Hike #324 1/6/8
1/6/8 Bucks/Montgomery County Highlands; near Quakertown-Green Lane with Wyatt Hassler, Jason Itell, Jen Heisey, Jude Shabrach, Russ Moyer, Larry Butler, "Naaron" Young, "DJ Ray" Cordts, and "Amish Paul" Hassler
Group shot on a foot bridge, Sellersville
My next trip, the first one of 2008, would be yet another scouting hike for the Highlands Trail, and the last one needed to connect my growing world of explorations with a whole new world of continueous trail systems.
State Game lands near Quakertown
State Game Lands near Quakertown
Reading railroad south of Quakertown
Along the Reading Railroad south of Quakertown
Reading Railroad south of Quakertown PA
North end of Perkasie Tunnel
North end, Perkasie Tunnel
Perkasie Tunnel
Perkasie Tunnel
Perkasie Tunnel
Perkasie Tunnel
Perkasie Tunnel
Perkasie Tunnel
Perkasie Tunnel
Perkasie Tunnel
Perkasie Tunnel
We met in the morning at the end point, Green Lane Resevoir, Green Lane PA. Joining me this time were "Amish Paul" and Wyatt Hassler, Jude Shabrach, Russ Moyer, Jen Heisey, Jason Itell, Larry Butler, DJ Ray Cortds, and "Naaron" Young. It took a little longer than anticipated to get to the meeting point, but when we did, we shuttled a couple cars to the beginning point, State Game Lands 139 at the corner of Rich Hill Road and Muskrat Road. We began by walking a woods road into the State Game Lands from the parking area heading east, which took us to a piece of wetlands, so we cut out to Rich Hill Road and followed that a very short distance to the former Reading Railroad, officially known as the Philidelphia and Reading Railroad's Bethlehem Branch, where we had picked it up on the previous Highlands scouting hike. We climbed up the bridge where we last accessed those tracks to head north, but this time headed south. The tracks led us along some parked rail cars which I believe were the same ones that were left there the last time we were here. We also soon passed a quarry area which did not look to be active. Continueing south, the tracks made a gradual but noticeable downhill grade. It was still double tracked the whole way, and there was another set of rail cars parked on the inactive track. There was a wounded deer laying under one of the cars, which ran away after we'd passed, limping. DJ Ray was having trouble with his leg again, but he still pushed onward. We were soon at the mouth of a railroad tunnel north of Perkasie.
Inside Perkasie Tunnel
Perkasie Tunnel
Perkasie Tunnel
Perkasie Tunnel
Perkasie Tunnel, south side
South side of Perkasie Tunnel
South side of Perkasie Tunnel
Perkasie PA
Perkasie station
Former bridge for Liberty Bell Trolley line
Perkasie PA
Covered bridge in Perkasie PA
Covered bridge, Perkasie PA
Covered bridge in Perkasie PA
Perkasie PA
Covered bridge in Perkasie PA
Group on a foot bridge, Sellersville PA
Sellersville PA footbridge
Foot bridge in Sellersville PA
Sellersville PA
Former Liberty Bell Trolley line, now a trail in Sellersville PA
Reading railroad bridge, Sellersville PA
Reading Railroad bridge, Sellersville PA
View in Sellersville PA
Near Sellersville PA
Near Sellersville PA
Near Sellersville PA
Near Sellersville PA, an old dam site
YO YO YO
Tracing the route of the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek
Along the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek
Abandoned car along East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek
Along the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek
Along East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek
Along East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek
View east of Green Lane PA
Perkiomen Trail at the south end of Green Lane PA
We all entered, and could be very confident no train would be coming because this line was not very active. It was single tracked and actually pretty cool to walk through. We soon emerged on the other side and followed the tracks into Perkasie. We walked the tracks and soon came to the Perkasie train station and hung out here looking at the maps. A police officer came by and pointed out our next destination for us, the former route of the Liberty Bell Trolley line. Fortunitely, he did not smell the wine on my breath! He also suprisingly did not question me as to why I was wearing a bright pink hat and sweater, but oh well. We continued on the tracks southwest until we saw the old trolley right of way and descended. There was still a culvert in place beneath the railroad tracks. We tried to follow the trolley line to the north for a bit. It was clear at first, and a bridge was missing over a nearby road. We descended and then made our way up the other side following the rail bed. I was under the impression that there was a tunnel on this trolley line, but we could find no remnants of such a structure. We followed this line gradually up hill almost to the next road crossing and then decided to turn back. We cut through what appeared to be a little used commune of summer homes or something heading back out toward the rairoad tracks. We crossed the road and then followed the trolley right of way under the the tracks into town. We headed down streets until we reached East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek. There was an old covered bridge, no longer crossing a body of water, set in the little creekside park, so we checked it out. We continued through the park alongside the creek, first in the grass and then along a paved pathway, part of the Liberty Bell Trail. There was a nice