T+12 Gotta love the big brown beavers!

T+12 (Mar. 30, 2020)

Navigation Report:
Starting Point: Campsite 0.7 mile south of I-81 (mile 1184)
Destination: Yellow Springs Campsite (mile 1174) or tent site at mile 1170.6

Travel Log:
Depart Camp (mile 1184) 12:45
Filter water at stream (mile 1183.5) 1:00
Cross PA-443 (mile 1182.6) 1:30
Red trail around beaverdan (mile 1180.2) 2:30
Cemetery (mile 1179.2) 3:10
Beaver dam (mile 1179.4) 3:30
Rausch Gap Shelter (mile 1178.6) 4:00
Yellow Springs Camp (mile 1174) 6:00

Daily mileage = 10.0
Total mileage = 122.0

Commander’s Report:
Slept in the clouds (literally) last night. Between that and the rain from the other day everything is either dripping wet (tent) or super damp. Since this morning was fairly warm and sunny I decided to hang my stuff on nearby trees, open my tent and allow some drying to take place. The tent was so wet though that I wiped it down several times with a bandana to get the bulk of the moisture off of it first. I decided the tent was sufficiently dry to pack around noon, but didn't get on the trail until 12:45.

As soon as I stepped on the trail, @thesunfishduo came upon me from behind. We've apparently been flip-flopping recently. They passed me on my zero day and today is their first day back on the trail after a zero day in Lickdale. We had all stopped in Hamburg for resupply, but they were lamenting their choice to zero in Lickdale due to the dearth of resupply options. Didn't get to catch up with them long, as I was completely out of water, so I topped up at the stream 0.5 miles down the trail.

​Shortly after the creek, the trail goes through a field for a good stretch. In the field are two lonely (cedar?) trees. I've always had an affinity for fields with isolated trees in them. Those trees seem so resolute - standing where no other dare, against all weather and adversity. But they also seem so sad and lonely. Like they were cast out of tree society, so their resoluteness is forced upon them if they wish to survive. Or maybe they are loner trees, deeply annoyed by the other trees. Anyway, the trees in this field were a duo, standing resolutely together - and the trail cuts between them. I almost felt the need to apologize for interrupting them as I walked in between!

The antisocial tree duo

​A short way after the field a decision needed to be made:  A) Continue on down the AT proper and traverse a beaver dam,  or B) go out and around on a red blazed detour. I spoke to a woman yesterday who had come across the dam and the water was nearly knee deep in places. That was all I needed to know to choose the bypass detour.

Chose your own adventure

​The bypass goes first on an old jeep road before turning onto an infrequently used, but still active, road. On the latter I got a glimpse of @thesunfishduo way off in the distance. I tried taking a picture of them off in the distance down a long, straight road, but the best I got was this. You can kind of see a small black dot way off in the distance (if you zoom way in). That's them.

@thesunfishduo WAY off in the distance on this Straight as a ruler road

​The road and AT proper rejoin at Rausch Gap, the site of an old mining town. Now all that remains is a sign, modern bridge, and limestone water filter to adjust the pH of the stream - allowing for life to survive in it.

1950’s / 1960’s military style bridge in Rausch Gap

Information about the limestone water filter.

Outflow of the limestone water filter

​Here, I decided to check out Wynona the big brown beaver and see what she has constructed. It was about a 0.5 mile walk out to the dam, so worth the detour in my opinion. Once I got to the dam I realized that Wynona certainly had some help constructing that thing! The dam stretches as far as the eye can see (approx 60-80 yards) and is a substantial bit of engineering. I think I could hear the beavers chattering, but I've never heard a beaver, so I captured the audio so as to compare with what I can find on the internet (as soon as I have WiFi access). [Editing note: Nope not beavers, must be a bird of some sort.]

Beaver dam near Rausch Gap

​Also down by the beaver dam is a tiny cemetery, with 4 headstones, though one is thoroughly covered in moss. The three visible ones all date to 1854, right in the middle of the lifetime of the mine.

Off in the back left is this headstone:

Catherine Blackwood’s headstone

​It reads: 
"Catherine daughter of John and Elizabeth
Blackwood. Died June 16, 1854. Aged one year,
one month, and seven days.”

In the back center is this headstone:

Andrew Allen’s headstone

​It reads (as best as I can make out): 
"In memory of the late Andrew Allen. A native of England who met his death by accident at Gold Mine Gap June 6, 1854. Aged 30 years, two months, and 12 days. 

Epitaph: Here lies beneath, this humble sod. The nobles I work, of natures God. A heart once warm with gratitude. With strength and courage, was endured (in vain?). 

Few hearts like his, with virtue warmed. Few hands, with knowledge so informed. If there is another world, he lives infinite. If there is none, he made the best of it.  

In Burns"

This is the headstone in front:

John Proud’s headstone

​It reads:
"In memory of John Proud. Born in Durham England and died May 18, 1854 aged 52 years and 16 days. 

Afflictions sore long time I bore, all human skill was in vain; Till God did please to give me ease, and free me from my pain."

I'll leave it there, with the note that we need more headstones like those. Ours now fail to capture any essence of the person - just that they lived and died.