The Kichlines: July 2005

The Moyer Homestead

So even before we set out to Rock Run (see blog below) we decided to attempt to find the family homestead in Bodines, PA... My mom's family would go up here every now and again to visit and a vaguely remembered this from my youth. I must have been a pre-teen when we last went and remember staying in the Hemlock Motel off Rt. 15 (now no longer there but Hemlock Dr. still remains!).

So in order to find the homestead I called my mom and went off some pretty dusty diretions... turn right after the Penn "Something" Cemetery... then turn left at the General Store, you'll be on a dirt road with a hill on your right and fields on your left... that kinda of thing. Well, with a mix of memories and my mom's ability to recall landmarks that stand the test of time, we found it!

Below are some pictures we took. We initially drove past the homestead to scope it out (and to make sure that was the place). Then on the way back we carefully drove past, heeding the giant, florescent orange "No Trespassing" signs... Luckily, the new owners didn't have the shotgun loaded at the time (just kidding).

Creekside

Stone Bridge

In Motion

The Homestead

The Barn

Barn Side

We weren't sure if this was the homestead, but after zooming in on a picture of the barn, we were pretty sure!

Rock Run

So it has been awhile since I've blogged... That's mostly because life has been busy and ordinary. There were some vacations that are better left unmentioned. However, today Jaime and I took a small trip to a jewel located in the heart of Pennsylvania.

We were trying to decide whether to go to Delaware Water Gap, or Rock Run and finally decided upon the later. We drove around 3 hours and arrived to rediscover the ultimate in swimming holes.

For those that don't know what Rock Run is, its a creek the runs through the mountains north of Williamsport. The amazing part about it is how clear the water is and how it has carved out natural pools, chutes, and other beautiful shapes. For instance, one can drop a penny to the bottom of 20 feet of water and be able to tell if it landed on heads or tails. Moving around some of the deeper pulls provide such clarity that the bottom of the pool is refracted like a lens to the surface. It is an eerie trick on the eyes that makes it difficult to determine the exact depth (it is usually much deeper than it appears).

There are parts that are very secluded, and other places that are pretty well known. You would be hard pressed to not find small groups of 10 gathered at the large swimming area, or around the amazing cliff diving area (involving a 40 foot drop from aloft a pine tree where no one has yet touched bottom).

Jaime and I started at the first water hole and hiked up stream catching all or most of the beauty that this stream bed offers. We then hiked back on the dirt road resulting in about a 4.5 mile hike. Below is a sample of some photographs of our journey.