6/20-6/21/8 Del Water Gap/Dunnfield-Washington with DJ Ray Cordts, Christina Manley, Chris Herbig, Jack Lowry, Susan Dawson, Dave "Captain Soup" Campbell, Amit Bhojwani, Nick Raia, Jennifer Marr, with Cathy Fisher, Jim "Mr. Buckett" Mathews, "Action Adam" Stevens, "Major Tom" Conroy, and Jim Delotto.
Group shot on Mt Tammany
Here's a link to all of the photos from this hike...check the sub folder for Herbig's pictures!
http://s278.photobucket.com/albums/kk97/sneezehorse2/hike350%206-20%20and%206-21-8/
I unfortunitely lost the original journal entry to this one to the fire also.
View toward Arrow Island in the Water Gap
View toward Arrow Island
View on the way up in Del Water Gap
Mt Tammany
View from Mt Tammany
View from Mt Tammany
View from Mt. Tammany
View on the way up Mt. Tammany
View toward Arrow Island
Along Mt. Tammany Trail, Worthington SF
View on the way up Mt. Tamany
On the way up Mt Tammany
Atop Mt. Tammany
View from the top of Tammany
Overlook on Mt. Tammany
Overlook on Mt Tammany
Atop the Indian Head
View from Mt. Tammany
View from Mt. Tammany
View from Mt. Tammany
View from Mt. Tammany
View into Paulins Kill Valley from Mt. Tammany
View on Mt. Tammany
View on Mt. Tammany
Yellow Trail heading down Mt Tammany
yellow trail heading down Mt Tammany
Yellow Trail heading down Mt. Tammany
Long abandoned yellow trail down Mt. Tammany
View of Mt. Minsi from a meadow below Mt Tammany
Stone ruins at the base of Mt. Tammany near Rt 80
Atop the stone wall built in party by my grandfather running through Delaware Water Gap along Rt 80
Delaware Water Gap view from Delaware Viaduct
View downstream from the Delaware Viaduct
Former Lackawanna Railroad near Slateford Junction
Portland PA
The tracks south of Portland
Just south of Portland PA
My tent at Peachy Keen DJ Ray Camporee Spectacular
Action Adam at the pool, Delaware River Family Camp Ground
Beside the pool
Beside the pool
Camp fire, Delaware River Family Camp Ground
Fireside
At the pool, Delaware River Family Camp Ground
By the fire
This was an important hike in that it ultimately spelled out an end to my association with Appalachian Mountain Club. It was also a real scare, but it worked out fine.
The plan was to hike to Washington from Delaware Water Gap, camping out along the way, a camporee plan arranged by DJ Ray.
We started at the Water Gap and ascended Mt Tammany's Red Dot Trail. We were having a great time, and Jack was playing the Styx song "Come Sail Away" perfectly on his Martin Backpacker guitar while ascending the steep slopes. We rested at the main view point on top, then followed the Blue Dot Trail to Tammany Fire Road. Once on Tammany Fire Road, we looked for the long abandoned Yellow Dot Trail. It last appeared on the maps by the NY NJ Trail Conference in 1988. Someone had come by and repainted some blazes along the route so it made it a bit easier to find. I'd found only portions of it on my previous attempt.
We followed the trail down hill, which wasn't really steep, but this is where the drama started.
Jenn was walking and slipped a bit where a steep drop off was to the right of us. She went right over the side, I only saw the end of the fall and the loud noise. Nick jumped right down after her on his butt and cutting his hands and wrists as he went down to save her. I told him later if anyone ever asked if he'd jump off a cliff if she did it, he could say "I did". We were all scared to death at first. DJ Ray was worrying himself to tears and he called 911 immediately. Jack and I ran as quickly as we could to Jenn and she was stunned, but seemed ok. She had some bad cuts on her legs and probably a concussion. Amit, being an EMT, was right behind us and watched her condition. I spoke to the 911 people quite a bit, but then put him on so he could communicate with proper terminology. To my surprise, they asked us to hiker her back to the top. We held onto her and got her up there. I then recommended on the phone to rescuers that they use a Kawasaki Mule to get her out via blue dot trail. I knew the park had one because my friend Rich Pace was volunteering around the time on the Backpacker site and they used it then. Still, they insisted on the helicopter and took her out using a new winch system they wanted to test out, despite Jenn's insistance not to. Rick took a giant chug of a bottle of wine he had with him saying "I really need this now" and I immediately warned him not to, reminding him authorities would be on the way. He thanked me for reminding him and dumped the rest. Nick and Amit went down the mountain with an the ridge runner and I moved the rest of the group along down the Yellow Dot Trail to avoid any extra drama, plus half the group was at the bottom of the steep part anyway. We could hear the chopper overhead as we descended.
The trail was recognizeable enough to follow, and it took us out by what was once Camp Weygadt along Rt 80. We went out the fence by an abandoned stone shell of a building. There was an abandoned service road inside the fence of Camp Weygadt we used for a while. "Action Adam" Stevens was on his way to join us, but instead I asked him to pick up DJ Ray to bring him to the camp ground to get things ready. The rest of use hiked on. We were soon along Rt 80, on top of a giant stone wall put in during it's construction (and consequently built in part by my grandfather). Trucks were rushing by us very class. Jack was even video taping the craziness. We eventually got to the frontage road along 80, the only unnumbered exit on it's entire route across the state, and walked that to the Delaware Viaduct. We crossed on the old Lackawanna Cutoff to the former main line and followed that south through Portland. When we got to the Delaware Trestle back into NJ there were some kids there swimming and one jumped off. When I'd seen where he landed (and he was apprehensive when he did it), I figured I could do it too. I'd always thought about it, and it was time to try.
