This morning’s quest had its roots in our discussion Saturday about how we might access the upper section of the Abington Trail more directly than from within the park or from the end of Lily Lake Road. It would be a quicker hike—not that we try to avoid hiking, but most mornings I don’t have as much time before work as I would like—and would get us to our prime “squirrel woods” more efficiently.

My first thought was to park at the new gravel lot along Lily Lake Road that is intended for access to the Meadowsweet Preserve, but the maps and satellite imagery made it pretty obvious that that particular trail would lead us only in a roundabout way to the squirrel woods. It certainly would not be any quicker than using our typical access points (although I still am extremely curious about this trail for other reasons). Then on the State Park map, Rich noticed a trail labeled “Quarry Ridge Trail” that appears to link to the Abington Trail very close to the squirrel woods and also appears to have an access point on Lily Lake Road. It was definitely worth checking out, even though we could not discern any kind of a trail on the satellite image.

This morning we drove back and forth on Lily Lake Road past the supposed intersection point about five times. We saw absolutely nothing! There was no designated parking area and certainly no room to park on the shoulder, no signs, and nothing to indicate a trail was anywhere nearby. Confused, we began to suspect that something was amiss, perhaps on the map. We decided to hunt in the Bull Hill section and speak with the park ranger later on about possible access to this Quarry Ridge Trail.

The Bull Hill/Tree Line Trail section is always a nice area for hiking and hunting. Rich took the lower spot this time, where I usually see red squirrels among the evergreens, because I wanted to try the upper section along the stone wall. I wasn’t too surprised when he shot a red squirrel, but I didn’t see a single squirrel of any color all day. I did see several pheasant hunters with their dogs, and possibly one other squirrel hunter.

… Rich’s first squirrel of the season!

After about an hour, Rich moved to a higher section near some other stone walls bordering a farm field and I went deeper toward the woods, intending to eventually work my way down toward White’s Creek. I didn’t make it that far, but I did spot some baseball-sized puffball mushrooms that fascinated me. Unfortunately they were past their prime.

I’m always a little bummed when I don’t see squirrels (I don’t need to get a shot, let alone get a squirrel), but I was thrilled that Rich got one. And our adventures were not yet over. We returned to the parking area by way of the road for the last hundred yards or so, and as we approached the turnoff I noticed the letters “BM SQ CUT” painted in white at the very edge of the road. About ten yards up into the grass, we spotted something white. It was a chiseled square cut in rock, outlined with white paint. I haven’t yet been able to find any reference to this mark on NGS, USGS, or PennDOT datasheets.

“LSP CHISELED SQUARE”

Complete survey mark log »

… The location of the rock outcrop with chiseled square, near Bull Hill parking area.

Before heading home, we stopped at the park office and asked about the mysterious Quarry Ridge Trail. Because it is not technically on park property, the ranger wasn’t obligated to know anything about it, and he didn’t. As far as he knew, it was either part of the Countryside Conservancy lands adjacent to the park (Meadowsweet Preserve is also) or perhaps a private easement given to the Conservancy by a landowner. He promised to ask a man who maintains trails for both organizations, and surprisingly, he later got back to us by e-mail. Unfortunately he had not discovered anything we didn’t already know: that there is no access point from Lily Lake Road, and that the map of Quarry Ridge on the Countryside Conservancy web site actually indicates a different area—the area between Meadowsweet and Lackawanna State Park. There is no mention of the supposed Quarry Ridge Trail shown to the west of Meadowsweet on the state park map.

We’re left to wonder if it’s a simple mistake on the map (the ranger admitted himself that “our maps aren’t known for being all that accurate”). We plan to grab a few waypoints from our maps and satellite images, hike to them, and try to determine for ourselves whether a trail actually exists in the supposed location. I really can’t wait!

