Hike #452 11/8/9
11/8/9 Camelback Mountain to Pocono Summit with Jillane Becker, Amanda Rosenblatt, Kyle Zalinsky, Larry Butler, Jim "Mr. Buckett" Mathews, Carol and Rob Creamer, "Amish Paul" Hassler and "DJ Ray" Cordts.
Hiking on Camelback Mountain, Big Pocono
This was the second hike in the series to hike the old Wilkes Barre and Eastern Railroad, and I was really happy that Jillane enjoyed it enough to make her adamant about being on all of the rest of them in the series. It really was interesting, and this one made me more interested in the series as well.
My next hike would involve trails and the next section of the Wilkes Barre and Eastern Railroad north of Big Pocono State Park. The route I planned would be the trails on Camelback Mountain, followed by the WB&E Railroad bed, then a long forgotten connector track that once led to the Lackawanna Railroad's main line in Pocono Summit. We met at the Wal Mart in Pocono Summit (0aa-0ab) and shuttled a few cars to the State Game Lands parking lot adjacent to Big Pocono State Park. Joining this time were Jillane, as well as Carol and Rob Creamer, Kyle Zalinsky, Amanda Rosenblatt, Larry Butler, Jim "Mr. Buckett" Mathews, DJ Ray Cordts, and "Amish Paul" Hassler. We started by following the road from the game lands lot to the trail head for the South Trail and took it to the east to the Vista Trail near a nice viewpoint to the south (0ad-1). We stopped briefly and then took the Vista Trail to the north up to the park roads and a small picnic area (1a-1b). We made our way to the top of Camelback Mountain and took a break, then descended on the nature trail to the north and another road (2-5). We made our way to where the road looped around to the south and we searched for the trail head for the Indian Trail. There were some great view points all over the area, and they continued over the ski slopes as we turned onto the North Trail (6-9d). We took the North Trail all the way around Camelback Mountain until we reached the junction with the south trail, then we took the side trail that led down to the old WB&E Rail bed (10). When we reached the rail bed, we turned left following it northbound through a beautiful cut (11-13). We then emerged onto a shelf that had wonderful seasonal views to the north and east (14). We continued on the rail bed and soon reached the ski slopes which had mostly obliterated the right of way (15-16). We took a quick break to regroup and DJ Ray and Amish Paul turned back. We then headed out across about 14 ski slopes interspersed with sections of woods.
This abandoned building was in a swath of woods between ski slopes
Crossing ski slopes at Camelback on the rail bed
We hurried over as not to get in trouble for trespassing. High fences fortunitely had breaks in them so that we could get through (16a-20). There was also an abandoned alpine slide area (21-24). When we finished crossing the ski slopes we emerged in what looked like a time share complex. We followed the roads there out to the main road through the Camelback Ski area to where the rail line used to cross. A guy in a truck pulled up nearby but he did'nt get out or signal us in any way. We continued on the rail bed on the opposite side which was pretty clear (25-28aaa) over a fill. We took a quick break and then continued through a cut (29-30). We crossed Lower Deer Valley Road and then continued on another bit of a fill, then along some cuts and shelves and through Rhododendrons with a bit of a view (31,32). The right of way was a bit obliterated on one spot where a developement road had recently been constructed over some of it. We took a break here and basked in the sun (33-34d). Beyond, we walked through more Rhododendrons (34e-43b) through cuts and fills and shelves until we reached a spot where the right of way was badly washed away. We met some ATV riders there who told us there was once a bridge there but that it had been washed away. Apparently even the abutments to this bridge were long gone because nothing of it was visible. To the west of us was a large beaver pond with a significant dam. We had to climb down and around to go across the tributary. We took a long break here and Kyle and I actually took a swim in the cold beaver lake! He then proceeded to try to purge the beaver dam a bit (43c-51aa)
Kyle going ape shit on a beaver dam
After our break we all climbed back up the railroad fill (51b) and made our way to nearby Rt 80. A police officer had someone pulled over or something very near to where we were going to dash across so we had to wait for him to pass by. He soon left and we dashed across the eastbound lane which was very easy. The opposing lanes were probably about a quarter mile apart at this point which made it all the more easier (52). When we reached the westbound lane it was just about as dead and so we ran across (53). On the other side the rail bed was like a tunnel of Rhododendrons. We continued northbound (54). We made our way through a wet cut through the rocks and then into an open field area where we found a bunch of abandoned things like a car, boat, tractor trailer, two campers, a container, and more (55-65). We took a break here and moved on. We soon came to an old bridge site, but we had to problem crossing because someone had put a very nice wooden foot bridge on the abutments! We walked across and nearby was a house. We passed near to it and crossed Skyview Drive, then emerged onto Crescent Lake Road (66-69). We walked along the road briefly and then turned right on Rainbow Lake Drive which paralleled the rail bed. It said "no trespassing" but we ignored it and soon were passing by some abandoned garage buildings, one collapsed (70-72). We cut away from the dirt road and bushwhacked to the north. We had to cross over a stream and soon reached the overgrown railroad right of way (73). It was so tough to follow that we opted to stay on the hillside above it to the north for a bit (74). Jillane and I fought through the weeds and stayed mostly on the railroad bed as it made it's way on a low fill across a marsh land. Meanwhile, the others had to fight through weeds and Rhododendrons to meet back up with us (74aaa-76a). We continued across the land bridge and soon were along Rt 380 near a burned down house (77-78). Just past the burned down house we found yet another abandondoned house, only much much bigger. We of course had to go inside and have a look around. The place was quite nice (79-91). We checked out every room. Larry and I explored the dark basement which flash pictures proved was actually a finished basement! We soon moved on following the former railbed along Rt 380 (92-95). We crossed under 380 at state highway 4004 (96). Directly on the other side the rail bed was clear and easy to follow (97,98). The rail bed paralleled a road called Cricket Lane, and it went near people's back yards but not in them. We only walked the rail bed and an adjacent power line when the thing got too overgrown, but were never in anyone's yards, yet a cop showed up and asked us what we were up to. I explained it and we were fine. We continued along the rail bed across state route 4002 and then across some sort of access road to where the junction used to be with a connector railroad that went to the Lackawanna Railroad main line in Pocono Summit. We began following that. There was also some sort of abandoned building here that we did'nt have time to check out (100). The other rail bed was quite clear and in many places being used as an access road for Pocono Mountain West Junior High School (101). We continued on and crossed Rt 940 where Rob decided to wait for us as we bushwhacked along or near to the rail bed at Stillwater Lake (101aaa-102). We continued on and soon had to cross Rt 380 which was a bit tougher than 80 was (103) because it was dark and less space between opposing lanes. On both sides of 380 Woodland Drive was built over the rail bed. On the east side it was a couple miles more before Pocono Summit (104-105). When we reached Pocono Summit we passed the train station and then walked Rt 940 back to the Wal Mart. We had dinner at the McDonalds there to finish our great day (106-108).
Happy on the trail
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