Pine Creek- Tiadaghton - 14 Weeks to Go

Pine Creek Gorge Panorama, taken from West Rim Trail in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, USA. View is of the "Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania" looking south, Pine Creek and the rail-trail are visible.(from Wikipedia)

Just some information about Pine Creek. Fourteen Weeks to go until my 60 miles for my 60th.

According to Wikipedia:

• Pine Creek is named for the many pine trees that lined (and now again line) much of its banks. The Iroquois called Pine Creek “Tiadaghton”, which according to Steve Owlett in Seasons Along The Tiadaghton: An Environmental History of the Pine Creek Gorge, either meant “The River of Pines” or “The Lost or Bewildered River.”
  


• Pine Creek is the largest “creek” in the United States.Pine Creek's watershed covers 979 sq. mi, the largest watershed of all tributaries of the West Branch Susquehanna River.
  

Also, in another article on Wikipedia:

• The Pine Creek Rail Trail is approximately 65 miles from end to end, and it generally follows a north-south orientation. The trail is located wholly within Tioga and Lycoming Counties.

• The trail's northern terminus is near the intersection of U.S. Route 6 and Pennsylvania Route 287, about 3 miles north of Wellsboro. The trail parallels Route 6 in a southwesterly direction for about 6 miles until it reaches the village of Ansonia. From there the trail parallels Pine Creek as it goes south along the floor of the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. It passes through Leonard Harrison State Park and the Tioga State Forest. Approximately 17 miles south of Ansonia, the trail passes through the village of Blackwell. The section between Ansonia and Blackwell is very remote, and much of the trail is inaccessible by road.

• South of Blackwell, the trail enters Lycoming County and the Tiadaghton State Forest. It parallels Pennsylvania Route 414 for about 25 miles. Pennsylvania Route 414 ends in the unincorporated village of Waterville. South of Waterville, the trail parallels Pennsylvania Route 44 for approximately 17 miles until the trail reaches its southern terminus in Jersey Shore. Between Blackwell and Jersey Shore, the trail crosses the highway and Pine Creek several times, and it is almost always within sight of both the road and the creek.

• The earliest industry in the region was logging. In the years between 1820 and 1883, trees were floated down the creek to sawmills in Jersey Shore and Williamsport. In 1883, the Jersey Shore, Pine Creek and Buffalo Railway opened. Sawmills were constructed in several communities along the creek, and finished products were carried out by train. Coal mining was another important industry, and coal was also shipped along the railroad.

• After a series of reorganizations, the railroad along Pine Creek became a part of the New York Central Railroad and eventually Conrail. Freight and passenger service continued for many years. In 1988, Conrail ended rail service. The tracks were removed, and the first section of the Pine Creek Rail Trail opened in 1996. The trail opened in stages with the most recent section (from Ansonia to just north of Wellsboro) being completed in 2007. The trail is operated by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

• In 2001, an article in the USA Today newspaper named the Pine Creek Rail Trail one of "10 great places to take a bike tour" in the world. It was one of only five places in the continental United States on the list, which was compiled by Patricia Vance, author of bicycle touring guides. The article cited the "Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania" as "idyllic in fall" and mentioned the "gorge with views of the cliffs and mixed hardwood forest".