Hike #38; Portland to Washington

 Hike #38

At Manunka Chunk Tunnel

8/21/1

 

Tea Biscuit had been trying to coax the Squirt to come out on another hike for some

time, and told me he thought he should do the Portland hike and then maybe he’d be more

interested, and if he was’nt after that it would be a lost cause.

At the beginning, Portland PA

At the beginning, Portland PA

We once again had my grandmother drop us off in Portland and we bagan walking south.

The Squirt seemed at first much more interested than the previous trip. We even climbed

around in the Delaware Trestle.

On the Delaware Trestle

In the lower level of the Delaware Trestle on a pier

Climbing up to the deck of the Delaware Trestle

Railroad ties from the Warren Railroad still in place in Delaware NJ

In addition, we also went through the Manunka Chunk

Tunnel. When we reached the other side, the canopy of growth over Catherine’s run was

so thick we needed to crawl on our hands and knees in the water to navigate it. Also by

this time, the land in this area had become part of State Park land, and the right of way

from the tunnel to Bridgeville was to be part of Beaver Brook Wildlife Management Area,

great news! The fields that were cultivated the previous year had now overgrown with

weeds.

Former railroad crossing in Delaware NJ, old station site

Floor of Manunka Chunk Tunnel

Inside Manunka Chunk Tunnel

Making our way along the wet right of way of the Warren Railraod south of Manunka Chunk Tunnel

Just south of Manunka Chunk Tunnel

Overgrown fields of Beaver Brook Wildlife Management Area north of Sarepta

Corn field near the Bridgeville area sand quarry

When we reached the sand pit, it was getting too tough to walk along the giant sand piles,

so we followed a new ATV trail to the north of the railroad grade and along a corn field.

At the sand pit itself, the area that had recently been bulldozed flat was now growing over

with weeds, with a motorcycle path across, which we followed up along the right of way,

returning to it near Buttsville. By the time we reached the gas station where Walt’s Mini

Mart used to be, the Squirt was sick of walking, so he called his step dad, Steve to come

and pick him up.

Crossing the sand quarry area that had been leveled off, now covered in weeds.

Tea Biscuit and I waited for him to show, but we both wanted to finish

the hike. We made our way through Pequest Wildlife Management Area to where the

house used to be outside of Oxford, where we found our old friend and neighbor, Kevin

Denker, with one of his friends, who had told us he used to live in the old yellow house,

now in ruins. We hung out for a bit and Kevin’s friend caught a bee in mid air, and tried to

feed it to his dog. They then offered us a beer, which we accepted graciously. This was the

first time either of us had alchahol on a hike, but certainly not the last. I had resisted this in

the past, but was becoming more lenient. I’m also such a lightweight I feel the effects from

barely any alchahol. This happens even moreso when walking. Slighty buzzed, Tea Biscuit

started flicking bees around as we made our way back to Washington, passing through the

Oxford Tunnel once again on the way.

 

Passing through Oxford Tunnel

“I remember, fondly,drinking chocolate milk on the bridge at the start of the Portland

hike. Being fat and running up and down hills was not my idea of fun, but the experiences

like: the lush green forest, the ghosts of abandoned railroads and buildings, and the

errily cool Manunka Chunk tunnel made the experience one I will never forget. I ended

the hike early, not to mention regretably, at around mile 10 to play videogames--which is

why fatasses are fatasses. And now, recalling the experience, and remembering

teabiscuits detail of the remainder, I wish i had stayed.” -Luke

 

Yeah! You missed a free beer! Haha!