Hike 13: 4/30/2K
Along the Warren Railroad right of way...guess we could'nt continue on! LOL
4/30/2k
Not wanting to give up as soon as I started, I decided to lead a hike again, once a month.
This time was important, as I had wanted to get Cathy, as well as my brother Scott (or as
we call him “Tea Biscuit”) to join. Conrad was unfortunitely too busy with school work,
but told me his cousin Ron would be interested, so I recruited him, as well as Bill Bill once
again.
The group on the NJ side of the Colombia Portland Footbridge
Chocolate Milk! Portland PA
Buck in Portland PA
Cathy on the tracks in Portland
In addition, Buck signed on to do the hike he did almost three years prior.
Once again, we headed to Colombia and made our way across the footbridge following
our normal routine. Tea Biscuit was only 15 at the time, but took to it strongly.
Delaware Trestle
Me in the Delaware Trestle on a pier.
The group on Delaware Trestle
NJ side of the Delaware Trestle, where the road is cut off
Old highway, formerly the railroad bed until 1907
Old highway in Delaware NJ
In Smiddy's Deli, Delaware NJ
Smiddy's Deli, Delaware NJ
We stopped and pigged out at Smiddy’s, and ran up to the Bush of Might as always.
Smiddy's Deli, Delaware NJ
Inclining path from the rail bed to future cell tower road
Buck running up the path, Ramseyburg NJ
Shrub of Might activity
Shrub of Might
Near the Shrub of Might
Ron at Manunka Chunk Tunnel
At Manunka Chunk Tunnel
From top of Manunka Chunk Tunnel mantle
At Manunka Chunk Tunnel
At Manunka Chunk Tunnel
At Manunka Chunk Tunnel
In Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Carrying Cathy through Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Manunka Chunk Tunnel
All of us passed through the tunnel; I carried Cathy through the water. We once again decided to
stay on the right of way even though we had to walk through the water. When the weeds
started, Cathy got a kick out of the fact that she was the oldest (then 45) and passing
through with no problem, while a chorus of “Oohs” and “Ouches” eminated from behind.
She also commented she felt it was like the seventies with these long haired guys.
Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Catherine's Run near Manunka Chunk Tunne; here is the ruins of the old water diversion system.
South of Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Catherine's Run south of Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Group south of Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Approaching Catherine's Run bridge site south of Manunka Chunk
Fields north of Upper Sarepta Road
Former Catherine's Run bridge site
Bridgeville
Sand Qurarry, Bridgeville
Bridgeville, sand quarry
Passing through the sand pit was again a big mess, more of the right of way destroyed
with each visit. Just before reaching more undisturbed portios of the right of way, Buck
slipped and fell in a somersault roll far into the sandpit, tumbling until slamming his back
into a tree almost upside down! To our surprise, he stood right up and shrugged it off,
probably having protected his back with his backpack. As we continued to Buttsville, we
stopped at Walt’s Mini mart for another snack.
Billboard below former Waren RR bed in Buttsville NJ
Break at Walt's Mini Mart in Buttsville
Pequest Viaduct
After crossing the Pequest Viaduct, the right of way passes alongside a yard. This time, a
couple nasty sounding dogs ran out and started coming toward us. I grabbed a huge
branch to fend them off, but they did not come all the way to the railbed.
Oxford Tunnel cut from the west
When we reached Oxford, Tea Biscuit, Cathy, Bill Bill, and I opted to use the tunnel,
while Ronald and Buck decided to go over on 31. Tea Biscuit put on a big tube he found
in the cut. As we entered the tunnel, I picked Cathy up and began carrying her. My old
sneakers I had been wearing regularly since the second hike in 1997, secumbed to the
punishment and the soles began to pull off, as I was sticking in the thick silty mud in the
water near the north end. Cathy and I fell into the deepest part of the tunnel, in freezing
water. My shoes were too ruined to continue, so we turned back and climbed the
embankment, passing through someone’s yard.
My shoeless feet after my shoes broke in the tunnel
after falling into the tunnel water
I left my shoes at the portal of the tunnel.
This fall definitely hurt us, energy was draining fast.
Group at the "Tree of Three" just south of Oxford Tunnel
Just south of Oxford Tunnel
Cathy took a fall at Jackson Valley
Road. She could not go on much from here, so we headed up the road to Warren Hills
while Ron, Buck, and Bill Bill headed back to Bill Bill’s to get the car and pick us up.
Cathy fell at the ATV path to Jackson Valley Road
When Cathy and I reached Warren Hills, the wind was too strong and biting to stay put,
so we headed out to Belvidere Avenue towards town, barely able to move on. Fortunitely,
Bill Bill soon pulled up and the pain was over. Certainly the unlucky #13 holds it’s
reputation with the events at the end of our 13th hike!
Looking back at these journals now, years later is so weird!
Even though facebook will allow people to comment if they so wish, I'll add in what other people said here anyway...
“Cathy joined us and I fell into the sand pit and almost got impaled. And I had to go
around the tunnels because of my breathing problems. Anyway, I dont really have too
many comments. You kinda summed everything up for me. Thanx for the trip down the
memory turnpike. Talk to you later.” -Buck {skycow006@hotmail.com}
I still can’t believe you got up from that fall as quick as you did....
“I believe it was just me and Bill Bill at the end. If the others were there they were either
on their own or trailing behind. I don’t remember much, I was just so friggin’ tired. The
most I remember is that you dropped Cathy in the Oxford tunnel. That was
unforgettable.” -Tea Biscuit
Yeah, I think I remember now. Clearly, pictures show the whole group was together at the
Tree of Three...I think Ronald and Buck must have walked ahead and Buck drove him
home, or they hung out or something. I do remember just you and Bill Bill heading off
from us.
“Someone flying down the sandpit and landing spread eagle against a tree (I know it
happened but was it here?). Lost shoes, failing the Oxford tunnel, car rescue...”
-Bill Bill
Yeah, you got the right one. It was Buck that fell. That’s of course in there...fitting hike
13, was it not?
On this hike, falling into the water messed up my new camera a bit, but I was allowed to
exchange it at the K Mart in Phillipsburg for another of the same.
Here's the pictures from that hike:
http://s132.photobucket.com/albums/q13/sneezehorse/hike013/
Feel free to snag them for facebook if you'd like.
Tea Biscuit found this thing on the way to the Oxford Tunnel
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