Day 2: Old New Castle to Wilmingrton, DE

 

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

 The Delaware winter eased off a bit, so we took advantage of the brief warm spell to walk our second section, from Old New Castle to Alapocas State Park, just the other side of Wilmington.  We know this section quite well, having hiked and biked it many times, but this is the first time we've done the entire section in one go, on foot.  The miles ticked off quickly and uneventfully, and we were done before we knew it.  With no stories to tell, I'll  have to settle for a dry review of the sights one can see along the way, post a few pics, and call it a day.

Most of the path from New Castle to Wilmington is on the Jack A. Markell Trail ("The JAM", as it's locally known), which is a nice, paved recreational greenway that passes by such notable attractions as the Delaware Women's Correctional Facility, the Delaware Potter's Graveyard, the WM Delaware Recyclable Products, Inc. Landfill, and the Russell Peterson Wildlife Refuge on the Christina River.  As an added bonus,  you get to go through these cool tunnels under I-295 and I-495.  I am not making jokes here - all these things are interesting, and the trail is one of our favorite things to do.  The potter's graveyard, I want to add, is a very touching experience if you stop to reflect for a few minutes.

You enter Wilmington on the Christina River waterfront, which gives you picturesque views of the city, and then pass through downtown on Market Street.  Here you'll find varied and interesting architecture, historical markers, and the all-important restaurant and bar scene.  We opted for sushi and pizza and pastries.  Hey, I mean, when you can't decide... go for it.  "We'll walk it off," is our motto under these trying circumstances.

 On the other side of Wilmington, you head up the Brandywine River into Alapocas State Park, where you find yourself leaving the coastal plain and climbing up onto the Appalachian Piedmont.  This is the home of Wilmington's famous "Blue Rocks", which is a local gneiss that has a striking blue color when seen on a fresh surface.  However, what you'll be seeing as you walk past is weathered rock, which is dark gray, but has a bluish tint if you squint your eyes just right and convince yourself, or do some photo manipulation.  That said, the rocks in Alapocas form some impressive and rather surprising outcrops that are popular with local climbers, and prop up a muscular ridge that you have to climb to get out of the Brandywine valley. The East Coast Greenway has a flag on their map in this section - intended for bicyclists - that says "Caution: Steep Grades".  This is the highest point on the entire route from Delaware to New York City, topping out at somewhere around 300 feet in elevation (no snickering!).  It's all downhill from here.

Today's Mileage:  11.8

Cumulative Mileage:  22.0

Bird of the Day: A super friendly downy woodpecker who hung out with us, mere feet away, as we took a break on the climb out of the Brandywine.

 

 

 

Potter's Field with Women's Prison in BG.