BIKING THE GRAND CANYON

PINE CREEK GORGE

Our recent trip to North Central Pennsylvania was a rustic adventure, but without all that camping nonsense. We stayed in a hotel in Coudersport for the first part of the week and then stayed at Le Belle Auberge, a boutique bed and breakfast in Wellsboro. Planning the trip, we did not even consider camping and this proved to be the correct decision because it rained nearly the entire week. Getting drenched while living in a tent is not fun. especially when there are no hot showers and no respite from the bad weather. All you can do is sit in your tent and molder.

Despite the inclement weather we did spend a goodly amount of time outdoors. Though our stargazing efforts were “clouded” over, the rain abated enough during the day for us to see the Kinzua Bridge and at the Lumber Museum we were able to explore the outdoor replication of a timber harvesting camp without getting too "waterlogged". 

 

The Pine Creek Rail Trail can
be seen on the lower right

A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT

We had traveled to this “neck of the woods” for stargazing at Cherry Springs State Park the only dark sky park on the east coast and that was a bust. I had never seen the Milky Way before and had the weather cooperated I would have been blessed by this galactic vision. Thankfully the second half of our trip was more successful.

For years Janet had talked about the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, a 47-mile cut through the Allegheny Mountains formed by the Pine Creek, a tributary of the mighty Susquehanna River. She had never seen this natural treasure before and was anxious to show me what was perhaps the best part of Pennsylvania. The canyon is impressive when seen from any angle. On the floor the steep canyon walls dwarf you, from the edge the vistas reveal unsettling expanses of air. At its deepest the canyon is 1,500 feet and at one point is nearly a mile wide. It starts in Ansonia near Wellsboro and ends in Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania. 

Pine Creek Rail Trail

Once denuded of trees because of an aggressive timber industry 100 years ago, the splendor of these woodlands is back and can be appreciated many different ways any time of the year. Hiking trails course the gorge and there is a scenic overlook at Leonard Harrison State Park Visitor Center that rewards a casual stroller with a spectacular view of the canyon. Cascading waterfalls all along the gorge cool the air in the summer heat. There is canoeing and kayaking on the Pine Creek, swollen from the steady rains, but the most popular pastime is the Pine Creek Rail Trail; a converted railway bed that was once used in the lumber industry along the canyon floor and following the creek. Excellent for biking with just a gentle grade we rented bikes and pedaled through the canyon for 28 miles!

PENNSYLVANIA GRAND CANYON 

 

Pine Creek Rail Trail

RAIL TO TRAIL

There is a movement nationwide to take disused train beds and form trails. Usually flat, long and at times running through historical areas abandoned rail beds make for great trails. The rail system through the Pine Creek Gorge was first used for transporting timber and coal then freight and passengers, the tracks following the creek along the floor of the Grand Canyon. The trains ran until 1988 when they were abandoned by Conrail. The tracks were eventually removed and the Pine Creek Rail Trail opened in 1996. It’s possible to travel the entire 47 miles of the Grand Canyon by this trail. 

RAILS TO TRAILS

 

One of the many falls

Because it is relatively flat and the views are strikingly beautiful, the Pine Creek Rail Trail is perhaps one of the greatest places to take a bike tour. Though it is possible to travel the entire 47 miles from Ansonia to Jersey Shore via the trail, but we stopped at State Run. 

Thankfully the day was bright and sunny. It was hot in the sun, but much of the trail is shaded and whenever we passed a waterfall running fiercely with all the rain, the air cooled dramatically. The Pine Creek was running muddy and quick and we didn't see any canoes kayaks or rafts, but there were a lot of bikers along the trail.

Every few miles there are rest stations and several wells to pump water. The wells unfortunately carried the caveat that the water was not tested for purity. Still they were convenient to wet a cloth to cool our heads. In Blackwell, the first stop there is a small delicatessen where we got some much-deserved ice cream.

Janet waiting for me, again 

By the end of our excursion I was bushed. Janet would have gone all the way to Jersey Shore... in NEW JERSEY... but after 28 miles on a bike my butt was hurting. We waited for our pick-up ride at the Hotel Manor & Bar in State Run and sat on deck with a beer admiring the river. The day was a success!

HOTEL MANOR & BAR

OUTFITTERS

We rented our bikes at PINE CREEK OUTFITTERS on Route 6 in Ansonia, a short drive west from Wellsboro. They also offer canoe and kayak rentals and guided rafting trips down the Pine Creek and they will even provide shuttle service with your own bikes, at a cost. We had to meet them at an appointed time for either a pick up in Blackwell, or State Run. A friendly staff, offering good equipment and encouragement. When we told them we were taking the longer trek to State Run they seemed genuinely pleased.  