Today Rich was ready to tackle a slightly longer and more challenging ride. We have to prepare for our upcoming trip to Acadia! John met us at the house, then followed us along the winding back roads through Clifton to White Haven. Even with twists and turns and blind hills and the occasional driver flying toward us over the middle line, it’s still a very relaxing and peaceful route compared to I-81. And it’s like riding in a beautiful tunnel of fluttering green, at least in the summer. Somewhere along the way, Rich and I searched for gamelands that we swore we’d seen before, but we were unable to find the area.

The White Haven Bakery is “quaint”; that is to say that it looks old-fashioned and dull, but it seems clean and they make delicious goodies. There’s no seating, so we stood on the sidewalk and nibbled. Rich and I split a sticky bun (just sticky enough, nuts but no raisins!) and flaky apricot twist. John had an apple turnover. They both drank coffee. I just took a few sips from Rich’s cup. I admired the garden, intentional or not, of Lilliputian hens-and-chicks near the fence.

It’s typical on dam release weekends for the Lehigh Gorge access points to be insanely busy. So as we expected, the parking area was full of river rats. At least they wouldn’t be riding the trail! A woman mentioned that she liked my Team Moose jersey as I waited in line for the portapotty. “It’s custom made,” Rich said with a smile, and no further explanation.

Our ride was awesome, as always, but relatively uneventful. As the day went on the trail became busier, but not as busy as the river! We kept our ride a bit shorter than usual—to Rockport and back, 19 miles—but it was the longest post-surgery ride Rich has done to date. I’m so impressed! On our return, we rested, cooled off and snacked by the waterfall just north of Rockport. I think it’s become a tradition.

… John has his own ALPHONSE license plate now!

Next we went to the monastery to look for GREEN. Our luck? We had “nun.” I guess we should have attempted it while the place was still under construction/renovation, but Rich wasn’t up for the hike back then.

The monastery has come a long way since the last time we were up there. We marveled at the buildings roofed in bright Spanish tile and the whole layout of the property. I felt like I was in the southwest or on a Greek isle somewhere. After we passed the main building, we could see what looked like a clearing, possibly leading to a trail heading up the mountain, but there were signs in Greek and English saying that it was private and to pass required a special blessing.

We found a young sister coming up behind us and we asked what we would need to do if we wanted to hike up the mountain toward the cross. She said she could not give us permission but that she would go inside and ask someone else. After a few minutes she came out and said that she was sorry, but she couldn’t get permission for us. We thanked her, she blessed us—apparently not the special blessing—and we left soon after. (We later joked between ourselves that it was Rich’s fault because the nuns must have his poster on the wall from back when he was a bad kid in Catholic school. I know they’re not the same kind of nuns, but we still got a laugh out of it.)

So we set off toward the azimuth mark, on the other side of the river and south about a mile. The road was narrow, which concerned us a bit, but when we neared the coordinates we saw a convenient clearing along the western side of the road and, as luck would have it, a 9×5 foot boulder across and about 12 feet above the road, as described. Unfortunately, there were houses just beyond. I decided I would walk up the driveway, which would give me an easy view of the top of the boulder as I passed by. If I could see the mark and if I felt relatively secluded, I might just go ahead and take my photos and coordinates; otherwise, I would knock on the door of the residence to ask for permission.

As I hiked up the gravel driveway, I heard a dog barking. Shit. I went a little further and saw a man working on his truck. I got a hillbilly rocker vibe from his curly beard and lack of front teeth, but he turned out to be one of the nicest people I’ve met while benchmark hunting. He assured me that the dog was harmless (it did seem quite docile), and he asked where I was headed, assuming I was lost. I explained that I was actually there to document the survey mark on the big boulder alongside his driveway. He was thrilled to find out what the mark’s purpose was, having known about it for years (he said, in fact, that his grandfather would have been living there when the mark was set in 1958). I explained what an azimuth mark was used for and how it related to the GREEN triangulation station. He even got to hear the story of how we were denied the special blessing at the monastery.

