Hike #84; Washington to Portland

Hike #84

Hike 84

I'm tagging a bunch of people in this one who were at the party, so if you want to see the pics from it just scroll down and you'll see the link!

Group shot at the beginning, my house

3/21-3/22/3

 

For the annual Portland Hike, I decided to do something different for the weekend: Have

the annual party on Friday night, family over early and friends later, continue the party all

night, and hike the Portland Hike the next day, only backwards! Then Sunday, I would

lead a new hike for my birthday.

The party was great, tons of people were over and we had a blast as always. I was up just

about the entire night, it did’nt end until the hike was over! Ronald was fast asleep, and

Tea Biscuit and Peeps decided to write all over him with a sharpie “Will Get on my knees

for dollars”, “Jesus Loves You”, and “My GF” on his right hand, and “My other GF” on

his left!

In Port Colden, ready to start the hike

The group along the former Morris and Essex tracks in Port Colden, Rt 57 underpass

I woke everyone up, and we got ready. Eric Pace got dropped off to join the hike. Tea

Biscuit called his friend Vinnie to join. Conrad showed up soon as well. To my complete

surprise, Derek Baker soon pulled in the driveway. I was ecstatic!

I decided this time it would be funny to do the hike in Shop Rite uniforms, which I’d held

onto for years! I’d been meaning to do this for some time, and I felt I finally had a group

willing to do it. Actually, Derek and Conrad would’nt wear theirs, but everyone else had

one.

Former Morris and Essex line in Washington

Trains in the Washington rail yard

Peeps jumping a long stretch between two rail cars

A long abandoned farm overpass in northern Washington Township, Warren Railroad

Approaching the south side of Oxford Tunnel

The north end of Oxford Tunne

Former Warren Railroad in Oxford, recently paved as a multi use trail

Bridgeville area sand quarry on former Warren Railroad

Bridgeville area sand quarry

Passing through Manunka Chunk Tunnel

Former Warren Railroad near Ramseyburg

We left the house, walked up Port Colden Road, and descended to the railroad tracks at

the end of the street, then passed under Rt 57. We soon entered the Washington Rail yard,

and there were several rail cars parked, so we of course had to climb about on them. We

walked on top of the train, jumping from car to car on top. It’s easy making the jump

between grey tanker cars, but then it got tougher jumping from the tanker to the top of a

box car. The next one was tougher yet, jumping the distance from the box car to the round

tanker car. Not only was it a far jump, but the top of the tanker is round, and therefore

easy to lose footing. Still, Peeps, Tea Biscuit, and I made the jump.

We made our way up the old DL&W main line, passing the Warren Lumber Company,

and through the cut which was fortunitely dry enough to navigate. All went well on the

way to the Oxford Tunnel, where Conrad, Derek, Ronald, Peeps, and Eric decided to go

over the top. I don’t think Eric went with us, though he did pass through the tunnel once

in the past. That must have been on hike 40...

So anyway, Tea Biscuit, Vinnie, and I entered the tunnel, which was very easy to get

through for the first half. The second half of the tunnel was the normal watery, just above

knee deep depth.

At the north portal, there was a great deal of muddy water backed up, the most since Mr.

Shoe, Henry, and I passed through in 1998! We crossed the muddy mess through the

Oxford cut to Axford Avenue, where the rest of the right of way is fenced and

inaccessable for a little ways to Lower Denmark Road. This time, we decided to skirt the

side of the fence to a dead end street, then passed the municipal building down to Lower

Denmark Road. On the way, someone asked us “What are you guys up to?”, to which I

replied “We’re looking for the Shop Rite Orientation Meeting!”. The guy told us “well,

Shop Rites bout five miles that way” as he pointed back to Washington. I replied “Well

we’re looking for the one in..uh...Stroudsburg?”. The man said, well, that’s like thirty

miles that was as he pointed north. “C’mon guys, just thirty more miles!” and we were off!

The guy gave us a crazy look! I think I told others we were looking for the Shop Rite

orientation as well, but I don’t think the response was as strong. Soon, we rejoined

Conrad, Derek, and Ronald, and said goodbye to Peeps as he had to go to work later and

left his car at the Oxford Central school.

As we made our way down Lower Denmark Road, nothing more had been done with the

paved section of the right of way just north of town. I was still unsure of what was

happening here.

When we reached Rt 46 in Buttsville, Eric somehow broke his glasses right in the center

bridge, and could’nt see. He called his mom to come and help him, and the remaining six

of us continued on, soon crossing the sand pit, which was strewn with large rocks this

time. When we reached Rt 519, we were surprised to see that Eric was waiting for us; his

mom helped him fix his glasses, and brought him to the next road crossing!

We made our way north, and when we reached Manunka Chunk Tunnel, Conrad, Derek,

Eric, and Ronald decided to pass over the tunnel while Tea Biscuit, Vinnie and I passed

through. I thought for certain they would not get lost going from south to north, but I was

wrong! Somehow they continued along one of the fields rather than heading downhill. We

finally met up with them at the ATV path I had broke my ankle on in 1991! Eric was mad

because he did’nt get to see the Manunka Chnk Tunnel. He wanted to go back to see it,

but I kept him with us.

Derek trying his luck at the Shrub of Might

Former Warren Railroad in Delaware NJ

Former Lackawanna railroad in Portland PA

Crossing the foot bridge into Colombia NJ

After the hike, sitting at my house watching a movie, just like on hike #1

Next, we got to the Shrub of Might near Ramseyburg. As I recall, we all climbed up here.

Derek finally got the chance to show his abilities, after six years of not hiking. He did very

well with the ordeal, but my record time of about 17 seconds to the top was safe. I believe

Peeps has the second record of 19 seconds. He and I came to this point with the sole

intent of beating our records sometime in 2003.

As always, we stopped in at Smiddy’s for some food, and the Indian guys who bought it

seemed to have warmed up to us by this time, as they knew we passed through from time

to time. Previous times it was weird, they did’nt want us to use the bathroom and stuff.

We crossed the Delaware Trestle with no problems, and when we got to the Portland

Power Plant we stopped for a break upon the rails. After not long sitting, a cop pulled up

to ask what we were doing, and told us we could not sit in front of the power plant.

Terror threat I guess....whatever.

When we reached the footbridge in Portland, I called my mom to come and pick us up,

and we sat patiently on the NJ side of the bridge waiting. As we had in the past after a

long hike, we got together at my place and watched a movie. I’m not sure, but I think it

was Lethal Weapon 4. Conrad and Derek kept giving low key requests for brownies which

were fast and barely audible until I got the point. While we were watching, Ronald gazed

down at his arms and commented on all of the graffiti he was vandalized with. He finally

looked at his hands and asked “What’s my ‘GF’, and ‘my other GF’?”, to which someone

answered “My Girlffriend!”. Ronald was easy going enought to just laugh it off. As always

a fun day, with a terrific group.

Group shot at the beginning, my house