Hike #340 4/25/8
4/25/8
Along some old road just south of Analomink PA
This next hike would only be Cathy and I doing some scouting north of Stroudsburg PA. I had done hikes in the area before, but for some reason I had not bothered to explore north of there. Even I was amazed at my lack of hikes in that area, it being so close to home when I was spending so much time driving west, east and south.
Former Lackawanna Railroad tracks at East Stroudsburg
A breathtaking vista overlooking the lush landscaping and glistening parking lines of the Wal Mart in East Stroudsburg. Awe inspiring.
East Stroudsburg bridge over Broadhead Creek
Broadhead Creek, East Stroudsburg
Broadhead Creek looking down stream, East Stoudsburg
Broadhead Creek from the berm trail
Ruins along Broadhead Creek, East Stroudsburg
Broadhead Creek at Gravel Place
Broadhead Creek
The last bottle of Lois Baucom's wine. Cathy's boss's wife passed away, and she made homemade wine and gave Cathy a bottle. We kept it until this hike.
Broadhead Creek
Broadhead Creek
Foot bridge on a trail along Broadhead Creek
How the bridge is put together
Berm along Broadhead Creek near Analomink
Berm along Broadhead Creek near Analomink
Berm along Broadhead Creek near Analomink
Abandoned building along Broadhead Creek near Analomink
Abandoned quarry operation site near Analomink PA
Abandoned quarry area near Analomink
Ruins of quarry operations
Lackawanna railroad tracks
Along lackawanna tracks south of Analomink
South of Analomink
DL&W tracks at Gravel Place
Signal tower at Gravel Place
Tower
Railroad signal tower in Gravel Place
DL&W tracks near East Stroudsburg
Abandoned industry in East Stroudsburg
Abandoned industry in East Stroudsburg
Abandoned industry in East Stroudsburg
DL&W tracks in East Stroudsburg
Old tower in East Stroudsburg
Dansbury Depot
Near Dansbury Depot
Near Dansbury Depot
I had realized that I had never followed the rest of the former Lackawanna Railroad's old main line north from Stroudsburg, so this was part of my plan, as well as to try to find the end of the New York, Susquehanna, and Western Railroads terminus at Gravel Place. I had'nt bothered trying to find more of it since May of 2004 when I did my first Appalachian Mountain Club co lead. Since my previous visit part of the old NYS&W trestle near the Stroudsburg McDonalds had been torn down. To begin the hike, I figured I needed to get a Monroe County map, which curiously I did not own yet. We began by walking into Wal Mart looking for one. They carried only state maps. We continued on to Mr. Z's grocery store, and none there. Even a gas station had no maps for sale, amazingly. I finally gave up without even going into K Mart nearby and just started walking. Cathy and I tried to cross the Brodhead Creek bridge into Stroudsburg from East Stroudsburg, but there was work going on and we were motioned to get off the bridge. We instead opted to turn right and walk out along the Brodhead Creek on one of the berms that was created to inhibit flooding after 1955. This proved to be a terrific idea. The view of the creek from the berm was quite nice, and the walk a pleasant flat one. We continued along, stepping out of the way for a guy mowing, who had the courtesy to stop the mower as we went by. We continued on, stepping off the berm where a stream let out into Brodhead Creek. We came back up the other side, peering across the creek to see if I could spot the railroad right of way of the NYS&W across, but saw nothing. We met a guy along the way that told us we'd find our way to an old rail right of way nearby if we followed along that side of the creek, but we found nothing. Soon, we came to a spot that looked like an old dam site, which I thought might have been it, but there was'nt really any other evidence. Most evidence of the rail line was probably destroyed as a result of the berm's construction I figure. We soon came to a path which led us to a road bridge, then to an area of ball fields. It looked like what was probably a new school being constructed downstream along the road parallel to the creek. We continued along the ball fields beside the creek, taking a path near a power line into a woods trail area with disc golf baskets along the way. We followed some nice trails, some of which might have been the rail bed, leading us to Stokes Road in Gravel Place. We decided to turn back here to follow some other trails, then came back out to Gravel Place along a power line which I also assumed could have been a rail bed. We ducked into a little store here on Stokes Road where I was finally able to purchase a Monroe COunty map. The guy running the store not only did not know that there was ever another railroad parallel with the former Lackawanna line, he did'nt know that his store was in an area called "Gravel Place" even though it still appeared on maps! We chatted with him for a while before moving on. We crossed Brodhead Creek along Stokes Road and tried to parallel the creek, but could'nt without going into private land. We took a couple developement streets to the right which took us on part of a loop before we finally decided to cut across someone's yard discreetly out to a ball field on the other side. We skirted this ball field and headed down through the woods to the right soon alongside a small creek. We crossed the creek back and forth looking for