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Journals on Helbing Hikes 1-6 !!!
Helbing Hike #2
Portland-Washinton
Taking place in June of 1997, I was joined by Andy "Buck" Brosonski, along with both Conrad Blease and Eric Schneider from the first hike.
This time we spent extra time climbing around on things such as train cars and cliffs. It was on this hike that Conrad began the tradition of scaling the shale cliff to the "Bush of Might". The bush of might is a small Mountain Laurel about 30 feet above the railbed. Shale is such a soft mineral that while running up the cliffs they literally collapse from beneath the feet.
At the Manunka Chunk tunnel Conrad and Eric decided to walk over the mountain rather than through it. Andy and I went through with no problem. Conrad and Eric somehow managed to get lost in the cornfields on the mountaintop. Andy passed out from lack of the water that was being carried by Eric. We met up again about a mile from the south portal of the tunnel after fighting through a thicket of brush. Andy recovered nicely.
In Oxford, Conrad again opted to run over the tunnel