At the end of the ride

I’d do it again, evidently the fall foliage is glorious. But, next time I’ll bring a pillow for the bike!

Thanks for reading!

THE HOTEL CRITTENDEN

AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT IN COUDERSPORT

At first glance the Hotel Crittenden on the main intersection in Coudersport Pennsylvania looks impressive. A neat strong clean looking building diagonal from the Potter County Courthouse. You have to stare at it as you wait for the light to change. It takes a while and the building is impressive in this small town anchored by this main intersection.

The hotel is under renovations, and there’s only four rooms available. There are not if any other accommodations in town though. They cater to the star gazing crowd at Cherry Springs State Park and on promising days when the weather looks like it will hold the hotel brims with people.

The Taproom offers an array of good beers and a menu that has a lot more on it than just hamburgers and normal pub food. There’s a smoker in the courtyard outback and the first night Janet had a brisket sandwich and I went for the pulled pork. It was very good. The second night we were there was Taco Night and because it was National Tequila Day (isn’t every day?) the bartender Kayla gave us healthy pours of Cuervo Gold for $2.50.

The room we stayed in has a bit of history. Eliot Ness, of Untouchables fame, met here, as well as in the dining room, with a ghost writer to capture his antics battling Al Capone and the Chicago mob. Ness had come to Coudersport on a business venture and eventually passed away in town in 1957. Such is the Untouchables myth that this year the first Eliot Ness Fest was held the weekend before we arrived. The festival was so well attended that the Hotel Crittenden ran out of food. The proprietor phoned us as we were driving through the fierce rains that if we arrived and she was gone, she was out getting more food.

It was a good place to stay.

THE HOTEL CRITTENDEN

THE 8TH WONDER OF THE WORLD

THE KINZUA VIADUCT

With our Circadian Rhythms intact because rain prevented us from stargazing at Cherry Spring State Park the night before we had the entire day to do something. We did not have to sleep in and recover from a late night of peering into the Milky Way. So, we lingered at the Crittenden Hotel in lovely Coudersport PA, located at the traffic light, and eventually took our breakfast at the Tea Room and Café down the street. I had an egg sandwich on a bagel and Janet had Eggs Benedict. The café is neat and clean, and the food was great, and the portions were filling.

THE TEAROOM AND CAFE IN COUDERSPORT 

GET YOUR KICKS ON ROUTE 6

We decided to drive about an hour west on Route 6 to the Kinzua viaduct. A long time ago I saw a picture of this soaring edifice first erected in the late 1800’s and thought it was the most frightening thing possible. This train trestle that spanned the gorge looked spindly and eerie and I thought it would be impossible to support the trains that would utilize it. 

 

THE KINZUA GORGE BRIDGE

For a long while it was quite safe and durable. Soaring over 300 feet in the air the viaduct was the longest and tallest such span in the world at that time and the fascination with this engineering marvel was global. People would travel from Pittsburgh and Buffalo just to see the structure and take excursion train rides over it.  It was as tall as the Statue of Liberty! The Kinzua viaduct though was a financially feasible move. First completed in the 1880’s the train trestle spanned the Kinzua gorge and shortened the trip to Buffalo enough to justify the cost. Pennsylvania had abundant resources of coal, timber and hemlock bark used for tanning and the train systems needed to feed the industrialization of the country.

Kinzua was first constructed with iron, but 18 years later as trains got heavier the structure was replaced with steel and remained in use commercially until 1959 and became part of the Pennsylvania Park System in 1963 and in 1987 a 97-mile round trip excursion train line from Marienville to the park was offered and would cross the viaduct, turn around on the other far side of the gorge and go over it again. The Knox, Kane, Kinzua train line operated until 2002 when needed repairs to the aging structure were started. Then in July 2003 a tornado ripped half the structure down. Pennsylvania then repurposed the wreckage to create the Kinzua Bridge sky walk and visitors can walk a 300-foot restored section that leads to an observation deck offering soaring views of the gorge and the wreckage of the rest of the bridge.

SHELTER FROM THE STORM

There is now a pristine visitor center offering interactive displays and movies and there is a rail to trail course from Mt. Jewett to the Bridge Park opening next month. The remnants of the steel bridge jutting out into an unsettling expanse of air can be seen safely from the visitor center, but we HAD to brave the heights. Just a few steps onto the thankfully sturdy bridge the ground falls away and we are looking down onto the tops of trees. I was thankful the strong wind that usually whips through the gorge wasn't blowing and threatening to whisk me to my demise. That wind forced the trains to creep slowly across the gorge or get derailed by its force.
I didn’t care the day was thick with humidity and no wind to cool us; I was safer.

