SGL 57 TR - Coyotes, Turtles, and Tadpol e

“Went on a 12 mile dayhike along some old grades and game trails on some game lands near my house. A great wilderness with deep hemlock, spruce, and fir forests with views. I reached the top of Catlin Hollow Falls, I believe to be the highest in PA, but it was too steep to descend. Saw a coyote and deer. I was looking at a mud puddle with thousands to tadpoles when a realized a clump of mud was a turtle. Lots of beautiful streams. Great hike in an unknown area.

Pics:
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/559056340bmNVpb”

“ohhh, scary snapping turtle...great pix!...sometimes those unmarked trails are the best”

“highest in PA? You mean higher than Dingman Falls?”

“I believe so ENS, the creek drops something like 700 feet in .3 mile.”

“wow, I would like to see this waterfall. I see you were at the top, but have you been to the bottom?

wow 700 feet, that's probably comparable to most waterfalls in the east.”

“No, had to bushwhack just to reach the top, I still need to find a way to the bottom- very treacherous terrain. The pic was from the top of a 40 foot falls- after that I think is 100-200 foot falls.”

“How big was the snapper? He looks kind of small, next to the tadpoles.”

“The small white flowers are dwarf ginseng, Panax trifolium”

“how high is the plateau there? Are the spruce and fir of an arctic variety?”

“Jmitch, nice pictures. I just looked on a map to see where you were, but I couldn't find Catlin hollow on the map I have. I did see a small stream that runs off some steep terrain above Mehoopany creek. I'll assume that's the waterfall. Does it dry up in the summer? I'll bet lots of rattlesnakes are up there. Each year they have the rattlesnake roundup in Noxen and I think they get them from the gamelands.”

“I think the falls has some water all year, it drains a wetland and spaghnum moss meadow.

ENS, very thick spruce/fir in places, similar to the Catskills and Adirondacks, some are even stunted. Many beautiful hemlock forests.

RichB- let me know when you'd like to hike up there.”

“Jmitch next time you head up to day hike that location send me an email. Msilver would probably be interested in seeing it as well.”

“let me know as well. sounds like a neat area.”