Dixie Run Flood continued

Dixie Run creek looking up from bridge on 414

Cement Culvert moved by flood

Dixie Run Rd. breakaway

Dixie Run Rd. Breakaway

I got up to the Dixie Run area again. The guys were at Young Guns camp cleaning up their flood mess. Fortunately for them they had a concrete floor inside camp and throw rugs on it, which are now throw away rugs. Much of their downstairs furniture was damaged and their refrigerator destroyed. They had to cut the drywall up the wall about 18", but with the fans going I didn't notice much of a smell and it seemed they had things fairly under control.

Their biggest concern and the concern of those living in area or with camp in the area are the numerous trees now blocking the creek. You can see on of the blocks in the first picture.

According to early reports the township doesn't have the money to fix anything including the road, which is totally blocked off about 1/2 mile north of the old CCC camp. The road that intersects at the CCC camp and goes over a bridge is also unsafe. The township did "fix" or should I say make barely passable the road in front of Floyd's place(where you see orange cones in pictures). The problem will be if the area gets any more rain before these blockages and damages are addressed it could become an even greater hazard to the road and all below. I think because this was such a small area affected by this monster rain(reports of up to 10" in 6 hours by residents) it has gotten little attention or help. 

Since we will be heading into winter with the possibility of heavy snow/heavy spring runoffs, the idea of more damage being created here and lives or property being at risk is very real. Hopefully, someone will take the bull or should I say "Run" by the horns and get this fixed. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out. 

Gas wells ignite hopes and fears

The biggest news in this area since I was born is the emerging gas well business. As you can see from a sign posted in a yard in Wellsboro the "Fracking" which is a method of pumping water and chemicals into shale to get the gas out has been met with some opposition.
The down side of gas exploration is immediately obvious. Constant truck traffic 24/7 destroying roads, noisy drilling and a complete disruption of the recreational seclusion this area has enjoyed.
The upside, "money". Money for people drilling and landowners lucky enough to have a lease and drilling supplying them with the kind of money never seen in these hills.


I don't blame anyone for taking the money. It is hard making a living here. People work twice as hard for half as much and most live below the poverty line. Seeing the sky glowing at night from the gas wells gives me an eiry apocalyptic feeling. Meeting truck after dusty truck on the roads and seeing our roads posted with signs like in the third picture...makes it seem like an industrial zone.

The signs say: No refueling zone, Keep moving no parking, waterbody and wetland boundry. When they first popped up we all wondered who they were for. Could we not stop? Or need to know where the water is? I am not sure if the gas company puts these up or the DEP, but hopefully it will help protect some of the area from spills in bad places.

Just when you think you know how to get somewhere you will likely be met with the last sign. Road Closed. Here a road closed can mean a 20 mile detour so it is not a welcome sign. I have to say..I am bad and ignore the signs until someone tells me in person otherwise. So far, that has not happened. I think they forget to take the signs down when they are done with whatever they think the road needs to be closed for.
This is just the beginning as the State has started to lease some forest. Nothing near us yet, but it is coming. If the sign changes to forest closed...the mountain girl will not be a happy girl.
Well, a small sample of what your camp will be like this year. Grin and bear it. Lets hope when it is over the area has benefited more then it has been sucked dry.
Mountain girl, Paula, logging off.