Out for a Spin

Just a beautiful weekend to take the Ruckus out for a spin...so I decided to visit one of my favorite haunts...

The first time I ever saw this wall - my eyes were drawn to the beauty of it by the reflection of the sun bouncing off the sandstone.

It starts off low - before rising in the center and ending back low again. Very Native American look - in the form of a rattlesnake effigy. Much like an similar example at Stonewall Jackson State Park  in West Virginia.

The total length of the wall is about 1/4 mile - pretty nice size.

 The structure as a whole - shows considerable age...

Showing the wall snaking it's way up the hill. As you can see - there is a lot weather related damage to the structure. I had intended to shoot the entire wall - but right about here - it sounded like a coyote den was very close by - you could hear the pups whimpering - so I turned around at this point - because I didn't want to piss the mother off...

So I dug up some old shots of the end section - where it begins to taper down...

To the end here - with the stones leaning against each other - much like the scales of a tail.

Right where the wall stops - is this nice size mounds that again - shows considerable age. There are also some other structures at this site that point to Native American - along with another wall of similar size and three other smaller walls.

Rock Shelter

 

With most of the snow finally gone - rockpile season has begun for me. This rock shelter is located on the hillside above Conemaugh Gap. The scale is hard to tell from this shot.

From this angle - you can get a better looks at the scale.

This shot is a bit on the bright side - April sun - plus old camera - which meant some of my shots didn't turn out.

View directly in front of the shelter. There are also a set of nice springs located in an area behind the shelter. No rockpiles in this area - that I have seen yet - but there looks to be some possible larger rock mounds a couple of hundred feet from here. But they still have snow on them.

Not much - but could be?

The weather has been great for searching - too bad I have not been finding much - except for this possible structure. I am standing along the ridge line of the Conemaugh Gap.

 Interesting though with the notch-like theme on the right hand side.

 The left-hand side continues the notch - with what looks like a possible Manitou. I will say that the possible structure points North and even if the area was clear cut - there would be no way for this to be used for either a sunrise or sunset points. But the moon or stars - that's another question. My E-Trek Garmin does not seem to want to connect to any satellites - so I can prove that point at this time.

I sort of guess as to the exact location via Google Maps - there are a few cairns scattered around the area - but they are so low to the ground - that there could be more for all I know.

 

Possible Rock Shelter

Just a beautiful day to be in the woods. RJ wanted to ride on the back of what I call bear rock - with cub rock on the lower right.

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But enough about bear - here is what I am talking about. It's larger than it appears by this shot.

But before I show the front of this - RJ is heading up to a sort of tunnel or trench like structure.

This is actually smaller than it appears - room enough for one person at a time to go thru.

This also has parts that show some fire cracked rock damage. Though you can't tell from this picture - the whole things goes slighty up hill.

Looking back towards the way you go in.

Looking around at the top here - I think there could be a couple of possible rockpiles. But will clean some of this off another time to get  better understanding of what may be going on here.

Looking back towards the whole of the trench

This juts out more than it appears - I was running out of card space at this point. Besides this picture isn't the greatest - it was just a hard place to shoot.

RJ peeking around the other opening. I will be going back to take better pictures of this structure in the future.

 

 

Gettysburg Turtle

Took a weekend trip to Gettysburg and what do I see on Little Round Top - looks like a turtle to me. 

 

Another tree in a pile

Another of the rockpiles with a tree

Rockpile with tree

Since it's too hot and I don't go off trail in the summer. I was going thru some pictures from a couple of months ago. This is a nice size rockpile with an even larger set of trees growing out of the top.

A Couple of Mounds

 

Exploring an area along the top edge of the Conemaugh Gap. This possible structure caught my eye. It's made up of three large stones - and a dip in the ground - which is where I think they got the dirt of the oval type mound.

It's made up of dirt and rock. Then found this a couple of hundred feet away.

Nice size mound of dirt and rock overlooking the gap. Directly underneath it - could be a possible rock shelter.

This is steeper than it looks - which is why this picture isn't the greatest.

Quick Spin

 

Took the Ruck up the mountain for a quick spin - in a spot I have never been before. Parked - looking for signs of rockpiles and found....

This nice size rockpile - just off in the woods. This area looks down into the Conemaugh Gap - and I have found other rockpiles in another section. This is sort of untouched territory for me - since in the past it has taken me - far too long to walk into the area - that's why I bought the Ruckus.

New Exploring Partner

 

Just got my new 2012 Honda Ruckus. There are spots up the mountain that take an hour to walk into - thought this might come in handy when I don't feel like walking the whole way in.

Point Found Near Rockpile

 

I found this point last month on a trip up the mountain. I actually kicked it up with my boot. I don't really spend much time looking for points - since it's so darn hard on the eyes. What I thought was interesting was - that I found it a couple of hundred feet away from this:

Turtle-tad

 

I find this possible structure so interesting. Sort of looks like a cross between a tadpole and a turtle. It's a low to the ground wall (tail) and it has a rounded end - that looks like the head of a turtle. Given the history of this piece of land - there was a Native American woman married to a free African-American man around 1800. She along with their eight children died before 1820. This area also has a large wall along with a couple of rockpiles and what's lefdt of a very large and old chestnut tree.

Mounds and Skull - Lower Yoder Township

It was just a beauitful day for being in the woods. Spotted this large, mess of a rock mound right off the bat.

RJ is standing on what's left of am old military road that probably dates from the French and Indian War.

Showing off a section of the originial Mountain Road - that dates to at least 1774 according to 'Frontier Forts of Western Pennsylvania'.

I just can't seem to ever stay from this stone skull - I always take a couple of shots of it when passing this way.

I think I am about the only one that thinks this is something - and I always will.

This is the first mound I ever found many years ago and it will always continue to be my favorite. This is about 1/2 mile from the stone skull.

Closeup - but around the other side

A hollow - that looks like it was built that way.

Found this new small rockpile nearby.