Hike #210 3/26/6
Group shot in Delaware
3/26/6
Once again, it was time for the annual Portland hike. It had now been nine years since thefirst hike in 1997! Joining me this time around were Fred Hafale, Jim “Mr. Buckett”Mathews, Ron Phelps, and Gary “Mr. Shoe” Kinney for the first time in many years!
Colombia NJ side of the foot bridge
Mt. Minsi from the foot bridge
On the Portland Colombia Foot bridge
Delaware Water Gap from the foot bridge.
Portland PA station
Along the tracks in Portland PA
Delaware trestle
On the Delaware trestle
Delaware trestle
Delaware trestle
View up stream from the Delaware Trestle
Delaware trestle
Delaware trestle
Delaware trestle, NJ side
Crossing Rt 46 by the Delaware trestle
Former Warren Railroad bed in Delaware NJ
Former Warren Railroad yard, Delaware NJ
Old bridge abutment, Delaware NJ
Shrub of Might 2006
Shrub of Might 2006
Along the rail bed near Ramseyburg
Washout along the former Warren Railroad at Manunka Chunk.
Washout of former Bel Del Junction, Manunka Chunk
Washout of former Bel Del Junction, Manunka Chunk
Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Fields on Manunka Chunk Mountain
Tunnel
Inside Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Inside Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Inside Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Inside Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Inside Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Inside Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Inside Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Inside Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Near Manunka Chunk Tunnel
South of Manunka Chunk Tunnel
South of Manunka Chunk Tunnel
South of Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Along the rail bed and Catherine's run near Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Walking in Catherine's Run south of Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Old Catherine's run bridge site near Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Overgrown former Warren Railroad bed north of Sarepta
Bridgeville NJ sand quarry
Bridgeville sand quarry
Jenny Jump Mountain from the sand quarry
Crossing the sand quarry
Lunch along the Pequest behind Hot Dog Johnny's
LHR rail bed and bridge from the Pequest Viaduct
Old LHR bridge as seen from Pequest Viaduct
On top of the Pequest Viaduct
Pequest Cut
Mr. Shoe in the Pequest Cut
Oxford station site
Welcome to Oxford
Oxford Tunnel
Oxford Tunnel
Warren Railroad bed, Washington Twp.
Jackson Valley Road bridge site
Garyhad lost a great deal of weight with a new diet and regular jogging. He actually lookedyounger this time around than he did on his first time on this hike in early 1998! The forecast for bad weather surely scared off a lot of people, but it ended up being great. We met at Port Colden Mall, except for Mr. Shoe who met us in Portland, as he lived innearby Mt. Bethel. Fred, Mr. Buckett, Ron, and I crossed the footbridge, and stopped in at Port Mart. Wethen hung out at the old station waiting for Mr. Shoe to show up. I believe Mr. Shoe waswearing the same shirt, if not a similar one to what he wore on his first hike! We continued south on the tracks, which seemed to have been cleared a bit from ourprevious visit in September. When we crossed the Delaware Trestle, the NJ side wascompletely cleared off! . We continued south through Delaware, passing through the Sanico place, and I wasunhappy to see my favorite little pavilian to rest in had been removed! We continued overthe abandoned bridge site and headed south. We made our usual stop at Smiddy’s. I got abottle of wine to celebrate, and Mr. Buckett got a beer or two. We walked along Rt 46 briefly before ascending to the private cell tower property and theShrub of Might. Mr. Shoe, Mr. Buckett, and Ron all scaled the hillside with ease. Ron inparticular took it to the next level by continueing up the hill to a rock high above! We continued south, through Ramseyburg, onward to Manunka Chunk Tunnel. Therewas a major washout just before reaching the tunnel, which had been getting worse everyvisit. Fred headed over the mountain, while the remaining three of us decided to trysomething new: walk through the eastern tunnel portal, which we had not gone in furtherthan the second cave-in! We made our way over the first cave in as always, then walked over the railroad tieswhere a rail was still in place. To my surprise, after the second cave in, both rails were stillin place! We were able to stay dry at first, but the silt between the ties was about kneedeep! I slipped into it a couple times. I tried to help Mr. Shoe over it as best I could. Ronmade it through easily, getting out before the rest of us. Mr. Shoe was not happy aboutgetting his feet soaked, but he managed alright. I began drinking my wine at this point,totally happy about having made it through the collapsed tunnel. Mr. Buckett also got outhis big can of Heineken. We continued south along the right of way closely. It was clear enough now that we wereable to follow it more closely than in the past. When we reached the Catherine’s Runbridge site, I slipped and fell in the mud, messing up my pink sports jacket. Still, I laughedit off and felt great. Just after crossing Upper Sarepta Road, the right of way was terrible, with fallen branchesover the way. We fought through to Sarepta Road and continued without problems toBridgeville and beyond to the sand pit. There was once again a big dug up section of thesand pit, but we were able to cross it much easier than we had on past visits. Just beyond, we climbed down to Hot Dog Johnny’s for lunch along the Pequest. Wethen made our way back to the right of way south. The section through Pequest WMAwas nice as always, and Mr. Shoe was happy to go through his favorites spot, the PequestCut. When we reached Oxford, we stopped in the liquor store where I got a little bottle ofwine, and Ron got two bottles of beer, one was an interesting Polish beer I’d never heardof. We walked Rt 31 rather than trying the tunnel again, out to the ATV trail back to theright of way. Mr. Shoe decided to cut out at Academy Street where his parents livedrather than go on, even though he was feeling good at this point. After reaching the right of way, we backtracked to have a look at the tunnel, then headedout toward Washington. Ron really enjoyed his Polish beer and let me have a taste. It wasdefinitely different than any I’d had before, and was quite good. We continued on into Washington. It was getting dark before we reached the Port ColdenMall, especially when we were in the section in Washington Borough. Still, we got backwith no problem.
