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06/16/2008: "Pennsylvania Vacation, Day Three, June 1, 2008"

I made the mistake of not wearing sweats and a sweatshirt while I slept. I was warm under my blanket and in my tent, but any slight move that exposed me to the 40-ish temperature brought out mild annoyance. I was comfy, but trapped until I could not help but get up.

Well, coffee and breakfast helped me out. It prepared me for some fishing down at the waterfall rapids about half a mile down the road from the camp.

Any stream is just a stream without slate and rock rapids and waterfalls. The area down the road is a gorgeous, bubbly, and noisy (from rushing water) place for relaxation and fishing. Plus, it is ideal for photography!

Dylan showed some daring in choosing his fishing spots. Take a look at how he inches out on the dead log to get the spot he wants. At some point during the morning, he jumped across the stream and made a comfy seat on a large rock.

Heather and I went across the other side of the bridge to see what Uncle Randy and Katelyn were doing. Randy took her to a two foot waterfall that featured a smooth and shallow pool ideal for walking through. Heather and I got some pictures from a distance.

Heather found a rock that looked quite a bit like the head of a fox. She brought it home, and hopes to do something creative with it. I also saw the first of many caterpillars on my trip. It was crawling towards Heather, and I got a nice shot of it on the concrete bridge. I just don’t see caterpillars in Michigan.

Katelyn and I went back closer to camp, and putzed around on our own for a while. She continued to fish and play in the stream. I tried my hand at draining and then damming up again a tiny side tributary.

Heather, Katelyn, and I took a side trip to a local tourist trap, Twin Oaks, for some shopping and browsing around. I did not do a lot of looking around because my boots were so dirty and muddy, and I did not want to trash the carpet. I spent much our time there out in the gazebo trying to capture good photos of the bees buzzing around rhododendrons. I failed at that . . . the bees were just too quick.

After eating roast and carrots and potatoes for lunch, Randy and I took a long walk up the side road to see what was at the summit. There are a few other camps along the way, along with some natural gas pumps or outlets or wells or whatever they actually were. Some of the equipment was quite old, and the sheer history of it fascinated Randy.

Had we been driving and not hiking, we would have completely missed some antique gems along the way.

This is an old Fordson tractor. I’ve never heard of that brand name before. Take a look at the second picture below. Do you see the tree growing up between the wheels? How long do you think this tractor has been sitting there?

We also found this old bulldozer too. I was never able to figure out what model it was. I guess it will be there next year when we visit again.

The summit of the road held more surprises. There was an abandoned railroad and a very tiny village at the top. I found out later by looking at maps that there area actually two tiny villages nearby. More surprises to be explored at another time.

On our way back, we saw Heather, Dylan, and Katelyn fishing on a tiny stream, which is a tributary of the main creek by the camp. Dylan had already brought back two fish, and was looking for more. Although tiny in size, there are fish there, and Dylan was finding them! However, he only caught one that was worth keeping. We spent quite a bit of time there enjoying ourselves in a new surrounding.

After dinner, the five of us took a drive up Job Corps Road. It’s a narrow and quiet road that leads up another hill and to a very large plateau filled with trees, wildlife, and natural gas wells. We were trying to look for deer, but only saw one! Well, the drive was fun anyway. It was good to get away from the camp and see other parts of the area.

I went to bed with the anticipation of another chilly night. This time I was prepared. I put on sweats and a sweatshirt before curling up underneath the stars.