I believe it's where the actual gas pipeline runs through the area. This doesn't seem to just be a residential supply line, but part of an international infrastructure that delivers "mined" gas from the gas fields to the hub. If that's the case, I would expect this to be very large in diameter (several feet), above ground (likely on some sort of supports), clear-cut for many meters on either side, and - I imagine - relatively cleared by now of any debris left by the hurricane due to safety concerns and efforts to prevent damage or leaks.
It could be exactly the kind of path two lost youngsters would follow to avoid tough going in the wrecked forest. I wonder where these "cabins" that DM mentioned are relative to the pipeline's path.