a way back to the Brodhead Creek, and when we were at a high enough location we could see a mowed field. We crossed the creek once more, headed through some undergrowth, then came to the mowed area from where we accessed a woods road alongside some sort of water authority land with big fences around it. We soon were back alongside Brodhead Creek. We followed a trail to the north, which became a more developed looking trail, leading us through woods and such and past a picnic area. Cathy and I were drinking a bottle of wine made by Lois Baucom, the late wife of her former employer, attourney Jerome Baucom who had a practice in Washington (and I believe still does as of this writing). We had had this bottle in our refrigerator for over five years, and it was about time we drank it. I left the bottle partially in a garbage can so it could be read, just so I would feel good that it would be acknowledged one more time, since it was home made wine. We continued on, and the trailway inded next to a little pond. We opted to keep following the streamside, and a fisherman told us we probably would be unable to get by alongside. We tried anyway, and it was actually pretty easy scrambling over the rocks. The fisherman applauded us when we got by it. On the other side, we were on yet another developed trail, with a nice bridge over a tributary. We continued on the trail, leading to a junction with another trail, continueing along the creekside before leading to a parking lot just off of North Fifth Street, PA Rt 191. I walked under the bridge, and came up on the other side, then motioned Cathy to just cross the road. We descended to creekside passing through a field on the north side. We soon were walking along a level grade on the west side of Brodhead Creek, which I thought might have been a rail bed at one time, but it all of a sudden disappeared after a while. We continued along woods roads, and had to go down to creekside where a house had been built in our way. We continued past it, and I checked out some sort of abandoned root cellar way back in the woods. As we walked, I also followed a woods road and climbed a steep hill to find what was apparently a steep quarry at one time, which some rock outcroppings above. I wanted to get up there, but figured we did'nt have the time. We continued on for a bit more, but it got really bad trying to scramble along the streamside. We opted finally to turn back, which I did'nt want to do, but oh well. We made our way back the way we came alongside the creek, but when we came to the park along Rt 191 we crossed to use the former Lackawanna Railroad. Cathy walked across the bridge while I used a portajohn, and I waded across the creek. This was just barely south of Analomink. We followed the railroad tracks south, and reached Gravel Place, and I ran back to the little store again to get some Lehigh Valley chocolate milk. I also checked out an old railroad tower and signal tower neither of which I could climb because stairs had been removed, and ladders were too weak. I went into the lower level of the tower, that was it. We continued south, and there was apparently a fire at an abandoned business to the left of the tracks. Many fire trucks were here. We continued into the town of East Stroudsburg, and I saw a spot on the left where the former Delaware Valley Railroad probably ran (I had'nt followed this section of it yet) to join the main line, and then continued to Dansbury Depot, the old station. We walked parallel with the tracks passing stores for a bit, then came back up to the tracks, and cut down hill to get to where we were parked. Rather than going directly back to the cars, we decided we were very hungry, so we went into Arby's I think it was. I think I got a grilled chicken sandwich but I can't totally remember. Regardless, we did about 15 miles and had a fun day.
1.) Bridge over Brodhead Creek in Stroudsburg2.) Brodhead Creek looking upstream from the berm3.) Looking back toward the bridge4.) Brodhead Creek heading north upstream5.) SOme sort of ruins along Brodhead Creek, East Stroudsburg6.) Cathy along Brodhead Creek in Gravel Place7.) Looking upstream from Gravel Place8.) Lois Baucom's wine bottle in a park along Brodhead Creek north of Gravel Place9.) Rocks along Brodhead Creek10.) Brodhead Creek11.) Cathy on a trail bridge south of Analomink12.) Structural design of the bridge13.) Cathy on a woods road along Brodhead Creek14.) Me on the woods road15.) The woods road, which looks like a rail grade16.) An old structure along the creek17.) Old quarry works along Brodhead Creek18.) Old quarry walls19.) More quarry works ruins20.) View along the former Lackawanna RR tracks toward Analomink.21.) Cathy heading south along the tracks from Analomink Area22.) Cathy on the tracks at Gravel Place23.) Cathy on the tracks at Gravel Place24.) Old tower at Gravel Place25.) Inside the tower26.) Old signal tower27.) View of the signal tower28.) Old building along the tracks29.) Old structures at the abandoned buildings30.) Old building31.) Cathy on the tracks in East Stroudsburg32.) Old railroad tower in Stroudsburg33.) Dansbury Depot, old station34.) Nice blossoms near the station35.) Blossoms near the station36.) Nice shot in East Stroudsburg along the tracks37.) Nice view of...Wal Mart?
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