Hike 130
In the Pequest Cut north of Oxford
4/6/4
For my next hike, a weekday hike, I recruited three old friends to do the Portland hike yet
again! Joining me this time were Charlie Corely, whom I graduated high school with.
On the tracks in Portland PA
We found this car upside down; Charlie, Vanilla John, and I were able to flip it back over!
Just south of Portland PA
Delaware Trestle
He was now working at Radio Shack, and his brother, Andrew became a good friend as we
worked together at Wally Mart. I had been talking to Charlie at the Radio Shack in
Mansfield where he was the manager, and he was keen on trying a hike. Next, John
Arout I had met years before working at A&P when the store first
opened. I don’t remember what department he worked in, but we talked frequently, and he
had begun coming to Wal Mart to chat with me after just moving back to the area from
Arizona. We came to calling him “Vanilla John” because he looked similar to the rapper,
Vanilla Ice. Finally, Eric Pace joined us yet again for the first time in a while.
A bridge being replaced in Delaware NJ
I picked up Charlie at his home in Mansfield in the morning, and I believe I had Eric with
me as well, and I must have met Vanilla John in Washington. We headed from there to
Portland.
Immediately at the beginning, I chugged a beer left over from the recent party. I offered a
couple to Charlie and Vanilla John, but only Vanilla John accepted, so I gave him two.
Along the Warren Railroad in Knowlton Township near Ramseyburg
Along the former Warren Railroad
Oxford NJ
Inside Oxford Tunnel
They were strange Indian beers, but he seemed to like them anyway. We crossed the
bridge to Port Mart where I got chocolate milk, and Vanilla John got a bag and a straw
for his beer. We laughed histerically as we bagan walking, joking about how “white trash”
he looked, with his beer in a skirt with a straw!
As we neared the Portland-Colombia Toll bridge, there was a car to our right in a grassy
area that had been sitting there upside down for quite a long time. We joked about pushing
it back upright, and I believe Charlie did’nt believe we could do it, but He, Vanilla John,
and I went over to it, pushed as hard as we could, and rolled the car back upright! A guy
driving a forklift in an adjacent lumber yard halted his work to stare at us, so we figured
we’d best be on our way!
Charlie in Oxford Tunnel
Outside the south end of Oxford Tunnel
Washington railroad yard
We continued south across the Delaware Bridge, and through the town. Charlie and
Vanilla John were having some hilarious conversations about porn web sites. I specifically
recall them talking about the “Bang Bus” movies. Hilarious! We stopped to take notice of
bridge work being done next to Mr. Hartzell’s house, a brick house where my Great
Grandmother had lived before marriage.
We continued on, and when we reached the Shrub of Might, I of course ascended with no
problem. While waiting for Vanilla John to reach the top, I climbed up a narrow tree.
While Charlie was making his way up, Vanilla John started to shake the tree I was in! I fell
out, nearly landed on Charlie, and slid all the way to the bottom. We had a good laugh and
continued on.
Again like the previous hike, we walked through Manunka Chunk tunnel and through
Catherine’s Run out through Sarepta. I think I made everyone run across the sand pit in
Bridgeville this time.
Once again, it was warm enough to pass through the Oxford tunnel. I think this was Eric
Pace’s first time through the tunnel! At the south portal, Vanilla John showed Charlie
revealing pictures of his girlfriend on his cell phone.
By the time we reached Washington, we were all pretty tired. We took an extended break
sitting on the Jackson Valley Road bridge abutment before heading to Port Colden, where
once again we climbed on some rail cars.
Quite a good hike; I was told by Andrew Corely in the next few days that his brother was
sore for quite some time after this hike!
A train approaching the Washington rail yard
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