Rock shelter with caves
You know you lived a day to its fullest when you create a memory, an experience, a feeling that will forever stay with you.
For me, that was this hike, this place…
Over ten years ago I hiked up Scouten Brook in SGL 57. I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of this stream, as the water slid over red bedrock and tumbled down small cascades under a hemlock forest. This off-trail hike was only the beginning for me, the first of many beautiful places I would see during my exploration of SGL 57. This past weekend, I returned. And it was amazing.
I’ve spent little time in this area of the SGL 57. Recently, I’ve become intrigued by what might be there. Google Earth revealed a vast, deep green forest, even in winter. I suspected it might be a spruce and hemlock forest.
Our plan was ambitious. Hike up Scouten Brook, explore the cliff rim of the spruce forest, find a vista, and hike back out. This rugged hike would be about 17 miles.
Looking through the cave.
We followed an old grade along Scouten Brook as cascades danced far below over the deep red bedrock I remembered from years ago. Large boulders adorned the creek. The hemlock forest was not as verdant, dying from the woolly adelgid. The creek was beautiful and pristine as it flowed through a gorge of towering hardwood trees. Ryan mentioned there was a sidestream falls and iceflow across Scouten Brook. We scrambled up the steep glen and a grotto soon appeared with a 20 foot cascade and columns of melting ice. The day was warm under overcast skies and Ryan had to jump across the stream when an icicle suddenly collapsed.
We continued up this rugged gorge, climbing over large boulders under towering old growth white pine and dead hemlocks. At the rim were jungles of mountain laurel and a cave formed by boulders that Wes explored. We continued along the rim, following a bear path, but the thick laurel made it slow going. We descended steeply back to Scouten Brook to see a beautiful ice covered waterfall. Upstream were more waterfalls, all adorned with ice. It was a beautiful, serene place.
Easier hiking was provided by an old forest grade that gradually climbed the plateau. The hemlock and spruce forest that was the goal of this hike soon came into view. We left the old grade and climbed to this evergreen forest and were greeted with a massive rock overhang with a cave behind it. The rock was made of pebbly conglomerate. I reached the overhang by descending through the cave, where one hanging rock looked like it was about to fall. We sat there to enjoy the scenery as spruce trees surrounded us. The best was yet to come.
Incredible forests of spruce, hemlock, and moss. One of the most scenic forests in the state.
We left the overhang and cave to the plateau rim to be immersed in an amazing forest of spruce, hemlock, and carpets of moss. It must be one of the most scenic forests in Pennsylvania. The greenery was simply incredible, invoking a forest from the Adirondacks or New England. Despite it being winter, when most forests are bare brown, this one was an endless green. We were awestruck. Carpets of moss spread through the forest, harboring countless spruce saplings. We could have been in the Pacific Northwest. Massive boulders comprised the forest floor, and in a few places, the separated boulders created long, straight chasms. Stunning. Moss and lichens covered the boulders. We pushed on through this sylvan wonderland. The cliff rim provided some views through the trees from the exposed boulders, as more caves and crevasses hid beneath our feet. The bedrock had separated, creating mazes of passageways and narrow, deep crevices that we had to be careful not to fall into.
Exploring the chasms.
As we made our way around the western edge of the forest, the clouds cleared, offering deep, blue skies and warm sunshine. A strong westerly wind filled the spruce forest, as shafts of sunlight pierced the canopy to electrify the forest floor. It was a complete sense of wildness as the wonderful aroma of the spruce filled our lungs. Few people have ever seen this place. The rim featured more boulders and crevasses, and tangled, fallen spruce trees. We continued along the rim and soft carpets of moss. I saw a slight rise ahead of me and I climbed up to it. The spruce forest separated to reveal a beautiful view to the west, with vast plateaus, and the canyons of Mehoopany Creek, Stony Brook, and Red Brook. The view was untouched, with no sign of development. We were all impressed as we enjoyed the warm sun and blue skies. We knew we had found a special place. We weren’t the first ones here, but few have ever seen what we saw. I imagined what the sunset must look like from here, it must be beautiful, I thought.
Views of the vast plateaus to the west, with no sign of development.
We pulled away from the view, each of us burning it in our memories for a future return. Our hike continued on the southern edge of the “emerald” forest, the boulders were not as big, but it was scenic nonetheless.
Twilight soon came as we flushed some wild turkeys from the pine and hemlock trees. The dark, bare tree branches reached across the last light of the day. The air was warm and still, making it feel like April and not January. Darkness surrounded us as we completed our hike on the road. The rapids of the Mehoopany Creek filled the isolated valley, the air had the scent of woodsmoke. An owl hooted in the distance. I slipped through the darkness, walking quickly along the road and startling deer in the woods. Constellations filled the clear sky, with Orion being the most vivid. We felt alive, seeing such a new and beautiful place, a place to which I must return.
We lived this day to the fullest.
Hike Pennsylvania with Jeff Mitchell 