This is Rager Mountain on the east side of the Conemaugh River gorge. The river—which was responsible for the infamous Johnstown Flood—is unseen in the valley between the mountain and me. Much of the woodland on this mountain belongs to the Gallitzin State Forest, the Charles F. Lewis Natural Area. Alas, I experienced a regret up there in those woods on a July day many years ago. Notice that it’s early spring here in the river valley.
But you don’t have to hike very far up onto the mountainsides to find snow and cooler temperatures. Yes, this photo shows a nuclear power plant at the end of an ugly electric line easement. I mean, c’mon, there’s pretty stuff here and there, but it’s still Pennsylvania we’re talking about…. My goal today was to return to the area where I explored last week (see the post just below this one) and to ride an old bike 6 miles down an old dirt lane in order to find the Helldiver crash site from 1945. What I didn’t count on was all the ice and snow on the mountaintops. There was no way I’d be riding a bike up there.
So I went instead to the very beginning (or end) of the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, near the village of Seward, and hiked uphill from mile 70 to a spot beyond mile 68. It was a nice trek on a sunny day in early spring. The air was fresh and bracing.
This iron bar sticks out of a boulder along the trail. Who knows why? The remains of old roads up and down the mountainside reveal the place’s industrial past. This ugly piece of metal is just ol’ Mother Pennsylvania reminding you about her sordid past. “Don’t forget,” she whispers, “never forget that I was once the smoking hearth of this world. I reserve the right to be ugly and horrible when you least expect it.”
The only real views were from the second electric line easement. This is the Conemaugh River gorge. A sign near the river, down below, claims that it’s the deepest gorge east of the Mississippi, but I sure think the New River gorge in West Virginia is deeper.
I have to admit that I set out this morning with a sense of foreboding about trying to find the crash site again. I almost felt relieved when I thought maybe the bike wouldn’t fit in my car—but it did—or that I couldn’t find the pump to put air in the bike tires—but I did. Then by the time I got to that faraway mountaintop and saw too much snow for bike riding, I was not relieved but disappointed. So, yeah, I didn’t accomplish what I set out to do today. But this was nice too. Third time’s a charm, right?
Below those iron pins on the north/highway side of the trail exists a very big stone structure and remnants of a pretty large quarry operation. Never could get to the bottom of what really took place there. The mountain laurel patch obscures any visual contact from the trail but as you progress towards Johnstown there are numerous piles of cut stone “spoil” piles present. Also present across a small spring feeder seep is a mortar/concrete? impoundment/breast to contain water evidently used in the operation. I was told at one time a small hamlet/compound existed up there by the name of “Nineveh”..?. Your work on the crash site is fascinating and very much appreciated, Thanks ever so much. (I could only ever surmise those pins were used to anchor the block & tackle used to lower the cut stone off the “tipple” to lower ground as to be moved to the highway below by mules??)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great information, Happy Trails! Next time I pass through there (July) I'll be sure to look for traces of the old quarry operation and abandoned townsite. There are a lot of old overgrown roads all over the east face of the mountain. Cheers!
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