Hike #479 4/11/10
4/11/10 Lackawanna State Forest (Bear Lake) to Brady's Lake with Jillane Becker, Wayne Meiner, Shelly Janes, Christina Manley, "DJ Ray" Cordts, Eric Pace, Jen ?, Jason Itell, Jason Kumpas, Jim Delotto, Al MacLennan, and Jim Schlenker
Lunch Break on the North Line section of the Pinchot Trail, Lackawanna State Forest
My next hike would be our next section of the Wilkes Barre and Eastern Railroad from where we left off at Bradys Lake, but this time we'd start from the north, and it would be our first hike in the Pinchot Trail system of Lackawanna State Forest, another long distance trail system I'd been long wanting to include in my hikes.
We met in the morning at the parking lot at Brady's Lake, a long dirt road we'd walked before with no way out the other side. We then shuttled cars north.
We started on Bear Lake Road, a parking area for Lackawanna State Forest's Pinchot Trail system, named for Gifford Pinchot, our nation's first Forester. The trail is a giant loop, and it's got several section names as well as a few other side trails.
We started from the parking area heading north on the Powder Magazine Trail section. It took us gradually up hill to where we turned off it and the Pinchot Trail system and onto Pine Hill Trail.
Pine Hill Trail, Lackawanna State Forest
We continued past the Frank Gantz Trail which went left. Frank Gantz was reportedly a retired truck driver that laid out and worked on the entire Pinchot Trail system as well as the system at nearby Tobyhanna and Gouldsboro State Parks.
The trail made an ascent of Big Pine Hill on a narrow path before reaching a road to the top.
Pine Hill Trail, Lackawanna State Forest
We turned left onto the road, also marked as a spur trail, to the top and the Pine Hill Lookout Tower. At first I thought this would be a fire tower based on everything I'd read, but it was an open top wooden platform. It's nice to find things that are not what was expected in most cases.
Big Pine Hill Tower, Lackawanna State Forest
We all took a nice long break here. It took a lot of the group a while to catch up to this point.
Resting on Big Pine Hill Tower
There was a 360 degree view from the tower. Jason Kumpas explained to us everything we were seeing in the distance. We could see ridges to the west that looked really cool. It was a bit cloudy when we arrived but cleared up a bit.
View from Big Pine Hill Tower
I believe the trail took us along the road or close to it for a bit, and we continued to another section of the Pinchot Trail, this one the Scrub Oak Trail section and headed north. We headed through the woods and crossed Pittston Road, another dirt road out in the middle of nowhere, and continued north now on the Painter Creek Trail section. This section originally led somewhat up to the left and along the top of a small ridge, but it seemed that that trail had been abandoned and the route went at the base of that ledge. Jason K told us that was too bad because it was the best, or at least his favorite part of the Pinchot Trail system.
Next, I saw something that no one else picked up on, an abandoned railroad right of way. Probably an old logging railroad, no one else saw the gradual grade this line had, no almost completely obscured by moss, leaves, and trees. I'm so used to seeing these things and looking for them that I picked it right out. The trail followed it only briefly before turning away from it to the east. We descended slightly and crossed Painter creek in a nice section of woods.
Painter Creek crossing on the Pinchot Trail, Lackawanna State Forest PA
Just after the creek crossing was another trail that went off to the left, and it was not included on the map, called Watres Trail. Jason K had already done it, and was familiar with it's route. We agreed that we have to come back to cover this section.
Pinchot Trail, Lackawanna State Forest, Hayes Run Section
We continued up hill slightly and and onto the Hayes Run Trail section after a sharp turn. We continued on along the footpath which was sometimes straight as a fireline (and probably was one at one time) or sometimes over rocky outcropping. We went over one that seemed out of place compared to some of the other terrain as we went onto the Spruce Hill Trail section after the woods road.
Pinchot Trail, Lackawanna State Forest, Spruce Hill section
The Spruce Hill section ended and the North Line Trail section began, an arrow straight section that was probably a fireline. Somewhere between them we came to the other end of the Watres Trail where it reconnected with Pinchot Trail. We continued south until there was a clearing to our right and a small fire pit. We decided to have a break here and started a fire. I think Jason I. started this one, he is quite the pyro and usually one to start such things.