I motioned for Rich and John to come up and check out the disk while I took my photos. Rich explained a little about azimuth marks and survey mark hunting in general to John while I worked. When we were done, I went back to thank the landowner. He asked what he should do if anything ever happened to the mark, and I gave him the NGS contact information. In retrospect, I probably should have given him the datasheet, but we could always drop it off for him some other time when we’re in the area.

After all the action, we were more than hungry. We stopped at Carmine’s, a little family-owned pizzeria on Main Street. It was good, but the pizza tasted different from the last few times. We wondered if they’ve changed their recipe or if the restaurant changed hands. On the way home we passed the “Nites Inn,” apparently the new name for the horrendously disgusting White Haven Knights Inn where John stayed a few months back. Do they think a name change will fool anyone?!

Everyone who knows me knows I’m not a fan of the Fall season. I don’t like the rapidly shortening days or the cool temperatures and wind. But today was a Fall day that somehow felt right. Having been promised a cherry pie from Ritter’s Cider Mill, Rich was more than happy to hunt a few benchmarks with me while we were in the Mount Cobb area. The wind was fierce, and it blew heavy black clouds in literally as we watched. I had trouble standing still to take my photos, particularly while I stood on the open lawn in front of the old school building. Rain was on the way. But it was still a grand day, with some color beginning to show in the trees and still a patch of blue sky here and there. I knew it wouldn’t be long before I’d feel cozy and warm eating pie and drinking pear cider back home with Rich.

We planned to stop first at the cider mill, but I remembered that we were passing by a benchmark (42 DSW) just as we turned onto Wimmers Road. We stopped and I was able to find and document it. After buying our pie, cider, and cider donuts (and eating a few of the latter), we took a short tour of Cortez Road. We found the old school building easily; it’s now the Jefferson Township Municipal Building. The siding is new, but the old white paint is flaking severely from the columns. Fortunately the benchmark (5 HLZ) is still in place.

Our final find for the day was TT 5 J. Set into a rock outcrop at the edge of a property adjacent to the Kizer Cemetery, it is easy to find and has been well cared for. Someone even (quite carefully) painted it gold! It’s the first one I’ve seen like that, and it is rather attractive.

2 HLZ, which had been located at the Methodist Church in Cortez, was our only bummer of the day. I wasn’t able to find anything set in the only steps I could see on the property, and I searched the adjoining walk for any signs of old benchmarks as well. Nothing seemed to match the description perfectly, so perhaps the building has changed. There does appear to be an addition to the front of the church, where perhaps grand doors once stood.

“42 DSW”

Complete survey mark log »

… This eyelevel view shows the disk set into the wingwall of the bridge.

“5 HLZ”

Complete survey mark log »

… Eyelevel view of the disk on the pillar foundation.

“TT 5 J”

Complete survey mark log »

… Eyelevel view of the disk in the rock outcrop.

“2 HLZ”

Complete survey mark log »

… All we found were these concrete steps, but no benchmark anywhere.

Further research showed that the mark was actually located in Sam’s Point, in the northwestern part of the preserve that we have never explored. During a difficult process of trying to determine whether a permit is required to visit this section (conflicting information abounds!), I finally got the answer I wanted to hear from a girl at Sam’s Point Conservation Center— “Go ahead. We only want a permit if you’re hiking with a group.” And so our plans for the day were settled.

In Ellenville, we stopped for breakfast at Cohen’s Bakery, home of the famous raisin pumpernickel bread served at the Mountain Brauhaus. We had spotted it on our last trip through town. We bought coffee and a prune danish—wondering all the while why it is impossible to find prune-filled pastries here in NEPA but just a short distance away, there are many varieties of prune-filled goodness to choose from.

We sat at a little table on the sidewalk, enjoying the sunshine as much as we were enjoying the cast of characters passing by—particularly the elderly black man zipping around town on his Jazzy and the loud broads from Florida who parked their ridiculously large SUV about 5 feet from the curb. While we sipped our coffee, we planned our strategy for finding the marks.

