24 September 2015 Dynamite Shacks and Trout

We were back on the CCC GeoTrail. Our first caching adventure included a visit to the site of Camp S125 including a visit to a rare remaining CCC building which was a dynamite shack when the camp was operational.

The dynamite shack...

The remains of the rec hall...

Our journey continued to CCC Camp S66 and included a stop at a stream where they built structures to improve the fish habitat.

It seems they were successful.

Finding the cache required crossing a dam. It was a fun adventure.

Fading date inscribed when the dam was built 80 years ago.

At a visit to CCC Camp S114 we were treated to our second dynamite shack of the day. This one was of much different construction. While it was made of sterner stuff than the first, I'm not too sure they would have done much in an explosion besides becoming shrapnel.

Serious hinges

Both shacks were deep in the woods and unlikely to do much human damage had the dynamite blown.

We finished our day with a hike at RB Winter State Park. We've passed by the park before, but never stopped. Today's visit makes me hope for an opportunity to return again.

23 September 2015 Wellsboro to Williamsport

Each Wellsboro visit includes a visit or two to the historical Wellsboro Diner for breakfasts.

While we were eating breakfast, I looked out and spotted the enclosed scooter. I've not seen an enclosed one before. I hope it's air coditioned.

Wellsboro is a beautiful town filled with happy memories. After breakfast we took a walk around before leaving.

We made a last stop at Peggy's to stock up with peachy penquins for the trail.

We cached our way to Williamsport with the best caches hidden in Loyalsock State Forest in an area now called McIntyre Wild Area. McIntyre was a company mining town formed in the 1800's. The town once included over 300 homes. By 1886, the mine was closed and equipment sold. Time has erased much of the evidence that 1500 people lived and worked here. A cacher placed a series of caches in the area with bits of local history included on the cache pages.

The cache at McIntrye Pond was a dnf for us, but the quiet location was a favorite.

Many of the grave markers in McIntyre Cemetery are fading and unreadable. The cemetery is slowly sliding back into the woods.

We ended our day in Williamsport with dinner at an unremarkable Thai restaurant and a stop at the Little League sculptures.

22 September 2015 Return to Cowenesque Lake

We looked forward to a return to Cowenesque Lake. The area offers a mix of nice trails, puzzle caches, multis, and a few night caches. It was a perfect fall day to be out caching.

After dinner in Wellsboro, we stopped to relax in the town park by the Wynken Blynken and Nod statue.

21 September 2015 Pine Creek Gorge

Many of these journeys for us begin at Darling Run Station. Every visit to Pine Creek Gorge, Turkey Run, and Leonard Harrison State Park is much anticipated and special. I was happy we could once again visit.

20 September 2015 Traveling to Wellsboro

Each trip to Wellsboro is exciting. Wellsboro is our stopping point for visits to Pine Creek Gorge. Today's journey started at Lyman State Park. We are slowly filling a Pennsylvania State Park stamp album. We've visited Lyman multiple times. Today, the park was quiet with the beach deserted and only a few boats out enjoying the day.

We also made our way to a few more CCC caches on our journey, including a visit to an old CCC camp with a trail through the old camp.

The trail had numerous information signs regarding the camp and life at the camp. This camp had a documented history of the ways the camp members spent time off on recreation including boxing, ice hockey, and tennis. The old camp site still contains the remains of the poles that supported the nets for tennis.

We also saw the Dyer house while on our journey. While nearly all buildings from the CCC time are gone, the Dyer farmhouse is different. It pre-dated the CCC and became a part of the camp. It served as the camp office during the time of the camp and reverted to a private residence when the CCC camp was closed. Today, there is an addition to the back and clearly some modern updates, but the front of the house is very easily recognizable as the building in the picture on the historical sign.

The safe used during CCC camp time for the payroll of camp members still stands in the woods near the house. Even without it's door, it looks quite imposing.

It was a quiet, peaceful day in the woods.