NOT MY FEET!

I kind of walked in the middle of the two walkways separated by railroad ties so I had a better chance of survival. The ties were open and I could see through them ALL THE WAY DOWN. The ties supported a double set of tracks showing an ingenious technology used to keep trains from derailing. If the winds knocked the train off the inner track, the outer set would keep them from derailing completely. I didn't go near the guard rail at the edge of the walkway either. If winds could knock a train off tracks then I was a goner with the first gust. 

Somehow, I managed to make it to the end of the skyway. While Janet did pirouettes on the railing I gripped it and peered down on the remnants of the Kinzua viaduct ripped apart by the tornado. I swear I saw several sets of human remains down there! Off in the distance was the other shard of the bridge, but far below were the mangled towers and their foot pads. Aiding my fear was the plexiglass panel at the end of the skyway. I closed my eyes and walked across it! As we walked back I ignored the kid doing cartwheels along the walkway... that is actually true.

TWO SET OF RAILS

We then walked down the gorge to peer back up at the bridge skyway. In the humidity we sweated, but at least we were on the ground.

We briefly considered the two-hour drive to Buffalo to eat chicken wings at the Anchor Bar, but instead headed for home and dinner at the Crittenden Hotel, located at the traffic light in Coudersport.

Again, I marvel at how Pennsylvania embraces its past and makes it easy to visit and enjoy her resources. Joking aside it was very good to visit the Kinzua Bridge Park..

it's safer on the ground

KINZUA STATE PARK

Thanks for reading.

Rain rain go away

So much for seeing the stars. Here we are in beautiful downtown Coudersport PA and it’s raining and the forecast calls for much more rain throughout the night. We’re holed up in our hotel, the Crittenden, located at the traffic light in Coudersport; you can’t miss it.

The rain is not just wreaking havoc on the stargazing we had expected to do at Cherry Springs State Park, a Dark Sky Park, and perhaps the best place to see the Milky Way on the east coast, but it is also putting a “damper” on the entire area. Word has it that flooding has gotten so bad that Hershey Park Amusement Park has closed down for the day and a state of emergency has been declared in several Pennsylvania towns due to flash flooding. The rain will not abate tonight…or tomorrow. I fear there were not be any stargazing on this trip.

Janet and I drove the 200+ miles to Cherry Springs today at least thankful we weren’t going this far and also have to camp in the rain. Facilities at the Park are rustic; no hot showers, etc., so early in the planning stages of this trip we opted for a hotel. On our way to Coudersport and our hotel we did stop at Cherry Springs and surveyed the grounds and the night sky public viewing area and resolved to return in the future. Even tomorrow, Tuesday night, looks bad.

UNTOUCHABLE…WHO KNEW?

Turns out the hotel we are staying at… the only hotel in Coudersport I might add… The Crittenden…. has a unique history. Eliot Ness, of the Untouchables fame, had moved to Coudersport in the mid-1950’s as part of a business venture and eventually died here of a heart attack in 1957. Prior to his death he met regularly at the Crittenden with a ghost writer to document his battles with the Chicago mob and Al Capone. Ness died before the book was finished, but the highly sensationalized account led to the myth of the Untouchables, the law enforcement agents who could not be bribed or scared off by the Chicago mob. The Ness legend endures and we are staying in room 1 at the Crittenden, the room where Ness and his ghost writer would meet.

Hotel Crittenden 

The Crittenden is being renovated, but the room is clean and neat and overlooks the traffic light with the county courthouse rising into the rain drenched sky. Thankfully there is a bar/restaurant downstairs boasting a reasonable beer list and a nice menu served with large portions and decent prices so we don't have to go hunting for food or drink. Coudersport is about 12 miles outside of Cherry Springs State Park. There were places closer to the park to stay, but the Crittenden is a good hotel with a friendly staff.

HOTEL CRITTENDEN

Eliot Ness

NESS FEST

Turns out the 1^st annual Eliot Ness Fest was held just this past weekend honoring the town’s most famous citizen. The weekend featured walking and speakeasy tours, a “bootleg booze convoy hijacking”, a parade and afterwards a reenactment of the arrest of Al Capone. Also viewings of different documentaries about Ness and the movie The Untouchables with Kevin Costner were shown at different times at the local theater. Evidently the weekend soiree was so well attended and unexpected that the Crittenden ran out of food on Sunday.

 ELIOT NESS FEST

Hopefully the rain will clear out sometime soon. 

Thanks for reading.