Trip to the Moon (MTB Part 14)

... took a round-trip excursion last weekend to an area located in the 'Dunbar Mountain' region of 'Chestnut Ridge' known locally as the 'Moon'...

... about 19.5 miles there and back - follow the 'Yough River Trail' (YRT) from 'Connellsville' until you reach the obvious trail access gate just past 'Camp Carmel'...

... slip past the iron gate then it's a totally "non-technical" (but great)  ~1.6 mile hill climb following an old gravel and rock mountain road that parallels the picturesque 'Morgan Run' for most of the distance...

... gets pretty steep for the last quarter mile or so before topping out initially at the entrance to an old abandoned strip mine...

... just before the final steep climb to the 'Moon' which is actually the high ground of the old strip area (as usual, photos do no justice to the incline)...

.. pretty nice view out across the 'Laurel Highlands' from the top...

... it's a long, fast downhill retracing your tracks back to the 'YRT' - we were in no hurry so decided to check out a few old "attractions" on the return...

... but first came across this 'Wooly Bear Caterpillar' predicting a mild winter (they're correct ~80% of the time - same as the local weather "forecasters")... we like the 'dewdrops'...

... as well as some (very) fresh 'Black Bear' tracks - nice print...

... a size 11 for scale...

... then headed over to the nearby 'Buzzard Rocks' (known to climbers as 'Kraylick Rocks - never spoke to anyone who could explain the origin of that name)... 'brother Howie' at the precipice...

 

... 'ditto'...

... pretty nice view overlooking the stream valley from the "point"...

... some nice contrast between the fall colors, green 'rhododendron' and the gray sandstone rock...

... after that we stopped over to check out 'Blue Hole' located just across the valley...

... found some cool mushrooms growing in the hollow of this old tree...

... a pretty decent  old "one off" boulder (as we recall - been many years) located further down the valley...

... finally, a brilliantly colored 'Maple Tree' heading back along the 'YRT'...

... a "trail map" for information... (note: we incorrectly located the trail up thru the valley as shown here on several previous maps - this is correct)...