Crawford Vista Cache Traditional Cache
terry & gang: Permit is expiring so decided to archive the cache.
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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The quest for this cache will take you into the Mosquito Creek
valley in the Quehanna Wild Area. You will pass one of the
historical sites in the area as you travel Reactor Road and then
Lost Run Road to the cache area. That site is, of course, the
nuclear reactor building which was cleaned up and removed late in
2008. Reactor Road leaves the Quehanna Highway at 41° 14.33’N and
78° 12.41’W and Lost Run Road cuts right off it at the gate.
Continue across the plateau and then start down into Meeker Run.
The Eastern Cross Connector of the Quehanna Trail runs most of the
length of Meeker Run and you will spend some time walking it. It
meets Lost Run Road at 41° 13.28’N and 78° 14.49’W but I usually
park at a wide spot at 41° 13.31’N and 78° 14.45’W – maybe 150
yards above the intersection. If you see the State Games Lands
line, you have traveled about 200 yards too far. This cache will
require a hike of about 1.25 miles on a hiking trail. I highly
recommend that you not brushwack as you will likely end up going
through the tornado zone from the 1985 tornado. No fun. As you hike
the blue blazed Cross Connector Trail up the hollow, you will pass
a small building which was associated with the nuclear reactor
facility – maybe to supply water. After about 1/2 mile, you will
find a sign at 41° 13.564’N and 78° 14.399’W on an old railroad
grade pointing out the Crawford Vista trail. This blue blazed trail
starts out going SW along the side of the hill. Near the top is a
small vista where, as you look SE, you might see the site of the
reactor building depending on the leaves. The trail skirts the edge
of the tornado zone and winds through the timber. After a bit, it
joins an old trail that has a deep trough in the forest floor. A
Forest Foreman has said a forest fire plow was run through the area
to make a fire break. Continue following the blue blazes to the
vista looking into Mosquito Creek. There are lots of blueberry
bushes at the cache if you visit later in the summer. The Crawford
Vista trail was built in 2005 by George1 and I so it is not shown
on the old Quehanna Trail maps but it is shown on the new ones. You
might consider making a longer hike of your trip by consulting the
map and planning to hike a loop to return you to your destination
rather than simply going straight back. Of course, if you really
want to hike, there are 120+ miles of trails in the area. Lost Run
Road is in good shape as I write this in May 2007. It isn’t
maintained in the winter so be aware before traveling it. The
Quehanna Wild area is home to all of the creatures you might find
in Penna. including timber rattlesnakes so travel with care. Over
the past few years of hiking and working on the trails in Quehanna,
I have seen four rattlesnakes. Three of them were within ¾ mile of
this vista. You might see elk anywhere in the area. Wear orange in
hunting seasons.
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