pedestrian bridge over the creek along the way, though we stayed on the north side. It was apparent that the original trolley route was not where we were walking, but further above us on a level grade. When we reached the end of the park area the trail rejoined the trolley right of way. We continued west into the town of Sellersville and crossed continueing on the trolley right of way to where it once crossed the creek. We continued along the north side of the creek beneath the railroad tracks which used a multi arch concrete viaduct. We continued at ceekside but soon reaches some sort of business area, maybe a recycling center or something, and had to cut across to Cat Hill Road and parallel the creek along the road. We continued along a high shelf, and Jason soon found a nice way down to the creek side once more. We headed through the woods and ended up at a grassy field that made up part of someone's yard, so we quickly and quietly crossed the field and returned to the creek side in a small piece of woodland. We continued along the creek and soon passed under Rt 309. It was nice walking along the creek for quite some time, and we continued along a field area until we ascended to I believe it was Lonely Road. We saw a lady there working in her yard, but she did'nt ask what we were doing. We continued to turn left I think it was on Loneley Branch Road across the creek. We then turned right on what must have been another part of Cat Hill Road. We continued along this road and turned right into a developement that led us out to County Line Road where we entered Montgomery County. We crossed and headed down to the creek, but it did'nt look really good to follow so we went back up to Hollow Road, followed it to Cowpath Road (which DJ Ray said his sister would hate because she hates the country), turned left, and then right on Green Hill Road to Old Allentown Road at an intersection. We crossed directly into a picnic area along the road, and headed along the south side of the creek, soon passing under the PA Turnpike which had a very high bridge. We were able to follow the creek out to Creamery Road, and we ended up walking back down to Camp Road through Franconia Park which took us across the Perkiomen Creek on a bridge open to pedestrians only. On the other side we turned left on Morwood Road which took us to an intersection that my map calls "Salford". My map showed a road called "Harder Road" going directly across and through, but the road across from us read "Dead End". We opted to follow it anyway, and when we got to the last house there were no trespassing signs everywhere which we decided to ignore. We wandered down this abandoned road section which led us into some sort of kids camp area with a lot of buildings. At the intersection between this old road and the camp roads, we turned left. This was called Camp Road apparently, and we followed it out of this camp area to another road I think called Township Road. We turned right and followed this road out, I think it might have become Crusher Road here somewhere...I'm not totally sure, leading us to Rt 29. We walked along Rt 29 through a small village, then into the town of Green Lane. Bill "Guillermo" Fabel met up with us and drove DJ Ray back to the parking area. We paralleled 29 by following a parallel road to the west and headed up to what I guess was part of the Perkiomen Trail, an old railroad bed. Wyatt and I went into a little mini mart to get Reese's Fast Break bars, then caught up with the rest of the group. The rail bed went across a trestle over part of Green Lane Resevoir, and the trail continued along the shore out to a grassy area. This trail led us out to the parking area where we met in the morning, at just about dark. We headed back to Quakertown, and most of us had dinner at the Red Lion Inn in town.
1.) Hiking through State Game Lands 139, Bucks CO PA2.) Hiking through the game lands on an old road3.) An old water tower along the former Reading Railroad line south of Quakertown PA near Rock Hill4.) Old quarry area5.) Turn in the railroad heading south6-7.) North portal of the Perkasie Tunnel8-13.) In the tunnel14.) Looking out the south portal of Perkasie Tunnel15.) South portal of Perkasie Tunnel16.) Station area in Perkasie along former Reading Railroad17.) Perkasie Station18.) Wyatt with former Liberty Bell Trolley line underpass in Perkasie PA19.) Covered bridge in a park in Perkasie20.) In the covered bridge21.) Wyatt, me, Jude, and Naaron in a park in Sellersville area22.) Another group shot23.) Naaron, Jude, Russ, me, Jen, Wyatt, Larry, Jason, and DJ Ray along the Liberty Bell Trail in Sellersville/Perkasie area PA24.) Yet another group shot25.) On Liberty Bell Trail in Sellersville PA26.) Former Reading Railroad bridge over the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek27.) Another shot of the bridge28.) Somewhat of a view from Cat Hill Road I think29.) Passing under Rt 309 along East Branch of Perkiomen Creek30.) In fields heading east from Sellersville area31.) The group in the fields32.) Probably an old dam site on the East Br. Perkiomen Creek33.) Nice sign...34.) Interesting roller coaster like road at the East Br. Perkiomen Creek bridge35.) Passing under the PA Turnpike along the East Br. Perkiomen Creek36.) Abandoned car near the creek37.) Naaron taking a break along the creek38.) Nice little view along the way...39.) On the former Perkiomen Railroad bed in Green Lane PA
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