thursday later
Had a change of plans this evening - my music teacher is not feeling well so she cancelled. I have free time now so I thought I'd post the pictures I took today while Jan and I hiked at Oil Creek. We discovered a new little building in the woods. Since the trees are bare now it was easy to see. Usually we hike in this area in the summer and it's hidden by greenery. It seems to be related somewhat to another little building that is right beside the trail and we've looked at that building many times. Here's some pictures - I apologize that they were all taken with the IR Chrome filter so all the foliage, moss and the leaves on the ground are super red looking but you should be able to see the structures okay:
In front of the door, covered by leaves is a concrete pad. Both structures have that rounded shape at the roof. Nearby were some cement posts that looked like at one time they held something like a low table.
Standing at the back and looking down into the room. This shows that there is some kind of a box in the very back that feeds down into the room.
You can see where once there were thick beams holding up the roof where there are notches at the top of the walls.
The box had a grate in it.
This is the other structure. It's half the size of the first building and the roof is still solid with one round hole in the roof. Looked like it might have had a chimney pipe in it. There are trees growing on the roof so you know it's been abandoned a long time.
Looking at it from the other side.
Jan inside. You can see the chimney pipe hole (?) over her head.
The path up to the the Pioneer Falls. This is where two trails converge. The upper one with the stairs is the Gerald Hiking Trail - goes 38 miles all around the perimeter of the park. The straight trail is the one that goes down to where we parked.
Some more of those same puff balls I saw at Two Mile the other day.
Pioneer Falls. There is a bench that you can sit on and see this view. While we were sitting there a young guy came out the woods (not on any trail) and we talked a while with him. He had heard about the falls on the internet and that it was running well right now with all the rain we've had. Usually it's just a trickle. He knew nothing about the trails in the park. He was surprised that there were so many of them.
Rushing water.
A beech tree with lots of carving in it. The tree was dead and the bark is starting to come off. All those names will be gone soon.
At the bottom of the hill near where the Pioneer Falls water (Greg Run) goes into Oil Creek.
Afterwards Jan and I had lunch at Dawndi's. We were the only customers the whole time except for one other couple. I had the grilled salmon salad. Just as delicious as it was last time I had it there.
So anyway. Raining again on and off this evening. Jan and I were lucky that we got our hike in during this morning's dry spell.
In front of the door, covered by leaves is a concrete pad. Both structures have that rounded shape at the roof. Nearby were some cement posts that looked like at one time they held something like a low table.
Standing at the back and looking down into the room. This shows that there is some kind of a box in the very back that feeds down into the room.
You can see where once there were thick beams holding up the roof where there are notches at the top of the walls.
The box had a grate in it.
This is the other structure. It's half the size of the first building and the roof is still solid with one round hole in the roof. Looked like it might have had a chimney pipe in it. There are trees growing on the roof so you know it's been abandoned a long time.
Looking at it from the other side.
Jan inside. You can see the chimney pipe hole (?) over her head.
The path up to the the Pioneer Falls. This is where two trails converge. The upper one with the stairs is the Gerald Hiking Trail - goes 38 miles all around the perimeter of the park. The straight trail is the one that goes down to where we parked.
Some more of those same puff balls I saw at Two Mile the other day.
Pioneer Falls. There is a bench that you can sit on and see this view. While we were sitting there a young guy came out the woods (not on any trail) and we talked a while with him. He had heard about the falls on the internet and that it was running well right now with all the rain we've had. Usually it's just a trickle. He knew nothing about the trails in the park. He was surprised that there were so many of them.
Rushing water.
A beech tree with lots of carving in it. The tree was dead and the bark is starting to come off. All those names will be gone soon.
At the bottom of the hill near where the Pioneer Falls water (Greg Run) goes into Oil Creek.
Afterwards Jan and I had lunch at Dawndi's. We were the only customers the whole time except for one other couple. I had the grilled salmon salad. Just as delicious as it was last time I had it there.
So anyway. Raining again on and off this evening. Jan and I were lucky that we got our hike in during this morning's dry spell.