It was 1981 and half a dozen of us Boy Scouts were being treated to one of Scoutmaster John Marley’s private stash of favorite places. We were the elder Scouts, the Leadership Corps of Troop 802. In rented canoes we paddled through 60 miles of the some of the most beautiful countryside I had ever seen. The peaks towered over us and the creek revealed new pleasures at each bend. I remember that even though Pine Creek varied in depth from inches to 15 feet it was always crystal clear to the bottom. There were a few minor rapids. We had to jump out of the canoes a few times to get through the shallow spots. There were submerged rocks smudged with the colors of our canoes – apparently our canoes had been this way before. We camped overnight around the halfway point. I wrapped my gear-securing shock cord around a nearby tree so I wouldn’t lose it in the dark. Looking for recreation after dinner we jumped back in the canoes and attacked each other with our water bailing scoops. In the middle of the quiet night I was awakened by a terrifyingly loud freight train passing by on the opposite shore. Except for the train and the occasional bridge crossing we were the only witnesses to this place.
Fast forward to the present. The railroad is gone now, replaced by a fabulous rail trail ideal for biking. When we walked the upper portion on a chilly Mothers’ Day we encountered few others, but clearly this is area is now available to the many. The trail hugs Pine Creek from Ansonia to Jersey Shore, more or less the end points of our canoe trip. Spring-fed creeks flow under the road bed. The rock faces drip eagerly and some of the bigger spring outlets produce miniature waterfalls. Geese pairs shepherd their young broods along the edge of the creek.
Up in Leonard Harrison Park the Turkey Trail takes you all the way down to the creek. It is steep descent, but there are wooden stairs and railings at the most treacherous points. And remember you have to walk back up to the top! The whole walk is beautiful, but at the halfway point you encounter a spectacular waterfall as extra compensation for your effort. There are other vantage points at various places in the gorge, but Harrison is generally regarded as the best. A couple of State Parks abut the creek in this area and there are many trails to explore.
The town closest to the upper gorge is Wellsboro, a charming Norman Rockwell sort of place with an easily walkable Main Street with several restaurant and lodging options. We stayed at La Belle Auberge B&B and enjoyed The Roost sports bar. We narrowly missed seeing (by one hour) a local community theater production, and Gail was mesmerized by a store called The Enchanted Hollow.
One thing I have wondered since that 1981 canoe trip. Will I ever see my shock cord again?
