Hike #419; Seaside Heights/Mantoloking Loop

 Hike #419 6/7/9

6/7/9 Seaside Heights/Mantoloking Loop with Jack Lowry, Susan Dawson, "Commando Tom" Petrucci, Eric Pace, Jeannie Amon, "DJ Ray" Cordts, Kyle Zalinsky, Amanda Rosanblatt, "Amish Paul" and Wyatt Hassler, Christina Manley, and "Major Tom" Conroy.

Seaside Heights, heading north on the boardwalk

This was my first hike after Jillane left for Utah.

I didn't know how I was going to handle the Summer, and Jillane was putting up all sorts of stuff on the internet saying how she was happy now, she'd found paradise, etc, and it was killing me thinking she would never want to come back.

I didn't want to be myself at all, and so I went to my mom's hair studio and had her bleach my hair. I then called up some of my friends to get together that night. A few of us got together at a bar in Newton, and with Kyle and DJ Ray right there we made a vow to make this the best possible Summer we could. With that attitude, I forced myself into fun situations, and then the rest came naturally. I started going out constantly and got to know the person I was before I'd started the relationship with Cathy or even Jillane. My friends and I were the most fun people anywhere to spend time with, and it was apparent with the amount of fun we were having. Kyle and I hung out constantly and there was never a dull moment. This hike was the beginning of that acceleration toward the intense summer to come.

The group in Seaside Heights

  For my next hike, I would lead my group on the next section southbound in my ongoing Jersey Shore series. This time, we'd start in Seaside Heights NJ and hike north to where we'd left off in South Mantoloking, then turn around and come back. Unlike past shore hikes, this time we'd start walking the inland stuff including the interior bay rather than the beach, then return via the beach. It was hard to get up, as I'd had a party just the night before (0a-5), but things worked out. We parked at a free lot on the inland side of the bridge to Tom's River. Joining me this time would be Kyle Zalinsky, Amanda Rosanblatt, "DJ Ray" Cordts, Christina Manley, Jack Lowry, Susan Dawson, Jeannie Amon, "Major Tom" Conroy, "Commando Tom" Petrucci, "Amish Paul" and Wyatt Hassler, and Eric Pace. We walked a short distance, about four blocks, to the boardwalk in Seaside Heights, and I went immediately, as per Steve Rogers of Driving Jersey's recommendation, into Lucky Leo's casino to see if I could meet some of the subjects of his documentary, but I did'nt recognize any of them. Jack and Susan parked a bit further away, so we waited for them to show up at a famous cheese steak place(Commando Tom would'nt meet up with us till a bit later), then we walked the boardwalk north (6,7). I think we had plenty of alchahol going straight from the beginning. I was drinking this odd old wine that Jaybird Straus from my work had given me, taken from a defunct winery. The bottles dated between 1988 and 1990! We continued north (9) along the boardwalk until it ended, then headed inland toward the streets, first passing through a parking lot where we picked up a shopping cart. We pushed the cart with our backpacks in it, taking turns riding in the thing, and stopping by junk piles alongside the road looking for knick knacks (10-20).

We continued on pushing the cart for a long time until we got close to the Barnegat Bay and passed into a piece of parkland with sand where we could'nt push it any more (21-24). On the beach, DJ Ray and I were the only ones crazy enough to go for a swim (25-29). The beach was still pretty, and there were quite a few docks we decided to wander onto (30-35). Jack and Susan serenaded us with their Martin Backpacker guitars the entire way.

Serenading us as always

 When we reached an apartment complex area, we had to turn inland (36) to the nearest road. We stayed close to the intercoastal waterway, picking up more yard sale junk along the way (37).

Goofing off with yard sale junk

Soon, we came to a yard sale that was still going on, and a guy there seemed really interested in the guitars. Susan held the guy hers, and Jack immediately began playing. The yard sale guy started answering his chords, and next thing you know they were both jamming away! It was incredible (38,39).

Duelin guitars

 We continued on from here, and soon came to yet another yard sale! The people were very nice and interested in what we were doing. We all bought some kind of junk, but I don't remember what I got. I know that Eric bought us all party hats for a quarter, which we wore for some time, including for pictures with the owners (40). Strangely, Jack talked to the owner about someone from his home town whom he constantly recieved wrong number calls from...crazy.

Some of the yard sale people wanted their pictures taken with us

 We moved on following as closely as possible the interior bay (41-44) and stopped along the way at a Quick Check (45-48). As we headed on north from here we were joined by Commando Tom who ran the entire distance we'd already run! Quite impressive!

Kyle

On the short boardwalk access in Mantoloking

We continued to follow the interior bay (49-51) until I recognized the street names of where we'd left off last time, and saw the beach access where we came inland, so we followed it out to the ocean (52). I wrote my girlfriend Jillanes and my initials in the sand yet again (53) and we all went for a nice swim. DJ Ray was trying to make dirty images in the sand (54). Amish Paul joined and left a few times, as he'd brought his bike (55). I swam out the furthest this time, and had some trouble getting in, so did'nt go in again as deep. After having a good swim we all began heading south (56-58).

On the beach, South Mantoloking

Christina went to use a restroom, DJ Ray went to find her, Amish Paul left on his bike, and Eric went to walk the boardwalk, so the rest of us continued on, passing under a weird dock heading back toward Seaside Heights (59-62). Once we regrouped back at Seaside Heights (63), we stopped for some cheese steaks, and Major Tom treated me to one. I also had to go back into Lucky Leo's to look for the Driving Jersey subjects, to no avail (64). Next, we headed south on the boardwalk to meet up with DJ Ray and Kyle who were going on some swinging ride thing (65-70).

Seaside Heights swing ride

Once we were through that we stopped for dinner at a small pizza place called 3 Brothers. Amazingly, there were a ton of 3 Bros Pizzas (71-72)! Amish Paul showed up with a funnel cake and let me eat some, but Wyatt got in the way and we made a big mess with powdered sugar and all, pulling and such, and so we had powdered sugar everywhere (73). On the way back to the cars, Kyle and Wyatt were running through the streets causing a ruckus and so police stopped after noticing Wyatt. Amish Paul apologized citing his son was only sixteen. It was rather funny. I thought at one point Kyle was going to run right in front of a white mini van! Fortunitely we had no real problems, and the hike finished wonderfully.