I jumped off, and it felt like I was falling forever. After hitting the water it seemed like I just kept going down. I was happy when I came up fine, but when I jumped I was pretty indifferent about everything. I knew I was going to have problems as a result of the accident earlier in the day, and in other parts of life I was finding too much stress with my relationship. I'm glad now that I stuck it out though. In the few months to follow my jump, there were many serious injuries and one death from jumping from the same spot.
We hiked on south to the camp ground where we met with Cathy, Mr. Buckett, Major Tom, and Action Adam. We set up out tents and then hung out, swimming in the pool at the site, and hanging by the camp fire.
Lounging by the camp fire
Morning at the camp site
Morning at the camp site. Breakfast of Kahlua mud slides
Morning at the camp site
Morning at the camp site
Smiddy's in Delaware
Abandoned former home of my great grandmother
Abandoned former home of my great grandmother
Abandoned former home of my great grandmother
Abandoned former home of my great grandmother
Abandoned former home of my great grandmother in Delaware NJ
Abandoned former home of my great grandmother
Abandoned former home of my great grandmother. It was torn down in 2010.
Damn tent caterpillars
Shrub of Might
Shrub of Might
Shrub of Might
Shrub of Might
Shrub of Might
Shrub of Might
Shrub of Might
Shrub of Might
The next morning Action Adam and I started the day with some Kahlua mudslides as I recall, and we packed up all of our stuff. Major Tom and Mr. Buckett left in the night, and Captain Soup, Jack and Susie headed out in the morning as I recall. Cathy stayed till we were ready to hike and left. DJ Ray, Christina, Herbig, and I were the only ones to continue the next day. We stopped by Smiddy's across the street and headed on. We checked out the brick house that was once the home of my Great Grandmother (and reportedly at one time a church) before heading on. There was a man by the name of Hartzell who lived there for a while. I'd met him on a bike ride I took one day. The house was a mess, and in the short period of time since Mr. Hartzell died, which could'nt have been that long before, the entire base floor had collapsed into the basement. I was hoping to get in and look around, but it wasn't feasable. I did get a few shots of it before we moved on. I knew the building would be torn down soon.
We continued along the rail bed to Manunka Chunk and through the tunnel I think, then on to Sarepta. I think it was here we were joined by our buddy Jim Delotto. We then headed south.
The group on Warren Railroad near Sarepta
Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Manunka Chunk Tunnel
Fields in Beaver Brook Wildlife Management Area
Warren Railroad bed near Sarepta
Former Bridgeville Station
Creamery site in Bridgeville
Creamery site in Bridgeville
Abandoned building in Bridgeville
Abandoned building in Bridgeville
Old farm equipment in Bridgeville
The right of way remained clear all the way to Bridgeville where we crossed Rt 519 heading for the sand quarry. An old shed along 519 was left open so we looked around inside. There was a huge set of 1960s National Geographic magazines in there, but I never went back to get them. We continued across the sand pit on the way to Buttsville.
Along Warren RR bed near Bridgeville
Farm equipment
Old farm equipment in Bridgeville by the sand quarry
Old farm equipment in Bridgeville by the sand quarry
Old Warren Railroad right of way in Bridgeville
Old Warren Railroad bed in Bridgeville
Taking a lunch break at Hot Dog Johnny's
Lunch break at Hot Dog Johnny's
Hot Dog Johnny's
Along the old Warren Railroad bed in Buttsville
Old Warren Railroad in Buttsville
Tailings pits at former Pequest Furnace
Rail trail in Oxford; this is where the current bike path resumes on the old railroad bed just south of Pequest Road
On the old Warren Railroad, now a trail in Oxford
Warren rail trail in Oxford
Swinging on the rail trail in Oxford
Swinging on the rail trail in Oxford
Swinging on the rail trail in Oxford
Swinging on the rail trail in Oxford
Swinging on the rail trail in Oxford
Swinging on the rail trail in Oxford
Swinging on the rail trail in Oxford
Swinging on the rail trail in Oxford
Swinging on the rail trail in Oxford
On Axford Avenue in Oxford, where the old Warren Railroad used to cross. During a hike here in 1997, @[100001984006469:2048:Andrew Brosonski] peeled some of the Bob Dole campaign sticker off of the sign that partially blocked the words. As of 2012, it still looks like this!
Old Warren Railroad bed south of Axford Avenue, Oxford
Ruins along the Warren Railroad near Oxford Tunnel
Oxford Tunnel
Along the Warren RR bed in Washington Township
I think we stopped by Hot Dog Johnny's but I don't remember. Maybe we just kept going.
Everything went smoothly heading south. As we entered oxford we swung around on some vines for a bit. After Oxford we went through the tunnel, then headed to Washington to finish the hike. I felt good by the end, but I knew I'd be facing a lot of stress over the next few months.
I went to visit Nick and Jenn the next day. Jenn was doing really well. She'd had a concussion and a few stitches in her legs, but she was right back to work. She did'nt get charged for the helicopter ride fortunitely.
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