Our first investigations took place at the high school building. Supposedly, the azimuth mark was set into the northeast corner of the concrete apron surrounding the school’s swimming pool. I didn’t have high hopes. With a little trouble we located the old pool, which had apparently been used as a community pool before being abandoned outright some time ago. We circled the pool, checking all of the concrete areas but focusing on the northeast corner. This corner was, of course, one of two corners on the side of the pool with newer concrete than that surrounding the rest of the pool. The azimuth mark has apparently been removed or covered over when the new concrete was poured. We searched anyway for good measure, digging and sweeping away the leaves packed into the corner as best we could from outside the wire fence. We found nothing. I took a few photos and eventually headed back to the car, but not before spotting the Jazzy-man once more resting in a small park on the other side of the canal. Then Rich and I headed to the parking area at Berme Road Park and soon after began our hike.

The old carriageway was very rocky and rutted, steep in spots. Although biking is often an efficient way to reach remote tri-stations, having the bikes along would have been more of a hindrance in this case. We hadn’t even considered it, really, because we know biking isn’t allowed anywhere at Sam’s Point. After a switchbacking climb of about 1.4 miles we reached the hairpin turn, the coordinates, and the station set into a boulder alongside the trail. Some sort of a pipe or segment of a pole is set into the boulder a few inches from the station disk; its purpose remains a mystery.

“ELLENVILLE”

Complete survey mark log »

… This eyelevel view shows the triangulation station disk and a strange post in the boulder.

As usual, we quickly surveyed the woods for large boulders with disks set into them. In a matter of seconds we located RM2, thanks in part to a pole—similar to the pole piece found near the station—that drew our attention. Our efforts and experience didn’t help much with RM1, though. While we eventually zeroed in on a likely boulder, it was much too overgrown to clear with the limited tools we had with us. Without our metal detector we couldn’t even be sure we’d identified the correct boulder, but the box score measurements checked out and nothing else made much sense. I’m disappointed that we had to leave without recovering the entire set, but it happens. The “end of the world” message is no longer visible, although we found the outcropping on which it most likely had been painted. This time of year is thrilling in the woods, when the spring mud begins to dry up and bright green new life is everywhere. Regardless of how frustrating “green” becomes later in the year, when it means little more than a need to mow the lawn at least twice a week, now it is glorious and welcome!

Supper was also in Ellenville at Gaby’s Cafe, a new little Mexican restaurant that already has a strong reputation. Service was friendly and quick. Rich enjoyed his green enchiladas and I really liked my beef and chicken chimichangas with 3 sauces (red, white [cheese], and green, spooned over the chimis to look like the Mexican flag) and we both loved the black beans. Negra Modelo made the meal complete—or so we thought until we tried the homemade pineapple tequila. That really hit the spot!

I was “sick” and we took the day for ourselves. Very hot Monday after a very hot weekend. Awesome weather in every way. Went the back way to Minnewaska, noticing the canal ruins all along the way. When we got to Minnewska, found that the trails were closed to horses and bikes due to damage from an ice storm! We decided to ride at Mohonk instead. Took the Overcliff Road to the Rhododendron Bridge, then rode up the steep hill toward the Mountain House. Got a little lost at the Farm circle, but eventually found our way. Went down the Morning Glory(?) path and back to the Rhododendron Bridge, where R needed to rest. Had snacks and a drink and were attacked by bugs and allergies. Rode back on the Undercliff Rd. and watched some climbers. Then crossed over and rode for a while on the West Trapps Rd. just to see what it was like and where it went. Made it to the bridge but not quite to the waterfall (we’ll save that for next time). Back to the car and then to the Visitors center, where R. bought me his new favorite t-shirt, we found a mistake on the model, and learned from a guy that some trails that had been restricted are now open for riding. Got an annotated map from the woman at the center. Then went to Lemongrass for supper-shrimp prik khing and R had lemongrass and black pepper chicken. We started with shrimp spring rolls and Thai beer and I also had a Thai iced tea. Wonderful, fairy tale day!!!