Just south of Oxford Tunnel
Photos by Mike Helbing and Fred Hafale (FH): Here's a link to all of them from this hike followed by descriptions:
http://s132.photobucket.com/albums/q13/sneezehorse/hike210%203-26-6/
1.) The New Jersey side of the Colombia-Portland footbridge (FH)
2.) View of the Mt Minsi of the Del Water Gap from the footbridge (FH)
3.) Ron, Mr. Buckett, and I on the footbridge (FH)
4.) View of the water gap from the footbridge (FH)
5.) Fred and Mr. Buckett in front of the Portland Railroad Station waiting for Mr. Shoe
6.) Me, Ron, Mr. Shoe, and Mr. Buckett on the DL&W tracks walking south from Portland (FH)
7.) Delaware Trestle (FH)
8.) Me flexing on Delaware Trestle (FH)
9.) Mr Buckett on the trestle (FH)
10.) Ron on the trestle (FH)
11.) View upstream on the Delaware River from the trestle (FH)
12.) NJ side of the Delaware Trestle (FH)
13.) Crossing the trestle (FH)
14.) Mr Buckett and Fred on the NJ side
15.) Making our way up at the site of the bridge that once spanned Rt 46 in Delaware
16.) On the right of way near the site of the Rt 46 overpass (FH)
17.) In the old Delaware rail yard site; the former NYS&W tracks were to the left
18.) Ron, Mr. Shoe, Mr. Buckett, and Fred on the bridge abutment in Delaware
19.) Ascending to the shrub of might; I of course won! (FH)
20.) Me climbing to the shrub of might (FH)
21.) Rocks above the right of way at Ramseyburg (FH)
22.) This was a new washout as we approached the Manunka Chunk Tunnels
23.) Former Bel Del Railroad ties teetering on the edge of a washout at Manunka Chunk
24.) Ron and Mr. Buckett investigating the washout site
25.) Manunka Chunk Tunnels; north portals (FH)
26.) View inside the east tunnel (FH)
27.) Fred took this of the fields atop Manunka Chunk Mountain while he crossed over (FH)
28.) Inside the eastern tunnel at Manunka Chunk investigating the cave in
29.) Ron making his way along the tracks in Manunka Chunk Tunnel
30.) Buckett and Shoe inside the tunnel
31.) View inside Manunka Chunk Tunnel with the rails still in place!
32.) Another view navigating Manunka Chunk Tunnel
33.) More of Manunka Chunk Tunnel inside
34.) South portal of the Manunka Chunk Tunnel (FH)
35.) Here we are coming out of the tunnel (FH)
36.) Hangin' out at the south portal (FH)
37.) Making our way through the mud at the south portal (FH)
38.) Me with some wine near the south portal (FH)
39.) Looking south along the right of way near the tunnel
40.) Navigating the mud (FH)
41.) Shoe, Buckett, Ron, and I near the south portal of the tunnel (FH)
42.) On the right of way, as I walk through Catherine's Run (FH)
43.) I'm still in the creek (FH)
44.) Site of former bridge over Catherine's Run south of Manunka Chunk (FH)
45.) At the former Catherine's Run bridge site (FH)
46.) Mr Shoe and Mr Buckett nearing the Bridgeville Sand Pit on the right of way
47.) Crossing the sand pit (FH)
48.) Jenny Jump Mountain view from the sand pit
49.) Making our way across the sand pit
50.) Lunch stop behind Hot Dog Johnny's along the Pequest River
51.) View of the Pequest River and the former L&HR Railroad from the Pequest Viaduct (FH)
52.) Another view of the LHR line and the Pequest (FH)
53.) Looking at the view from Pequest Viaduct (FH)
54.) The Pequest Cut near Pequest Furnace site (FH)
55.) Mr Shoe In Pequest Cut
56.) At the foundation of Oxford RR Station on Lower Denmark Road, the former rail bed (FH)
57.) "Welcome to Oxford" sign on the 1856 right of way to the DL&W (FH)
58.) South portal of the Oxford (Van Nest Gap) Tunnel (FH)
59.) Ron at the south portal of the tunnel (FH)
60.) Ron took this of Mr. Buckett Fred and I near the south portal of the tunnel.
61.) Along the right of way south of the tunnel, as Ron drinks his strange Polish beer...
62.) Ron and I at the former Jackson Valley Road bridge site (FH)
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