PRE-CONFERENCE TRIPS

Pre-conference field trips will be held on Thursday October 1. See the trip descriptions below. Additional information about these pre-conference trips is available on the Conference Web Map.

Safety Gear:

Hard hat

Things to Bring:

Suitable footwear is required for walking on wet and uneven surfaces. Long sleeves, sweatshirt, or light jacket recommended. Temperature will be 50-55 degrees and damp.

Cost:

$12, will be paid by attendee at the door.

Time:

1:00 to 3:00

Meeting Location:

1 Bald Mountain Road, S ABINGTN TWP, PA 18411. Follow the signs to the mine tour when you enter McDade Park. Parking is free in the lots provided.

Number of Attendees:

1 Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour

Leader:

David McGovern, P.G.

Trip Description:

Descend slowly into the earth on a bright yellow portal bus as you enter the old Slope #190. Watch the sky slowly disappear. Soon you will reach "the foot." Once you’re underground 300 feet below the surface, explore an actual Anthracite mine originally opened in 1860. Accompany your knowledgeable tour guide in the winding gangways and rock tunnel to see three different Anthracite coal veins. Pass by the Mule Boy and the Nipper and look upwards into the Monkey Vein and the Dead Chute. Listen as your tour guide explains and demonstrates the fascinating methods used to extract the coal and the heroic efforts involved by workers in the history of deep mining.

Difficulty:

Moderate. Suitable footwear is required for walking on wet and uneven surfaces. The mine is accessible for guests with disabilities with certain restrictions. Guests must be able to transfer or be transferred by an escort from a wheelchair or mobility device to the mine car as well as have a companion to assist them through the mine. No personal wheelchairs or mobility devices are allowed on the mine car. The walking portion of the tour is approximately 1/2-mile and lasts about one hour.

2 The Shades of Death Trail and Hickory Run Boulder Field

Leader:

Bill Kochanov

Trip Description:

Unlike last years death march in the Hammersley wilderness, we will hike the Shades of Death Trail, roughly 3 miles total, along scenic Sand Spring Run. After the hike we will travel to the Hickory Run Boulder Field, to ponder in awe of this periglacial wonder of PA. Time permitting, we will hit up Manning's Farm Dairy (just outside of Wilkes-Barre) for ice cream.

Difficulty:

Moderate. Terrain covers streamside flats to rocky terrain. Some up and down slopes but nothing extreme. It's not a long hike.

Safety Gear:

None

Things to Bring:

Snack; Lunch; Water; Walking sticks; Binoculars; Hiking boots. It is not a long hike. Items selected are not required, it is just stuff I usually carry when I go hiking. Flip flops are not a good choice for footware. A hat would also be useful. As with all activities, being safe is number one. If one has underlying health issues, do not forget your meds, inhaler, epi-pen, sugar back up, or whatever you may require to manage your particular condition. As it is unlikely that we will encounter large creatures of a destructive nature, one cannot discount nagging insects; bug spray if you wish. I'll have a first aid kit if a boulder should happen to bite.

Cost:

Free

Time:

10:00 to 4:00

Meeting Location:

Hickory Run State Park, PA Route 534, Jim Thorpe. We will meet in the parking lot at: 41.024556, -75.709785