The Ashley Planes Walk

April 14, 2012

DUST THE WINTER COBWEBS OFF YOUR WALKING SHOES AND JOIN NORTH BRANCH LAND TRUST FOR A WALK ON THE ASHLEY PLANES.
Saturday, April 14 at 10:00am

The walk, led by Dave Estep, railroad buff extraordinaire and an adventure aficionado, is an easy 3-mile walk on a good trail with some moderate incline in spots.

The Ashley Planes, designed to move railroad cars over steep inclines, ran through the mountain cut from Ashley to Solomon’s Gap in Mountain Top and was an important part of northeastern Pennsylvania’s coal and transportation system.

There were 3 inclines, or “planes”, that comprised the engineering marvel and we will walk the “2nd Plane”. This is a beautiful wooded trail on the original railbed and you will see the ruins of boiler, engine and drum houses; culverts, bridges, impoundments, and dams as Dave shows you photos of what it looked like in its heyday and explains how its incredible pioneering engineering worked. Construction of the Planes began in 1837 and were in use until 1948.

The trail follows Solomon’s Creek with it’s beautiful waterfalls and pools and at one point we will veer off the railbed to explore the 1888 Crystal Spring water filtration house and the dam.

Just to wet your appetite for the walk, these accompanying photographs show a few then-and-now scenes. This is one walk you surely don’t want to miss. It is simply a beautiful spot that goes unnoticed. Plus you get the added bonus of Dave’s wealth of information.

Please dress appropriately for the unpredictable March weather, wear sturdy shoes, bring a bag lunch, water, and your curiosity!

This event is free and open to anyone but REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. SPACE IS LIMITED and is on a FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE basis. You can either register here by clicking on the Register Event button below or email romanansky@nblt.org or call the office at 570-696-5545. Directions and meeting place will be given upon registration.

We are looking forward to a very fun walk and hope you can join us.

The Staff at NBLT

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11 Carverton Rd., Trucksville, PA 18708
Phone: (570) 696-5545 | Fax: (570) 696-5546