couldn't fit in the jeep, and no one else had a car that could handle the trail like Charley's. So the nine of us started the hike in. Midway down the trail, we came across some cinder blocks and what appeared to be a chimney. It looked like there was a building standing in the area at some point, but not much remained. We're going to do some research on that, and if anyone else has any info, we'd greatly appreciate an e-mail from you! We also encountered a few million daddy long legs and some wolf spiders, which made those of us who are arachnophobic (me included) cringe.

Finally, we arrived back at the Blue Hole. It was completely dark this time. The Blue Hole's surface was incredibly still. We threw a rock in to test if it would create any ripples, and at first we were amazed. The water looked like Jello setting in a mold, it swallowed the rock and barely moved. Tim was able to skim a rock across the surface with ease. Some ripples were made, but we were surprised at the lack of motion in the water.

A drain pipe sits off the trail, and a part of the pipe has cracked and caved in. The opening in the pipe almost appeared to make the shape of a cross. We looked down into the hole and noticed that the water wasn't draining at all and was also perfectly still.

Down the path a little further, we discovered what appeared to be a running river. This water seemed to wrap around and appeared as though it would connect to the Blue Hole, yet we found it so odd that this water was rushing and the Blue Hole had no movement whatsoever. We weren't able to get through to find where the water meets, but we'd like to find out in the future.

We took a water sample that we'll soon pass on to Ed for analysis. Maybe he can tell us something more about the water, like why it appears to be so still, why it feels a little thicker than regular water, and what substances are in it. I'll get back to you on that if we get any interesting results.

So what's the report on noises, strange findings, etc.? Unfortunately, not much in the way of the Jersey Devil. I guess he didn't need a bath that night. But we'll be back again in the future...

Well, that's our story for Hunt #24. Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected]. Want to join us? Click here for the online application!