DJ Ray had brought with him a chicken Pot Pie not realizing that he'd need to cook it before he consumed it, so he tried to cook it in the fire. I think he ate some of it, but I can't remember.
We soon came to Sassafras Hill Road, yet another old dirt road and turned off of the Pinchot Trail to the left. We followed Sassafras Hill Road over a creek and past a little abandoned building heading sort of southeast.
Walking old Sassafras Hill Road
We then turned left onto another road who's name I am not sure of. This took us down and up a couple times, over a little creek and back up, then over another and past a wetland.
Old dirt road in the Poconos
At the second bridge I think it was I stopped and soaked my feet in the water, which felt awesome. We continued along and the road was soon heading into State Game Lands 135. At the end of the road, we made a right on another dirt road which took us in a short distance to the old Wilkes Barre and Eastern Railroad bed.
State Game Lands 135
We turned right on the rail bed and followed it easily and clearly south. It soon came out to River Road at the intersection of Plank Road. We had to walk to the left of the rail bed on the final approach to the road because it was wet and had some junk dumped into it I think.
River Road and Plank Road were the only paved roads on this entire hike. Across River Road the rail bed was on private land through a yard. To get to it, we turned briefly onto Plank Road and followed it across the Lehigh River (at it's upper end where it was a tiny mountain river) and turned right along it's shore. We chatted with some people on the road who were interested in what we were doing, and they told us how we could get to Brady's Lake by woods road, but we wanted the rail bed. The woods road as per my areal images may actually have been more distance.
Along the upper Lehigh River in the Poconos
The riverside was beautiful. It had a rocky bottom and reminded me of the Musconetcong back from near home. There was a good path along the river which took us in the direction we wanted to go, pretty close to the river all the way to the railroad bed where the bridge once stood. We saw a strangely grown tree along the riverside as well.
Strange roots along the Lehigh River in the Poconos
Only one abutment remained of what would have been a significant trestle. The other side was now someone's yard, and it had a giant slide, like old style playgrounds in the back yard which Jillane and I admired for a while. This area was known as Clifton.
Former Wilkes Barre and Eastern Railroad Bed south of Clifton PA
We began following the rail bed south which was wide and easy to follow. It had a lot of standing water on it at times, like when we were in cuts. Jillane and I stopped a couple times to mess with the water flow and try to get it off to the sides where it belonged. We did a significant amount, but as we continued ahead we realized it was beyond the scope of what we could do in five to ten minutes.
Hiking along the WBE Railroad bed south of Clifton PA
At one point there were houses to the left of the rail bed up on a hill. We crossed the dirt access road to them, and then didn't see any sign of recent civilization for quite some time.
Next, we came to a place where a beaver dam had flooded over much of the old railroad grade. There was a big washout with the significant dam to the left. When Jillane and I arrived (we got somewhat behind messing with the water control thing) Jason Itell was already trying to tear the thing apart with I think DJ Ray.
Beaver dam along the WBE railroad bed in State Game Lands 127, PA
I of course had to join in, and got in up to above my knees. I ended up getting behind everyone else again I think because I got too into it. I remember after getting done looking at the impoundment, a very large body of water, and realizing we'd drained it by nearly a foot judging by the brown water levels.
Along the Wilkes Barre and Eastern Railroad bed, State Game Lands 127
The rail bed remained clear, though it was quite unused in a lot of the areas here. Interestingly, to drive from Brady's Lake to our beginning point, my GPS told me to drive the old railroad bed as it was marked as a dirt road! This would of course have been impossible not only because of the washout, but because there were gates. The rail bed became more used as we continued on, with the cinder dirt showing. It was also more accessable since we were now within State Game Lands 127.
Wilkes Barre and Eastern Railroad bed, State Game Lands 127
We continued on until we reached the former junction site with the spur line to Brady's Lake. We turned here and soon connected with where we'd left off on the previous WBE trip. This time I didn't try to bushwhack to the ice house ruins, instead opting to follow the much easier woods road to the south. There was certainly no walking across the lake this time, and so we headed south to cross the dam.
Along Brady's Lake, State Game Lands 127, PA
It was the perfect time of day to arrive at this spot, the sun was going down and it was beautiful along the lake. A perfect way to finish an excellent hike.
On the dam of Brady's Lake, State Game Lands 127, PA
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