Hike #99; Portland to Washington

 Hike #99

Delaware NJ, former rail yard

Hike 99

 

7/16/3

 

For this, a weekday hike, Gianni DeRosa and Amit Bhujwani, who I also met at Wally

Mart, both decided to join in on the Portland Hike. I already knew Gianni would be more

than capeable of doing the hike, and Amit was training to join the National Guard, and

was jogging quite a lot. In fact, a big group of us often jogged at Wal Mart during our

evening breaks, and Gianni and Amit always did exceptionally well.

Delaware Trestle

Along the old Warren Railroad

I don’t remember if we were dropped off or we left a car in Colombia, but we had a great

hike, following the same route as always. Amit and Gianni were very enthusiastic the

entire way, though it took them almost a half hour to ascend to the Shrub of Might!

After passing through Manunka Chunk Tunnel, I led them along the right of way closely

through the water and weeds, and we crawled on our hands and knees throught the water

of Catherine’s Run, under a canopy of trees.

Trying out the Shrub of Might

Inside Manunka Chunk Tunnel

Old Warren Railroad near Sarepta

When we reached Oxford, the DL&W grade, and the farm road were officially developed

as paved multi use trails from Pequest Road to Lower Denmark Road! There were

benches and trash cans, as well as bike racks! There were some people putting in steel

rods to inhibit motor vehicle traffic from the road.

Bushwhacking along former Warren Railroad

Muliti use trail section in Oxford

Oxford Tunnel

When we reached Oxford, I picked us up some beers (Gianni and Amit had Smirnoff, I

had Molson Ice) to have while walking through the tunnel. We were quickly inebriated as

we had tall containers, and laughing histerically, leaning on each other so we would’nt fall

over in the silt of the tunnel.

We made very good time back to Washington. Gianni and Amit were worried that they

would’nt be able to drive after having beer, but they were fine by the time we reached

Washington.

Former Warren Railroad in Washington

The next night of work at Wal Mart, Gianni and Amit told Rich Nielson, when asked how

the Portland hike compared up to the Lower Water Gap one, Gianni said “Much Better!”.

We certainly had a good time.

Washington Rail Yard

Pics...all of them from this hike!

http://s132.photobucket.com/albums/q13/sneezehorse/hike099/

Feel free to snatch them for facebook use if you'd like!

Here's descriptions of what you see...